Looking for advice from "older" students--up

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Hi, I am very new to this forum. Nursing school has been on my mind for years, and as much as I sometimes try to shake it off, I can't. It has been a dream since I graduated high school. Not too many years from now, both our kids will be graduated HS, so now is the time I need to start thinking about what I will do with my future. I have been a SAHM for the past 17 years, I just started doing med. trans. at home almost 2 years ago for some extra money and because I have always had that medical interested.

At this point, any advice from any older students would be a tremendous help. I am 43. I must admit it is very scary yet very exciting to think about returning to school. I actually get this tingly, warm feeling all over just thinking about it.

So, anyway, anyone who has any advice, encouragement or even any things to watch out for, it would all be appreciated.

Thank you so much!

i also agree with the 'age not a problem' posts. i'm 48 & waiting for my acceptance letter for lpn school. i'll be 50 when i graduate. i have to admit i'm anxious & excited at the same time. you can do it!!!!!!!!!!

Specializes in med/surg, telemetry.

I'm finally graduating with my BSN in May 2007 at the age of 34. I started at the community college getting all my pre-req's in and transferred into the University's nursing program. I've juggled going to college full-time and raising my 4 girls (now ages 14, 12, 10, and 7) along with all the other responsibilities of being a wife and taking care of a house, etc. Granted, at first it was difficult to decide to go ahead and start college. I was worried with my youngest being 3 years old at the time. I had planned on waiting until they were all in school. But everything fell into place for me to start when I did. I say go for it. The aging population at colleges is increasing significantly. The community college is a great place to start due to the cost being less, the population having a higher percentage of "non-traditional" students to ease the initial discomfort of having started back to college at a later age, and it's just a good starting block to get used to being in a classroom again and learning study habits. Good luck in your new endeavor.

just wanted to pop in here and say how good it is to read these posts from the "non-traditional" students! :)

i am 49 and just accepted into the fall 2007 nursing program here in north florida. i am very excited. i will be 51 when i graduate in april 2009.

actually, i had started the program this past january 2007 and had to drop out due to some personal family issues. i did not get far into the program so i was so hoping to see that acceptance for this fall. :)

it was/is always such a pleasure to meet older students in my pre-reqs who also are/were going towards their degree in nursing. finding this is becoming more the norm than not :)

good luck to everyone..hope to hear how everyone is doing as we begin our journey..and for those already embracing this adventure at this time in your life...you are an inspiration!! lisa

Hi, I am very new to this forum. Nursing school has been on my mind for years, and as much as I sometimes try to shake it off, I can't. It has been a dream since I graduated high school. Not too many years from now, both our kids will be graduated HS, so now is the time I need to start thinking about what I will do with my future. I have been a SAHM for the past 17 years, I just started doing med. trans. at home almost 2 years ago for some extra money and because I have always had that medical interested.

At this point, any advice from any older students would be a tremendous help. I am 43. I must admit it is very scary yet very exciting to think about returning to school. I actually get this tingly, warm feeling all over just thinking about it.

So, anyway, anyone who has any advice, encouragement or even any things to watch out for, it would all be appreciated.

Thank you so much!

Good for you. I had three children and waited until they were all grown and gone on with their own lives before I persued my desire to become a nurse. I recently took my NCLEX-PN boards and passed. I am still in school to obtain my RN, and I will be 51 next month. If you want this bad enough, you will do just fine. Get your pre-reqs and co-reqs out of the way as soon as you can, even if it means that you take summer classes. But follow your dream.

Specializes in Oncology, Emergency Department.

I started nursing school as I was turning 50. I had never gone to college before and although it has been grueling at best, I finally graduate in May, 2008. I say go for it, you are never too old to learn, it may take a little more effort on your part due to being older, atleast it did for me, but I am fully accepted by my classmates half of which I am old enough to be their mother. It gives me a tremendous sense of accomplishment being able to do this at this stage in my life. Additionally, my children, two in college, one a college graduate and starting graduate school have been shown a great example by me willing to take this chance. GO FOR IT!! I promise you, it's well worth it. Good luck!

Specializes in Neuro.

Hi robpritc,

I am 38 and started school the fall of 05 after being out of high school 17 years. I had never taken classes before, so I was very nervous and unsure about what I was getting myself into!! Fast forward 1 and 1/2 years. I received my acceptance letter last month and will start nursing school in August!

Do not let age be a factor because I am not a minority at my school. In fact, I would say that 70% of the students are mid 30's and above. I thought that I would be ancient compared to the other students and was so pleasantly surprised when I saw that I wasn't.

I think that being the age I was when I started helped me to continue. I know that I would have never gotten this far right out of high school. My mind wasn't on college, it was on partying, and having fun. I did get married right out of HS, and went to cosmetology school, but it was a 9 month program and was not near as intense as what taking pre reqs have been. Don't get me wrong, it's not that it has been hard, but I worked full time, we have 4 children and I was taking 15 hours each semester. Since I had no plans of going to college when I graduated HS, I didn't even try very hard, so I have NEVER studied as much and as hard as I have the last year and a half!!! My grades are very good, but I knew that I would have to have them since NS is so competitive. Needless to say, I LOVE school and look so forward to starting nursing school. After that, I plan on going to our local university to pursue a Masters and become a nurse practitioner.

Good luck to you in all that you do~

45 and graduating this year. I'll share my sisters advise to me when I had the same doubts. "In four years you'll be four years older whether you go back to school or not-might as well be four years older with a BSN". I'm glad I listened. Good luck.

Hi, I'll be 50 yo next month and got my license at the beginning of this month . A couple years from now you'll still be a couple years older, but you could also be a nurse. Good luck.

I was admitted to the '07 ABSN at Samuel Merritt and will be attending the orientation this Friday. Saturday, I turn 37. I am so looking forward to the new adventure and I agree with many posts above - I think age lends a different, highly marketable dimension.

Good luck and see you out there!

Specializes in n/a.

Age is just a number! I will be 52 next month and have one pre-req to go. I plan to take the Hobet test in January and hope to start the ADN program in Fall 2008. Nursing has always been my life dream. Life started rolling and I could not find a place to stop and regroup toward my dream. At 50, I decided it was now or never. It is hard work when you have been out of school for so long but you really do fall back in easy. I feel I probably have to study more than the average student, but finished everything with A's except the two Algebras. They were B's. Chemistry is kicking my butt right now but it will work out!

Good luck to all of you who have the courage and determiniation to pursue a new dream!

Hiya .. I think it's so great that you are going back to school and following your dream!! Just stick with it and you will get there and concentrate on your own studies (don't worry much about what everyone else is doing or getting for grades or going out and partying or whatever). You will be fantastic in nursing school -- repeat that over to yourself and keep putting one foot in front of the other when it's feeling hard or scary!

I went back at 42 .. here now I'm 44 -- a really great age to be, nice even number -- and halfway to my goal and still enjoying it, even though I just went through a few hellish classes. I am just so happy to be on the other side of them. I love this thread .. I have to read through it all for all the inspiration everyone has to offer -- we are not alone!

39 here!! I'm a much better student now than I was in high school or when I went to college back in 1987!! I was a college drop-out then and did not go back to pursue nursing until 2003. I am more mature now and I am proud to say that I have made all A's and B's in all of my science courses. Trust me, you'll be a good student because your maturity and experience with life in general will be an asset. It's all about attitude and drive!

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