Going back to school @ 26

RNtoACGNP · Mar 19, 2016

My mom started nursing school (a year before I did) when she was 48, with three kids and a sick husband, it can be done!!!

TheNurseStudentMom · Mar 19, 2016

I'm 44. I start in the fall. You can certainly do it at 26. Good luck!

tbird88 · Mar 19, 2016

I'm 45 and I started last year at 44. This is my second try at it. I didn't pass LPN last time. So I'm applying for RN this time. I have my last prerequisite now. I really want to be a nurse and I am taking it more serious now and I am determined to succeed. I think you will do great! With age comes more experience and maturity.

Zyprexa_Ho · Mar 19, 2016

I'm 24 and also a second degree student, hopefully starting the nursing program this fall (ASN). I totally get feeling that you're too late, but you're really not. It's never too late to go for something that might make you happy, but even more so at our age. People go back to nursing school in their 40s. We'll be alright :)

NotAllThoseWhoWander · Mar 19, 2016

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Mar 19, 2016

Here's my personal timeline.

LVN license at age 25, ASN degree/RN license at age 29, BSN degree at age 34, and will be 36 when I complete the MSN program in which I am currently enrolled.

gere7404, BSN, RN · Mar 19, 2016

I didn't START going to college until I was 28 or 29.

dena_rn · Mar 19, 2016

I finished my bachelor's degree at 35! Never too old!

futurenursling · Mar 19, 2016

You are so definitely not too late! I met a guy once who was pursuing a nursing degree at 60 years old. If it is something you want to do, follow your dreams! Many people do nursing as a second degree later in life and fall in love with it.

la_chica_suerte85, BSN, RN · Mar 20, 2016

I was 27 when I got into nursing. I have several people who are middle-aged in my cohort. You are FAR from too late.

I was in the same boat as you as far as postbacc goes. Consider what the requirements are of the school you are considering. I went back to the school I originally graduated from so all of my GE and capstone requirements were set so all I had to do were nursing classes only. With this in mind, think about what you need in terms of financial aid. You will likely be going back as graduate status so your tuition will be higher than it was before (half the schooling for twice the price, ain't it great?). So, will you be able to continue working? I have worked full time for nearly the entirety of my nursing school education. If you feel like you won't be able to or if you end up needing to take more classes than just nursing classes, consider what it will be like if you need to take out loans. What will it be like if you still have prerequisites to do (this might affect how long you can obtain loans)? Finally, see if the school you're considering requires you to have health insurance for the entirety of the program. If you are no longer under your parents' insurance, this gets a little tricky when you have to do it for yourself, especially if you're working full time. The Affordable Care Act made my health insurance much less affordable for the short time I wasn't working and I had to pay for my own (biggest PITA ever).

All of the above is really all you need to think about. If you really want to do it, you're going to have an awesome, one-of-a-kind experience. I hedged my bets when I had gone back to school to sort my issues out after I graduated with my first bachelor's so I had A&P and microbiology already finished. However, due to the financial crisis I was not able to get back into my university immediately and I had continued moving forward with my life and had a mortgage and what not by the time I got into nursing school (by that I mean you can probably get away from needing to take loans out). That meant working full time was necessary (and the dang health insurance, too).

Sure, I went through the whole "eww I'm going to be 30 by the time I graduate" but when I turned 30 it became a much less bigger deal. It helped that most people in my class are around my age with extremes at either end (i.e. 18-45 years old at the beginning) so I didn't feel so odd. So, don't even think about that. Just do it if you really want it!

FatsWaller, BSN, RN · Mar 20, 2016

You are nowhere near too late. Hell people go back and go to Medical School at 30 and 40. ABSN programs are designed for people like you, I'm in one and the majority of people are in the same boat as you. In a program with 80 people, we have about 28 who are in their 30's, 8 who are in their 40's and 3 that are 50+. The majority is around 25 as everyone must have a previous degree and completed pre-reqs. The youngest we have is 23. You are nowhere near alone and it's not too late.

wannabeny · Mar 20, 2016

i posted the same thing a few weeks ago..and was just accepted into a ADN program at 28. Go for it!