Going back to school at 30

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Hello everyone, I just signed up today to discuss some things with you all. Get some advice, etc.

I graduated high school in 2004, and I went straight to a community college with the plan of becoming an RN. I took all by basics, etc. then got into nursing school. I went for two semesters until I made a 74.4 in one class, which is of course a failing grade. Instead of going back, I switched my major to business management. I graduated from the community college, and then went to a four year college. I graduated with a bachelor degree in business management in 2009.

After that I started working for our family business, which is where I have been since then. I hit 30 years old this year, and I have been having regrets about not continuing in nursing so I am contemplating going back.

I was just wanting some tips or advice about going back to school so many years later. I'm of course afraid of failing again, but I don't a husband or kids so now would be the perfect time if I did go back.

I'm going back to college for BSN at 35 after deciding I can't continue working a job I hate any longer. I have to say, I'm a much better student now than the first time I went to college. I have a better work ethic, better common sense, better communication, better confidence.... and my head isn't full of ridiculous drama that seemed to be really important when I was 20. You'd be amazed at how much more of a hindrance that stuff is than the fact that you haven't had classes for a while. Rusty skills can be cleaned up with some YouTube tutorials easy peasy.

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I went back for a masters at 40. Best decision of my life thus far!

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I have wanted to be a nurse since I was in high school. I had some detours along the way but I am 28 and just started my first semester in an RN program at my community college. I would say there is a wide range of students and definitely people older and younger than me. I know a few RNs and actually most of them got their RN at 30 or older! AAAND something I loved learning in school was that Florence Nightingale herself did not enter the nursing practice until the age of 30! On a side note, my best possible advice is to work as a CNA if you at all possibly can before hand. Words cannot describe just how much that has helped me and made the entire experience less stressful. It is the smartest thing you can do prior to getting accepted (if your school's program is like mine you will have a few years of pre-reqs in which you can get your CNA experience then). And.. never give up or think it is too late. Just think of Florence :)

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Specializes in Med-Surg/ ER/ homecare.

30 is so young these days, definitely go for it. When I originally went to college at 18 , 21 years ago, I was more interested in partying than studying (originally a microbiology major at a well known and respected school). Faile out first semester, took time off, went back, got grades up. Changed my mind, got my LPN, finally went back for my RN (asn) at 31, now at 39 will be done my bsn in the spring and plan on going right through to my MSN. Point being, you are never too old and you never have to stop. I am also married and have two young kids. Keep going!

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Specializes in Med-Surg/ ER/ homecare.
I went to LPN school at 21 but no other college after thattill I started my pre-reqs for my LPN-RN bridge program at 26. I will graduatethis April shortly before turning 30 so I think I can give you a good view ofwhat it may be like. I do have three kids and a husband which does make things abit harder.

I am actually 1000x glad that I waited till I was 26 to goto an actual college (LPN school was vocational) because I took it moreseriously than I would have at an younger age, I am more organized/motivated,and I realize this is debt I have to pay back no matter what so I need to dowell to graduate and get a job. I did terribly in public school, I graduated HSwith a 2.3. My pre-req and nursing class GPA is 3.96 – I am no genius but as anolder student I am great at time management and have the discipline to sit downand study. They also utilize online classes more (Well school dependent obviously),my program's lecture portion is 70% online. I love this because lecture doesnot benefit me in any way shape or form and I can study when I want to and howI want to.

Hopefully you will not have to repeat all of your pre-reqsthat you did when you were younger. But I do think you will find that at 30 youwill not get as overwhelmed as easily as you did at 20, and you will have the confidenceto go for it and not let anything stand in your way.

I agree. Definitely not mature enough when I originally went. I am so driven now. If I had the same drive then that I do now I'd have two phds

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So wanted to update. I went and talked with an advisor, and I was told I had already taken all the classes needed for applying except PSY210. I don't think that's required to get into the program, but it's required to complete the programs so since I have around a year before I could begin in nursing school I will go ahead and take that course.

My biggest concern is it has been ten years since I've taken anatomy 1&2. My memory probably isn't all that good with regards to that information. Should I take those classes again even though I don't need them (just be wasting money) or is there some other way without signing up for a class to study that material?

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Have you had a pathophysiology class yet? If not, you should have one in nursing school. A&P and microbiology will prepare you for patho, but you'll get most of what you need to get in the one class alone (and it's usually a bear of a class for everyone anyway, so you won't really be starting with much of a deficit). That's how it was for me, anyway.

As far as you starting again at 30, I can relate. I went back to college shortly after my 30th birthday, after starting and quitting college no less than 6 times (first, it was too much partying, then it was laziness, then it was horrible anxiety about finding a lab partner, etc., etc., you get the idea). At first, I selected a program and a college that I knew I could be successful in, which was not nursing. I went one of those for-profit vocational schools to learn medical office billing & coding because I knew I wanted to do something in the medical field, but wasn't sure that I wanted to commit to something as rigorous as nursing, or if I'd even like it. Fast forward to a year into that, and all I could think of was becoming a nurse, so before I'd graduated from school #1, I had my applications submitted for a transfer to a state university. I graduated with 2 associates degrees from school #1, and most of the credits transferred. I was 32 when I started my nursing prereqs and 34 once I actually started nursing school. I started off without any attachments to anything or anyone, and had sworn off relationships, but you know... life happens, and so I got engaged shortly before nursing school began.

Being an older student in nursing school didn't hinder me at all, except that maybe I didn't have quite as much energy as the younger students. I had much more focus and drive than I would have had in my younger days, though, and when the younger students were trying to balance school and partying, I just kept my focus on school. I went into it knowing what I wanted, so there wasn't a lot of wishy-washy indecision on my part. Having more life experience can help when dealing with patients and co-workers, too, because you can empathize.

I love that you're taking steps to make this happen. Going into nursing has been one of the best life decisions I've ever made, and it sounds like it could be the same deal for you.

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Thanks for the encouragement! I don't recall taking a patho class just the biology and A&P. I also don't see anything about that in the nursing curriculum, but the state of Alabama changed all the curriculum this fall 2016 year so it might be bundled together.

I made A's in the two A&P classes I took years ago so I don't know if I should pay the money and then risk making a lower grade, which does impact getting into the program. They go by a point system in Alabama.

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The nursing curriculum in Alabama is now the likes of Nursing Concepts 1; Fundamental Concepts of Nursing; Evidence Based Clinical Reasoning.

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Those sound a lot like theory classes. Is pathophys maybe in your prereqs? It should be in your curriculum somewhere, followed by/along with pharmacology.

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Here's the nursing curriculum new for this year. It's the same with the other local community colleges as well. It's different than what I took ten years ago when I was first in nursing school.

http://webnt.calhoun.edu/programcards/nursing.pdf

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You definitely aren't too old for nursing school. However, most schools won't accept transfer credits for nursing or science courses that are older than 5 years (technological and scientific advances) so make sure to ask about that when doing your research. Depending on your program, they still may accept a good number of your liberal arts courses without a time limit (communications, psychology, sociology, etc). Some schools have great resources available such as tutoring, NCLEX reviews, etc. Make sure to take advantage of all that is available. Good luck!

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