Hello all, I'm a single mom worried about juggling school & full-time work

KellNY, RN · Jun 24, 2007

I'm not trying to discourage you, but it's very hard to work FT and go to school FT and raise children.

When I was doing my clinicals, most semesters it was 2 days of the week from 8am-5pm (usually got out around 3pm). One or two semesters I was able to schedule one clinical from 8-5, the other from 4-midnight (knowing I'd get out of the 1st on early enough to get to the next hospital). So I was in clinical from 8am-11pm not including the 45min to get to the 1st hospital, the hour long commute between the two, and the hour long drive home.

That's on top of lectures and any electives you need, so you can expect to spend at least one other day on campus for those classes. Mine usually worked out to being 2 days in clinical, one day on campus, plus 2 hours another day for that one darn class that wasn't offered on the same day as the others (always one of those...grrrr).

I'm not sure how old your kids are and what kind of work you do or what your hours are, so I can't say. Also, some colleges are more accomodating to single/working mothers (by offering night and weekend classes, child care on site, etc).

By the way--welcom to Allnurses.com! :)

Sebastiansmom09 · Jun 24, 2007

Hi and welcome. I posted something similar to this about a month ago. I am almost in the same boat as you except I am remarried. My household operates very tightly on 2 full time incomes, my husband and I have 4 boys, and when I start nursing school this Fall we will be losing my full time income. I got some really great tips from some of the people on this site. Alot of folks here are REALLY positive so that helps. Most of the suggestions I got was to first apply for financial aid if you have not already, the website is www.fafsa.gov. Secondly, when the time comes and you have to quit your job see if you can speak with your manager about possible flex time or part time employment with the same company. (I work for an insurance company and they've recently relaxed their requirements for any employee's seeking nursing degree's, which means more than likely I will stick with the same company while in nursing school but go to a part time position-PRAISE GOD!!) Thirdly if that doesn't work with your schooling schedule, you can try loans or maybe family members will be willing to help you, if you have any family near you. I unfortunately do not have my family within about 700 miles of where I live, because if I did, we would have packed up the family and moved in with my parents until I finished nursing school :). I know it is tough to look at your situation and think this may be close to impossible, but believe me it is worth it. I'm sure you want this just as bad as everyone else on this site. Don't let your current situation dictate the outcome of your future. I hope some of the info I have given will be helpful to you.

Tweety, BSN, RN · Jun 24, 2007

Good luck to you. When there's a will, there's a way. Best wishes.

Logos · Jun 24, 2007

It can be done- with 4 kids and one income you should be elligible for a ton of financial aid. I work FT and have kids and am going to school. I have a husband around so that does help. But I am quite sure I could do it with or without him. If you work FT daylight sounds like you need night school and daycare is hard to find in the evening. If you go slow and take prereq's one at a time you should be fine. I have been taking classes like that, one at a time for five semesters and now in August start the nursing classes. (It went by really fast!) Just take it slow. Nursing school is not going anywhere, and kids are only little once.

peoplefriendly1080 · Jun 26, 2007

Thanks, my situation is very similar to yours- Thanks for giving me more fire to feed my determination.

e83d00 · Jun 30, 2007

I'm a single mom and my son is in every sport there is, you can do it I have done it. Its not easy the best thing I can say get a rountine down, If you make them go to bed at 8 and when you get home spend time with them, cooking have them help make it fun and at the same time your spending time with them, have them help you study (flashcards), just remember when it gets hard and you want to cry, crybut then look at each of them and you will know why you are in school.

College_Mom2006 · Jun 30, 2007

If you put your mind to it, you can do it. I was a single mom while working on pre-reqs. I qualified for grants and loans. Since then, i am remarried and continue to work a full-time job. I know that this is a hard thing to do when you physically attend nursing classes, but I am an online student in a self-paced program. It is a pain in the butt, since it is fairly new, but it works for me.

Good Luck,

Dawn

JarOfPennies · Jun 30, 2007

Fill out a FAFSA and talk with your Financial Aid office to see what you may be eligible for. Like someone said, a single mom with 4 kids will probably qualify for alot. Does your school have an on-site childcare? If so, you may get a price break because you're a student.

In the meantime, as you take your prereqs, just try to plan and budget. Put some money away if you can. When the time comes to apply into the program, talk to your employer to see if you can go part-time. Talk to the school and see if they have the option of choosing clinical times. If your school is like mine, you may be able to choose either day or evening clinicals. Just find out what all your options are and go from there.

Good luck and welcome! Above all, give those wonderful children a great big hug! My heart truly goes out to single moms.

fmrnicumom · Jun 30, 2007

I wanted to wish you the best of luck! If you haven't already, fill out the FAFSA and make sure you continue to do so before the priority deadlines every year. Go talk to someone in the financial aid office and explain your situation. I know many colleges here have programs with scholarships to pay child care or even offices designed to help women returning to the workforce or trying to get their degree. I agree that you should qualify for quite a bit of financial aid. There are also work study programs through the school that might help, because they'll work around your schedule and, from what I've heard from many people, you often end up having time to study while working. Not always, but any little bit helps. Also, talk to your advisors, because sometimes they'll be able to steer you to someone else who can help. Do you have friends or family close who might be able to help with the kids or at least be moral support? Get to know those who will be in school with you, too. Maybe you could become friends with another mom and you could help each other out, whether with studying or taking turns watching each other's children. I haven't started the nursing program yet (hopefully soon!) but in the class I just finished, I found many other moms who are worried about many of the same things you are. It could be a good situation all around. (Of course you'd have to make sure they were trustworthy first, I wouldn't trust my kids to just anyone! ) Make sure you apply for every scholarship you can. Even the small ones help, and given that you'd show financial need, you are eligible to apply for more than those of us who are considered to have less financial need. There are scholarships for all sorts of things out there. Some are harder to find than others, so it may take time.

Good luck to you!

Tiffany

akanini, MSN, RN · Jun 30, 2007

I wish u all the luck! Go for it! everything worth having in life is a sacrifice!

AR_RN · Jun 30, 2007

I'm in a similar situation, except that with my program (accelerated BSN) any outside job is strictly against the rules. I'm a single mom to an 11yo and a 3yo, and it will be intense. I'm planning to live on student loans and have calculated exactly how much I'll need to get through the 13 month program. Unfortunately the school's fin aid department can only get me about half of what I need, but I'll be searching scholarships and private student loans and whatever it takes to make it work. If you can work even part time during your program, you can fill in the gaps where you have to. If you're like me, you want it bad enough to be willing to jump through whatever hoops are required to make it work. You CAN do it.