High debt but want to change careers

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Hi everyone...I have been teaching now for six years and have gotten bruned out. I now want to became a nurse but I am so scared to change careers. :eek: I have high student loans debt because I went to a private school to get certified and my Masters in education. I also started working on a leadership in education degree and racked up even more debt because I stop when I found out me and my husband was expecting our first child which turned out to be twins!:lol2: My husband is very supportive in my career change decision but we both have concerns about when I will have to stop working to complete nursing school. He makes ok money but we have never had to live off one income before.

I just wanted to know if anyone out their changed their career at or after 30 or later, in a "bad" economy, with high student loans to payback and small kids (the twins or now 17 months).

Is changing career with all this going on a good idea???:confused: And do y'all (I'm from the south) think the nursing field will have picked up by 2013 or 2014 (the year I plan on finishing hopfully)?

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I thought teaching would be a good job to have with small kids. What is high debt? 20g or 40g? How do you know that you wont go to nursing school start working and then get burned out on that? What happened to make you change your mind about education?

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High debt is over 60g!!! I all ways thought about being a nurse but was always told it was a hard field so I moved away (being young and not being knowing any thing else).

I no longer what to teach because of all the crap that goes with teaching now a days. With nursing when you leave work you do not have to take home 50+ papers to grade, parents to call, weekly folders that have to go home, ice cream money that has to be turned in by 8. Also, displining other people kids who can't do anything with them at home but want you to make them sit, listen and learn, and GOD forbid if they can't pass the state test. You are the worst teacher ever let the addminstrators and their parents tell it. The list goes on and on...some people love it but I'm not one of them.

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I can see why you would want out of teaching, but if you read the boards here for a while you will see there is plenty of 'crap" that goes along with nursing as well.

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I'm a 35 year old mom of three (set of 9 year old twins and a 2 year old) who is changing careers with $60k in student loan debt (I too went to a private university). I'm currentlyfinishing up my prereqs while working full time and applying to an accelerated ASN program at my local community college in 2011. My student loan debt keeps me up at night but I'd be paying it back whether working my current job or working as an RN so I chose to go ahead with the career change.

I say if your current career is not fulfilling...move on to something new. I am!

PS...I'm paying for my prereqs and nursing school with my own money...NO MORE LOANS for me!

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Sanor, thats the way to go. You are not taking out anymore new loans and still working. I imagine you might have to quit when you get in the program but until then it sounds like you are keeping right on top of it.

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I am planning to quit if I get accepted into the program. I'm currently paying double car payments and will have all of my debt (besides the student loans) paid off in one year. I'm also saving for the cost of tuition for the program (which is doable as it is a community college). I will have enough saved by the time I'm accepted into the program. It is for sure a financial diet but it will be worth it in the end!

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Thanks for the reply A Sanor and I admire you for having another child after the twins!!!:bowingpur

Knowing that I'm not the only one in this situation gives me hope. I am also paying out of pocket and working full time (until I start nursing school) no more loans for me!!! That was a good point about having to payback the student loan if I stay where I am or not.

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Well you're definitely not the only one! What prereqs do you have left? I have chem this summer and micro in the fall. Chem is going to kill me as it's mon thru thurs 5:30pm to 9:30pm. I have to take night classes as I work during the day.

Oh and the baby after the twins was not planned. A

rather pleasant surprise! Ha ha.

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I will be taking my FIRST class this summer which is Biology I and the lab. But I have a total of I think 7 or 8 classes in all to take, Then I can apply for nursing school.

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I agree that the debt will be there regardless... so why not do something that makes you happy and possibly makes you more money. I'm taking prereq's right now and I'm working. When I get into clinicals that will be a different story. I hope to not be working, which means living off of one income. It's doable but I'd like to continue to live the life I live without any sacrifices, but what is life without sacrifices right? In the long run the only thing that matters is what makes you happy.

I have a lot of classmates who get ticked off when our tests and assignments arent graded by our instructors. I have to give it to the instructors though. They lecture for 3 hours and then have other jobs normally who wants to grade all of those. Teachers are amazing and have a full time job. Like you said it comes home with you.

Nursing is an amazing and rewarding field. You help people. That's amazing!

Good luck to you in school. Anything is possible if you put your mind to it. Your kids will thank you and appreciate it later (verbally or not) for being a happy loving mother.

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I haven't read all of the posts so if this idea is a repeat please disreguard. I was a teacher for 10 years. I had had enough of the craziness. I came to grips that it just isn't a good fit for me. My husband and I had never lived off of one income, but we have made it. It was hard at first, but we have adjusted. There are some things you can do to still help out and stay home/go to school. Praxis is hiring raters/graders for their testing right now. They pay $20 an hour. This is once a month and I usually make about $500 for a week's worth of work. To me, it is easy money. Pearson will also be hiring for the fall and they pay the same. You will be grading student test. There are some other jobs that I do on my own time that also pay pretty good. You can work around your schedule with these jobs and they are very flexible.

If you would like more information or links to apply for these jobs let me know.

Good luck. Nurses and teachers are very similar in that you get to help someone everyday. That's all we want to do. Right?:rotfl:

deAnna

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