Hours you worked while you were in school.

I worked 36-50 hrs a week(3 p/t jobs) through 1st and 2nd semester. 3rd semester starts Tuesday, and I'll probably only be working 28-30 hrs. Hey, I got bills to pay!

3 part time jobs, between work and school is a 7 day week. I work 31 hours a week, go to school full time RN ADN degree, and have a 4.0 GPA. I'm not saying it is easy, just do able. Of course I have no other life besides school and work and study.

During pre-reqs, I did full-time (40 hours/wk) work, then when I started my accelerated BSN, I went to 12-24 hours a week, plus as many shifts as I can squeeze in during breaks/holidays. Generally, I do 1-2 days per week plus one weekend (Saturday and Sunday) per month, all 7am-7pm. It works out to about 7-8 shifts a month. I know other students who don't work at all... and still other students who work 2-3 shifts a week, often during the night shift.

I do 18-25 hours a week a the Hospital Pharmacy working, and about 5-10 hours a weekend (Retail Schedualing SUCKS!!) at a retail pharmacy. Plus I go to school at night since the Pharmacy is basically a 9-4PM job.

I worked full-time while doing science pre-requisites at night.

I worked full-time for semester 1 and most of semester 2 of nursing school (which I just finished). I just downsized my hours to about 20 per week a few weeks before the semester ended.

I begin my full-time summer paid externship (which will last 8 weeks - June through July).

When I go back for semester 3 the end of August, I will not be working at all (too much school work plus more clinicals) and do not plan on working the final semester (full course load, clinicals and NCLEX prep).

I took out a student loan to cover my final two semesters of rent and will be using some savings to pay for everything else.

Myself and other students have realized that stress of working and school work is too much as the program progresses.

Good luck to you.

i worked 5-6 evenings per week...probably about 30-45 hrs....made a decision to 1. not work in healthcare so as not to burn out the field before i finished school and 2. bind and gag the perfectionist in me that said i needed a 4.0...i made it out of school somewhere around a 3.5 with my sanity intact (and with the same degree everyone else got)...i think at the end of the day, you have to do whats best for you

I only work 20 hrs a week as an LNA. If you don't have to work don't do it. Why make yourself crazy and stress out. I have a hard time with working and school. I know others (not many) who work 32 hrs but are barely scraping by with C's. Some people can do it. Some people can't. I would say to start off slow with work and see how you adjust to school. The first semester is shocking with the amount of work. The second semester you are used to it and can handle it better but it doesn't get easier. Just know that the sacrifice of having less money now will be a great pay off in a couple of years. I would take out loans to live on if I had to. Just live very frugally and you will be ok. Of course while you are in school there will not be a lot of time to spend money anyways. Try to get a job where you can study at the same time. Just my 2 Cents.

Best of Luck to you

I am working overnights FT with scheduling on weekends. I can study at my job since I am a night shifter in a psych hospital. Work is doable but I think you have to put other things on the back burner so you can save yourself physically. I schedule my clinicals on my days off and use vacation as needed to give myself time off for clinicals. (I am a parent so I have to use work enough to maintain health insurance etc for my kids.)

Two part time jobs - wasn't allowed to work more than 20 hrs/week.

cheers,

I'm in my third semester of nursing school, keeping a 4.0, and am working 12-18 hours/week. That's plenty...wouldn't want to have to do more.

I think ultimately it is something you have to see for yourself and decide. Getting everyone's opinion can mentally set you up for failure. There are plenty of people who work 20-40 hrs/wk (I do 30) and do fine there are people who work that much and don't do well, but there are also people who don't work at all and suck in school to. First semester is a good time to find out, it lets you know what you can handle. My mentor worked all the way up until her last nursing course and that was just because with preceptorship and all you don't really have a set class time. Best of luck