I need help deciding what to do with my future. At the current moment I have a big decision to make. I can either stay at my community college and go through with their RN 2 year program. It is through a well known school, NIU. So its a very good program. Or I can go away at school and get a 4 year BSN degree. My biggest issue arises, if I go to the community college, I only owe like 9k at the end of my degree, and I could possibly extend my current full-ride scholarship. Yet, I lack the knowledge of a BSN, but if I go away, I will owe 100K++, but would also receive more education, and have the campus life and get to party and all that fun stuff. My biggest question though isn't about the life I get to live while I'm at college, but weather it is worth going for the BSN and owing a lot of money in loans, or just getting my 2 year RN (which is considered a ADN, correct?) and owing no money in loans, which means no interest (My parents would loan me the money).
Now another very important question I have. I don't really think I want to go towards any management positions anytime until I'm much older, say 40's or such. And I'm only 19, so wouldn't it just make more sense to go get my ADN, then go back to school later in life and have my employer pay for my schooling? I am okay with starting off with my ADN at 50k+ with no loans to repay and able to move out within one year of getting a job. I thought I wanted to go get my BSN and then go get my CRNA, but I really don't think I have the motivation to go to school for that length of time. Sorry for the super long post! :x I'm just stuck.
Also, at this current moment, I am a CNA at a nursing home, which doesn't have any programs to put me through school, unfortunately :c
Specializes in I.C.U., PACU, Endoscopy, Med Surg, E.R..
Zippeh,
That is typically how it works out for people. This is a big part of why I switched to the BSN program. However, I would still caution you against going into large debt for the BSN if you can get your ADN close to home. Think about it this way.....if it takes you an extra year and you save 60,000 in student loans then you just made 60,000 dollars extra for that one year of work. This, I know is a simplistic way of looking at it. However, I know what it is like to graduate with student loans.....I graduated with near 20k and it has been a pain paying them back. I cannot imagine having 80k even on a R.N. salary. Because when you get out and say you will pay extra on those loans you buy that new car, that nice house, and that boat, and on and on and on. Pretty soon you are paying minimum on student loans (which would be pretty large on 80k) and are committed to them for ten years. Just my opinion. Best of luck to you.
That is typically how it works out for people. This is a big part of why I switched to the BSN program. However, I would still caution you against going into large debt for the BSN if you can get your ADN close to home. Think about it this way.....if it takes you an extra year and you save 60,000 in student loans then you just made 60,000 dollars extra for that one year of work. This, I know is a simplistic way of looking at it. However, I know what it is like to graduate with student loans.....I graduated with near 20k and it has been a pain paying them back. I cannot imagine having 80k even on a R.N. salary. Because when you get out and say you will pay extra on those loans you buy that new car, that nice house, and that boat, and on and on and on. Pretty soon you are paying minimum on student loans (which would be pretty large on 80k) and are committed to them for ten years. Just my opinion. Best of luck to you.
Your very right. I was looking around at schools like Chamberlain and NIU, and they both offer RN to BSN, all I would need is transfer there, and their both 1 year programs, and I could possibly get my RN done in one year by taking classes over the summer also. We shall see. :) thank you for your advice!
I started out doing a BSN program, but I messed up my grades my first year and even though they're fine now I'm still not competitive enough for any of the public university BSN programs (basically only a 3.7 or higher get in). The private BSN programs would cost me at least $60,000 if not more. I'm starting my clinicals at an ADN program next year, and while I'd probably graduate at the same time with my BSN at one of the private schools, it's not worth it to me to have 60,000 in debt. After I get my ADN I'll only need to take 4-5 classes (mostly online ) to have my BSN for a lot cheaper than 60k.
If I could I would have gotten my BSN right off the bat, but sometimes all the loans aren't worth it to have your BSN a year or two earlier. I would definitely recommend most people go to get their BSN eventually, but I don't see anything wrong with saving money and getting your ADN first. School loans don't seem real when you're young and don't have to worry about them, but when you're done with school and realize you have to pay them back it's a pain in the butt!
spudster
17 Posts
Zippeh,
That is typically how it works out for people. This is a big part of why I switched to the BSN program. However, I would still caution you against going into large debt for the BSN if you can get your ADN close to home. Think about it this way.....if it takes you an extra year and you save 60,000 in student loans then you just made 60,000 dollars extra for that one year of work. This, I know is a simplistic way of looking at it. However, I know what it is like to graduate with student loans.....I graduated with near 20k and it has been a pain paying them back. I cannot imagine having 80k even on a R.N. salary. Because when you get out and say you will pay extra on those loans you buy that new car, that nice house, and that boat, and on and on and on. Pretty soon you are paying minimum on student loans (which would be pretty large on 80k) and are committed to them for ten years. Just my opinion. Best of luck to you.