Is 35 too old to start from Scratch?

Nursing Students Pre-Nursing

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I have always wanted to be a nurse but didn't have the discipline to stay in school and get good grades. I completed only 3 classes when I went to community College 8 years ago. I've been working a corporate job for 11 years and feel like I need to make a career change. I would have to start community college basically from scratch for pre-reqs. Is it doable to accomplish becoming an RN at such a late age? I've also been told its near impossible to work while in nursing school. How does one pay their bills, health insurance and such while becoming a nurse. All advice is welcomed!!!

Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.
sometimes it has already been said best, and it can not be topped. I think Ronald Reagan put it in a way that for all time says it perfectly....... (not intended to be a political post) :-)

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Full disclosure I am not in any way attempting to disparage his name and I didn't watch this video but wanted to clarify that your example to support doing whatever you want at whatever age without practical considerations is the same president who was so old that he is thought to have developed dementia while in office and was reported to fall asleep in meetings?

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No way!!! I graduated at 46. I've been a nurse now for over 6 years and I LOVE it!

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Hi BellaGrl,

I would like to offer you some words of encouragement. In some ways I am in a very similar situation, and in some ways my situation is also a bit different.

Like you I am 35. I started working towards my nursing degree exactly a year ago at 34.

Like you, I did not have the discipline to succeed academically in high school, or in the first 5-6 years after high school. I started working construction after graduation at 17 years old because I felt like "real" college was not and never would be an option for me. In my early-mid-20s, I had some health problems and had to quit construction for about a year during which time I started taking classes at the local JC again. This is where I think our situations are a bit different. Basically I was able to transfer to a university in my later-mid-20s and earned a BS in biology at 28. It was after earning my BS that I entered the corporate workforce. After ~5 years working for the corporate world, I realized how unhappy I was at work and so I started to work as much OT as I could and save as much as I could before resigning last year to return to school full-time to pursue a nursing career.

I was fortunate to have been able to save enough to withstand the huge hit that returning to school full-time would be. I started working a very low paying job with flexible hours, and just devoted myself to school. I realize not everyone is in this position and sympathize with you if you are not able to go back full-time to complete the perquisites. You have to just do what you can and be proud of yourself for doing it, even if it means only taking one hard lab class per semester (my last semester I took micro, A&P II, psych, and nutrition in order to be able to apply this year). At any rate, I am now pretty much out of money. Had I not had the cushion I did, I know it would have taken me a full 2 years to complete the prerequisite courses. But if you really want to be a nurse, one more year is worth it in my opinion.

35 is not too old to change careers and find academic success! I understand how you feel though. Even being done with my prerequisite classes now i still feel the pressure of being 35 (to anyone older please don't be discouraged by that comment).

If you decide to return to school, you have to be ready for the challenge of being an older student. However it has it's advantages as well. I was more successful academically this past year than I have been at any point in my life. I am even a micro and A&P tutor now. You can do it!

If you want study tips or anything once you're in classes don't hesitate to ask. Best of luck whatever you decide to do!

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@pmabraham,

That is incredible! Congratulations on your success. I realize this may not be the appropriate place to ask you questions but at some point I'd be curious to hear your thoughts on the challenges of nursing school vs perquisite courses as an older student who had likely spent some time in the regular work force. I have received such mixed messages from people about that. Congrats again!

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Specializes in Rehab, Ortho-Spine, Med-Surg, & Psych.

If you plan on retiring at 37, then yes.

However, if you are like most of us who will be working well into our 60s and maybe even early 70s... you're just fine. I started nursing school at 41 and graduated at 43. I'm 47 now and also have my BSN. Love my job and (most) my patients!

Most in my class were over 30... a few in their 50s.

Cheers!

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I was 34 when I left the movie biz, I packed up my bags and left Hollywood, came back home and started prerequisites right away. I graduated in 2015 at 37, just finished my first year in my new career and just turned 39.

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Specializes in Cardiac (adult), CC, Peds, MH/Substance.
I was 34 when I left the movie biz, I packed up my bags and left Hollywood, came back home and started prerequisites right away. I graduated in 2015 at 37, just finished my first year in my new career and just turned 39.

Is that you, Josh Hartnett?

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Specializes in OMFS, Dentistry.

Never. I am 39 and just started my final semester in an ASN program. God willing when I graduate, I am going to take the NCLEX and immediately enroll in an RN-BSN program. If it is your dream, go for it!!! I wish you all the best!!!!

PS... My husband is a paramedic and at the age of 45, he is just beginning his pre-reqs! =)

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That actually seems like a perfect age. I'm 34 and making a career change. When going through social work school I had 2 50-somethings and a 60 year old in my class. 30 is young, comparatively, but also brings more life-experience and maturity than someone who is 19 or 20.

I figure, if the average person changes careers 3 times in their life, then there are a lot of us going back to school 30s or 40s. The main thing, I think, is: Are you sure you want to do it? and Do you have room in your life for a fairly grueling program?

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Full disclosure I am not in any way attempting to disparage his name and I didn't watch this video but wanted to clarify that your example to support doing whatever you want at whatever age without practical considerations is the same president who was so old that he is thought to have developed dementia while in office and was reported to fall asleep in meetings?

Even if what you assert about Reagan could be proven, how does that have anything to do with anything? What he said is still true, regardless of his actual mental status. Besides, everyone is different and many people well past Reagan's age when this was recorded are still sharp as tacks, not to mention that mid 30's is hardly the same as 70's!

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exactly, and the point I tried to make was just simply his statement on age, experience, etc. . . It was said in jest, but he made a valid point. :-)

Plus, I can show you youtube video of obama falling asleep during meetings, and others. Meetings can be boring, Ive nodded off during meetings, presentations, etc. . . We are human, we get tired, it happens

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It's interesting that none of the few who think 35 is too old have given any rationale for their statements.

It's because they don't know anything about being 35. I remember distinctly when I was 9 years old, I thought that my 12-year-old sister was "very" old.

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