Just starting out... so excited! Any advice?

[tracyd77, RN]

so... this is my first post on allnurses.com but i have been on the website many times... so show some love and please leave a reply if you have any suggestions, comments or advice.

i am so excited and proud of myself b/c i have been accepted into the rn program of ccga for fall 2009! i have been in/out of school for almost 6 years now and i finally got my crap together and got serious about school. i have finished all of my core classes, all i have left are the 4 nursing classes and my gpa is a 3.4. of course, it was easy to keep a gpa that high, taking 1-2 classes at a time... but during the 6 years, i have also worked full time, volunteered a lot, got married and bought a house. so i've been busy and i feel that i will continue to do well in the program. classes start in august and i am nervous and excited all at the same time.

becoming a nurse has been a dream of mine for a long time b/c i have a stong desire to help others and to be that good nurse that the patient remembers and wishes would be on duty again the next day... the one that puts them at ease when she walks in the room and leaves them with a smile on their face.

i have gone back and forth about which area of specialty i want to pursue, from l & d to pediatrics to geriatrics to home health. my current job has opened my eyes and heart to geriatrics and home health, b/c i work at an area agency on aging and i help seniors or people with disabilities get in-home services or resources needed to keep them independent and avoid nursing home placement. i never knew what a job it was to talk with little old men & women all day. they are so funny sometimes, especially my guy who repeatedly tells me about his penile implant every time i talk to him.. ha ha! :chuckle hilarious!

so anyways... this sort of turned into a blog.. but i really am interested in any advice or suggestions my fellow nursing students have for me. my husband and i are a little concerned about the financial strain that we will feel when i go from working full-time and being a student part-time to working part-time and going to school full-time. we have a mortgage and a lot of other bills (debt) to pay. we are trying to avoid student loans if we can, but we aren't sure how that will work out. i am eligible for hope and i have about $4,000 in a college trust fund and i have applied for several other scholorships and been denied or haven't heard back yet. i guess we'll see.

wish me luck or say a prayer for me!