I am 25/m and started nursing school this past August, so I have 1 semester behind me. This coming semester is supposed to be very hard and require almost twice as much out of class time.
My situation is difficult because I live in an apartment in the same town that my school is in and also have worked full time (which requires about a 45 min drive both ways) for the past year while I did my first semester of nursing school.
Now I have to make a difficult decision. My parents live 30 mins away from where I live now as well as where I go to school. My choice is this:
A. Move back home with parents and not have a rent to pay but lose my independence and make it difficult for my girlfriend and I (who lives a couple house away) to see each other. Plus, I will have the 30 min drive 4/5 days a week to class and back. I will have the advantages of having free food, etc etc.
B. Keep my job and go down to part time. Move into my own 1b/b efficient apt and live in the same town as school but still have the drive to work. Also I will depend a lot on help from my parents possibly paying my whole rent. They are not rich but middle class and I feel bad for asking this of them.
Either way my parents said they would help me out with expenses but I feel bad for asking for too much (being in my own place would require much more than living at home obviously), but at the same time I can't work a whole lot to support myself with this tough semester. I have 1.5 years left in school so I have a feeling this type of situation will be ongoing until then, just maybe not as severe with easier semesters.
I think thats pretty much everything. Let me know what you guys think, and thanks for spending the time to read this :)
This is such an easy choice - move back with your parents. If they drive you nuts, go somewhere else to study. And be nice to your folks - they don't have to take you back in (for free!)... it's easy to revert to being a sullen teenager when you move back home!
I am in the "move back home" camp. Its only a temporary, until you finish school. And the amount of money you'd save would be very much worth it.
I understand the wanting your own privacy thing, especially in regards to your romantic relationship, but maybe you and your girlfriend can work something out where you can go to her place for that "alone time." That or maybe your parents will surprise you and respect your relationship and grant you your own space.
Specializes in ER/Tele, Med-Surg, Faculty, Urgent Care.
I think you will be so busy that you probably will not be home much. Be grateful you have parents that will help you with food/clean clothes etc. They are offering help to show real support for your efforts. :redbeathe
I'm in an almost identical situation. I'm also starting my second semester in January, med/surg.
I'm 26 yo, lived on my own since 20. Been working full-time as a CNA ever since.
I'm less than 10 minutes from work, 20 minutes to school.
My first semester of nursing school was a challenge as I worked 24-30 hours a week + school. Thankfully, being a CNA, I can do a few 12 hour shifts over the weekend and knock out some hours.
Bills suffered horribly, though.
Had to ask parents for money, numerous times.
So, they offered me a room once my lease is up in March.
I have a great relationship with my parents, and moved out when I did on my own volition. I've toyed with the idea to move back in, but it would bump my drive to work to 30-40 minutes, and school 1 hour. I would still be paying them rent and buying my own food, but less of course. Yea, they can drive me crazy, but that's par for the course. I'm sure I drive them a little nuts, too. :)
But......I'm going to be a little bias. I love my mom and dad, but I also love my independence and proximity to school/work/friends.
Can you:
Find a roommate?
Find a job as a CNA where the pay may be a little better and the hours flexible?
Get financial aid?
Get nursing scholarships or grants? I'm working on getting a grant next semester to help with expenses. Check your nursing office, state nursing board, google it!
I have nothing against moving back home, but I can totally see where you're coming from. It's a tough situation!
I really love my independence and I dont get much personal space at the rent's house...
If you really love your independence and you can't bear to part with it I say work part time and go to school. Thats what I did throughout nursing school and I had a 45 minute commute from work and school. It is possible as long as you dont mind giving up your free time to really buckle down and study. Maybe finding a roomate would help ease some of the bills.
I think I'm going to support plan B as well. While I understand where everyone else is at with the saving expenses and relieving financial burdens, the stress of living at home as an adult is something to consider as well.
As someone who has moved back home twice over the last 7 years (both occasions lasting only one month), I can say that you definitely get what you pay for, or don't pay for. I love my parents dearly, I'm close with both of them. But I'm too independent as an adult who has supported myself, paid my way through undergrad and graduate school, and has worked full-time for the past 7 years. It may be an ego thing, however, I believe that's irrelevant. What is relevant is your assessment of the stress you will experience living at home versus living on your own. For me, it was worth the price of struggling to pay rent and my expenses while in doing well in school. But you're the best judge of how you'll handle that stress. Any in case, I wish you the best! :)
Move back in with your parents---they sound like loving people who want to see you succeed in life. Girlfriends come and go but parents are forever!!! :tinkbll:
Thanks for the advice all of you. But one thing... my girl lives 3 hrs away so when we do get to see eachother its gotta be worth the drive!!!
I dated my current hubby for nearly 6 yrs. We married this past Sept........and he still 'works' 5 hours away! If you want something bad enough, you can make it work. I am not saying it is easy. My guy is FT SCANG (South Carolina Army National Guard). He is too close to retirement to quit. (Military retirement is great but there is no partials....you either do the full 20 or you get nothing!) NS in SC has a wait list that would have delayed me getting in by a year and a half! So I stay here, he stays there and comes home on the weekend.
Until you finish your education, put your goal FIRST. If you and she can't make this work, then - most likely - it would not have survived any hard time ahead.
thats hard, but as much as I want to say stay at your apt., go to your parents....or what i really think you should do is wait one more semester and see how it all goes with nursing school and working part time, if you can handle it and its not interfering then STay but if you see your grades are going down then go 2 your parent (its only temp. anyways)...i mean there are people i know that have kids, family, work, and are doing fine in nursing school, it all depends on the person. good luck
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HapEgirl
10 Posts
Parent house.........RUN!!!!