Need some advice

allnurses Guide · Aug 1, 2012

Stafford loans and grad loans will cover school and living expenses for most people.

Elkay · Aug 1, 2012

Beg your parents or a close family member to lend you money and promise to pay them back later. No interests =)

ejm123 · Aug 1, 2012

I know several people who have held down jobs and children. It's all in your determination. I worked 20/hrs a week. And studied my life away. I did not have a Social life at all.

dayana.jim87 · Aug 1, 2012

I know several people who have held down jobs and children. It's all in your determination. I worked 20/hrs a week. And studied my life away. I did not have a Social life at all.

I also work /20hrs a week and i'm terrified of starting nursing school in the fall. I don't know how I'm going to handle it. I have classes two days a week including clinicals.

ENicuRN · Aug 1, 2012

I just graduated nursing school and I remember my advisor saying the same thing before nursing school started. I cried about stressing over bills and eating peanut butter and jelly to get by, but I had to make sacrifices.

I moved in with my mom, sold my car to have one significantly cheaper with no car payment, and then it allowed me to only work once a week.

I won't lie and say it wasn't an absolute life change, but it was something I needed to do to keep my sanity in nursing school and I am SO grateful I did it.

And btw, if you significantly decrease your hours and your pay is significantly less you should talk to your financial aid advisor. There is a form you fill out that show them proof of your income ( or lack thereof) and allows for your EFC to be significantly lower. I originally didn't get any grants but since I literally was making 1/3 of what I was before I ended up getting a large grant.

Hope this helps!

Saysfaa · Aug 1, 2012

One way is to start now stripping your lifestyle down to the bare bones and picking up every possible extra hour at your job and/or get a second job. Or a third one.

Dump the car payment, get a mechanically sound car that no one wants because it is so ugly (that would be why it is cheap). Your insurance will go way down too... usually - you may have to check around before deciding which car to get because insurance goes by make/model rather the actual value of a particular one.

Peanut butter and jelly is neither very inexpensive nor very healthy (not being very healthy translates into costing more later in lost productivity as well as overt health issues). If you need ideas netsearch emealz.

You can probably save up enough in a year to cover your living expenses for a year (probably more). If you can work minimal hours and/or during breaks while you are in school, you should be able to cover the second year.

willowita, ADN, RN · Aug 1, 2012

Cut back on expenses starting now. Live a frugal lifestyle now and through your nursing program. Since you have a year, save every penny that you can so you can go into your program with some savings.

Apply for financial aid and take out a direct or stafford loan if grants alone don't cut it. These are federal loans you can apply for through FAFSA. Check with your school about how they go about qualifying you for loans. Also check with them for any scholarships or special nursing student loans they may offer.

Ask your family members for help. Maybe you can move in with one of them? Even if you pay them a small amount of rent. Walk, ride a bike, take the bus for short distance trips so you don't waste gas money. Learn to eat on a budget. PB&J and ramen are not the only foods you can afford on a tight budget. Cooking for yourself daily drives down that food budget and provides healthier options. Shop the deals and specials every week. Buy only what you will actually eat in a week. Make a menu for the week and only buy those ingredients. Saves you money, fridge space, and food doesn't go bad.

Conserve energy! Unplug appliances you don't use often. Even if they are "off" they still suck some power, which is costing you money. There are power strips that automatically turn off all power with a remote or if you turn off a master appliance.

If all else fails, see if your work will allow for flexible hours and schedule work around school (even if that means grave yard). My dad did a BSN program while being a full time employee who had to commute something like 3 hours a day to work and school. So it can be done but you have to be determined and a beast to succeed at both. You can do it but you won't have time for anything else.

Ansumana · Aug 1, 2012

I thought whether or not how many classes you have already completed depends on your nursing workload? Like nutrition 101 is a requirement in conjunction with the LPN program, but it could be taken before being accepted into the program. I hope it isn't as bad as everyone makes it out to be because I'm getting nervous

SaraMC · Aug 2, 2012

I know this is going to sound a little silly, but I used to have fake nails on constantly and it costs about $50 a month to keep them properly maintained so I took them off, knowing I need to start cutting back now and get used to not having little "luxuries" for a while. I also let my tanning membership go( its not good for your skin anyways), And, im letting my highlights grow out in my hair because, 1.) theyre expensive to keep up with, 2.) theyre not a necessity. Also, my husband and I eat out twice a week on the week ends when we're off and we've been cutting back on that too. I will have to quit my FT job when I start the program, so I'm starting with the cut backs now little by little so I'm not experiencing all the cut backs at once.

I pride myself on being a healthy eater and staying active and fit. It's not the tastiest thing, but chicken and brown rice with a side of some frozen veggie is cheap and will give you the nutrients you need to be healthy and stay focused and have energy through out school. And with all the cut backs you CANNOT skimp on breakfast. Always eat it. Preferably something besides a pop tart or honey bun. And most importantly realize that this is temporary and will be worth it all in the end. :-)

bubblejet50 · Aug 2, 2012

I worked 40hrs a week while in nursing school. I had class 3days a week and clinical 2days a week meaning I was in school mon-fri. I had a one year old and worked a minimum of 40hrs a week. I maintained decent grades (mostly b's). My school advised not to work but that was not an option for me.

Floridayz, ASN, RN · Aug 2, 2012

Work if you have to. It's quite possible, and to me I would say those in my class who had jobs had grades just as good or even better than those who didnt.