Hey everyone. Well I'm 30 years old and still trying to figure out what to do with my life. I served 4 years in the military as a Security Police officer but I know I don't want to be a cop. I've spent the last six years working in and out of call centers and I'm getting nowhere. Maybe I'm a late bloomer but I know I need to do something with my life. I've always been interested in the Healthcare field and I'm interested in being a PA. I've also considered Nursing. I was thinking that becoming an RN would be a good way to make a living and gain experience in the healthcare field on my way to becoming a PA.
I guess what I want to know is that a good way to go? Am I setting my sights to high at my age? How difficult is Nursing school and how hard is it to get in? Once you are a RN, is it difficult to work and continue to go to school?
I have many more questions, but I'll wait for answers on these. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Yes I do.... I'm very interested in becoming a nurse! Are there any programs available to me to assist me financially? I'm 42 and really work in a dead-end job where I can't afford to put myself through school!
There are scholarships and grants available if you qualify. The one thing that many people are afraid to consider but makes getting a degree very possible, is financial aid. The Federal Stafford Loan is a loan through the government. You do not start paying them back until 6 months after you graduate or drop out. There is the subsidized one in which the gov't pays the interest while you're in school. In other words, interest does not accumulate while you're in school.There is the unsubsidized one and that one the interest starts accumulating as soon as you get the loan. You can take out both loans if you need it. If you're a freshman and took out both loans, the max you could get annually is $6,625, sophomore is $7,500, and Junior and seior gets $10,500. I took both loans as the full amount and I now have my BS degree. You'll have to most likely attend college full-time in order to get the loan. Just contact the financial aid office at the school you want to attend and they'll get you started :wink2: It's within reach and well worth it!
Here's a couple of links from my old school about it:
Age 30 is perfect for starting nursing.... If you were bright enough to make it through MP school in the army you can do nursing. I think nurses have a lot more flexibility with career choices than PAs. You could even go back into the military and start out as a 2nd Lt. if you like the military life. Nurses in the military can go far--- and they will pay for your Master's degree. Also RNs are usually not on the front lines.....(of course in Iraq there are no front lines).... Make an appointment with the intake counselor at some nearby schools of nursing to hear from the horse's mouth what is required.... I got my BSN when I was 30. Nursing has been a good career............Good luck. Dan
Soleilpie
103 Posts
There are scholarships and grants available if you qualify. The one thing that many people are afraid to consider but makes getting a degree very possible, is financial aid. The Federal Stafford Loan is a loan through the government. You do not start paying them back until 6 months after you graduate or drop out. There is the subsidized one in which the gov't pays the interest while you're in school. In other words, interest does not accumulate while you're in school.There is the unsubsidized one and that one the interest starts accumulating as soon as you get the loan. You can take out both loans if you need it. If you're a freshman and took out both loans, the max you could get annually is $6,625, sophomore is $7,500, and Junior and seior gets $10,500. I took both loans as the full amount and I now have my BS degree. You'll have to most likely attend college full-time in order to get the loan. Just contact the financial aid office at the school you want to attend and they'll get you started :wink2: It's within reach and well worth it!
Here's a couple of links from my old school about it:
http://www.uccs.edu/%7Efinaidse/stafford.shtml
http://www.uccs.edu/%7Efinaidse/loanlimits.shtml