Need some encouragement

[emmjayy, BSN, RN]

Things have just been HARD for awhile now. Just hit the halfway mark on my partner's deployment (which has been horribly hard on both of us so far), I'm stressed about how I'm going to pay for school/cost of living once I start school, I'm working full time and studying my ass off to refresh a bunch of subjects I need to brush up on before school, and to top it off, today I got a notice saying my child's Medicaid coverage was cancelled because my income (which I won't have in a few months because I'm quitting my job to go back to school) is juuuuust barely above the cutoff. I'm sitting over here working hard to make ends meet and trying to save as much as I can and now I have to worry about finding and paying for a good health insurance plan for my kid and it just feels like there's a lot of "screw you" going around. I turned in my scholarship application today and didn't feel like it was that great but I revised it for over a week and couldn't figure out how to make it better and the cut-off date is pretty soon so I just turned it in, but I'm so worried I won't get a scholarship now. Then I started getting scared that I would flunk out of nursing school or get through and then fail the NCLEX and never be able to get a job to pay off the loans I'm going to be taking out.

[Farawyn]

emmjayy, I'm sorry. I wish I had some answers for you. I don't. I do know that you are not alone and there are many nursing students starting out in a pretty similar boat.

Even if you find someone here to vent to, maybe that will help just a bit.

I hope you hang in there. I've liked the few posts I've read of yours. You seem sharp.

Good luck.

[emmjayy, BSN, RN]

emmjayy, I'm sorry. I wish I had some answers for you. I don't. I do know that you are not alone and there are many nursing students starting out in a pretty similar boat.

Even if you find someone here to vent to, maybe that will help just a bit.

I hope you hang in there. I've liked the few posts I've read of yours. You seem sharp.

Good luck.

Thanks, it helps to know I'm not alone. It also helps to whine a little bit about it I know the payoff is going to be super worth it... getting that Medicaid cancellation just felt like the last straw for a few hours! It was hard not to be able to immediately go talk to my partner about it either, normally he's my number one line of defense when I need support. I sat down and did some chemistry homework to clear my head and I realized I'm doing juuust fine in all my pre-reqs, so there's really no reason for me to worry about flunking school.

Anyway, thank you for your response!! It really helped

[gere7404, BSN, RN]

How serious are you and your partner? If you guys got married he'd get extra BAH and family separation pay and you'd get tricare.

[babymich_0922]

How serious are you and your partner? If you guys got married he'd get extra BAH and family separation pay and you'd get tricare.

This is a FACT plus you'll get a MYCAA tuition allowance 4,000$ per year if you're found eligible (like married to E-2 to E-5, and also depends on what branch your partner is in.

If this will be his first deployment, it takes a while for you to adjust but you'll get used to it and occupy yourself with many positive things while he's away. You're not alone, I believe there are support groups on base that help military families with certain issues. Don't lose hope!

[emmjayy, BSN, RN]

We definitely want to get married, but I don't think either one of us is quite ready yet. We both have things we want to accomplish pre-marriage (I want my RN, he wants to be out of the Army) and honestly I don't think I could handle yet another major life transition right now. Plus, we've only been together about a year and it's been long distance (we met in college and have known each other a really long time IRL though, so it's not like I'm considering marriage with a guy I've met in person only a few times haha). We would really like to live together and have a "normal" in person relationship for awhile before jumping to marriage as well. We both get that there are financial incentives to hurry up and tie the knot, but we're kind of stubborn and won't let anything rush us before we feel ready for it.

[babymich_0922]

on point!

[HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD]

Check out CHP insurance for your child... it's very low cost coverage for people who earn too much for Medicaid. I understand your reluctance to commit to marriage if you feel that it's too soon. It's much better to wait if there are unresolved issues.

Have you talked to a financial aid specialist at your school? There may be avenues of assistance that you are not aware of.

Best of luck on your educational journey

[emmjayy, BSN, RN]

Check out CHP insurance for your child... it's very low cost coverage for people who earn too much for Medicaid. I understand your reluctance to commit to marriage if you feel that it's too soon. It's much better to wait if there are unresolved issues.

Have you talked to a financial aid specialist at your school? There may be avenues of assistance that you are not aware of.

Best of luck on your educational journey

Thanks! I called my local DSS and talked with them today and I got my daughter on a great, very low-cost plan so that worry is off my plate! Wheewww :)

I am waiting to talk to a financial aid counselor until after award letters are issued later this month. I emailed back and forth with the coordinator and she told me they wouldn't be able to give me much personalized direction until after we know what federal/state aid I'm getting, which makes sense.

[canigraduate]

Hi! I don't have any concrete ideas for you, but I am rooting for you. I agree with Farawyn, I've liked what I've seen so far. You're going places!

Good luck with your schooling, and hopefully the deployment is uneventful.

[smartassmommy]

You are not alone. I think more of us trying to go to school are struggling with life than not. But, maybe it will make us stronger nurses in the end.