New to Nursing...need thoughts on how to juggle work and school

[aquiroz]

I work a full time job in finance. I am finished and want to pursue my dream of becoming a nurse. Any suggestions on how to juggle a full time job with getting pre-reqs out of the way and then school itself? I need to keep some sort of salary coming in to help keep the bills paid.

Thanks,

Amanda

[silverbells_star]

Time management is the key, I work full time and go to school too. I get up early every day (4:30 or 5 during the week) I study every free minute I have during the day, eating breakfast, lunch breaks, etc. I try to study several hours every evening too. Be sure to get sleep though, I try to be in bed by 11. Keep organized and stay on top of your work. The other big trick is to keep time set aside for you. I always leave saturday afternoon/evening for my husband and I and we always have our dinner together, nothing school related. Good luck.

[Lala27poodles]

I thought i could handle full time work, but then decided to go majorly part time, now I only work 15 hours a week! It pays what I need, but I also had to sacrifice everything I owned and go move back in with my parents at the age of 27...

so it's all about choices I guess, and there is never an easy one !

[bluebirdlx]

I also have no choice but to work while in school. I work apprx 38 hours a week at an animal hospital and this semester I am taking 14 credits worth of pre-reqs. There are a few things I've done which I think helped me greatly. I began recording my lectures because sometimes I am so tired from work I find myself spacing out during class. So go to class and take notes, but record it so that later on you can study when you're more alert. Try to take some online classes if you can, that way you can decrease the amount of time you have to spend at campus. I'm taking Political Science and Math online and I like it. I don't have to show up for hours at a time to hear the lecture and if I decide I want to take my math exam at 11:00 pm on a Tuesday I can. Schedule your studying to be done a little at a time. If you get off at 5:00 pm, study each night from 7-9. Don't work all week and then try to cram for tests over the weekend. Be organized and do it a little at a time. Lastly, I sacrificed some of my social life. For me it's work, school, homework, school, work, homework, etc. I even took the television out of my bedroom. Maybe it's extreme but I get straight A's so I think it's worth it. Good luck and just remember it's going to be hard and you're going to be tired -there's no way around it. Just do the best you can and it will be over before you know it and you'll have your degree.

[Justanotherday]

I am home with young children during the day, work part-time in the evenings and weekends, and go to school for prereqs. Adding school to my life would be overwhelming if I took more than two classes per semester. I am saving Å & P and Micro for last so I can take them one at a time. It will take me two years to get through all my prereqs, but a faster pace would be too stressful for me and my family.