Now or never?

[nurseontheway]

Hello everyone. I am in my 3rd semester of a LPN program. The last day of the semester is November 20th. I have the option of beginning RN classes right away. They would start December 1st of this year. It would take another 15 months to complete the program. I have a 7 year old and a 3 year old. It has been a really hard, challenging year but thankfully I didn't have to work while taking my classes and attending clinicals. With the RN program I will have to work part time. I turned 30 this summer and worry that if I quit school now that I will never go back. What is your advice for me? I REALLY want my RN license but worry about the added stress of going on right away. However, I feel that there is a great possibility that I would never go back to school.....

[Bortaz, MSN, RN]

I dropped out of college, once. It took me 20+ years for the chance to come again. There was always some excuse for me not going back...work, no money, no time, didn't know what I wanted to be, you name it.

Now that I'm back in college, I don't plan to quit till I've reached my goals. I don't have another 20 years to wait.

[laketrash]

I didn't mean to sound like its now or never but still think its best to go on now. It took me 4 years to get a 2 year degree because I had small children, worked a full time job the whole time and didn't have the option of waiting. It was hard but I'm glad I done it that way cause I got started doing what I was born to do and as a fringe benefit, my family lives a lot better. In the end it doesn't matter how long you take as long as you get there. Best of luck !

[DA314]

Go Now. It's only 15 months, then you'll have reached your goal. If you wait, you will decrease your lifetime earning capacity. That will in turn reduce your ability to buy your children their first cars, pay for college, make sure they have memorable vacations and holidays. The sooner you start working as an RN, the sooner you'll be able to provide a more comfortable life for them.

Stopping now will also teach your children that 1/2 way is good enough.

As far as them never being this age again, they are still young, and probably won't remember to hold it against you that you didn't get to spend as much time with them as you'd like. They will, however, remember that their mother was a hard worker who did whatever it took to make a good life for them. That will teach them a very good life lesson, and they will respect you for it.