My first day of the nursing program starts on August 27th and I have not been able to purchase anything yet!! I take that back, I was able to order my nursing student name tag but the only reason I was able to do that was because it was only 5 dollars! We have a hard time making ends meet and any "extra" money (if there is such a thing) has been spent to get three of my four children their school nessesities.
I have to wait for my student loans before I can buy my things and that money won't come until Aug 20th! That will give me a window of one week to purchase my books, uniforms, and supplies. I also need to buy shoes and some type of hand-held electronic device for nursing apps. Most students that I know are just going to use their smart phones but I think I'm the only person in this world that does not own a smart phone...the phone I currently use is an out-dated dumb-phone :) I plan on getting an I-Pad Touch, and I will only have one week to learn how to use it!
I'm just stressing out a little, well stressing out a lot actually :) I'm worried that I won't be able to get it all done in such a short time. And of course, I'm super stressed about starting the nursing program! I feel like a time-bomb who may explode at any moment because I'm so stressed out!!
(Here's my vent) My kids seem to fight constantly, my house is constantly messy, I don't get enough help from my husband with the kids/house, and I'm sick and tired of wondering how we will manage to make it until the next pay check. I need a vacation, but I can't afford it!! LOL I know that I'm not the only person that has these struggles, and I know that we will make it...we always do. It's just that sometimes I feel like running away and hiding under a big rock!! However, I realize that if I did find some big rock to hide under I wouldn't be able to hide out for very long.....who would feed them, wash their clothes/dishes, solve their arguements, and basically keep them alive? LOL A mother/wife/woman's work is NEVER ending! I would love to trade responsibilites with my husband for just 3 days...but then again, that would just make more work for me in the long-run because I would have to go back and fix everything that went wrong during those 3 days!
WOW!!! this post really turned into a HUGE vent, but it helped...I feel better :) So, back to the topic at hand....I feel unprepared for the nursing program! LOL :)
Thank you so much for all the support! Unfortunatley, the hand held electronic device is a requirement for my program, and there are two required nursing apps. that must be downloaded before classes start. I most likely will get the IPOD Touch. I'm so glad I have somewhere to vent my frustrations. I'm feeling much better because of it :)
GameStop started selling used apple products and they are guaranteed to work. I recently bought an iPad 2 from there and it's in perfect condition. You can find a 2nd or 3rd generation iPod touch for a decent price!
Let me add my 2 cents. In these last few weeks train your little ones to do some things that will help you out vaccum, load dishwasher, etc. depends on the age of your kids. My kids are 2,9,12,15. The oldest 3 have been doing their laundry, cleaning their bathroom, & cleaning their rooms about 4yrs. Now the oldest did the chores the others one couldn't do or the small ones assisted the oldest. Husbands on the other hand do what they want when they want. Give him something to do as well but let him do it in his own time. He might not get to it that morning but maybe at night. It all depends. My hubby doesn't realize that his foolish ways prevented me from starting the nursing program this fall. Instead I have to wait 1 yr. that's right one year. As long as I pass the newly required preq's. My advice take your time & realize things may be our of order while your in the program but hey you got to do what you have to do.
Good luck with the Ipod touch, you will appreciate having everything at your fingertips. Don't worry, you will find time to play with it and download other apps other than the required ones for your school. I recommend flascardlet if you like flashcards and want to be able to study while you are out (in the waiting room at your kids doc appointments, in line at the grocery store, etc). It's a free download and you can type the cards on a website then upload them with a click! If money is an issue, and you don't mind doing/reading most things on a computer, it might actually be worth it to pay a little more for the ipad. If you like to be able to flip through your pages or are just a "paper person" (like me), it might not work, but a lot of books come in an electronic version that is significantly cheaper. You would be able to download your professors powerpoints, any pdf files for articles, type your notes and always have them with you, and always have the electronic resources that come with most books on hand with a nice big and easy to read screen. This would also significantly reduce the weight of the bag you carry to school every day. (this is not a perfect theory, like I said, I'm a paper person, the one who prints everything and has 3 inch binders for every class lol)
For your books, are you willing to spend a week or two outside of your house to study? If so, consider seeing if your school's library has your required books on hand that you can use there. If so, save yourself a TON of money and order them online when you get your refund. You will have to study in the library, but everyone in my program with kids finds it impossible to study at home when they are awake anyhow, so it would give you an excuse to get out of the house.
As far as supplies, try to buy extras with your kid's stuff. Pens, notebooks, paper, binders, everything is on sale right now. Even if you wait until your refund for financial aid gets to you, there should still be sales. Also, if you can afford it, buy extras now instead of re-buying notebooks, folders, binders, etc. for the next semester when it will be significantly more expensive. And over-estimate your pens and hi-liters, you WILL go through them!
Also, talk with our financial aid adviser or program director. Do you order your scrubs directly through the program? If so, is there a way to order your first pair and have them held until you actually make the payment. Ask for your professors emails, and ask not only the program director, but the professors themselves if there is anything that can wait a week or two until it is bought (make sure you explain your situation when you ask). Find a second year or recently graduated student and make friends, this is a great way to get books cheap, or even borrow them for free-again, this might be as simple as asking the program director, your adviser, or a professor.
If money is tight, start planning to pack your lunch. There is a great thread about this that was posted last week, I would suggest reading it, it's pretty awesome. Not only will you save money, but you will have more control over portion sizes and your lunches will probably be healthier. During the time you are waiting for your loans to go through, start cooking-make soup and freeze individual portions, make a full loaf of pb&j and freeze them (you can get one of those awesome sandwich cutters and make your own "uncrustables", then go to a park with your kiddos and feed some ducks!).
You will get everything together and it will be fine, try not to stress too much.
If you are going to get an iPod touch, look at the refurbished section on apple.com. They are generally 50-75 dollars less than retail, and come with a full one year warranty. You can also download an app called text free and if you have a wi-fi connection, use it for text messages. You can also download Skype and make calls with it. Yet again only when you are connected to wi-fi. I would suggest asking your advisor what apps you will need because it may mean you need the 32 gig instead of the 8 gig model. You can also use it as a recorder IF your instructors allow recording of lectures. Good luck with everything, and I hope it all goes well for you.
Some of my students actually don't get their money before the semester starts, and we are all pretty understanding about it. I've had students not get their books until a couple of weeks into the semester. They do fine, with library copies or even just borrowing mine. Also, the students a semester ahead of you may be willing to lend you a copy until you get yours.
The internet sources saved me huge amounts of money during my masters program, strongly encourage you to look for those.
Amazon is not the only source, try a search for used texts, and all sorts of sites are out there. I think my best was ecampus.com
The other posters hit it straight on, get your house organized first while you have time. i can't cater to all the needs of every individual student and their home problems; in order to keep the nursing class going, everyone has to have the same deadlines etc. Remember, dust bunnies don't bite! Just let them alone...... :hug:
Wow, the insulting infantilization of husbands on this thread is really offensive. You do realize these are grown men you are talking about, right? They are capable of taking up some slack and disciplining the children into helping more with the housework, aren't they?
And if they are not... well sorry you picked badly, but please don't come on here and make it sound like all husbands are that way. When I leave my house for work, I am able to focus completely on work because I trust my husband and he takes care of things while I am gone. He works a standard 8-4:30 M-F job, and I work night shift. He does all the parenting, homework helping, chore supervising, after school activity transporting, and story reading for our 5 kids on the nights I am gone. Soon, because my hours are changing, he will also be helping get the kids off to school some mornings before he leaves for work. He is also earning his MBA right now. Most of the time he does more laundry than I do.
When you come on here and say things like, "Husbands do X," you talk about all husbands as if they are alike, when clearly, they are not.
Wow, the insulting infantilization of husbands on this thread is really offensive. You do realize these are grown men you are talking about, right? They are capable of taking up some slack and disciplining the children into helping more with the housework, aren't they?
And if they are not... well sorry you picked badly, but please don't come on here and make it sound like all husbands are that way. When I leave my house for work, I am able to focus completely on work because I trust my husband and he takes care of things while I am gone. He works a standard 8-4:30 M-F job, and I work night shift. He does all the parenting, homework helping, chore supervising, after school activity transporting, and story reading for our 5 kids on the nights I am gone. Soon, because my hours are changing, he will also be helping get the kids off to school some mornings before he leaves for work. He is also earning his MBA right now. Most of the time he does more laundry than I do.
When you come on here and say things like, "Husbands do X," you talk about all husbands as if they are alike, when clearly, they are not.
I don't see how anything anyone said about husbands would be considered offensive.
I am glad that you are happy with your own life but that does not give you the right to judge another's.
My husband works as an industrial mechanic 8-12s in a row before his 6 days off. His hard work has allowed me to give up my full time job and go back to school. In my household it is more important that my husband is well rested (exhausted mechanics are dangerous at power plants) and spends quality time with my kids. Even if it means that I have to do more of the housework.
My point is that every home is different. The advice given to OP were just suggestions. It doesn't mean that we chose wrong. You shouldn't assume to know a person's situation. Because you know what they say about those that assume.
It's just that sometimes I feel like running away and hiding under a big rock!! However, I realize that if I did find some big rock to hide under I wouldn't be able to hide out for very long.....who would feed them, wash their clothes/dishes, solve their arguements, and basically keep them alive? LOL A mother/wife/woman's work is NEVER ending! I would love to trade responsibilites with my husband for just 3 days...but then again, that would just make more work for me in the long-run because I would have to go back and fix everything that went wrong during those 3 days!
The assumption that leaving her husband in charge of everything will lead to more work and her having to fix everything = infantilization.
You don't think that's insulting? I only posted because you said you didn't see anything insulting toward husbands. There was one other comment that really jumped out at me, and I will post that one too.
Husbands on the other hand do what they want when they want. Give him something to do as well but let him do it in his own time. He might not get to it that morning but maybe at night. It all depends. My hubby doesn't realize that his foolish ways prevented me from starting the nursing program this fall.
Our culture has trained women to look down on men, and that just screams from some of the posts on this thread. We need to re-think how we think about and treat our men if we want them to be more supportive and give us more help when we need it. Think about it, if someone were constantly demonstrating to you through words, actions, and attitudes that you were untrustworthy and incapable, how would you react to that person? Would you be jumping to do things for them? Probably not. All I am saying is to evaluate the attitudes and assumptions you hold, because they might be damaging your marriage and your chance at an amazing partnership.
Our culture has trained women to look down on men, and that just screams from some of the posts on this thread. We need to re-think how we think about and treat our men if we want them to be more supportive and give us more help when we need it. Think about it, if someone were constantly demonstrating to you through words, actions, and attitudes that you were untrustworthy and incapable, how would you react to that person? Would you be jumping to do things for them? Probably not. All I am saying is to evaluate the attitudes and assumptions you hold, because they might be damaging your marriage and your chance at an amazing partnership.
Had you said something like this initially I would have probably agreed. I hadn't read any other posts about husbands except for mine and one other. When I read your comment about choosing wrong I immediately felt defensive. It happens. Haha!
its_meee
134 Posts
Thank you so much for all the support! Unfortunatley, the hand held electronic device is a requirement for my program, and there are two required nursing apps. that must be downloaded before classes start. I most likely will get the IPOD Touch. I'm so glad I have somewhere to vent my frustrations. I'm feeling much better because of it :)