ChristineT

Yep - the only issue with a name change is if it's being done for fraud/to evade prosecution, that sort of thing. PS I've been married for over 25 years and my father still refers to me by my maiden name when introducing me, and he loves my husband like a son. It's all good. The licensing board just wants the bucks.

This is a really good point (as is @kcollins08 's point as well). Study more, and longer - and I know how hard time is to come by! Consider how efficient your study habits are. The older we get, the harder it can sometimes be to concentrate, so turn off the phone and the TV and music. I've found white noise helps, either the air conditioner or the space heater (you can tell I live where there are seasons). We live in an overly-distracted culture so you need to nix as many distractions as you can. I would also suggest (a) a study/accountability partner and/or (b ) getting help from professors or their assistants. There is no shame whatsoever in getting help! It's important to get through this and finish, so if that's the way to go, then do it. Rooting for you!

Oh my gosh - scholarship scholarship scholarship. Google them - there are some really weird and obscure ones you might qualify for. Like as I recall there's one for tall people. There are scholarships for folks of pretty much every ethnic heritage, too. Consider all of your financial options, and I mean every single one of them. As in, can you sell stuff online? Can you do some at-home freelancing to pay a few bills (if you can write, can you blog for $$? If you can draw or use art programs, can you make logos?)? Can you get a roommate (or two)? Can you cut your food bills by cooking, cutting out expensive stuff (nobody needs Starbucks, for example)? Can you keep the car going another year? Can you refurbish found or inexpensive items and sell them for a profit? I realize a lot of this seems time-consuming, and that's because it is! So you might also do well to put off the program for six months to a year and make some cash before you start. Starting at an off time (like a January, or in June) might make it easier to get scholarships and loans, by the way. Best of luck to you!

I have found that every time I write a paper, it helps to just kind of brainstorm and stick any old idea in there. You know - throw it against a wall and see if it sticks? It also helps to whittle down your topic. I think that can be the hardest part of starting anything, e. g. too many choices and too many generalities. Hit the specifics and then see if it's long enough, and go from there.