manofbess

I want to say we have 7 guys out of about 70 students. From what I'm hearing, this is higher than average.

Now that I think about it, I haven't sacrificed that much. I don't have kids and I'm not married (although I have a significant other). I did resign from my job and I moved out of my apartment. Financially, times have gotten rough and this time a year ago, I never would've imagined myself being as broke as I was in college. But this is where I am. It'll all be worth it in about 2 years. Best of luck to everyone!

Congrats! You have my ideal job! I taught middle school before getting accepted into nursing school; with my nursing degree, I'd like to return to the school setting and teach or become a school nurse. That won't be happening for a while since it sounds like NC's requirements are the same as yours in TX. Best of luck!

It seems like I've had 9 lives because I've had a lot of "former lives" in less than 3 years! I have a BA in Journalism/Mass Communications with a focus in advertising. I didn't intern in undergrad b/c I transferred into the program junior year and was more focused on graduating in 4 years (the power of scholarships, right???) over getting priceless internship experience. Bit me in the pants it did. I moved back home b/c no one in Atlanta was taking my resume seriously! So once I got home, I substitute taught for a semester and I LOVED the atmosphere. I decided that teaching could be right up my alley. So I did some research and found out I qualified for an alternative teacher licensure program here and I taught for a year. Actually stumbled upon nursing by accident. I was reading the paper at the end of the school day and the front page story dealt with jobs in top demand. Surely nursing was right up at the top. I never realized until then that one could become a RN with an Associates Degree. I started asking some nursing friends a few questions and I did some googling, found this site, said "Hey, sounds like another field that's up my alley" (I've always felt like my purpose in life is to help and guide others in some way or another) and I applied for nursing school. Got accepted and I'll start in January. Someone mentioned that the money as a server was too good to pass up--I want to know where they served b/c I barely made enough to keep gas in my car (I worked at a chain sit-down restaurant with a lower clientele compared to other places)...my last day as a server, I said I'd never do it again, but I may have to since no other employers have called yet and I need an evening/weekend PT job. I plan on returning to my teaching roots by going into either school nursing or nursing education. Until then, I'm a struggling undergraduate again

Hey buddy, Thanks! I had no idea you were looking into UNC also. I checked out the school's website and I saw that there are only like 30 or 40 students in the RN to BSN program. I figured there would be more than that, but I guess people have more than enough options for online BSN programs nowadays. I will have to email them and see how my credits look so I can start looking into taking prereqs toward the end of 2008. Have a good one!

Hey fellow North Carolinians, First off, Happy Thanksgiving! :) Second, I come to ya'll with another question (like I haven't asked enough of those!)...I haven't even begun my RN program just yet, but I know when I complete it and pass boards, I want to go ahead and start working on the next step. I've had my eye on UNC-Chapel Hill's nursing school as of lately and noticed they have an online RN to BSN program. Has anyone applied for or taken part in this program? How competitive is it? And what about the RN to MSN program? I know I'm asking for info a little soon, but once I have a goal, I like to take those baby steps to acquire it. Thanks!

congratulations! now that is a blessing indeed :) you have a lot to be thankful for tomorrow!

It's not always a given. I applied to one school and thank God, I got accepted. Some people apply to others to see what their options are. Financial aid, distance, prereqs, high school and college grades, etc. are all factors that lie in how many and which schools folks apply to. I've heard of folks applying to 5 schools and then some people's hearts are devoted to just one place. To each his own, I guess. Good luck!

Thanks again for the additional responses! :bowingpur I suddenly don't feel so bad and if you all can make it through, then so can I! BSNtobe2009, my particular school requires that you be a CNA and while there are a few around here that don't, this was the only school I applied to and I got accepted, so I went ahead and knocked that out of the way. For what it's worth though, it was good experience and I know a little more that will probably help during nursing school clinicals, which we jump straight into from first semester. I actually had a cousin who went to the plasma bank and donated. That was her alternative to finding a job because she was a party girl in undergrad! I hear that it's a whole lot more painful than giving blood. I am trying to maintain the mentality that I struggled through 4 years of college in the past and what's 2 more...while I know it can be done, this go-around, it seems a whole lot more expensive. I never had a semester where books cost more than 500 dollars! I'll be using Amazon.com and Half.com as much as I can over the next 2 years Happy Turkey Day to all!

Jilaweez, we certainly will make it through! My family's never had it easy either, so I know that they can't really help me. They put a little bit into my bank account when I was in undergrad, but now that I've been on my own for over 2 years, I'm sure they won't be so welcoming to that! MBA2BRN, I had no idea that people had to pay 400 dollars for CPR/background checks! My background check is only like 40 or 50 dollars, but I have to get that additional one for whatever reason. I did take a CPR class a few months ago and it was only 50 dollars, but they offered it through my school, so if I had gone to an outside source, I guess it would've been closer to 100 dollars. I guess I have somewhat of a reason to be thankful, lol. txspadequeen, I'm with you there--I assumed that financial aid would take care of everything, like undergrad. My university allowed us to pay tuition online and then they would either direct deposit the refunds like 2-3 business days later or they would mail them 2-3 weeks later. I chose direct deposit and I was able to buy all my books and stuff days before classes even started. If only the same were true for nursing, but we'll make it through! You sure you can't qualify for financial aid? I applied (I have a Bachelor's and I'm entering an Associates program) and I received loans. I would apply just in case--you never know, it could be your lucky day :) And we might be on the same corner selling ourselves to make money, LOL!!!! KungFuFtr, sorry to hear about your job/flood situation...that's horrible! I would use my credit card, but I'm close to maxing that out. Stupid car maintenance!!! I really hope your situation gets much better really soon!

How many of ya'll are already financially unstable and nursing school hasn't even STARTED? I didn't realize it was going to be so costly. Since August, I've had to fork over 400 dollars for a CNA class, I had to turn in a deposit to reserve my space for the nursing program, I just paid 70 dollars for my uniform, I have yet to fork over money for the second background check I have to have completed by the school in 3 months (I had to go through another one for the CNA program, but I have to go through a separate one for nursing), I just registered for classes and will have to pay tuition soon, and my books for first semester will cost at least 700 dollars. Oh, and I won't be taking my CNA competency exam anytime soon because I don't have the 92 dollars to pay for it! And that's just school stuff. I haven't even looked into a stethoscope or anything like that (and I'm not asking for one for Christmas because I stopped receiving gifts about 5 years ago). In the words of my late grandfather, "Lawd have mercy"! I am thrilled about nursing school and I know I'll be well-taught and more than prepared for this career, but I wish I had known it would be so expensive so early. At this point, financial stress worries me more than anything. Anyone else gone broke and want to share their stories? We'll make it through!

Hey ya'll, Thanks for your posts. I have sent private messages to the both of you in regards to your responses. I hope it helps the both of you!

Hey everyone, As the title implies, I'm thinking about returning to the school system as a male nurse. Before I was accepted into nursing school, which will begin for me in January, I was a middle school remediation teacher. I was on a provisional license because I am not a licensed teacher and did not major in education in undergrad. I applied to nursing school and was accepted, so I had to resign from my teaching position. In the weeks since school has resumed, I have discovered that I miss the environment a lot more than I thought I would. I've always said that my long-term goal would be to return to the school setting either as a nursing teacher (either high school or at the community/technical college level) or as a school nurse. First off, are there any male school nurses here? Would I be the only one out there? I'm sure I wouldn't be, but I thought I'd ask anyway! :) This question is for everyone--how long would you guys recommend a prospective school nurse work in the field before applying for a job as a nurse? Since I have no clinical experience, I'm not sure which specialty in nursing will interest me the most. Has anyone felt overwhelmed by going directly to work as a school nurse directly out of nursing school? I should be asleep right now--I have a 6-hour lecture in the morning--but I thought to post this thread right before I hit the sack. I would really love to hear what y'all have to say. Thanks!

I applied for January admission back in April and received an acceptance letter a little over a month ago. Now I'm just waiting on the acceptance package so I can start preparing. Good luck to you and everyone applying!

Congratulations on graduating and getting pinned! I have a friend who is in an accelerated BSN program and she's only told me bits and pieces of what she's endured in the program...she can't even work a PT job--that's how intense it's been. So I give you kudos and I hope that you pass your boards with flying colors!!!

English comp won't be bad (far better than literature in my opinion--I hated nothing more than analyzing poetry!). I would say English was always my strong point, but everyone in my college English classes did just fine. Just figure out your professor/instructor's preferences in writing papers and read all the content that you get. In composition, you'll want to make strong points and have the proof to back up whatever you're trying to get across. I think that might be the hardest part. It's much better to come up with too much information than to be vague...and be sure to have a dictionary on hand. English professors/instructors are pretty bad about knocking of points for spelling errors. You should be fine--oh, and those APA style books worked like wonders for me! Good luck :)

Thank you to everyone for the responses and well wishes. I'm very excited about going to nursing school and I think that ultimately, it might behoove me to look into working as a nurse aide. I live in North Carolina and I think you're required to be certified to work as a NA in any capacity here. I have a relative in nearby South Carolina who does home health and I didn't think she was certified, so I guess it varies by state...for me, laws vary by driving 7 or 8 miles down the road since I straddle the state line. Funny how that works--but I think that when the time presents itself, I'm going to give a NA job a shot...the way it sounds, time might fly by a lot faster. Thanks again!

Hey everyone, I've been thinking about this for about the past hour since I can't seem to fall asleep. I'm hoping you all can give some input. My nurse aide class begins late next week. The course runs for about 2 months. I'm anticipating taking the NA I certification exam soon after. I am taking the class because I'm required to be a CNA I before I enroll in nursing school in January. I was just hired as a pharmacy tech last week and currently am undergoing training for that position. I've heard that the job would be beneficial for me as I would learn more about drugs, medications, and stuff like that, but I really want to be exposed to the things that would benefit me through nursing school. Would a nurse aide job be more beneficial than a pharmacy tech job? Also, how hard is it to find a non-certified Nurse Aide job for the time being until I become certified? Also, would I have to work FT as a nurse aide in order to qualify for benefits? I have to work an average of 30 hours a week in order to maintain benefits with my current job and I know that once January gets here, it'll be impossible to work FT. I should really be getting to sleep, but I'm probably keeping myself awake by pondering such a topic at such a late hour. Thanks in advance for any input you can provide...and sorry I've asked so many questions!

Hope you're happy to know that you're not the only minority male out there! *waves hand* I'm African-American and I just turned 24. I'll be starting nursing school in January. I'm used to being the "underdog" as a male, let alone a black one. In my former profession (education), I taught at a school with maybe only 6 or 7 males on staff out of maybe 50 faculty and staff members altogether. Of the 6 or 7, two of us were black and one guy was multiracial. Being one of a few minorities never really made any difference to me. After all, I graduated from high school with only 25 minorities in my class of 200+ and my university had maybe a 30 percent minority rate. No biggee being a minority male again :) I anticipate the same thing happening in nursing school. I grew up around mainly women anyway, so I am not bothered at all. Just as long as I can go in there and pass all my classes without going insane!! I'm sure you'll do fine too. Best of luck!

Thank you all so much for your responses. I feel a bit more at ease now. I'm trying not to go in there with the expectation that I'll learn everything overnight, as I tend to do. Hopefully after a few weeks, things won't be so bad and I'll feel like an expert Thanks again!

Yes, if you got a letter indicating your financial aid package from the school, then pretty much you're set :) It should show up online eventually and you can pay tuition and stuff. And if it's broken down by semester, then that indicates the allotted aid for that specific semester. If you need aid for next summer, then you'd probably have to go to your school's financial aid office and apply for more aid. I think you would end up having to fill out an updated FAFSA. Oh, one more thing--some loans and scholarships require that you take and pass a certain amount of credit hours per year. I almost got in some serious trouble because I was one credit shy of fulfilling that requirement one year and almost lost a academic scholarship. I ended up having to fork money out of pocket and took a class at a nearby technical college while I was on summer vacation. So make sure you fulfill those requirements. I promise you, financial aid will become easier to understand and you'll know the ropes after you pay your tuition the very first time

I'll use my experience from my Bachelor's (non-nursing) degree here as I became quite an expert at this :) Loans/scholarships can be used toward school supplies/living expenses, but there are conditions. If a loan/scholarship is given to you for a specific purpose, it has to be used for that purpose. Once you've paid tuition and all the important fees, if there's any extra money in your package, you will receive an overage check and you can use it for whatever purpose. In undergrad, one year I received a lottery-funded scholarship that paid all my tuition that year. I also received a Pell Grant and a Stafford Loan. Because I didn't receive an on-campus assignment that particular year and didn't have a car, I applied the rest of the money toward books and school supplies. After I paid for books/supplies, I had quite a bit left over. I used the remainder for a down payment on a car and for my first month or so of rent until I found a job. So depending on the specific use for your scholarships/loans, yes, you can use the extra money for other purposes. Make sure that if you receive a significant overage check, if possible, try to pay some of the money back (unless you have a contract that allows you to work off the money that the loan provides--this wasn't an issue for me because the loans did not support a particular major) to the loan provider so you don't have such a large amount to pay back when it's time to start paying loans. If you choose not to go that route, then use the money wisely and save some if you can. Hope that helps!

First of all, congratulations on getting in :) Second of all, I do not envy your situation. Doesn't life seem to give you hard options like that? I'm compelled to favor what others have said and advise you to go to nursing school--there are opportunities galore once you graduate and become licensed...not to mention, hundreds, maybe thousands of people are aggressively fighting for a small number of nursing seats each semester or year. If you were to give up your spot, there's no telling when you would be re-admitted. However, you're in a situation that I and some others are not in--you have young kids. Maybe there's no way you can't work. Is it possible to take a part-time position if you get hired? Maybe you can make the best of both situations that way. I would go the nursing route if I was in your position--if I could live off the loans for the duration of school. But you control your own destiny--and I'm sure you'll make the best decision :) Best of luck!

Hey guys and gals, I couldn't find that much recent info regarding pharmacy techs while doing a keyword search, so I'm hoping that some more current users of the site can help me out. I was just offered a position as a pharmacy tech for a drug store. I will begin a Nurse Aide course in just a few weeks which lasts for about two months. Then in January I will begin nursing school. I'm not really that familiar with the field, so I was wondering if anyone could provide a little insight on what to expect. It was emphasized at the interview that I would work on a computer a lot and deal with customers a lot--I can deal with both of those. Also, will this job help make nursing school a little easier? I'm reading a lot about how many suggest working as a Nurse Aide before becoming a nurse, but if I can keep this job since the hours are flexible, the pay is far more than I expected, and the people I met so far seem really nice, then I'd like to do so. Any input would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Feels good to know I'm not the only person to have done this. I resigned from my job about 3 weeks ago. Luckily, I was able to resign immediately and without penalty since I was formerly a teacher and everyone is still on summer vacation. Like most of you, my nursing program is a daytime program and there is no way possible I could have maintained my former job and gone to school at the same time. I'm going to miss MOST of the students and the excitement and nervousness of the very first day. This could be a once in a lifetime opportunity for me and I want to go ahead and learn, learn, learn.