What is more valuable, time or money?

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I've recently finished the prerequisites for my local nursing program (ASN). I wasn't able to apply for next falls cohort because I hadn't finished my first course in anatomy. So, to go to this school, I would have to apply next year and then after a year, I would start fall of 2019. Like most ADN programs, it is 2 years.

So basically, three years of being financially unstable. One year of working crazy hours just to stay afloat, and two years of full-time school and part-time work and a lot of misery for my toddler. That's why I widened my search.

I told myself that if I could find an ADN program with multiple start dates per year that I could get into, I would move.

I found of course, and while I love the premise, it would leave me graduating at around the same time, and for twice as much as at my community college.

Then, I found a school with locations in Iowa, Nebraska, and Maine. Maybe you've heard of it: Kaplan. Now known as Purdue, they offer multiple start dates for their prelicensure ASN in Iowa and Nebraska. That's what got me to call.

When on the phone with admissions, I was told my core credits would transfer, and I could start straight into the nursing program. Theirs is accelerated, and I could have my ADN in just over a year.

My dilemma is this: wait and wait in a town I'm miserable in to maybe be accepted into a local community college with a good program, after which I would take two years to finish, and have less student debt.

or

Put in extra money in travel expenses to take the HESI entrance exam and interview with a school in another state (and take out more money in loans) but start in September and graduate in just a year!

What do you value more, your time or your money?

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Specializes in NICU.
Then, I found a school with locations in Iowa, Nebraska, and Maine. Maybe you've heard of it: Kaplan. Now known as Purdue, they offer multiple start dates for their prelicensure ASN in Iowa and Nebraska. That's what got me to call.

Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Wisconsin

Kaplan got some serious credibility. Purdue is a large, state university

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Kaplan was recently rebranded as Purdue university Global

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Also to add,

My big concern with Purdue is I've always been taught "if it's too good to be true, it usually isn't true"

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Specializes in Neuro.

Are you young, do you have kids, a mortgage, do you have family help, what are your financial responsibilities? These are things you need to evaluate when making a choice. Personally, if I were young with no kids, I'd save myself the grief of debt and wait it out in my small town and go to school there.

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Personally, if I were young with no kids, I'd save myself the grief of debt and wait it out in my small town and go to school there.

23, one toddler, a rent payment I can't afford yet somehow manage to make every month.

I have no family where I am now, so that wouldn't change with a move. Lately I've been feeling stuck and frustrated. But I will probably just stay.

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Specializes in Emergency / Disaster.

School is mostly during the day - how will you provide childcare and pay for rent when you aren't positive how the rent gets paid now? Do you have someone to help with the little one if you have to work or do clinicals at night? If you were going to move, I'd move close to a friend or relative willing to help with your childcare situation. I had a nanny that I gave my garage apartment in exchange for being my nanny. I couldn't pay her - but I could give her a living space and that's what she needed most. Do you have space you could give to someone in exchange for helping with your little one? Nursing school is intense and its difficult to work and go to school and be a mom. I'm not trying to discourage you at all - I just want to point out that you may need a little extra outside help and if you are willing to move - I'd move somewhere with trustworthy help. I wish you the best.

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School is mostly during the day - how will you provide childcare and pay for rent when you aren't positive how the rent gets paid now?

So fwiw, I would do this the same way I've been doing it for the last year and a half.

I did considering moving back home to where my parents are, but they don't have the extra room and rent for a studio apartment there is $1500 a month.

On top of that, wherever I go, I'm just back where I started, waiting to -maybe- get into a local nursing program.

I live in Oregon, which has one of the top RN salaries in the country, so if I'm waiting, I'm staying.

The only reason I would move would be to accelerate the process.

Honestly though, in the past day or so I've been leaning toward staying.

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Specializes in ED, Cardiac-step down, tele, med surg.

I would also look at the economy in your area. Will you be able to get a job when you graduate? I guess no one knows what the future holds, but when I graduated the economy crashed and new grads were looking for work for up to 2 years. I said F that and left for another state to get my experience. I guess it's harder when you have a kid though. In the grand scheme of things time is exponentially more valuable than money. It's just that money is required to live and provide for loved ones, so a time sacrafice is often necessary.

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In the grand scheme of things time is exponentially more valuable than money. It's just that money is required to live and provide for loved ones, so a time sacrafice is often necessary.

Great insight, thank you!

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