thinking of switching later on

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I am currently in a CC and doing very great towards transfer to a Cal State. I decided to pursue nursing because I am very happy working in the medical field and I have some financial issues in my family. It's one major that I am sure I can finish fast and grants can definitely cover. However, I do want to go to a more hardcore math and science stuff, so I am considering a major in biomedical engineering with concentration on either chemical or electrical engineering. I have no money for school, I did not graduate high school here in the US and the only record I have to present in scholarship applications is my CC transcript. I want to get my BSN, work for years, then go back to take a biomedical engineering major. My question is, will I afford going back to school if I save up as a nurse? I am definitely not afraid to go back to school and start all over again, I love school. It just happened that I am not blessed with so much money.

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Specializes in Psychiatry, Mental Health.

I don't really see how anyone can answer this, unfortunately; there are so many variables. How quickly will you find a job? How much will the job pay? How much money will you need to love on and meet your family obligations?

Nursing school is tough even for people who want nothing else but to be a nurse. Have you considered going for some sort of technical associate's degree and then moving on to biomedical degrees? The CC has career counseling available; you might want to take advantage of what they have to offer.

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Specializes in Critical Care, Education.

Biomedical engineering is a great profession.... much better salary & career progression than nursing. So - my question is - why in the world would you want to waste time, money and effort on a nursing degree if biomed is your ultimate goal? You don't want to exhaust all your financial aid on a degree that you don't really want. BTW, Like you - many people here on AN start out with the impression that obtaining a nursing degree is "fast" only to discover that the reality is very different.

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Please don't get me wrong, I love nursing. I just considered the factors if I switch now. I'm one chem class away from transferring, and what's left of my financial aid is pretty much exact to cover my expenses for BSN. I just had a thought of maybe going back to school someday when I have financially established myself and my family. I'm 19, and expecting to graduate by 22 or 23. Saving up will take time, and I have also considered joining the army as a nurse so that I can receive assistance when I get back to college

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Have you considered going for some sort of technical associate's degree and then moving on to biomedical degrees? The CC has career counseling available; you might want to take advantage of what they have to offer.

I have checked and talked with the counselling centers as of now, they dont have AD-Transfer degree for biomedical eng. Probably because it is a new discipline in itself and too broad for now. Thanks for your reply.

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Specializes in L&D, infusion, urology.
Please don't get me wrong, I love nursing. I just considered the factors if I switch now. I'm one chem class away from transferring, and what's left of my financial aid is pretty much exact to cover my expenses for BSN. I just had a thought of maybe going back to school someday when I have financially established myself and my family. I'm 19, and expecting to graduate by 22 or 23. Saving up will take time, and I have also considered joining the army as a nurse so that I can receive assistance when I get back to college

If the only reason you're considering joining the Army is for school money, don't do it. Many active duty personnel are deploying back to back to back these days. You might consider sending a message to SoldierNurse22, I believe she's in the Army. I was in the Navy, and while I'm grateful I had more money for college, there was definitely a trade-off. You are government property, and you are constantly reminded of that.

Pursue what you actually WANT right now. Don't waste time and money on a degree (especially on one for a program that's SOOOO impacted right now, and has a lot of people what really WANT to be nurses in the long run) if something else is your real passion. Especially when that something else is so lucrative.

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Specializes in ICU.

If I am reading correctly you are in CA? From what I am understanding schools out there have lotteries and 3-4 year waiting lists to get into nursing school. Not going to be fast there. I would go straight for the biomedical degree. I would double check on the financial aid. How can you only be 19 and almost out of financial aid with no degree? Maybe I am misunderstanding something.

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If I am reading correctly you are in CA? From what I am understanding schools out there have lotteries and 3-4 year waiting lists to get into nursing school. Not going to be fast there. I would go straight for the biomedical degree. I would double check on the financial aid. How can you only be 19 and almost out of financial aid with no degree? Maybe I am misunderstanding something.

Yes, I am in CA and currently a sophomore in a CC. I started college when I was 17 and after this semester, I'll have 54 units completed and finished my A&P and Microbiology. I dont aim for the lottery, I go for the ranked list so I can surely get in. With financial aid, I am trying to stretch it out so it can cover my BSN when I transfer. But I am having this mid-college dilemma of changing major.

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Specializes in L&D, infusion, urology.

I think a lot of us are just trying to see the logic of obtaining a degree in one thing when you would prefer another that has (likely) better job prospects, and is perhaps less impacted.

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Hm. Personally I think it makes much more sense to look into other financial options and then go straight into the major you want. Nurses make decent money, but not fund a whole 'nother degree or two within a few years kind of money. Biomedical engineering, on the other hand...

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Ok, I'll try to talk to my counsellor and see which courses I have will credit towards biomed engineering. So far, I have only done my GE's and currently taking one pre-requisite for both nursing and bio med, which is physio. Thanks for the replies!

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How is it going for you?

I'm having interest in biomedical engineering as well. Do you know about the field?

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