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So I just applied to a local community college and will hopefully be starting there this fall in a bridge program that lets you complete nursing pre-reqs at community college and then transfer to Belmont. I'm a second degree student (just had to have that English BA, sheesh), so I qualify for just about nothing aid-wise.
This means I'm gonna be taking out a lot of loans, much as I don't want to. here's my question: is it better to work so I don't have to take out quite so much in loans (though it will still be alot), or should I just buckle down and accept I'm gonna have alot of debt once I graduate? Right now I have 20,000 from my first college degree, and if I don't work and take out loans to pay for all of my living expenses for the next 3 or 4 years, i'll owe around 100,000, plus the first 20,000.
If i take out loans and whatnot to go back to school I know I'll have an improved standard of life, considering as a English graduate I have yet to find any job that pays more than 9 bucks an hour here. And everyone I know-- family, friends, admissions counselors--has said if I don't absolutely have t work don't do it because it's better to apply yourself to your studies. I've got a few friends who are pharmacy and psychical therapy majors and I know they're planning on not working during school, so atleast I wouldn't be the only person I know with major debt... I know I'll atleast be working during the summer, so that will be some money i can put towards paying down debt.
After graduation the only debt I'll have are the school loans, and I'll be making around 33,000 or so, i think, and after a few years in the workplace I'm gonna try to find a loan repayment deal at some place.
I don't know what to do. I'd honestly love to not have to work--there was many a time I came home from work at 1am and had to finish a paper or study for test that was the next morning the first time in college, which meant i did well, but not as well as i would have liked-- but the whole going into debt thing has me really freaked out.
Advice? What did any of you guys do in this situation?
100k? what CC is this? LOL dang!!!!!!
Can you work part time? Its just the nursing classes you have to concentrate on. You said youre doing a bridge program, is that a LPN to RN program? If so, the facility you work in doesnt offer tuition reimbursement? Alsoooo dont worry too much about the loans since you will more than likely get reimbursed after you graduate. 100k? DANG!
the hospital i work at will pay back $10,000/year of my bsn education. so an 18 month accelerated program will give me about $30,000 for a 3-5 year contract. therefore, i have chosen to pay cash.
oopps... my bad... i was told today that there have been some changes and that the reimbursement program no longer pays this much at my hospital... an adn reimburses $2000. a bsn (accelerated or not) reimburses 5,500. in either case you owe the hospital 2 years. so... it is worse then i thought!! don't be surprised if this is the case where you plan to work.
more schools are cranking out new nurses then ever before and more experienced nurses who have been out of the work place for a while are returning due to economic conditions. thus, many good the incentive programs that exsist in private sector are going away.
I see this all the time and while I respect your opinion I don't understand it. If someone can have it all which to me means working while in school why isn't that encouraged? Truthfully I don't feel that working during school harmed me one bit and in fact not worrying about money and debt took a huge weight off my mind. So I had to bust my butt and be super organized, that doesn't sound all that different from what everyone in nursing school has to do whether they keep their job or not. :)
Meaning, if you feel that working will interfere with your studies and you are financially able to go to school without working, I say go for it. That is my opinion and mine alone. Some have families and kids and husbands alone are enough to make a person go insane. The added stress of nursing school and a job can be a bit overwhelming. :)
I see this all the time and while I respect your opinion I don't understand it. If someone can have it all which to me means working while in school why isn't that encouraged? Truthfully I don't feel that working during school harmed me one bit and in fact not worrying about money and debt took a huge weight off my mind. So I had to bust my butt and be super organized, that doesn't sound all that different from what everyone in nursing school has to do whether they keep their job or not. :)
One more thing, I wasn't discouraging the op from working. I was giving my opinion and I would not dare have someone put him/herself in a position that can ruin them financially. Again, that is my:twocents:.
I just wanted to say thanks for all the replies. I think I'm just going to work every summer and break, then take the first semester off to see how the courseload is. If it seems manageable I'll go back to work.
Honestly, I'd like to work, but after hearing everyone talk about how hard it is to work and go to school, I'm kinda scared I'll end up biting off more than I can chew.
But....I guess I can handle it. Thanks everyone!
I just wanted to say thanks for all the replies. I think I'm just going to work every summer and break, then take the first semester off to see how the courseload is. If it seems manageable I'll go back to work.Honestly, I'd like to work, but after hearing everyone talk about how hard it is to work and go to school, I'm kinda scared I'll end up biting off more than I can chew.
But....I guess I can handle it. Thanks everyone!
The decision is yours and yours alone to make. Good luck with everything.
babygirl66733
24 Posts
I agree. I think if you CAN work you should, just know your limits. I am a very visual learner and sometimes have to read the chapters a couple times to take everything in. That is why I am just working part-time. I just knew I could never work full time plus study. To all you that do it though--give yourself a pat on the back! I really admire you.