Very Confused on Nursing Track!!

[Shucara SmartOne]

Ok here's the story..I went straight to University of Houston right after high school and had a really rough time for the first year and a half. My second yr my grades started to rise significantly and when I moved on campus and they became awesome! (I lived at home for the 1st yr and dealt with a lot of family drama). I was originally a pharmacy major but have recently changed to nursing. I got into Lamar University's nursing school about 2-3hrs from where I live (I plan to get my BSN). I got into it for Spring Semester but I want to finish up my pre-req's and take one nursing course in the Fall there at Lamar. The first university I attended was a huge commuter school so the college life of joining clubs, pledging sororities, and making those lifetime friends was non-existent. Should I go ahead and attend Lamar for Fall and at least get one semester in of enjoying college or stay at home, finish my pre-req's at a community college and just attend the nursing school in the Spring. I know once I get into the program..nothing else exists my life will be eat, sleep (maybe), and study! Please help! My parents are trying to convince me to stay but I'm trying to live for me...despite the extra $6000 of debt I'll be in once I graduate but thats more of an investment in my happiness rather than regretting what I didn't do in college for the rest of my life!

Thank!!

[BabyCatchr, ADN, ASN, RN]

There is more to life than sororities, and you will make close friends in nursing school that won't hold you back like partying will. Concentrate on nursing. The happiness you will have invested in will be in becoming an RN with a good job who can then afford the finer things in life! (including the friends, nice dinners, and parties) Trust me - I took shortcuts, which led to more shortcuts, and now all my friends are well established and well-off and I am still trying to get my career established.

[mmt4]

I agree. That one semester where you are trying to live the "college life" may give you some bad habits. Maybe not but you never know. You are going to make friends with fellow students in nursing school, and they will be going through the same rigors as you. Honestly, I don't know if you will have much time for sorority life after that one semester and if you are still in your pledge year, you may feel conflicting pressures to do all of the social activities and to buckle down and study for nursing school. Many of the friends I had in college that were in fraternities stopped spending much time there or left the fraternity completely when they got into their major coursework and needed to focus.

My counsel to you is if you do start in the Fall term, get to know the other nursing/pre-nursing students and do study groups etc... with them. They will understand why you can't go to the kegger on Friday night and will be a positive peer influence.