What do I do

**NICU Guy, BSN, RN** · Jun 11, 2016

There are many people on this site that were a lot older than you when they graduated. I was 48 when I graduated.

crazydoglady89 · Jun 11, 2016

You should never do anything to "appease" your family, especially when it is as significant as your livelihood.

Go for it! I'll be around 30 when I graduate. I like to say on here that if you are about my age, you have 30-40 more years of work in you. Do you really want to look back and feel silly when you thought it was "too late" to pursue nursing (or anything)?

This is YOUR time! Your cancer robbed you of many choices early on. I hope you go on to do many great things. Congratulations on your continued health.

Edit: My father is 57 and still doesn't know what he wants to be when he grows up. Plenty of us don't.

Pdxstudent · Jun 11, 2016

I don't think it's ever too late to change careers or change majors. If it's what you truly want to do then I say go for it. It might seem like a scary or risky decision but (not to sound cliche) sometimes the greatest risks in life give us the greatest rewards. I decided to walk away from my comfy desk job at a bank and go back to school. I will be starting my nursing program this fall and will be turning 34 later this year. Life is too short to just settle on something just to make other people happy.

ItsThatJenGirl, CNA · Jun 11, 2016

I'll be graduating when I'm 40. So my advice is to go for it.

NerdyKnitter, CNA · Jun 11, 2016

I'm applying to the nursing program at 40 and I am 6 classes shy of a BS in another field. The fact is, life changes us. I'm sure it's safe to say cancer changed you. I had an extreme case of PPD after having my twins that changed me. After that, I knew I didn't want to continue in my chosen field. I stayed home with my kids for 10 years, and now I am going to become a nurse. I say go out and do what you are passionate about!

gere7404, BSN, RN · Jun 11, 2016

I'm starting my BSN program this fall and will be turning 33 the first quarter.

BeachsideRN, ASN · Jun 11, 2016

You're young. I'm not sure what the job outlook is for geography majors - especially those who aren't passionate enough to get a PhD and teach - but I'd be willing to bet nursing is a better bet!

I started nursing school at 35.

SilleLu · Jun 11, 2016

I graduated at 42. If you are bored with your current major now, do you want to spend the next 40+ years working in that field? 30 is not too old to start a nursing career if that is where your heart is. Good luck!

NurseNHowell · Jun 13, 2016

I'm sorry but honestly if I was a 2x cancer survivor at 26yrs old and anyone let alone my family was giving me grief about my career goals I'd tell them "I can be as confused as I want! I beat cancer TWICE!!!!! Careers ain't that hard compared to cancer!!!!"

don't do anything to appease anyone but God(if you believe in all that), do what you feel would make you happy and screw the age garbage. I'm way older than you and just finished my associates RN. Everyone has a different path in life, some of us are just on the scenic route.

Livetoride · Jun 14, 2016

I was considering a change to Health iT but my passion is not that. Sounds cliche, but go with what you enjoy. You will be working for the majority of your lifespan, so why not do something you want.

mrphil79 · Jun 18, 2016

Hello! I am in a bit of a bind and I would greatly appreciate your expert opinion and advice. I am currently a 26 year old college student wondering who is a 2 time cancer survivor. Due to being in and out of the hospital so much I really have the desire and ambition to become a nurse. My issue comes in the fact that due to being sick I am 26 years old in college and I could have graduated years ago but due to my illness (not in my control) and due to changing my major so many times I find myself still in school. My family is baffled that I cannot decide what I should do as a career. I am currently a geography major but my heart is half way in it. If I stick with geography I graduate in 3 semesters, but if I change to nursing I am looking at graduating at 29 or 30 years old. Should I go to nursing (my heart) or suck it up and stay with geography just to appease my family?

You're really asking, whether you realize it or not, if it is ok to spend the rest of your life working in a job you will resent and be constantly ticked off at yourself for not doing what you actually wanted to do.

All because you and your family think 26 is too old to start nursing school...?

I'm 36 and am starting nursing school in August after dumping a (hugely successful) career that I hated.

When I turned in one of my nursing school apps, the lady in front of me turning hers in was at least 45.

My partner went through nursing school with someone who was 53 when they graduated.

Allnurses is FULL of posts from people who are quite literally double your age wondering if they are too old.

You beat cancer twice, and you think anyone - ANYONE - is in any kind of position to tell you what to do with your life? Quite frankly - if you wanted to open up a ice cube store in Siberia and people tell you not to, you've pretty much earned the right to say "Fork you buddy, I beat cancer twice, so I will darned well do as I please." (feel free to use and edit that quote as needed)

This is especially true when it's not something crazy - like nursing school instead of the Siberian ice cube store idea.