Work and Full Time School??? YIKES

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Hi - For those of you who went back to school when you were a bit older (30-40's) did you also hold a job or did you just go to school? Also, for those of you who managed going back to school, did you also have a family and young children?

Thanks in advance for all feedback!

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Hi,

I just started back to school full time and I also have to work full time. I do not have a family. If you can manage your time, it makes it alot easier.

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.

I'm 26 years of age, so I am a bit younger than the abovementioned age range of 30 to 40 years. However, I have had adult responsibilities for the past handful of years (mortgage, car payment, student loans), so I'll go ahead and reply with the ultimate hope of quenching your curiosity with this issue.

I was a factory worker from 2001 to 2004, and this job paid rather decently for the lack of educational attainment required. I was earning about $40,000 annually at the time I quit to attend a full time LVN program. I did not work during the 12 month program and, as a result, depleted most of my savings. However, I am glad I did not work during this time period, because the schooling consumed most of my time.

I moved to another state shortly after completing the LVN program and, after building up my savings, I returned to school in August 2006 at my local community college to complete prerequisite classes. I work full time on the weekends as an LVN at a nursing home. My schedule at work consists of two 16 hour shifts every Saturday and Sunday, which leaves Monday through Friday off to attend classes full time. My workplace also pays me for a 40 hour week. Since August 2006, I am pleased to say that I have accumulated 34 college credits with a 3.88 grade point average. I now hope to apply to several LVN-to-RN bridge programs during the early part of 2008.

I do not have children or a spouse, but I like academically challenging stuff!

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Specializes in floor to ICU.

I intended to work full time as an LVN during RN school but have had to drop to part time- two 12 hr shifts on Fri/Sat night. I am 41, married and have a teenager. It is tough because my salary is reduced but the bills are the same + paying for school. Now that the summer sessions are over in my transitional program, I could probably do three 12 hr shifts (full time) and go to school full time but will not. We are used to me being part time and have adjusted our lifestyle accordingly. I worked full time on a weekend program while getting my prerequisites during the week. I have maintained a 3.9 GPA. It can be done if you are dedicated. It may look impossible at times but things always work themselves out somehow. "Non-traditional" (aka: older) students seem to do well because we are committed and goal oriented.

Yes, you can do it. Good luck

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Specializes in cardiology, LTC.

I actually began nursing school right after I graduated from high school in 1982. I was young- I had just turned 18- and being immature and away from home for the first time, I ended up squandering the opportunity and failing a class. At that time, if you failed a class, you had to drop out for a year and re-enter the next year with the next class.

Fast forward to April 2003. I decided to go back to nursing school. For health reasons, my husband has been unable to work for many years. We have two children who were 15 and 18 at the time. They pitched in and did every thing in the house- except the grocery shopping. Who wants to trust that to two teenagers! :D Classes were 8 to 3:15 Mon thru Fri. I worked 12 hour dayshifts as an NA on every single weekend and picked up 2 3-7p shifts after classes during the week. I didn't have a weekend off until after I graduated!

After that I gave myself 5 months off but then entered the nursing transition class to get my RN. At that point, I was working full time 3-11 at a LTC. I continued to go to school full time while working full time until I graduated with my ADN in May 2006. During that point, my husband was diagnosed with breast cancer and went through the diagnosis, all the testing, two mastectomies, 8 cycles of chemo, and 28 radiation treatments. I went with him to every appointment and just took my books with me. I would sit in the chemo treatment room with him and study while he was infusing!

Currently, I am working over 50 hours most weeks and am working on my BSN- only 2 classes a semester! Now I just don't really know what to do with my free time! :lol2: Hubby now has a clean bill of health and I am set to graduate again in May 2009.

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I'm in school full time, I work 3 12-hour night shifts a week, and I have one kid in junior high, one in elementary school.

*shrug*

You do what you have to do. You manage your time, everyone pitches in, it works. I don't watch tv (actually we don't have one, our choice), and I don't do a lot of socializing; but I also don't feel like I'm suffering. My kids would prefer it if I were home more, I'm sure, but they also understand that it is only for a little while longer. My dh is supportive and really helps out a lot.

It's not easy, but frankly it's not nearly as difficult as I expected. You just set your mind to it and you do it.

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Specializes in Med surg, cardiac, case management.

I'm going to be full-time, but I only plan to work part-time--though not at all that first quarter. No family, so that makes things easier financially and time-wise.

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Specializes in Critical Care.

When I was in nursing school in my late 20's, not only did I work 32 hours in two days (weekends), and go to school full-time during the week, I was a single mother of three young (9 years, 7 years and 3 years) children. I honestly don't know how I did it, but I did. If I can do it, you can too. Good luck and best wishes!!

tvccrn

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Specializes in ER, Occupational Health, Cardiology.

Part-time job when going back for ADN, full-time student and mother of two elementary-age children, and I was married.

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Specializes in icu, er, transplant, case management, ps.

I worked full time, as a LPN, in a regional ICU. I went to school full time. I had a `18 month old daughter, who went into day care, my parents took care of her in the evening, I took care of her at night, in the early morning and on my weekend off. I had one weekend a month off. We lived in a falt above my parents. Without their help I never would have made it.

Woody:balloons:

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Hello Im 28 years old and I also have a child and just graduated with my BSN in May. I hardly work because nursing school was so difficult and I also had to take care of my daughter. I can say those was the most difficult days of my life. There were days when I thought I just would not make it. Not having any money and the stress of school was so difficult. I decided that I had to make a decision it was either school or work. I decided to go to school and I knew my credit would take a big hit. My score was in the 700's I just checked my report and it is now in the 500's. Im still happy with my decision I just have to dig myself out of all this debt and I plan on paying everyone. I start working in Sept. Is there anyone that has been through a similar situation? Hey how many new grads do you know can graduate and make in the mid 70's a year. Whatever your decision is say alot of prayers and have faith. I always relied on God then and now and he always got me through. We may not have had what we wanted but we definitely had what we needed. When I saw the words passed on the Quick results from NCLEX I knew that my struggle was almost over.

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Specializes in Telemetry, Nursery, Post-Partum.

When I was in nursing school I worked full time. I worked retail and worked a minimum of 40 hours a week, usually 44ish. I had no choice, I had to do keep working to pay my bills (car, credit cards) and pay my rent, because I couldn't stay at home, my parents lived too far from my nursing school (1.5 hr commute each way, plus commute to clinical sites, no way!!) and I had to work full time to keep health insurance. I had most of my pre-reqs out of the way, so I usually only had 3 classes, maybe 4 a semester (hard to remember now). I just always brought my books everywhere and studied whenever I could, even if it was only for 10 mins. Plus I ate my lunch super fast at work and would take naps at work during my break. And naps at school between classes. Fortunately I went to a smallish community college, and our nursing program was very rigid, during the summer there were no choices in class times, we just all packed into the big lecture hall and during fall and spring there would be maybe 2 different times you could pick from for classes. At first I didn't like it, but it made things much easier in the long run. And, if I'm remembering correctly, our classes only met once a week, so it was easier to schedule work times. I rarely had a full weekend off, but whatever...I still got to do some fun things, and it wasn't impossible. I was 22 (maybe 23?) when I started the nursing courses. No kids, no husband, just 2 cats and a super annoying roommate:)

When my mom went to get her BSN and then NP, I was young, middle and early high school aged, and she just made my older brother and I help out alot around the house. She also worked full time nights as a nursing supervisor at the time...which you know means she had absolutely no time to study. We made dinner, cleaned on the weekends, washed and ironed her uniforms, and stayed quiet during the day time. My dad and brother would help quiz her and proofread/type papers. She had to work her butt off, but got it done. Its very possible to work full time and go to nursing school.

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