Working full time during school

[91B]

So I have been hearing all kinds of horror stories from other students on just how hard the coursework will be for us next semester, and that the courses, plus clinical rotations, plus the 30 or so hours of homework is so hard that you have to give up your job to get through school.

How has everyone else dealt with this? Did you manage both? Not work?

I can't afford to not work. I have a mortgage, car payment, and a kid. There is no way that I can give up work. Has anyone else dealt with this? Is this just scare tactics, or am I in for a rough time of it?

[Robert F]

I worked 2 jobs while getting my AAS, then worked 2 while transitioning to BSN. It can be done, but I dont recommend it for the faint of heart. You just have to find those 1 in a million employers that will work with your schedule, and get used to not sleeping at night.

[suebird3]

The last 2 semesters (Spring and Fall) I worked pretty much f/t, went to school, and barely slept. Oh, AND I had a good drive to school, also. When did I sleep? I have no freaking idea. How did I survive? No idea there, either. Still trying to figure it out.

[SkyIsTheLimit]

Everyone is different. Last semester I worked PT, no way would I have worked FT. This semester, I still work PT but can work FT if I wanted to. Just choose not to. Some people don't have the option not to work.

[91B]

Guess I am going to have to make it work. There is no way I can afford to not work, so I just hope that things play out well.

[LivingDeadNurse]

i know a RN that worked full time and was a full time mom...and she passed...it really just depends on your drive of how bad do you want it...you'll give up alot a free time but it can be done. just manage your time well...you would be amazed how much time is wasted in a day...and you can function on 5 hours of sleep

[91B]

As much as I like sleep, I have had some times in the past where I was not given much of it. While it seems very difficult to get a straight answer out of my nursing dept. at times, I have to wonder about the kind of jobs that they don't want folks to work. I am pretty lucky when it comes to work. I wait tables in a fine dining restaurant, so with a really good 3 or 4 shifts, I can make a lot of money.

So I think that I can make something work when it comes to covering the bills. Study time is what I am most concerned about. Since I only work nights, I miss out on times when classmates are meeting for study groups and that kind of thing. And it also means that I really have to stay on top of managing my time and getting things done before I have to go to work at night.

Bottom line is, I don't really have a choice. I have to pay my mortgage and bills. And I have to get done with school. I am not going to give up now, after all of the work I have put towards my education. Just have to let the friends and family know they can see me on holiday breaks and in about 2 years.

[91B]

Well, I guess I should amend my post, with I hope that this is what is going to happen.

All of my prerequisite coursework is done, and pretty much all of my corequisite as well. I submit my official application to the department this afternoon. I am probably just being paranoid, but I worried that they are going to turn my app down. My grades are good, my HESI score was almost perfect, but I am worried about my immunization records.

I have everything they asked for, but I am turning copies of my 36 year old military dependent records, and my immunization log from my time on active duty. Some of the immunizations I need I have gotten more than once, but I am just stressing myself out that they are going to turn the stuff down for some reason or another. It's not like that can call up any of the MD's or PA's from when I was on AD or a dependent to verify this stuff.

I am hoping that I am just over thinking all of this and all will be well, but I would be more than a bit upset if I came this far to have them turn down the app.

[AmandaWIRN]

If your immunizations aren't up to date, I would think the worst they would have you do is have titers drawn to see in you're immune, or just get re-vaccinated.

My MMR came back that I was not immune, even though I had all my immunizations, so I just had to get another MMR vaccine.

[piecebypiece]

Originally Posted by 91B

Well, I guess I should amend my post, with I hope that this is what is going to happen.

All of my prerequisite coursework is done, and pretty much all of my corequisite as well. I submit my official application to the department this afternoon. I am probably just being paranoid, but I worried that they are going to turn my app down. My grades are good, my HESI score was almost perfect, but I am worried about my immunization records.

I have everything they asked for, but I am turning copies of my 36 year old military dependent records, and my immunization log from my time on active duty. Some of the immunizations I need I have gotten more than once, but I am just stressing myself out that they are going to turn the stuff down for some reason or another. It's not like that can call up any of the MD's or PA's from when I was on AD or a dependent to verify this stuff.

I am hoping that I am just over thinking all of this and all will be well, but I would be more than a bit upset if I came this far to have them turn down the app.

I was kinda wondering the same thing you are when I started going to the college I'm at now. They never asked to see original documents for my shots, I just wrote down the round about dates I got the immunizations and they accepted them. I did have to get a varicella titer when I got accepted into the program though.

As for working full time, if you can work around your clinicals you're set. For us that's the only thing in school that we absolutely cannot be absent from. Being there for lecture helps, but the few people in my class that work leave early sometimes. We're all pretty good about catching each other up on what we had to miss out on.