Going back to school: slow and steady or burn rubber?

[slackerinabox]

Long story short I walked out of a mediocre paying IT job and spent the last 8 months taking care of my now toddler, losing weight, picking up the other kid from school, and just rethinking my life while making life easier for my wife, a public school teacher. The end of a lot of thought was that I have to go back to school, and I was accepted into a pretty hectic and competitive nursing program. IT was not providing adequate opportunity for growth, and I felt like a dinosaur. Nursing will be tough and will involve lots of poo, but at least overtime is at time an a half.

The first step is finishing my pre-requisitites - I need a B average in those to advance toward a BSN. These are not walk in the park classes, these are classes I have a hard time pronouncing, and I've been diagnosed with adult ADHD so I'm extra dumb, but hellishly persistent. hey, I hate blaming conditions but I can't drive when not on adderall, what I have is closer to narcolapsy, staying up in class will be a challenge... I'm fighting the urge to pick up smoking again and freaking out a bit. It's been years since I've been in a school environment and now I have 2 kids to deal with at home: I'm up for the challenge but am nervous. Since there is no time limit (well, six years) but a hard 3.0 gpa limit, would you burn metal or take it slow and steady. Throw night work into the mix and I think i'm going to have a stroke, or pick up smoking again. Or should I just man up?! Conflicted would be the hashtag I'd use if I did such silly things.

 

[cabri]

Start out easy - couple of classes at a time.
If you have no problem handling those and getting the needed GPA, then increase 1 class at a time as long as your GPA and family does not suffer.

Full time school and full time family is rough. Without issues adding in a full time job will cause something to degrade, either school or family.

 

[Hugo Drax]

Find a better IT job or move to where the jobs are.

Going to school you will just end up deeper into debt and most likely not pan out but end up with the debt and no job.

 

[Scarpozzi]

If the thing I focus on isn't the number one priority in my life, it constantly loses groud to other things. When I was a sophomore in college, I enrolled in 3 science/math classes that all had labs and hours that caused conflicts with other classes I needed so I just took 3 classes/3 labs one semester...I had trouble in one of the classes and dropped it (and the lab that went with it)...which meant I was only taking 8 hours. I got a part time job, made athletics more of a priority and had the worst GPA that term of my college career. (luckily, it was only 2 classes)

If you're going back, just try to stack the classes so you're in as many intro classes as possible...but don't ease into it. Try to take at least 12-15 hours at a time. Studies show that students enrolled in 15+ hours statistically do better.

 

[cabri]

If you're going back, just try to stack the classes so you're in as many intro classes as possible...but don't ease into it. Try to take at least 12-15 hours at a time. Studies show that students enrolled in 15+ hours statistically do better.

The first step is finishing my pre-requisitites - I need a B average in those to advance toward a BSN. These are not walk in the park classes, these are classes I have a hard time pronouncing, and I've been diagnosed with adult ADHD so I'm extra dumb, but hellishly persistent. hey, I hate blaming conditions but I can't drive when not on adderall, what I have is closer to narcolapsy, staying up in class will be a challenge... I'm fighting the urge to pick up smoking again and freaking out a bit. It's been years since I've been in a school environment and now I have 2 kids to deal with at home: I'm up for the challenge but am nervous. Since there is no time limit (well, six years) but a hard 3.0 gpa limit, would you burn metal or take it slow and steady. Throw night work into the mix and I think i'm going to have a stroke, or pick up smoking again. Or should I just man up?! Conflicted would be the hashtag I'd use if I did such silly things.

The items in bold is why I made the recommendation to ease into the situation to see if you can handle it.

This way, you are not over extending yourself, physically, emotionally or financially.

 

[Kaido]

I've been diagnosed with adult ADHD so I'm extra dumb, but hellishly persistent. hey, I hate blaming conditions but I can't drive when not on adderall, what I have is closer to narcolapsy, staying up in class will be a challenge... I'm fighting the urge to pick up smoking again and freaking out a bit.

From a fellow ADHD'er - you can do it. It took me 15 years to finish my first 2-year degree, which is ridiculous - but I did it, and it's done, and having that magic ticket opens up a lot of career doors that lead to better pay & working conditions, and better environments for you to work in. If you're going into nursing & get a job at a busy hospital, honestly that sounds like a great job for someone with ADD because we like to have constant mental stimulation, so running around nonstop with busy stuff to do all day is like plugging into a battery & getting juiced up...otherwise, without that constant motivation, your brain kind of falls asleep. I'm into 500 different hobbies because otherwise I'd just be taking a nap

 

[PlanetJosh]

Your name is clever in that it seems a humorous reference to your condition. Could you do standup acts on the side for extra income? If you could get intern experience in nursing and then do the standup, what a great source of authentic material you would have. I'm not trying to be a jerk, just thought your name is funny considering. And your condition is a serious matter, was only trying to joke around. Unless you have skill for talking in front of an audience.

 

[BurnItDwn]

I have ADD and was a horrible student in most of my classes and dropped out and taught myself unix, c, sql, pl sql, etc and got a job coding for a while and now as a lead analyst.

Learning new things is easy and fun when its reading and doing, but, lectures are worse than useless.


If I ever go back to school, Im getting a prescription for Adderall, ritalin, concerta, or whatever my doc thinks is best and safest for me. and Im gonna take that for every class no matter how much I hate the effects of it.

Might be worth a trip to go to your doc, ask them for meds to help you study.

 

[slackerinabox]

Find a better IT job or move to where the jobs are.

Going to school you will just end up deeper into debt and most likely not pan out but end up with the debt and no job.

Awful advice, I'm going to a city university and my degree will cost less than 1 year of my potential new income, after a lot of hard work obviously. To spell it out to you, my awful it job was making me mid $50s. School is costing me $3,500 a semester. Without looking at grants (there are many), I can easily justify that expense based just on year one returns!

Year 1 starting salary for nurses with BSN's - $53/hour here in NYC. That's WITHOUT the overnight bonus and time and a half ot differential. At 48 hour weeks (4 12 hour shifts are very common), that's an annual salary of $135,000. Of course there are agency fees and other stuff I'm not taking into account but, without a doubt, I can make back my investment in 3 years.

You're saying "stay in IT, move your entire family for another $50,000 job." My wife is a tenured teacher, that's absurd advice.

 

[slackerinabox]

I have ADD and was a horrible student in most of my classes and dropped out and taught myself unix, c, sql, pl sql, etc and got a job coding for a while and now as a lead analyst.

Learning new things is easy and fun when its reading and doing, but, lectures are worse than useless.


If I ever go back to school, Im getting a prescription for Adderall, ritalin, concerta, or whatever my doc thinks is best and safest for me. and Im gonna take that for every class no matter how much I hate the effects of it.

Might be worth a trip to go to your doc, ask them for meds to help you study.

Similar story here, and I will be doing everything in my power to succeed this time - including actually talking to a psychiatrist and getting my Adderall rx current (I quit years ago, it makes me angry but a little piss and vinegar will be good for me).

 

[slackerinabox]

Your name is clever in that it seems a humorous reference to your condition. Could you do standup acts on the side for extra income? If you could get intern experience in nursing and then do the standup, what a great source of authentic material you would have. I'm not trying to be a jerk, just thought your name is funny considering. And your condition is a serious matter, was only trying to joke around. Unless you have skill for talking in front of an audience.

Ha, I enjoy writing (I'm not accomplished enough to call myself a "writer") and that was a factor! My desk job was giving me a boring life (other than my kids, obviously) - I need a more interesting life to be a more interesting storyteller, and something like an E.R. nurse would give me the excitement to keep my adhd at bay.

 

[slackerinabox]

From a fellow ADHD'er - you can do it. It took me 15 years to finish my first 2-year degree, which is ridiculous - but I did it, and it's done, and having that magic ticket opens up a lot of career doors that lead to better pay & working conditions, and better environments for you to work in. If you're going into nursing & get a job at a busy hospital, honestly that sounds like a great job for someone with ADD because we like to have constant mental stimulation, so running around nonstop with busy stuff to do all day is like plugging into a battery & getting juiced up...otherwise, without that constant motivation, your brain kind of falls asleep. I'm into 500 different hobbies because otherwise I'd just be taking a nap

Thank you, I really appreciate that. I gave up going for my B.a. after coming 11 credits short! 11 credits, but those were language requirements and something I find impossible to learn (my brain just doesn't work right, I didn't speak until I was almost 5). But I have responsibilities and a wife who earned her masters while pregnant, I just can't afford to have any more excuses so adhd or not, I have to do this.

Yes, nursing came to me after a lot of thought - a fast paced environment is something I flourish under, and I don't really get stressed the same way other people do (this is nyc, a crack head could walk into an e.r. and I wouldn't panic. when I was a real estate agent I became known as the guy who didn't fear squatters, my fight/flight instinct is just different). nursing or animal care were my options after job placement test after test, and the money's shit in animal care. I would actually love to work at a nursing home, but it's too early to really know my specialty.

 

[Stopsignhank]

Talk to your school. If you have a diagnosis you may be able to get accommodations, such as longer time to take tests, or someone to help you take notes. I think you would talk to your counselor at your school.

 

[slackerinabox]

The items in bold is why I made the recommendation to ease into the situation to see if you can handle it.

This way, you are not over extending yourself, physically, emotionally or financially.

You're absolutely right. I made a deal with my wife - we find a big enough student loan and, with some family help for childcare, make ends meet so that I can concentrate on school 100%, with a regular but relaxed full time schedule. If that doesn't work out and I have to get a job, 9 to 12 hours a semester seem right. I've seen over stressed/over worked parents (my parents got their masters in their 40s, when I was in my early teens) - I never saw them! I want to see my kids, weird - I know! They're super cute, maybe I should have dressed better.

 

[slackerinabox]

Talk to your school. If you have a diagnosis you may be able to get accommodations, such as longer time to take tests, or someone to help you take notes. I think you would talk to your counselor at your school.

Last time I did that it was awful, the counselor made zero concessions (I wanted a spanish tutor, of course i would have paid for it) and instead ridiculed me and suggested vocational training. was kinda humiliating, she implied that adhd is a joke diagnosis, I tried to explain to her that I nearly killed myself twice switching lanes abruptly or plowing into dividers. It's not a joke or excuse and embarrasses me, I never use it as a crutch. But, yeah. I'll try! It just takes me longer to get stuff - I have to deconstruct material and teach it to myself, lectures don't work. Google wasn't nearly as useful that last time I tried, looking forward to tech helping me organize and stay focused!

 

[Stopsignhank]

That counselor is a turd. My son has autism so I know about getting help. We thought about him going to a local Cal state university. They have help for people with disabilities. Please see the attached handbook, especially page 17. http://www.csuci.edu/drp/documents/drp-handbook-2013.pdf I know you may not want to have the concessions, but if you have an issue and they can help you, then Fuck it, let them help you.

 

[DrPizza]

RN is a 2 year degree. BSN is 4 years usually. The difference in pay is minimal. I'd say that your best bang for buck is to bust your ass and get the RN. Then, after getting employment, take your time with one of the many excellent RN to BSN programs. With your wife teaching, her schedule will most likely match that of your kids; she'll have to pick up a lot of slack to enable you to be successful. My wife and I - been there, done that.

 

[Charmonium]

The best med I've found for ADD is dexmethylphenidate, also called Focalin but it's generic now, at least for the immediate release version. It's single enantiomer of Ritalin so it's stronger but has fewer side effects. Ritalin makes me feel like I've just shot up on Draino. Focalin is much cleaner with fewer side effects. You can also try armodafanil which is another single enantiomer drug based on modafanil.

If you try Focalin, try to get the timed release version. That's still under patent though so you may have issues with your insurance. Not all amphetamines are the same so it pays to try the different types to see what works best for you and has the fewest side effects.

The only comment I would make about changing professions is that you should try to find out what nursing is really like before you commit to it. I've found that it's usually a bad idea to pursue something just for the money. Sure, you may very well succeed but if you find yourself dreading your next day at work, living that sort of life sucks serious dick - no matter how much you get paid.

 

[slackerinabox]

RN is a 2 year degree. BSN is 4 years usually. The difference in pay is minimal. I'd say that your best bang for buck is to bust your ass and get the RN. Then, after getting employment, take your time with one of the many excellent RN to BSN programs. With your wife teaching, her schedule will most likely match that of your kids; she'll have to pick up a lot of slack to enable you to be successful. My wife and I - been there, done that.

Since I was rejected to the 4 year program last year, the plan a was actually to go the CNA to RN to BSN route, slow and steady plus mixing in the vocational/hands on experience I prefer to a classroom environment. Getting accepted was on a complete whim - I applied online but also scheduled a direct admission interview - was told point blank that I'm not eligible for a transfer based on GPA and, based on I do not know what (perhaps admitting I was a fool for squandering years without the direction of a degree and that my family deserved better?) got approval from the assistant chairman and took me right in on the spot.

So I'd like to go that route, the CNA to RN to BSN route, but everyone in the family is telling me to go hard or go home, leap in and don't look back. My justification is that I have a lot of my pre-reqs from my failed b.a. attempt (111 credits! I gave up because i didn't think a degree in film was going to light up the job market anyways, so why spend the dough), so this could work out to a 3 year program. I'm agreeing and playing ball, but it doesn't mean I'm not going to take my CNA course next summer to hedge my bets. I really want to get on the floor and earning cash sooner rather than latter.

 

[cabri]

CNA courses are essentially free, you intern as some nursing home for x hours.

LPN would be the next and from their the RN/BSN