Nursing is my second major. Initially, my 18-year-old self-wanted to be a veterinarian. My first Associate’s and bachelor’s degrees were both in animal science. My younger self-did does not have the grade point average worthy enough for graduate school. When I graduate with my first set of degree, it was a decade of working in my field before obtaining my RN license. My second attempt at college was different, I no longer lived in a dorm and worked a part-time job every other weekend. I paid rent I held on a full-time job, and I already had a bachelor’s degree.
#1 Financial aid runs out
I quickly learned that financial aid is a one-and-done thing. In other words, you’re only eligible for grants for one set of degrees. If you have a degree and go back for the same degree in a different major, not suitable. I was very fortunate for my father to pay for my first two years of college, after that it was up to me. Years three and four were funded through financial aid and a few student loans. When I wanted to redo classes to increase my chances of acceptance into nursing than nursing school itself, I was no longer eligible. Most of my second round of college was funded from out of pocket and a carefully chosen amount of loans.
#2 Loans run out
After being hit with the reality that financial aid was no longer an option, it is only a matter of time until loans will run out too. A student may be in good academic standing, a solid GPA, and never withdrawal from class, but once you’ve obtained too many credits, you are no longer eligible for student loans. The amount and student loans I owe is relatively low when compared to some other people with only one degree. The idea behind this cap is to have student and obtain a career. Beware of reaching this point when it comes to achieving that second set of degrees. I would suggest knowing what you want to do before enrolling, but really at 18 years old with the expectation that they know what they want to do with the rest of their life, who’s the naive one here?
#3 People judge my past major
I am no longer 18 to 22, in fact, my first-semester Nursing 101, I was 29. A question that I’m asked a lot if you’re not fresh out of high school is what you did before nursing school. After getting past the fact that I was not married and did not have kids, I mentioned my first degrees. I feel no matter what your major could have been everyone judges you. If I wasn’t able to make the last degrees work what makes it the next one any different. Of course, the simple choice of the major, the decision made by a 17 or 18-year-old version of yourself went into a major based solely on passion without any regards for money, job security, or industry growth. Although looking back I don’t think anyone judged, but it was a source of self-doubt.
#4 I’m a little bit older than the new nurses
The delay of nursing school due to previous degrees and work experience left me a bit older than many of the new nurses. The majority of new nurses are either 20 to 23. When I finally got my license and started my first job, my preceptors were all younger than me. The ones who are my age have been nurses somewhere between seven and nine years. The amount of experience that I picked up and other jobs have been able to make me a stronger new nurse.