Balancing School and Home
The Decision to Return to School
The decision to return to school is a tough one. Many thoughts go though one's mind. How will I pay for it? How will I balance it with my work and family? When will I have time to study? I considered all these questions when making my decision to change careers and return to school for nursing.
One thing I knew for sure was that nursing was what I wanted to do and I was somehow going to make it happen.
I consider myself to be very lucky to be able to follow my dream. I have a job that allows me to go to class during the morning and work in the evenings and on weekends. I am also allowed to study at my job when I have downtime. However, the balance of work, school and life in general is still a bit of a challenge. Even though I have the opportunity to study at work and work a second shift job, I still have to find time to complete my homework outside of class and work a full week. There are also family life and other commitments that need to be considered, leaving me with very little extra time in the day. With all of my work, school, and home responsibilities, I have learned to function on minimal amounts of sleep.
Based upon my experiences, here some tips that I can provide for the non-traditional student to make the transition back to school a little easier:
- Make sure to fill out all financial aid paperwork and meet with a financial aid counselor.
He/she will be able to help you locate scholarships, grants and monetary assistance. Also, check with your employer to see if they have a tuition reimbursement policy. Many companies offer...
