Mel...I am 27, I have been a Medical Assistant for 7 years...I was married and lived in OR for 4 years, while I was there I did all my pre req's (13 to 16 credits a semester) and I worked full time (40 plus hours a week)...I finished my pre req's in 2006 and got divorced at the same time...I now live back in CA with my parents...I am in an accelerated RN/BSN program now...I am working part time (24 hrs a week) and going to school (5 hour lecture day and 2 twelve hour clinicals a week)....I have a very understanding boyfriend, in fact he is working 3 jobs to help me pay bills and get through school.... This is the hardest and most stressed out I have ever been!!! BUT I wouldnt change it for the ENTIRE UNIVERSE!!!

I say go for your dreams! Dont give up!!! If I were you I would talk to the financial aid office at the school you are applying to and figure out exactly what you qualify for (grants, loans, aid, etc) money wise...and what your total out of pocket cost for school (books, fees, lab, etc) and sit down and see if you need a private loan as well... And get your loans and funding situated before classes start so your not having money stress in the middle of mid terms! Then I would do things like call all your credit cards and see if you can lower your interest rates or if you can roll all the balances into one (zero percent, etc) so you only have one payment to make and then hid the paid off ones for emergencies only..I would also call all of your other bills and see if they have student discounts...Then I would sit down with your kids and talk to them and tell them how much being a nurse means to you and discuss how as a family you can make this happen, how you can help them acheive their dreams while acheiving yours. (These things are something that I have learned after the fact....I didnt do all of them before school)

And then from there its just maintaining good energy and running full speed ahead...THERE WILL BE OBSTACLES ALONG THE WAY...(My dad was diagnosed with cancer a month before I started my classes...He has been through chemo and radiation since...its been a rough road)

I am 54 years old and starting clinicals next week. I also work as a unit secretary in a hospital. I work 40 hours a week, second shift and go to school days. I leave my house at 6:30 in the morning and most days don't get home til midnight. Then I study for an hour or so . My days off are devoted to studying. It's hard but it will be so very worth it in the long run Take each day as it comes and keep focused on the present. Don't let the "what if's" get the better of you because it will just make you start second guessing yourself. If this is what you really want to do...GO FOR IT! Set boundaries that will give you the time you need to study and time for relaxation. Part of our nursing course is a class on how to succeed despite all the demands life puts on us. It's awesome and really helps to organize your time, study habits and prepare for tests. Good luck to all who are pursuing their dreams. YOU CAN DO IT !!!!