Hi everyone! I have been around for a long time but don’t post often. I really need some help though. I have the opportunity to go to college for the first time, beginning in January. I will be able to work part time and will have some assistance in paying for tuition. I will start at a community college and would probably be able to transfer after I get an associate’s degree if necessary.
Because I can only go part time though and because I need to earn a living and because I will probably be 45 or so by the time I finish a two year degree, I would really like to spend my time and money wisely. I don’t have the luxury to take classes for pure enjoyment.
Nursing seems to make the most sense to me, as far as being able to get a job when I finish school. I don’t really know if I am cut out for it though. I get grossed out by…well just about everything really. I hope that as I get farther along and come into contact with patients that maybe I would get used to it, the more I am exposed to, the more desensitized I would get perhaps?
I would love to have your input on this and on other courses of study that would help me to become gainfully employed after. I just don’t want to put all of time time and effort into something and then be no better off than I was before.
Any help would be most appreciated from you guys. What degree or course of study will actually help me to get a good job or prepare me for a career?
First of all, don’t think twice or worry about the age factor. I teach at a college and many of my students are even older than you are now. (They are often the best students in class, as they have much higher motivation and life experience!)
Regarding what you should study?
Well, the best advice I can give you is to study something you have a passion for - nothing is better than getting a degree and then finding a job that you love to go to and feel good about yourself. It doesn’t help to have a degree and then get stuck in a job you hate - even if it is more money.
BTW, usually you only need to take some General Education courses (Math, English, Science, etc.) in the beginning, so you might not necessarily need to decide your major right off the bat.
What types of things are you good at and interested in? Do you want to become a white collar office drone or do more hands on work? I work in IT and it is good but it is also flooded with people at the moment so I wouldn’t recommend it specifically right now especially if you don’t have experience. How about a skilled trade like welding, electrical work, or plumbing? You can make a good living at those and some types of it are always in demand. Community colleges have programs in things like that.
What are your strengths, goals, and interests? Do you want a fast ticket to a better paying and stable job or do you want to pursue something intellectual just for the sake of it?
Hi and thank you both for responding! I am female and already a white (actually probably pink) collar office drone. The only thing I would say I have a passion for is reading. I hate writing though, or at least I did in high school, haven’t done much since then. IT was something I considered since I do like computers, but your advice is exactly what I was looking for in that I don’t want to study something that is already saturated, and that I would have to compete with much younger people for a job, I think my age would work against me.
I would love to study just to learn, but I really think I need to study something marketable. I would like to do something that I could reasonably do in 4 or so years (going about 1/2 time) and that I can reasonably expect to help me find a “good” job when I am finished. I met with an advisor and she encouraged me towards the nursing program but surely there are other things…
There’s another recent thread about becoming a paralegal. Its something to consider, although it does generally involve writing (things like letters & court papers, not things like novels!).
On the other hand, “nursing” is a very big field so I wouldn’t immediately discount it just for not liking blood n’ guts-- you don’t have to become a surgical nurse.
The only thing I would worry about as a Nurse as you get older is that it is a pretty physical job. This can be a good thing too, keep you in shape as you progress in age, and keep up mental acuity as well.
The medical field is hot. One thing you could consider is becoming a PTA (Physical Therapy Assistant), or a PT if you want, but I’m pretty sure all the programs have switched to DPTs across the country (7 year degree I’m thinking). PTAs can make 50-60k pretty easy, and if you aren’t tied down, you can make much more being a traveling PTA (probably the same with nursing though).
Going into nursing solely because of job security is a very bad idea. Do yourself (and your potential patients) a favor and consider another field.
Oh, there’s a lot more than “blood 'n guts” to get grossed out over. Let’s not forget weeping edema, bloody diarrhea, putrid bedsores, sludgy urine, thick sputum, rotting teeth, general body odor, horrific vaginal drainage, anal fissures, colostomies, enemas, lice, scabies, tracheostomies, gastric tubes, rectal tubes, massive tumors, morbid obesity, stanky feet, yellow eye drainage, amputations, gunshot wounds and the creeping crud.
Very good advice all of it, thanks. This is the first thread I have ever started so I am not going to attempt to address everyone individually until I get more practice at this. I know I will just start with the basic English and Algebra for my first semester so I do have time to think it through, but I still want others experiences and opinions.
I feel like I have wasted a lot of time and a lot of life and I just want to get on the right track.