This Thing Called Life

     When I decided that I wanted to become a nurse, I knew two things: One: It was not going to be cheap and Two: It was going to be hard at times, but well worth it once I was finished. I never realized it would come down to deciding what to spend my last couple of pennies on.      My first two years at community college I paid out of pocket for my classes because my pell grant I received from FAFSA only gave me about $300 each semester and that would only buy an hour and a half of class or a textbook. So I worked super hard to save enough money to take at least two classes each semester. It worked out well for me that way because I passed all of my classes with As knowing if I didn't, it was a waste of $2000.      Once I decided to take the fast track LPN program I'm in now, I knew I would have to continue working in order to keep my own place and pay my bills that never seem to end. Luckily my school offered day and evening classes so I could keep my day job and go at nig

     When I started school full time I knew I would build up debt. Every college student is in debt whether it is hundreds or thousands of dollars, debt is there. I have always stressed about paying my bills and paying things off but now that I have left school and started working both jobs full time again, I actually realize how badly I am in debt.      It isn't like I'm not trying to pay this debt off because I am. Even if it is only $10 a month. If that is all I can afford, than so be it. That is $10 less in the hole. What I don't get is how these companies I owe keep calling me repeatedly telling me I owe them such and such amount and it is past due. Yea no shit. That is what happens when you try going to school to better yourself and end up broke because your in class all day learning and testing instead of working.      Don't these companies realize that if I had the money to pay them back like the millions of other Americans in debt did too, that I'd pay th

     I don't know if it is because I failed my recent term of nursing school and have had to start over or if I'm just stressed and tired and over being broke or all of the above. I'm beginning to really contemplate if I even want to continue with nursing school. I feel like the more I try to get ahead and study for tests and do well on projects, it leads me to nowhere. I failed my last term and I was trying my hardest to pass. The instructors at my school have a lot to do with my feelings as well. Some of them want to actually teach you and help you to succeed, while other (like the one I have now for the second time) don't do anything but read off a power point and expect you to teach yourself. I do not learn like that.      Clinical is a huge waste of time for me because we are assigned to patients in these nursing homes that are total care. I already do that at work. I know how to change a brief, feed, and give a shower or bed bath. Let me do things I've never

     For the last two weeks I had picked up extra shifts at both of my jobs in hopes of making enough money to actually pay all of my bills due at the end of each month instead of playing the "which bill is more important to pay" game. Well those hopes were lost quickly because guess who is short $300? This girl.      I've been applying for jobs closer to home and ones that pay the same or even higher. Between both checks I received $378. My car note is $280. That leaves me with $98 to split up and put towards my credit card bill ($25 minimum), my school loan payment ($25 minimum), and $38 left to go towards my furniture payment or my phone bill which is $46 total. Somehow I still need to find $115 for my car insurance, $131 for cable and internet, and the remainder of my phone bill. So needless to say that every penny of this paycheck is going straight towards bills and I will have no gas money or grocery money.      Since I failed my last term and have to retake it, I

     Going from working two full time jobs and full time school at night to part time work and full time school is a major adjustment and I was not ready for what I have gotten myself into. Why did I stop doing both full time? I was very stressed, unhappy, and depressed. My grades were slipping and so was my attitude and motivation. So I took a leap of faith and decided to test out the "full time student" life. Let's just say that it is nothing like I hoped it would be.      I quit going to community college a while back because it seemed like a waste of my time and money. They were making me take pre-requisites before taking the actual pre-req I needed for nursing school. I found an LPN program near me and started this past January. It isn't hard but the work to make the grades can be exhausting. Before switching to a full time day student, I was working 7-3 then going to school in the evening 5:30-10:30 five days a week. I had no time for my family, boyfriend, or m