<p>I'm graduating this year (the 25th of May to be exact), and i'm not sure what i should do. For a few years i was so positive i would pursue a career in psychology. Then for a bit i wanted to go into photography. Now, and so far i'm still pretty sure this is what i want, i plan to be a nurse. However, before i get into nursing, i want to go to my community college to train to become a medical assistant. Once i do that for a while, i plan to go back to college to get a nursing degree. How is this sounding? I mean, i know it's normal to be unsure about what i want to do, but i don't know what's a good plan and what's a bad one. Please help!!!
-Amanda</p>
<p>Now, I don't really know. I'm just a junior.</p>
<p>But I think your plan seems like a good one. It's very practical. Are you staying in-state? Training to become a medical shouldn't take too long (I think) and after you're done, you have the option of doing that and having the money to support yourself as you go to college for your nursing degree. </p>
<p>If, on the other hand, you decide that nursing isn't for you, then you'd still have that job to support yourself as you pursue another field and you only spent a shorter amount of time (and less money) to get a decent job.</p>
<p>Whatever you decide to do, I wish you the best of luck. :)</p>
<p>I'd recommend against it. There are really two threads here, one of choosing careers and one of getting a college degree. </p>
<p>Let me start with college. We are lucky to live in a country where you can work for a few years (or even decades) and still have the opportunity to get a degree. And you can go full-time, part-time, and there are colleges that even accept all comers. That said, the plan I'd recommend is to go to college right after HS. A couple of reasons. First, most of your classmates will be the same age. Second, you are used to school at this point (even if tired of it!). Third, if you delay college it may never happen. If you work as a medical assistant for a few years you'll probably end up living out on your own,making payments on a car and so forth. Maybe you'll meet someone and get married and start a family, or maybe you'll just be in a serious relationship. The point is it is going to be much harder to become a full-time student with all those entanglements and having been used to having a full-time income that it is now when presumably you don't have those things. And while of course I don't know your personal situation, a lot of kids live at home during Xmas and summer break, or full-time if they're attending a commuter college. That's easier to do when you're right out of HS, I don't know if you'd want to do it at 25-29. You might end up in a situation where you have to work and can't quit to go back to college.</p>
<p>And if you think you can attend college part-time in a couple of years, that's pretty hard too. I know people that have done that and I have a lot of admiration for them because I don't know if I have that kind of dedication -- work a full day and then instead of coming home and being able to relax and take care of routine household things or spend time with their family they spend hours each night going to school and doing homework; and this goes on for YEARS. Going to work full-time with later plans for college often becomes a trap, especially when there isn't a definite plan (eg. "I'm going to work 4 years and then go back to school"); you're never going to wake up in the morning and see a banner in the sky that says "now is the time to go back to college" so the weeks turn into months and then years, and then you've lost interest in the goal or other things have come up that make it impractical.</p>
<p>As for choosing careers, you already realize most HS kids aren't sure what they want to do. And for good reason, too; in HS you have limited visibility into what's out in the job world and most kids don't realize all the various options. One approach is to start by identifying a global area (such as nursing) that interests you and then further figuring out just what area best suits you as you get a few years experience. For example a nurse in a office practice, a nurse working in the ER or on the wards, and a nurse working with radiologists are all nurses but have different experiences on their jobs. This seems to beg the question of how to find the right area in the first place, but this is something that is great to investigate during college. Every college has a career center, but too many kids put off visiting until they're near graduation. It's best to visit it from the start and use the resources, take interest tests, attend workshops they host, and so on. At college they can help you find internships where you get a chance to experience a field first-hand and can see if it is a fit for you by really being in it instead of just thinking about it, as well as talking to people already in the field for advice and so on. To take your current interest as an example, if you started college in a nursing program you could early on spend time in nursing and see if its right for you; if not you can try something else based on what you found you liked and didn't like.</p>
<p>The statistics say that going to a community college decreases your chances of actually ending up at a 4 year university - even if that is the intended goal all along (going two and two). A number of reasons are likely, and include "life" issues like those mentioned by post #2, as well as the age problems, and the fact that most CC's are not particularly fun or interesting, making class a drag.</p>
<p>If you are set on doing this suggested path, just keep in mind the dangers/pitfalls. If you are really undecided, then perhaps a semester of general ed requirements at a CC and then transfer at semester to a 4 year school.</p>
<p>Hmm... I'm actually doing something similiar to you. I'm going to a uni in fall for nursing, but first I'm taking a nursing assistant class this summer. So, while studying to be an RN, I'll already be working as a CNA.</p>
<p>Sooo, not trying to be biased (lol), but I like your idea. But why'd you choose medical assistant? Two years seems like a long time for something you ultimately don't want to do. Personally, I'd choose a shorter program or one more directly related to nursing (do they have an LPN program? that's two years and the classes are much the same). You could still transfer some or most of the classes, and there's less of a chance that life will distract you from your ultimate goal.</p>
<p>I agree with ceecee, you should just take a CNA class and become certified. You will be able to get a job while going through college allowing you to graduate with less debt. It would also let you know if nursing is something that you truly want to do. My school offered a CNA class after school and i took it. It is a really great job, expecially paying your way through nursing.</p>
<p>CNA is a great idea. i would take bigredmed's statsitcally based warnings with a grain of salt. As long as you have a career goal in mind, there is no reason why taking courses at a community college would magically decrease your chances of academic success, especially when it means that you're stepping into your field immediately. good luck.</p>
<p>getting any job or an internship in nursing would be a good idea for the OP to let her check out the field first-hand if she hasn't already.</p>
<p>As for mnben's comments -- statistics don't lie, and you can find with google that the dropout rate for kids at CCs who say at the start they plan to get a 4-year degree or certificate is about 50%. I don't think you need to invoke magic for the CC effect to happen and I tried to give some reasons earlier why this occurs. I do concur, though, about getting the CNA certificate if it is something that can be done relatively quickly.</p>