Possibly a silly question, but...

[barefootbabies]

it's been almost 9 years since I left school, so maybe I can get some slack

I've decided that I want to go back to school and get a nursing degree. I can't possibly take any classes on campus now as DH is a FT student and works a FT job, and I am a SAHM to 3 kids under 5yo. However, through the local community college I can earn an assosciates degree in liberal arts or general studies 100% online. Since we are planning on having 1 more baby in about 2 years, it would likely be about 5 years between finishing the assosciates and me being able to go to on-campus classes FT. We will likely be living in another state by then as well. My question is, if I get this degree, will it count towards a nursing degree down the line, or will I have to cross fingers and hope the credits transfer to the new school? I don't want to waste my time now, especially since it will be a challenge, but if I can save myself the time later on (I'll be 34/35 by the time I could go back FT), it would be well worth it.

Also, does anyone know what the difference is between Liberal Arts and General Studies (which would be better? Does it matter?) And, does financial aid (from FAFSA) cover online classes? I'm in MA, if that matters.

TIA!

[FourTrees]

If I were you, I would look into what classes you need to take such as A&P, writing, math, psych, etc. that you could be working on now that would lessen your courseload when are able to begin your nursing classes. Many of the Englishes, maths and psychs are available online now. A&P is sometimes offered as a hybrid class in many places due to the lab component. Once you finish that up, I'm sure you could look into any online classes that could transfer credit into a BSN program. Good luck!

[AndrewsMother]

Math and science classes often expire after 5 years. I would not take any of those courses until you have an ideas as to when you will apply to Nursing school.

[crunchy_mommy]

I think you're better off figuring out what school you ultimately plan to get the degree from & making sure whatever classes you take will count ahead of time. A lot of courses will transfer for Gen Ed credits but if you don't check beforehand, you'll end up with a lot of wasted credits (not saying there's no value in the learning, just that it won't help toward your degree). Most schools have a set # of "generic" requirements -- 2 English classes, 1 math class, 1 science class, 1 history class, etc. but your core classes for nursing wouldn't be covered by an associates degree in liberal arts, it would only cover [some of] the generic requirements. Most people I know that have transferred end up taking an extra year (full-time, longer if you're part-time) to graduate because they took the "wrong" classes.

[SoulCakes]

I would carefully do my research before taking any courses. First question to ask: will you be moving within the state? Associate's are usually "transfer degrees", meaning that if you complete one you can then transfer to another university and only need two more years to graduate. However, each state's university system has different requirements, which means that if you complete an associate's at the University of Oregon you can then transfer to Oregon State University, no problem. But if you want to transfer to the University of Wisconsin, they may or may not accept it as a clean two-year-off cut.

Nursing is somewhat different. I'm not familiar with nursing specifically, but having gotten a science degree I know that I had to take year-long series of courses that built upon each other - you have to take general chem before you can take organic, for example. So it may be that even if you cleared out your generals with an associate's, you would still have to take 3-4 years of classes anyway.

If I were you, I would check out some potential nursing programs and see what generals are required. Contact them to ask if you can transfer with an associate's and see what they say. Then see whether you can get both your associate's and fulfill those requirements for nursing school at the same time - if so, great! If not... carefully weigh whether getting the degree is worth possibly wasting time and money.

Also, this might be even more important to your situation than anything else: keep in mind that any loans you take out for financial aid will be payable within 6 months after you stop attending school half-time or more. If you need to take out loans to enroll in classes, then make sure you can afford to make payments during the 5 years between finishing your associate's degree and enrolling in nursing school. If you cannot afford the extra payments in this interim, do not enroll in classes now. Hope this doesn't come across as harsh, I just want to make you aware of how financial aid works. Online classes won't pose a problem to getting financial aid as long as you're working toward a degree at an accredited university.

Whatever you decide, good luck! It sounds like you already have a full plate even without being in school, but some people like it that way.