Of course, it doesn’t have to be this way! By knowing what to do, and by avoiding these common mistakes when you apply to nursing school, you’ll not only get your application in with time to spare, you’ll also ace it.

1. Not prepping for the in-person interview: Your first impression

Some schools require a personal statement with a nursing school application, some, like Joyce, require an in-person interview in lieu of an essay, and some require both. Before the words “in-person interview” put you off, you should realize the benefits of this process! If you’re not the most skilled writer, an in-person nursing school interview will nicely supplement (or thankfully replace) a personal statement where every word and comma matters.

Also, interviews are a great way for you to see if the program fits your personality, lifestyle, and career trajectory. It’s not as scary as your first job interview, but it’s important to treat it with the same level of respect and preparation as you would if you were gaining employment from it. Because, in a sense, you will, someday!

Your first impression on nursing school administrators can make a lasting effect on your career, meaning you definitely want to nail it. Here are some basic etiquette rules you’ll want to master before the interview begins that can help you stand out from the rest. If you’ve ever had a job interview, some of these will look familiar. The same principles apply here, as well.

• Dress up. You shouldn’t wear your best tails or evening gown, but you do need to look the part of a future healthcare professional. What you wear has a big impact on your first impression. Switch the t-shirt and jeans out for some business casual wear. Don’t wear a heavy fragrance, and tone down any flashy makeup or hairstyles.
• Arrive on time. Better yet, arrive a little early. Nursing admissions consultants are a busy bunch, so don’t make them wait on you.
• Know the power of the handshake. Seal the deal with a good handshake. Pay attention to your posture and eye contact. It can take people around three seconds to form an opinion about you, so make those first few seconds count!
• Leave all non-essentials behind. Try and keep your personal items to a minimum. It’s OK to leave your applications materials behind (the school should already have a copy), unless the application counselor tells you otherwise.

Related Resource: 5 Tips for Going Back to School Later in Life

2. Not prepping for the in-person interview: The meeting

If your nursing school application does not require a personal statement, your interview is the time to let your personality sparkle. It’s also time for the interviewer to get to know you, the skills you have, and what would make you a great nurse. During the interview at Joyce, we discuss the applicant’s personal and professional goals, objectives, and motivations for applying to our program. Because our nursing program in Draper is such a huge commitment, we make sure to talk about that, too. No two interviews will be the same, but there are a few universal ways to prepare yourself.

• Prep, prep, prep. Know what kinds of questions the interviewer might ask you. There are to get yourself ready. Ask a friend or family member to test you on common ones, and practice your responses in a mirror. Not planning your responses ahead of time will show during your interview.
• Don’t go in blind. Read about other nursing schools in Utah to educate yourself about what makes each program unique. We’re in the Information Age, so there is no excuse for not doing your homework!
• Have some questions handy. This is the perfect time to ask any questions you have about the program or application process that aren’t readily available on the website or in an information packet. Asking thoughtful questions also lets the counselor know you’ve done you’re research and you’re a serious nursing school candidate. Bring a note card with you if you need a reminder.
• Be honest. Nursing school isn’t for the faint of heart. Make sure you’re presenting yourself and your intentions for being a nurse in an honest way. Also, if you have any red flags on your application or transcript, be upfront about them.
• Do some soul searching. Becoming a registered nurse takes passion, dedication, and work. “I’ve always wanted to be a nurse” is valid, but telling the admissions consultant why you want to be a registered nurse through an anecdote or a personal story is much more powerful.
• Be yourself. You’re the next amazing nurse the admission consultant is looking for. Like the previous point, be genuine, and be confident that you’re there for the right reasons; let those reasons and your passion shine through!

To top off a great interview, drop a handwritten thank-you note in mail or at the front desk, or send an email to your application consultant. It might seem old-fashioned, but the thank-you note goes a long way in showing gratitude for your interviewer’s time and effort in helping your achieve your goals.

Related Resource: 5 Things to Emphasize During Your First Nursing Job Interview

3. Not preparing for the entrance exam

Along with an in-person interview and/or personal statement, you’ll need to take and pass a standardized entrance exam. These tests are meant to assess your math, science, and reading abilities. Like any other exam, not giving yourself enough time to study and plan ahead of time can hurt your chances of doing well.

First, identify which test you need to take. If this information isn’t available on the school’s website, ask the admissions office or consultant. When you know which test is applicable to you, invest in a practice booklet. Review the booklet and take any and all practice tests you can get your hands on.

Taking practices tests will give you a good idea of where you stand and what subjects you need to focus on. After you determine which subject needs a little work: study, study, study! Each person’s study style is different. Some do fine at home, but others need a neutral space with little to no distractions, like the library. Find the spot that’s right for you, and dig in. Work on your weakest subject by doing at least . For the questions you get wrong, review the answers, and make yourself some flashcards. Quiz yourself on the questions you get stuck on until you know the answers inside and out. If you need a personal tutor or want to take a prep course, contact the admissions office at your school and see if they have any recommendations.

The week before your exam, make sure you are getting plenty of rest,��especially the night before. On the day of, eat a nutritious breakfast and leave all your stress at the door — you’ve done all your prep work, and it’s time to put all your knowledge to the test.

Related Resource: The Best Advice for Applying to Nursing School Again

4. Not preparing nursing school application materials in time

Waiting until the last minute to turn in your application materials is a recipe for disaster. Because there are many steps you need to take in order to complete the entire process, procrastinating on your nursing school application can cause undue stress and anxiety, mistakes can easily go unnoticed, or, in the worst case scenario, your application will be incomplete.

As soon as you know which nursing school is right for you, review its application requirements, deadlines, and start dates. Start the process as soon as possible. If you’re waiting on a diploma, follow up with your high school or any other institution to make sure they sent it to you or the school you’re applying to. If required, do the same with letters of recommendation. (Note: Remember to be courteous. The people recommending you are doing you a favor!) Schedule all exams well ahead of time, so you have ample time to study and get your test scores in before the deadline. Write a few drafts of your personal statement (if applicable) and have it edited by trusted friends or family members. Be prepared for your in-person interview.

After you’ve compiled all your materials and sent them off, follow up with the admissions office a few weeks after the deadline. (Note: In some cases, it might take the office a while to file everything, so don’t be distressed if this is the case.)

After you receive confirmation that your materials are in, sit back and relax: It might be the last time you can before the madness of nursing school begins!

Interested in applying to Joyce’s nursing program? Visit our admissions page to check out our requirements.

However, healthcare students also have options for lending their skills where they’re most needed. Here are a few opportunities for volunteering while you’re still in school.

Related resource: 5 Volunteer Ideas for Aspiring Occupational Therapy Assistants

Opportunities Abroad

The image of a globe-trotting doctor or nurse helping underserved populations in distant locales is a powerful one, and plenty of healthcare professionals are inspired by visions of bringing care to the far reaches of the globe. Doctors Without Borders is probably the example that immediately comes to mind of healthcare professionals bringing care worldwide.

Fortunately, several programs offer for nursing students. The kind of work you can do abroad is as varied and wide as the field of nursing itself. Public health and health education are certainly common, but if you have a specialty such as optometry or pediatrics that you want to explore, you likely can. What’s more, the range of places you can work is immense.

Working abroad also means you can be assigned to a large hospital, a small clinic, a school, an assisted living facility, or some other place in need of your work. Your time abroad might even introduce you to areas of healthcare that you didn’t know you were interested it. You could end up working on a public hygiene campaign in a developing country and decide you want to use those same skills in the States.

When you get back, you’ll be a better student and eventually a better nurse because of what you saw, did, and learned during your time away. That experience will stay with you for the rest of your career and life.

Related resource: Characteristics of Professionalism in Healthcare

Opportunities at Home

If you’re not interested in flying to Tanzania or Sumatra, plenty of volunteer opportunities exist closer to home. Draper, Provo, and Salt Lake City all offer a variety of .

If you’re looking to flex your caregiving muscles before graduation, you could volunteer in a senior center or work with children. Coaching youth sports might not seem very much like nursing on the surface, but it will help you develop the on-your-feet, high-energy attitude you’ll need for your shifts. If you want to hone your administrative skills, you could volunteer with the library system or the election board. Animal shelters are an option too. Providing care and attention to dogs and cats isn’t all that similar to what nurses do, but it can be rewarding.

Regardless of what you choose, take the opportunity to turn it into a resume builder. Note the skills you’ve gained and the experiences you’ve had, and perhaps get a letter of recommendation from the volunteer coordinator. Anything to help you get that future healthcare job!

Related resource: How to Balance Nursing School With Work and Family Life

When Disaster Strikes

Disasters are probably the single most dramatic opportunity for any healthcare worker. When earthquakes, hurricanes, or tsunamis hit, that’s when workers and volunteers have to scramble to make sure the affected population is adequately cared for.

The American Red Cross offers classes and Even if you don’t get to actually work on a real disaster situation, it will prep you for a future moment when calamity hits your community and suddenly every healthcare provider has to spring into action. Hopefully those are skills you’ll never actually have to use, but when the worst happens, you can be among those most prepared for it.

1. Blended Learning Structure

This isn’t the traditional college experience. It’s better. Students entering a Nursing program or OTA program will undergo a blended approach to learning, combining online coursework with in-person skills development.

Depending on the program you choose, your in-person learning will often take place during your labs, simulations, and clinical rotations. Throughout your time at Joyce, our dedicated Cohort Coordinator will organize student learning teams to help you coordinate your in-person learning with your schedule. They’ll facilitate student appreciation, cohort meetups, and specialized events specific to our students. This means that while you may not be located near your fellow classmates, you’ll have the same opportunity to connect and begin building a meaningful and lasting peer network.

Joyce students are encouraged to participate in student council, regional and international clinical trips, and service projects that we organize for the community such as blood drives, to create and maintain peer connections that will last beyond your college experience.

Each in-person session is designed to advance your nursing or OTA skills. On campus, we apply hands-on skill development that reinforces information learned in your online classes, enabling you to make the most of your meaningful time. This hands-on training will ensure both a quality education and the confidence to enter the nursing field.

Distance students interested in enrolling in programs that require travel to the Draper Campus for skill development can learn more about travel requirements and how financial aid may be used to cover the cost of travel to cover expenses on the program page under residency requirements.

2. Campus Location

Our nursing program is based in Draper, Utah, conveniently close to both Trax and FrontRunner stations, and a ride down Interstate 15 from the Salt Lake City International Airport. Our facilities reflect a student-centric culture to set you up for success. With student lounges, private study rooms, and snack areas, we’re here to help make your learning experience impactful and affordable.

Rather than directing your tuition costs towards an elaborate ecosystem of buildings, our emphasis in campus life at Joyce is on student outcomes and clinical skills training. We keep labs and simulation class sizes small to guarantee personalized instruction, so that you graduate from your program ready to practice safe, quality care. You won’t blend in or fall behind. As a student in our healthcare program, you will have every opportunity to ensure that you achieve the standard of excellence our proud alumni have set.

Check out our Campus Map to get directions to our physical campus in Draper, Utah.

3. Nursing Simulation Center

Campus life at Joyce will give you the competitive edge for job placement and advancement in the field of nursing. While much of our programs (ASN, BSN, aBSN, RN to BSN & MSN) are online, labs and clinicals are a vital part of your education. Our state-of-the-industry nursing simulation center offers high-fidelity robotic patients, life-like synthetic cadavers, and realistic hospital settings, all to establish your relevancy as a nursing professional.

Your immersive skills labs will take place in a safe, controlled environment so that you feel prepared for real-world nursing experience on day one. At Joyce, our efforts to support outcome-centered care make our graduates highly effective nursing and healthcare professionals.

You can read more about the Joyce Johnson Center of Simulation to understand how the realistic clinical atmosphere will contribute to your nursing education.

4. Library and Student Resource Center

Our students can expect learning support resources right where they need them. You’ll find all the study materials and spaces you need on campus, within walking distance of your classes, so you have a place to work free from distractions. When you’re at home, we also have an online library with a 24-hour helpline. Flexibility is integral to our programs so that as you begin the steps towards a career in nursing, you feel both welcomed and empowered.

Our Center for Teaching and Learning is equipped with expert tutors who will empower your education and help you develop the study skills and learning techniques to retain and apply the concepts you’ll need to master as you progress through your program.

An added bonus? Our student support also includes a team of Cohort Coordinators to guide our students in administrative needs. Whether you need help with arranging travel, study sessions, or team building exercises with your cohort, you’ll be connected with quality assistance to make your learning experience as impactful as possible.

Would you like to learn more about life on campus? Are you ready to enroll?

Nursing, though a rewarding job, is also a demanding one with long hours that can make it difficult for a single mom or dad to find time for their children outside of their shifts. This doesn’t mean it’s impossible, though. Here are some tips for juggling single parenthood and the career you love.

Avoid working in emergency care, if possible

Emergency care and emergency rooms are critical parts of our healthcare system, and the nurses who work in them should be applauded. However, the long hours and inherent unpredictability of emergency-room nursing make it less compatible with the needs of single parents than other nursing fields.

If five critically-injured car accident victims come in 10 minutes before your shift ends and all hands are needed on deck, you can’t duck out because your kids need to be picked up from soccer practice. Single parents know that they need flexibility in their schedules, and the emergency room is not a place where flexibility reigns.

Related Resource: These Are the Highest Paying Nursing Specialties

Don’t rule out night shifts

Working the third shift can be taxing, but it’s a schedule that works particularly well for parents with younger children who go to bed early. A single parent working a shift from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. can tuck their kid into bed, wake them up in the morning, and sleep while they’re at school. When you wake, your child will just be returning from school and you’ll be well rested for some all-important family time.

As your child gets older, this schedule might not work as effectively — high schoolers go to bed much later than 7 p.m., after all — but by then, kids are usually independent enough to put themselves to bed.

Related Resource: 5 Great Things 51cg Night Shift Nurses

Choose a job with flexible hours

If you don’t want to work nights, that’s completely understandable. It’s important work and someone has to do it, but it can be difficult. So if you’re going to work in the day, what career paths should you look into?

Some potential options include:

• School nurse.
  Kids get sick and hurt at school all the time, and as a school nurse your hours will be very close to those your children spend in education every day.
• Research nurse.
  Medical science is ever-evolving, and clinical tests for new drugs and other forms of treatment require a talented nursing staff to administer and track care and recovery patterns.
• Consulting nurse.
  Not all nursing involves direct care. Law firms, for instance, can use registered nurses and other caregivers to evaluate medical records and prepare briefs. An insurance company might need a nurse who understands billing. This is just one of the options for a consulting nurse path.
• Home care nurse.
  As our population grows increasingly elderly, there is a growing need for nurses who can make house calls and evaluate not just a patient’s health but their living conditions. While the patient’s needs will always come first, many of these positions offer flexible hours and let you build a rapport with long-term patients.

Related Resource: Parents in Nursing School Should Try These Study Tips

Remember that it takes a village to raise a child

Being a nurse can be hard. Being a single parent can make it that much harder. But remember that you’re not alone.

This advice doesn’t only rely on in-person help like family members or trusted friends. There are plenty of online communities full of people just like you who can offer not just support, but .

With the right plan, it’s very possible for a single parent to follow the career path they’ve always wanted while maintaining the full family life they need and deserve.

If you have other tips for single mothers or fathers following a nursing career,��share them on our page!

There’s no magic bullet, but here are five techniques to improve your long-term sleeping habits as a nurse.

1. Establish a sleep routine

As humans, we find patterns comforting because we know what’s coming next; in this case, the end of the line is sleep town. Creating an evening routine is especially helpful for nurses who may have variable schedules and work night shifts.

The activities you choose to include in your routine don’t have to be closely tied to sleep, like drinking a warm glass of milk, for example. Choose a series of actions that can be done at any time of day. For instance, take a bath, read a book, sketch, listen to music, or feed your cat. The key is to find two or three quiet activities that you find soothing and might look forward to. , and do it in the same order each evening to set the pattern. Before you know it, you’ll be relaxed and sleeping like a baby in no time!

Related Resource: 5 Great Things 51cg Night Shift Nurses

2. Exercise before your shift

Regular exercise is always a top tip for staying healthy, and it’s true for sleep health as well. We emphasize this to all our ASN degree and BSN degree students, especially those preparing for their first night shifts. But don’t wait until the evening sets in to hit the gym or go for a bike ride.

• Ride your bike to the clinic, hospital, or bus stop.
• Go for a fast-paced walk during a shift break (even a few minutes can add up).
• Take the stairs, not the elevator.
• Get up 20 minutes early and go for a run or brisk walk.

If you do have time for a workout, planking and calf raises are particularly helpful for nurses. Regular exercise may be the very best way to welcome a good night’s rest.

Related resource: These Are Time Management Skills Every New Nurse Needs

3. Watch your diet

Exercise is a no-brainer, but certain foods can also be a recipe for a restless night. . Pizza (sorry!) is a big offender. The high acidity of tomato sauce can irritate your stomach and keep you up; that goes for orange juice, too. We know sugary cereal is a great late-night snack, but sadly, sugar affects your sleep, with a glucose spike and subsequent crash. Spicy foods like tacos can also disrupt slumber.

If your stomach won’t stop grumbling, try foods that are high in protein like hardboiled eggs. Low-fat dairy like cottage cheese is also a good one to keep on hand. Cherries contain natural serotonin, and avocado has essential magnesium. Like exercise, you’ll want to snack at least an hour before bedtime, since eating anything right before bed can keep you up.

Related Resource: 50 Self-Care Ideas for Nurses to Recharge on Days Off

4. Write it down

Being physically fatigued is one thing, but when your mind is spinning in circles, it can be hard to stop. Anxiety about the day’s events — a tense exchange with a coworker or the dreaded, “Did I forget to do x, y, and z on my rounds?” — can keep your mind abuzz for hours.

Keep a notebook around to . When you write down the things you need to remember, your mind can release them. You can write about things for which you’re grateful, or ideas you just can’t get out of your head, also as a means of release.

5. Lighten up

Light levels affect sleep in many ways. In fact, exposure to light stimulates a nerve pathway from the eye to parts of the brain that control hormones, body temperature, and other functions that make us feel sleepy or awake. Good,��. This is true whether you’re working a day or night shift — so you may need to use blackout curtains or put a towel under the door to block out light from other rooms. Even small LEDs put out a lot of light promoting wakefulness, so make sure to cover LED lights like those on a charging cable. And don’t forget to turn off tv, phone, and tablet screens!

Try different combinations of techniques to prepare your body for sleep, and establish a consistent pattern that is unique to your habits and fits your lifestyle. Remember, it takes 21 days to build a habit, so be gentle and give yourself time to adjust. Soon, you’ll be rising bright-eyed and ready to shine!

How do you get the rest you need? Share your sleep hacks and tips on our  page!

1. Plan.

The best way to be in control of your finances is to have a plan for them. Define your financial goals, develop a plan to reach those goals, and put your plan into action until your goals are accomplished. Are you wanting to pay for books or a portion of your tuition in cash? Perhaps you want to save to purchase a new car after graduation. Define what it is you’re wanting to accomplish so you can plan what you need to save on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis.

2. Write everything down.

You’ll be amazed at what you spend and where you spend it if you can see it on paper. Write down everything you spend in a month and break it out into categories. This will help you identify where you can cut back. It’s common to feel that your budget is stretched to its max, but you’ll never truly know why you’re spread thin until you itemize how you’re spending.

3. Try the envelope method.

This is a popular method for budgeting in college. Why? Because it works! Plan out your monthly, weekly, or per pay period budget by listing how much you plan on spending for miscellaneous expenses such as groceries, gas, and splurge items. Next, label envelopes for each budget item with the exact amount you want to spend during a set time period (example: groceries: $200 per week). Place the money in a labeled envelope and pay for those expenses ONLY out of that envelope. It’s much easier to keep from overspending when you physically see how much cash you have left. This is the kind of forced discipline that will help you create better financial habits after college.

4. Leverage student discounts.

Many colleges and universities have partnerships in place where students receive discounts at local shops and restaurants. Joyce is no exception. Not using these discounts to your advantage is like throwing your money away. Leverage it to the fullest! Ask what discounts agreements your college has in place. If discounts aren’t currently offered at your favorite shopping or food spots, see if your student services team can secure an agreement. It never hurts to ask!

5. Avoid credit cards.

This isn’t always easy to do (especially during the holidays), but remember that credit cards carry extremely high interest rates. One trick to fight the impulse to charge is to consider the extra hours you’ll have to work to pay off the debt. Perhaps the splurge isn’t worth the extra shift you may have to work to pay off the charges and interest. You can also try saving in advance for a “splurge fund” so you can treat yourself without accumulating avoidable debt.

With a little effort and discipline, you’ll develop habits that will pay off in the future. Happy budgeting!

Are you considering a major change in your life? Perhaps you’ve started down a new path and are experiencing the discomfort that is inevitable with learning and growing. Navigating change is tough, but here are 4 helpful tips to help you thrive during times of change.

1. Address your feelings.

If you’re uncomfortable with change, successfully navigating change starts with figuring out what your worries and fears are. Often it’s a matter of a perceived lack of control – even if the change is self-directed. Take the time to understand what’s driving your fear. Write down your feelings. This will take work, but it’s worth it!

2. Communicate with others.

At Joyce, we encourage Joyce pride. To us, Joyce pride is about selflessly giving of one’s time to help someone else achieve whatever goal they’re trying to accomplish. It’s a way for our students to understand we’re all in this together. An essential component of Joyce pride is the willingness to openly communicate your feelings or goals with those around you. Fear of change is due in part to the fear of the unknown. Communicate with others. It is likely that someone around you has gone through similar circumstances and can impart some wisdom.

3. Be fluid.

Flexibility is often touted as the strongest weapon in your arsenal for navigating change. While powerful, flexibility implies being firmly rooted and simply bending and flexing based on changing circumstances. As professionals who have spent decades in patient care, we understand fluidity is king! To be fluid means to go with the flow of circumstances. It’s the ability to adjust and adapt during change. A person who is fluid can transform and think in new ways. Flexibility will help you get by, but those who are fluid with thrive!

4. Take time for healthy habits.

It’s seems cliché, but it’s impossible to overstate. Creating healthy habits is one of the most important parts of successfully navigating change. Stress increases during times of change. Exercise, eat healthy, sleep well, and be open with your emotions. All other steps are less relevant if change is not managed along with a steady dose healthy habits.

Change encourages growth. It pushes us past our comfort zones and makes us stronger as a result. When change occurs, remember these tips and thrive!

First, we’ll address the practical issue that gets you into college or technical school in the first place.

Financial Aid

Fact: School is expensive.

It’s a rare student who can afford higher education with the money they already have in their bank account. At least 66 percent of students rely on financial aid in the form of scholarships, grants, loans, or work-study programs to help pay for school.

Related resources: Who Qualifies for Financial Aid?

First-Generation FAFSA

Student financial aid is available to most students to make higher education possible. It’s important to remember that  when school is over. Scholarships and grants do not need to be paid back.

The federal  provides financial assistance to 13 million students every year to pay for college or career school.

How do you apply for FAFSA? Here’s the step-by-step process if you’re applying to Joyce:

1. (Free Application for Federal Student Aid). Register for a FSA ID. You will need a FSA ID to sign your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) electronically. If you don’t have a FSA ID, you can  If you were born after 1/1/1994 your parents may also be required to obtain a FSA ID and include their information on your FAFSA. Dependency status will determined by questions answered on your FAFSA.

2. Complete the 2017-2018 Free Application for Federal Student Aid.

3. Visit the and click “Start A New FAFSA.”

4. Enter the required information. Once you reach the school selection tab, enter 016027 as the Federal School Code for Joyce. Click “Search”. Check the box next to “Joyce” from the search results. Click “Add”. Joyce will be listed under selected schools. Click “Next” to continue. Then select “Off Campus” as your housing plan. Click “Next” to continue filling out your FAFSA.

5. Use your FSA ID to sign your FAFSA electronically. The school(s) that you specified in your FAFSA application will send you a financial aid award letter or email. The award letter will specify what loans, grants, or scholarships you qualify for. You must respond to the award letter in order to accept the financial aid.

6. Visit the Joyce website to review the College’s Consumer Information Guide.

7. Complete entrance counseling and sign a promissory note. You’ll get the financial aid when both of these are completed.

At Joyce, your FAFSA results will be sent to the Financial Aid office approximately two days after you complete the application. If you have any questions as you complete the Financial Aid process, please don’t hesitate to contact your Financial Aid representative.

Related resource: Advice for Applying to Nursing School a Second Time

What Kind of Scholarships Can You Get?

Apply for scholarships. Financial aid is great because it enables students to afford school — but scholarships are free!

, because students simply don’t apply for them or think they wouldn’t qualify.

Scholarships may be awarded on the basis of your GPA, the sport you play, your interests, hobbies, heritage, area of study, and much more.  for an array of student needs and skills:

• Merit-based scholarships are awarded for academic excellence or talent.
• Need-based scholarships are awarded based on your or your parents’ financial situation.
• Athletic scholarships are granted by schools to attract top athletic talent.
• Individual scholarships are often related to your field of study. They may be issued from a private donor such as a school alumni or private organization.
• Scholarships for minorities are intended to help people of color, women, or students of certain nationalities pursue higher education.

is a great resource for students looking for financial aid. Its list of  is just a handful of thousands of available scholarships.

The more scholarships you apply for, the better your chances are of getting one or more.

You Belong Here

Money is one thing, but first-generation students often wrestle with the question of whether they belong in school in the first place. If you want to pursue higher education, you should!

Cultural issues are often at play, but so are family issues — especially feelings of guilt. While many parents work just to put food on the table for their families, it can be hard for students to spend their time in class instead of working to contribute to the household.

In a piece about fitting in, the author, then a first-generation college student, relates a phone call home. “Maybe you think you’re better than us because you went to college,” her mother says to her. The student was crushed, but her mom’s words struck a chord. After spending months in an academic environment, surrounded by people with a critical ear for language and careful word choice, it was hard for the student to react to off-color jokes in the same way as before.

It can be helpful to remember that although you’re a first-generation student, you’re not the first person to experience social or financial anxiety.

Related resource: When Is the Right Time to Go Back to School

Find Office Hours

First-generation students are often less likely than their peers to ask for help. This is a disadvantage that can be easily fixed: figure out the of your instructor and counselor, and go talk to them. They are here to help.

One study showed that  services were 10–15 percent more likely to advance to another year of college.

Find a Mentor

What do First Lady Michelle Obama, former Secretary of State Colin Powell, and U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren all have in common? They’re all first-gen college students.

Look for other students or instructors on campus who come from a similar background. Ask how they deal with the pressure to fit in socially or financially.

If you’re not sure how to connect with a mentor, it’s not hard to find examples of successful first-gen college graduates for inspiration. Our country abounds with success stories!

Related resource: Nursing School Survival Kit

Finish What You Start

It is deeply unfortunate that first-generation college students complete higher education at a lower rate than those students whose parents have a college education. This is due to factors such as cultural and language barriers, financial and family obligations, and more.

There are many reasons why it’s important to finish the education you start.

If you accept financial aid to go to school, you have to pay loans back even if you don’t finish your degree. The only thing worse than graduating with thousands of dollars in debt is having thousands of dollars in debt and nothing to show for it.

The opposite is also true: If you finish your degree, you’ll be in a much better financial position to pay off debt and improve your and your family’s standard of living.

At Joyce, our instructors go to great lengths to ensure the success of each of our students.

Our financial aid representatives work closely with students and help them with the complicated process of securing financial aid. Joyce also offers scholarships.

Learn more about our admissions process,��financial aid, and our accreditations.

Start Your Healthcare Journey at 51cg

Whether you’re beginning your healthcare journey with our ASN program, pursuing a 3 year BSN degree or accelerated BSN program, advancing through our RN to BSN program, or reaching higher with an MSN degree, we’ll support you every step of the way as a first-generation student. Discover your path at our nursing school today.

If its been a while since you’ve been in school, the thought of bibliographies and citations might send chills down your spine. Never fear – Bibme has you covered! This free tool enables students to easily create citations and build a bibliography in MLA, APA, and Chicago.

This outstanding note-taking tool syncs your notes between all your devices. It has some really cool features we could write an entire blog about. Check out their blog for some top tips for college students who want to use the tool.

IFTTT (If This Then That) is an app that lets you build “recipes” that puts the internet to work for you. A “recipe” is a command that executes when a particular catalyst is selected. Example: “If I get an email attachment, then save the attachment in dropbox” or “If it’s going to snow tomorrow, send me a reminder to leave early for class.” The possibilities are almost endless. Check out this blog for tips on how you can use IFTTT to automate your life!

Feeling scattered is an inevitable part of college life. For task planning and subtle reminders, there are few tools better than Any.Do. Write tasks, share them with a contact, add sub-notes, or set reminders. Any.Do syncs to your computer and across your other devices.

Dropbox is a free service that allows you to store your homework, notes, pictures, presentations, or any other documents in the cloud so they can be accessed anywhere and shared easily. BTW…there’s an IFTTT recipe that lets you easily connect your Dropbox to Evernote.

This productivity tool helps you understand your daily habits. It runs securely in the background on your computer, phone, or tablet, tracks what time you spend on apps and websites, and gives you detailed reports summarizing your activity. Have you ever wondered where all your time went? Rescuetime probably has the answer!

Picture this nightmare scenario: You’ve completed all your assignments. Feeling accomplished, you head to the kitchen to grab a victory snack. Upon your return, you notice your computer is laying dead and unresponsive. All is lost!!! Mozy Backup is a great way to cover your bases in the event of computer catastrophe by automatically backing up your precious files. There are a number of similar services worth checking out as well. Don’t let your nightmare become a reality!

Does the right music put you in the zone? Spotify is a digital music service that gives you access to millions of songs. Turn up the volume and get cranking on that homework!

School is hard, especially for healthcare students. Whether you’re studying to be a Nurse or an OTA you’re going to feel bogged down at times from classes and externships, assignments and looming licensure exams. It’s natural to shut down and close up during those times, but that’s when you need your support network the most. You need to carve out time to keep in touch with your loved ones during school, and these 10 ways can help.

1. First- and last-thing texts

It can just be a simple, “Assisted with my first pediatric patient in clinical today!” before bed or “Test today: I’m nervous!” right when you wake up. Your friends and family want to hear how you’re doing, and a text can be the simplest and quickest way to relay information, especially when you’re busy. They’re also easy to copy and send to multiple people.

2. Phone call on-the-go

Don’t have time to sit and chat on the phone for half an hour every night? That’s student life. You don’t have to ignore your phone’s first purpose, though; you can still use it to call friends or your grandmother as you’re heading out the door, even while you’re picking up groceries. Healthcare students learn to multitask quickly, so use those skills for keeping in touch with your support network. Even if you miss them, you can leave a voicemail. Moms always love to hear your voice.

3. Set birthday alerts in your calendar

It’s possible none of us would remember anyone’s birthday without Facebook these days, but even if you log on to the social network every day with your phone, you’re likely to miss a lot of birthday news. At the start of every year (and/or now), make a list of your closest friends and family members, and set a calendar alert to tell you it’s their birthday. You might not have time to buy them a card, but you can still call or text, and keep in touch.

4. Stack of postcards

Letter-writing takes a lot of time, which explains why it’s a dying art these days. Few schedules allow for the time and focus required to write a long, detailed letter, but even healthcare students have time to churn out 2-3 sentences. At the start of every semester, assemble a stack of postcards and $0.35 stamps and keep them near your desk. When a friend comes to mind, write them a quick note and put it in the mailbox.

5. Group messages on Facebook

One of the best assets of any healthcare program is your peer group, in particular the cohort with whom you started your program. At Joyce and any healthcare school, there’s always a few classes of nursing, DLT, and MA students rotating through at different stages. Your cohort is always going through the same stage of classes, tests, and clinicals, which means if you’re struggling with something: They probably are too. Group messages on Facebook can be a great way to reach out, connect with and encourage each other, and remember you’re not alone in this.

6. Memory-triggered Snapchat

See something in a store that reminds you of a friend? As the saying goes, “There’s an app for that!” Snapchat can be faster than texting, but it remains personal. Snap a photo and start a quick chat with your younger brother or old roommate. It may last 45 seconds, but it will keep you connected.

7. Rotating dinner parties

When you’re cramming for exams, you barely have time to eat, much less prepare a meal and feed friends, and student budgeting makes going out for meals a challenge. The solution: Set aside a day every month where you and a group of friends commit to dinner together. Every month, one of you cooks, which means you only have to face the hassle a couple of times a year. Every other month, even if you’re bogged down with projects, going to a friend’s apartment for dinner and reconnecting for a whole evening will bolster your spirits, which can empower you to study well.

8. Errand-run catchup

Similar to phone call multitasking: Take your friends or roommates or classmates with you on errand runs. Some healthcare students prefer to be alone while grocery shopping, seeing it as a chance to decompress, but others need some human interaction after hours of studying alone. If you’re among the latter, text friends the morning you plan to head out to go shopping and see if anyone wants to join you. If they’re free, multitask to make the chore fun.

9. Schedule video chats

It’s hard to go weeks, sometimes months, without seeing family, but that’s the reality for a lot of healthcare students. With time scheduled down to the last hour, you may not be able to spend a weekend or, if they live close enough, afternoon with family members, but you can still see them thanks to programs like Skype, FaceTime, and Google+ Hangouts. When you’re drafting your schedule, be sure you include times to video chat with loved ones. It’s not quite the same as a real visit, but it’s a powerful way to keep in touch.

10. Google Docs

Remember in middle school, when you passed notes back and forth, filling pages with your conversations? You could argue that was proto-texting, but there’s something nice and special about sharing a document with just one or two close friends. creating something like this together to maintain a long-distance relationship with a friend, being an interesting way to keep in touch, and a great keepsake.

There are literally hundreds of other ways to keep in touch with loved ones while you’re in school, from blogs and daily one sentence e-mails to book clubs, and watching the same series together. Whatever works for you to keep in touch while you study nursing, dental technology, or medical assisting, do it. Your support network is invaluable as you study toward your future career.

On that note: If you’re interested in learning more about becoming a Nurse, or an OTA, reach out to us. We would love to hear from you!

Start Building Your Healthcare Network at 51cg

Whether you’re beginning your healthcare journey with our ASN program, pursuing a 3 year BSN degree or accelerated BSN program, advancing through our RN to BSN program, or reaching higher with an MSN degree, you’ll join a supportive community of future healthcare professionals. Begin building meaningful connections at our nursing school today.