Having to delay school by a year

Hi everyone,

I had an idea to become an RN last year and began applying to 2.5 year programs in another area 8 hours of car away. I can't do the program where I live because I'm not fully proficient in the language and it's a 4 years course here.

So I was accepted into one of the programs and we were planning to move for August. We packed our car and when we arrived in the city, it was a feeling of dread.

We both hate big cities (we live in a town of 50,000 people) and didn't anticipate so much chaos.

And we soon realized we both hated the area near school. It was very expensive and we would have to drain a lot of our savings to afford to live here. I started second guessing my choices - if nursing was even really worth all of these sacrifices. What if there was a better career for me out there? I didn't know if I even wanted to be a nurse. I'm already a fully qualified teacher and started second guessing the career change.

On top of that, my partner's dealing with depression and would eventually want to go back to school. I didn't feel comfortable moving with him to a place I know we'd both be miserable in.

So I decided to decline for now and apply again next year when we're both more sure of our plans. If I do want to do nursing, I'll do more prerequisite courses this year online and reapply to 2 year schools next year. Honestly, I'm not even sure I want to do nursing anymore though. I'm unsure what I want to do right now and so is my partner. The uncertainty is making me anxious.

I'm mentally exhausted from the trip and don't know how to deal with the stress. I wonder if we made the right choice. Im 27 and feel like I'm already "old" to go back to school and having to wait a year makes it even worse. I feel so embarrassed because I told all my family and friends we're leaving and now I have to tell them all we aren't moving...

Never worry about what family and friends will think. You don't make decisions for them, and they don't make yours. People can change their minds. So what? I'd make a pros and cons list for each decision. It might be beneficial to see everything written on paper. It's never too late to go back to school. I went back to college at age 28 and the job I got because of that degree became a thriving career with a great salary and benefits.

Thanks Andrina. I'm honestly feeling overwhelmed. I'm mentally exhausted from the trip and I think I'm going to take a few weeks just to relax and recover from the emotional stress. Your story is inspiring and makes me feel like I'm not too old to start. It wasn't the right time right now...I'm just in shock because I was so focused and ready to start. Now I'm back here for another year, still trying to figure out what to do. It makes me feel like a failure. I want to get my motivation back, and my positive attitude.