College Question: Am I About to Screw Myself?

[DwnShft2Xcelr8]

Read the bold text if you want cliffs:

I graduated from community college with a completely worthless AA degree in Dec 2011. It's so worthless that I don't even want to say what the major was.
Over the past 2 & 1/2 years, I've worked a full-time job at minimum wage. When I recently asked my boss for a pay raise, he said it'd be easier to just let me go and hire someone willing to work for minimum wage. This is all after he told me in March 2013 that I'm his best employee and he wants me to advance in his company.
After discussing my options with my SO, we both decided it'd be best if I attended college again, except this time get a degree in something worthwhile. After some soul searching and deep thought, I've decided to go for an RN (Registered Nurse) degree.
Since graduating from college, I've done basically nothing but smoke weed and play video games on my free time. Earlier this year I stopped playing video games and in mid-July I threw all my marijuana-related shit away.
Here's where the problem comes in, though: I was never good at science & I'm very awful in math. I honestly don't even remember how to do fractions anymore. :facepalm
But the thing that I find hope in is that in high school I was in Advanced Placement classes while being a major stoner. Plus, my AA degree came with a 3.2 GPA while I smoked weed every single day and never studied.
Could it be possible that I can still accomplish this while starting off waaaaay further behind all the other people going for an RN degree?
Am I in over my head or is this a fairly common occurrence and I just need to buck up and try this time around?

[DwnShft2Xcelr8]

I guess what I really want out of this thread is an idea of how difficult this will be and possibly some motivation because I won't lie, I'm pretty scared about this decision. Has anyone done the same?
Basically waste your life for several years and then decide to go into maximum overdrive to get out of a shitty situation..?
I'm not alone, right?

[JohnFreeman]

You can do anything if you put your mind to it...jk you're ****ed

[9erempiree]

You will be fine. Stop acting like a woman. Just stay the course and you will do fine. Nursing is what most people get into when they don't know what to do and there is a huge demand for them.

A buddy of mine tried to get into nursing school and become a traveling nurse where they work at different hospitals for months at a time and the pay is good. Good way to travel and make good money.

AA degrees are pointless. If you are going to get a degree from a college at least make it an AS degree. The science degree hold more weight than those art degrees especially from a JC level.

[Le Shaqtus]

You can do anything if you put your mind to it...jk you're ****ed

This.

Set realistic goals, are you gonna become the President? No, but a job as a registered nurse is very feasible if you apply yourself.

[DwnShft2Xcelr8]

You can do anything if you put your mind to it...jk you're ****ed

Damn. I repped you before seeing the white text.

Anyway, thanks to everyone else who has responded.
Any personal stories, though? I'd like to know if there have been others like me starting basically from the bottom again to accomplish their goals.

[The_Yearning]

Read the bold text if you want cliffs:

I graduated from community college with a completely worthless AA degree in Dec 2011. It's so worthless that I don't even want to say what the major was.
Over the past 2 & 1/2 years, I've worked a full-time job at minimum wage. When I recently asked my boss for a pay raise, he said it'd be easier to just let me go and hire someone willing to work for minimum wage. This is all after he told me in March 2013 that I'm his best employee and he wants me to advance in his company.
After discussing my options with my SO, we both decided it'd be best if I attended college again, except this time get a degree in something worthwhile. After some soul searching and deep thought, I've decided to go for an RN (Registered Nurse) degree.
Since graduating from college, I've done basically nothing but smoke weed and play video games on my free time. Earlier this year I stopped playing video games and in mid-July I threw all my marijuana-related shit away.
Here's where the problem comes in, though: I was never good at science & I'm very awful in math. I honestly don't even remember how to do fractions anymore. :facepalm
But the thing that I find hope in is that in high school I was in Advanced Placement classes while being a major stoner. Plus, my AA degree came with a 3.2 GPA while I smoked weed every single day and never studied.
Could it be possible that I can still accomplish this while starting off waaaaay further behind all the other people going for an RN degree?
Am I in over my head or is this a fairly common occurrence and I just need to buck up and try this time around?

:facepalm

Dude, you didn't have to throw the weed away. You can PM me if you have any questions.

[JohnFreeman]

Damn. I repped you before seeing the white text.

Anyway, thanks to everyone else who has responded.
Any personal stories, though? I'd like to know if there have been others like me starting basically from the bottom again to accomplish their goals.
I am joking

[DwnShft2Xcelr8]

:facepalm

Dude, you didn't have to throw the weed away. You can PM me if you have any questions.

I'm one of those people who gets lazy & stagnant while smoking weed regularly. I can handle simple classes, like English or History, when smoking all the time, but Biology, Chemistry, Microbiology, Geometry? Nope.


@JohnFreeman, I figured.

[9erempiree]

The downfall? It is quite embarrassing to say you are a nurse.

[JohnFreeman]

I'm one of those people who gets lazy & stagnant while smoking weed regularly. I can handle simple classes, like English or History, when smoking all the time, but Biology, Chemistry, Microbiology, Geometry? Nope.


@JohnFreeman, I figured.
have a neon

[stalkerforlife]

You can do it, bro. Do it for yourself and your future. If you have to stop smoking weed, do it.

Being a nurse is a really good career, both financially and personally.

I'm 32 and just now looking to attend college for the first time. Don't be like me.

[BigBoss]

I guess what I really want out of this thread is an idea of how difficult this will be and possibly some motivation because I won't lie, I'm pretty scared about this decision. Has anyone done the same?
Basically waste your life for several years and then decide to go into maximum overdrive to get out of a shitty situation..?
I'm not alone, right?

2011-2012 I was heavy into drugs. Ecstacy, cocaine, mdma, weed on weekends. I got arrested and went to court on/off for 6 months.

I quit drinking/drugs and sobered up end of 2012.

I got back into school summer 2013 and finished my bachelors degree. I had 3 courses remaining and was out of school 2 years and heavy into drugs, but I was so motivated I got all A's.

I'm in grad school now doing a masters degree a year plus sober. Grades are great, and i love my new lifestyle


I'll say one thing it was absolutely essential that I sobered up, exercised, and got my body/mind in shape before i jumped back into school and began making career plans.

It requires 100% commitment. Now or never. You could put anything you set your mind to, so to answer your question the math won't be a problem, only you will. Whose going to show up? The stoner or the guy who wants to live a respectable life?

[gts]

Go for it. If it's something you truly want you'll kick yourself in the ass if you don't give it a shot... just make sure you give it your best shot

BTW I'm one of those people that think being any type of Nurse is a noble profession... go for your RN and if you're still hungry go for being a nurse practitioner...

[cuad]

It's good that you've been working. I think nursing is a great economical choice. There's lots of jobs, not much schooling or money needed to get in, and solid pay. Healthcare is good. Period.

Typically, people who have their shit together play less video games and smoke less weed, BUT please don't think that your shit is not going to come together if you cut down on weed and video games. It doesn't work that way. When I was struggling in school, I threw away my weed too, but it didn't help. I was a shit student long before I ever started smoking anyway.

It sucks to be behind in math. Its main benefit is that after years and years it makes you a pretty good problem solver, gives you confidence that you can wrap your mind around any problem (not just math) and solve it. Anyway, I don't think you need to know much math to be a registered nurse, and since you have a recent AA degree, you probably won't have to take another math class while you're in the nursing program. That said, if you do have to take math, you can learn it. Like anything else, it just takes a little bit of practice every day.

I went from a failing student to a straight A student overnight. It was the night I set a goal and made a plan for myself that, most importantly, I could buy into. School actually became EASY once I knew and could buy into the reasons I had for being there. If you can buy into your reasons, then it should be easy for you too.

[Jameerthefear]

You are absolutely ****ing pathetic. Keep wasting your own money.

[Bandito]

I did the same thing. Was studying something that I didn't want to study because I didn't want to go to college at the time and ended up quitting and join the military. Now...I came back to college at the age of 26 in order to get a degree in something completely unrelated to my original major and had to start from the beginning. I am 28 now, and I have at 3 semesters to go.

[Draz]

I was in the same boat as you. Got my AA. I'm working a good job though. Don't let degrees fool you. Or resumes. Half the people got their jobs through connections aka networking and knowing people. I got my job from my father.

RN at where I got my AA from requires a 4.0 GPA and with a 3.9 GPA a lot of kids couldn't find jobs.

It's tough in the medical field. I'm also bad at math. But the job I do everything I do requires math every 5 seconds. So, be prepared.

If books aren't for you, learn a trade. Go to a technical institution and learn mechanic, electrician, or plumbing.

[It's A VC3!!!]

Your life is not over because you had a rocky start in college. I went to a community college for my first two years of College and I was a teller for Chase bank during that time. Banks have a great career ladder and I used that platform to transition from Chase bank to now working for JPMorgan Chase. My advice to you is don't waste your college years at a job that offers you no experience and has no career ladder either. Start at a low paying bank position, tech company, manufacturing company; etc.

[DwnShft2Xcelr8]

Your life is not over because you had a rocky start in college. I went to a community college for my first two years of College and I was a teller for Chase bank during that time. Banks have a great career ladder and I used that platform to transition from Chase bank to now working for JPMorgan Chase. My advice to you is don't waste your college years at a job that offers you no experience and has no career ladder either. Start at a low paying bank position, tech company, manufacturing company; etc.

I want to work at a bank, but I need at minimum $2k/mo to survive since I have a family and bills. The job I currently work has me working so many hours that it all adds up to $2k at the end of the month.
As a bank teller, I'd probably only make $1400-$1800/mo, depending on hours.
I appreciate the advice, though.


Big thanks to everyone, except that sister f*cking Jameerthequeer up there.