Am I Smart Enough for University AND Nursing?

Lately I've proven myself over and over that I can raise the bar and achieve anything I set my mind to...but to go to university and become a geriatric RN?

Here's the thing. I'm afraid of going into nursing because I'm afraid of failing and "not being good enough". The word "University" scares me, because to me at least, you need to be really smart to be able to attend a university. What if I get rejected when I apply? And to be a nurse...wow...that takes a LOT of book smarts AND experience AND time...the JC was four years of the toughest nursing regiment you could ever imagine....the online nursing bio of what goes into that course was beyond intimidating.

Thinking about it, I know myself very well, and I know that I thrive when I follow my passions, and I am extremely passionate about helping the elderly and I fell in love with everything geriatric care with my experiences in working in geriatric care and growing up gravitating towards the elderly from my grandparents, great grandparents, and volunteering at senior living facilities. I want to do something bigger than myself that will also support me and my parents financially, and I'd really like to become a geriatric nurse. I feel now that I am moving I will have the time to dedicate going to a university (which is only two hours away!), and if I need to I can work on a student loan, but am I smart enough to go through the training, or even be accepted into a university if my grades are only average? I feel torn between hopeless and hopeful.

I started school at 60! Fear will prevent you from doing things you love. I was a C student in high school, but I didn't let that stop me.

You have nothing to lose by going ahead and going to school to fulfill your dream and passion. You will never know unless you try and if you don't, someday you may look back and regret not following your passion.

LL. You will never know until you try. Your passion will carry you along way. There are lots of nursing schools and just because you didn't get into one it doesn't mean the end. They may even have you do the academics first and then the clinical. Yes somethings will be a challenge. Everyone has their weak subjects, but you try again. You can usually take a class again if you fail or don't do as well as you had hoped. Don't let something you feel so strongly about remain uncharted territory. Start taking courses that are easily transferable or take them at the school you want to apply to. If they see you doing well it's much harder to not admit you.

Why not take just one class? Tip your toes in. Make it online, if you have to, and go in for tutoring if you need (most schools have tutoring, I took full advantage of that when I was in school). I think you can do it! How wonderful that you have fallen in love with helping the elderly!!!

You might try taking a medical terminology course and/or an online Anatomy & Physiology class first. This will expose you to the structure of medical language and challenge your memorization skills. Besides that, it's interesting and will give you a good base upon which to build.

Your reading and writing skills are excellent. There is some math involved, and statistics, but they tailor it to nurses (idk how!). I think its a smart move on your part. You put in a few years of studying now, and then you are pretty much set for life. This is a career that is not going to disappear, you can work anywhere, in a big company or small, etc.