No nurse is a fan of debt. And while some people think that incurring debt is an inevitable outcome for every student, there are definite tricks that anyone can use to prove them wrong.

Avoid it

The best way to get yourself out of the hole is to not fall into it to begin with. Admittedly, this is harder than it sounds. But any healthcare professional around the globe will tell you that the best way to steer clear of any unwanted condition is to practice prevention. Granted, debt is not a health condition, per se, but it is similar as far as its ability to affect our daily lives goes.

Debt can be very overbearing, and can add a lot of unnecessary stress to your life. The best thing to do is plan ahead. Most colleges and universities will have a variety of loan and bursary programs, as well as scholarship opportunities, available for students. Before you even apply to nursing school, do some research to find schools that offer financial aid and scholarship programs. Even a small bursary can go a long way, and can really be a big help when it comes to covering tuition and books. Make an appointment and speak with the school’s financial advisor and have them guide you through all of your options.

Also, do what you can to save as much as possible. This extra bit of cash will come in handy when pulling all-nighters to study for exams and write papers cuts into the hours you put in to your part-time jobs.

 

Don’t ignore it

As any teacher working in a nursing program will say, the worst thing someone can do is ignore the symptoms of illness. The first thing anyone needs to do to bring down their debt is own up to it. Leaving bills unopened or pretending that nothing is wrong will put you on the fast track to nowhere. If the amount you owe has become too much to bear, then talk to someone about it. Speaking with a financial advisor or even your parents or other family members can do wonders to help you figure things out.

Fessing up to your debt does not mean you have to be super stressed about it all the time. A huge part of not ignoring your debt comes down to taking care of it, and the more you take care of it, the less stressed you will be. 

Control it

Believe it or not, debt is not evil. What causes it to become such a burden is our own inability to take care of it. If you can maintain your budget and make sure that your debt is always below a certain line, then you will constantly be in control of the situation.

Part of this control comes down to tightening up your spending habits. Do you really need another pair of shoes? Is it necessary to go out for dinner every night of the week? Go over your spending habits and reassess where you should try to hold back some. At the end of the day, you are the one that dictate where your money goes.

Visit Mohawk College for more information on enrolling in a school of nursing.




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