It takes a lot of patience, discipline and exceptional time management skills to earn a nursing degree – in one year.

Just ask Renae Patton, who quit her financial planning job to pursue nursing. Now she’s in the one-year Accelerated BSN program at Goldfarb School of Nursing at Barnes-Jewish College.

Yes, the program is intense and fast-paced. So Renae maps out her day to make sure she gets everything done, including having time for exercise. “Mapping out my day hour-by-hour is also the best way to fit much-needed free time into a busy schedule to stay balanced,” she says.

To give you a sense of what a typical day can look like for an Accelerated student, here’s a snapshot of Renae’s schedule:

6 AM – Wake up and get ready

7 AM – Prepare for class and study

8 AM – noon – Class, simulation labs or clinical hours

Noon - Lunch and study

1 – 4:30 PM – Class

4:30 – 6 PM – Workout and dinner

6-10 or 11 PM – Study

What about competing course demands? Renae says: “Oftentimes, I am balancing studying for several exams in different courses at one time. So I decide where I need to spend the most time by subject and then I dedicate time by the hour to each course appropriately.”

Below, Renae meets with Paul Putzel, whose family contributes to a scholarship fund that made it possible for her to attend nursing school.