Just keep learning!

My journey to become "educated" has been long and winding, and the path continues far ahead of where I am now. I either can't see the end, or I just don't want to. (Photo retrieved from The Wilderness Road, a blog on wordpress)

I initially went to college at age 17, only three days after my actual high school graduation day. I made it somehow through five semesters of college (Summer, Fall, Spring, Summer, Fall) without having any direction or goals, without a plan or purpose. I married, left college, went to beauty school, moved to another state, had kids, worked here and there, then divorced...

Rough time...through the divorce. I can't imagine it is ever easy when kids are involved. But I had to do something to earn a decent living and provide for the kids, so I decided to go back to school. After all, I was now an experienced adult who could finally appreciate the process of learning.

So, I "restarted" college 15 years ago as a single parent of two. Whoa, that was so hard. Balancing bills, parenting, school, being broke, and being the oldest in class... I don't think I could do that again, as I don't even know how I did it to begin with! I was 32 years old, so that probably helped as far as energy and motivation...but it was still pretty tough!

After completing a certificate program at a vo-tech training center to become a licensed vocational nurse (LVN) in 2005, I decided to continue with school. I worked as much as possible, hungry for stabilized income, but decided to enroll in prerequisite courses for an RN program. I think half of the reason I kept going to school was that I was able to borrow enough money to help with living expenses while I did my pre-req courses, and the other half was that my previous loans were deferred while I was enrolled in school!

And okay, I admit it. I did the same thing when I went to a university where I was enrolled in a nontraditional nursing program. Yep, that's how I survived financially, scraping money together from full time work, financial aid loans, and scrooge-like spending practices. I finally graduated with a BSN degree in 2013. I remember being so excited to finally be accepted and starting in an RN program.

But boy, oh boy! Every single quiz, paper, exam, and clinical simulation, turned into such a high-stakes event--the threat of being booted "out of the program" was such a giant, dark, heavy storm cloud, always looming, even on the sunny days.

I am currently enrolled full time in an MSN program with Education as my designated specialty. I was so gung-ho to start but ooophf -- it is so hard to

stay motivated and see this thing through.

The end is so close but I am so over it! I am in my last semester and I only have two classes left to go. I can DO this, right?


Dare I say that I will probably continue with schooling until I receive a terminal degree in nursing (PhD or DNP)...

Yep, I think I have to. Heck, it sure beats
having to start payments on the student loans I racked up while trying to survive school as an adult (who already had bills, kids, car troubles, and lots of other responsibilities).