Back To School

While everyone and their dogs seem to be focused on the school year ending THIS WEEK, {shout out to all my teacher friends! wahoo!} I am focused on the opposite.  I am going to back to school!!!

I've been thinking about doing more school for a few years now, but wasn't sure where to go, what to study, how to pay for it...  All in all, I've been plugging away at my J.O.B. for some time now knowing there is something more for me somewhere, I just needed to figure out what.

After applying for a grad program last year in Therapeutic Recreation (same field as my undergrad) and getting denied, I started to question whether more schooling was really right for me.  What I hadn't realized yet was that I was looking in the wrong direction.

About every six months or so during the last two years, I kept coming back to the same idea for furthering my education.  Up until now I have pushed the thought away because I was overcome with fear of failure.  I've succeeded in a lot of things during the last 26 years, but I have NEVER in my life pushed myself hard academically, always doing just enough to get by or simply choosing the easy route.  Some programs I specifically steered clear of at BYU for the sole reason of them being hard, especially ones with several science course.  This program I keep coming back to and have been resisting for two years will consist of many sciences and LOTS and LOTS of studying.  But finally, I am ready.  With the right prayers, the right studying, and the right communication with the Lord, all things can be done.  My fear is gone, excitement fills me, and the dedication will be there!

This fall, I will be going back to school.  Not for a master's degree, but for a second bachelor's degree.  Its going to be a long road with several prerequisite courses {remember my fear of sciences? now I will face them all! yikes!}  I still plan to work through school and assuming I get accepted to the program on my first try, it will take me 4 years to graduate.  But what is four years anyway?  I've already been living in Salt Lake and working for that long since my first graduation!  It'll go fast, I'm sure.

Now, you must be wondering what on earth I plan to do, right??? Here is it.

{side note: a couple people have been a bit confused so I feel the need to clarify.  I have not been admitted to the nursing program...YET.  I will apply once I have finished the prerequisites.  the actual nursing program is still a ways away}

All my Cougar friends out there must be cringing right now!  On the other hand, I've got a lot of Ute friends that are probably cheering loudly!  I figure that in the end it doesn't really matter where I go to school.  BYU, however, does not allow for a second bachelor's degree so it was an easy choice.  Utah it is.  I still need to apply for the program after I complete the majority of the prerequisites, but this is the plan.

Here we go friends... keep me in your prayers and don't be upset if I choose to study over socializing sometimes.  It's just something I've got to do.

After getting admitted to the U for a second BS degree, I can now "relax" and focus on the next step.  I will be spending the remainder of this month in night classes getting my CNA certification.  Here we go!!!