Lisa Johnson
1/26/2014
From Qualm to Determination

My academic goal is to earn a degree in nursing. I will do my prerequisites at Prairie State College and then transfer to Governors State University to attend their BSN program. In speaking with Prairie State College academic advisors, if I follow the tentative schedule, I should be done with my prerequisites by spring of 2016, and finishing the BSN nursing program by spring of 2018.
Becoming a nurse has always been something that I wanted to do, but in high school nursing was not on my mind. I enjoyed high school but all for the wrong reasons. When I began high school I was excited because I had a lot of freedom which was something that I was unable to have at home. Instead of going to school to get my education, I was going to have fun and hang out with my friends. This was a major challenge for me because I knew this was going to have a great impact on my future. When I went to class I did very well in all subjects especially in science. I enjoyed science a lot because it was a lot of hands on, visual, and group assignments in which I felt helped me to learn better. Needless to say I didn’t finish high school due to becoming a mother at the age of 17, and being forced to care for myself and child. Trying to work and care a child on my own was very hard, and for this reason alone I didn’t have the confidence to try to go back to school. Now with the support of my family and friends, I have gained the confidence to return to school.
I believe college is nothing like high school. I feel that in college, everyone should be more mature and serious about their education. At this point students should come to school prepared and eager to learn. I hate to see students come to