Back to School!

Well, August is here and that means it's time to go back to school!  Technically, I started this process in March with online classes, but I actually get to go to campus this time and attend classes.  The prospect of starting school again now that I am 27 and have been out of school for 5 years was, at first, a little overwhelming.  I thought that since I had a bachelor's degree I was finished and I could go on with my life and start my career.  Word of advice people...if you want to have a career and actually use what you went to school for, don't get a degree in Psychology unless of course you plan to attend four more years of school to be a Psychologist, which I have no intention of doing.
So last year when we lived in Georgia, I had the bright idea that I was going to go back to school to become a nurse.  Because we are a military family and have the potential of moving from place to place throughout our lives, nursing seems to be the obvious choice for me since you can do that anywhere, not to mention the huge need for nurses right now.  So I began this journey in March of this year, and so far I have been sticking with it!
As I went to campus today to get my parking pass and books and all of that, I was reminded that I had absolutely made the right decision by going back to school.  Seeing all of the other students hurrying around getting their books and making sure their schedules were correct reminded me of being back at ASU, but this time I have a new respect for education. 
SO here is my speech about education...
I believe that being 18 years old and just coming out of high school is way too young to appreciate education.  I know that many would disagree with me on that (heck, I when I was 18 I would have disagreed with that), but now I am speaking from my own experiences.  Going off to college when you have been at home with the rules and boundaries for 18 years is hard for most people.  It is a what makes a lot of students flunk out and get into trouble.  I was lucky enough to squeeze by in four years and graduate bottom of the class which I can chuckle about now, but this was not a laughing matter when you are not the one paying for your school.  I had the potential to be a top student, but no one was there with me to hold my hand and make me go to class.  I know this is not the case for all students because I know plenty of my friends and peers that graduated with A's and knew exactly what they wanted to do when they graduated, and I raise my glass to them.  I think it just takes others a little bit more time to figure things out.
So here I am, back to school and I can't wait to start!  Now that I have this new respect for what I am doing, I have already started my school career with a 4.0 gpa, I have no intention of getting less than that.  Also, this would not be possible at all without the emotional and financial support of my wonderful husband- always pushing me to do what I want to do and doing whatever it takes to achieve my goals.  For this, I am truly grateful. By the way, Justin will have his Master's degree in October and I am so proud of him!
Well, now that I have written a novel on the subject I will end with this...best of luck to all of you back-to-schooler's and always strive to do your best because it most definitely matters in the long run!! :-)