A little background… (WARNING: long!!!!)

For as far back as I can remember I've wanted my career to involve working with kids in some way or another. From about grade 2 - grade 7 I thought I would be a kindergartner teacher. I loved spending my recess & lunchtime helping out with the special needs kids. Then I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes the summer going into grade 8 & spent 2 weeks in the hospital. Although an extremely traumatic & life changing experience, of which I remember only bits & pieces, it was then that I decided I wanted to move my career choice up a notch & become a pediatrician. I was so set in this goal. I had a love for the hospital that I couldn't explain. I loved having to go back every 3 months for my check ups. So I went back to school that fall & instead of having 3 spares like most of my friends I took all 3 sciences to ensure I could get into University & become a pediatrician after many more years of school. I did well. Well enough to get into University straight from high school. I LOVED University. I had a great time, but also a very stressful time. I tried to do too much at once, I took on too many high demand classes together. My first year, first semester, I had 3 major science classes that along with the 3 hours of class a week also had 3 hour labs. I was always at school & when I wasn't I was at home studying. If I could talk to my younger self, I would have said ‘take your time, there is no rush’. But alas I jumped in head first. My next semester was more of the same... I subsequently took less courses each semester following my first year, but I'd already dug myself into a hole. My gpa was something to be desired & I knew the demands of being accepted into medicine were competitive. I was no competition. I was volunteering in pediatrics at the U of A hospital at this time & was starting to have my doubts about what I was going towards with my schooling, not because I didn't want to work with kids anymore or that I didn't want to work in a hospital, I just knew I didn't want to be a doctor, as I witnessed how little time they actually spend with patients. The summer after my 4th year I got a good paying job that has nothing to do with kids or hospitals & that's where I've been ever since. I never went back to school to finish my degree because I no longer wanted to be a pediatrician & I was stuck with 4 years of school debt to pay off. I have enjoyed my break from school & making good money the past few years. But I still know I want to be working with kids & I still have a strong pull towards hospitals. I want to do something meaningful. I know now that I want to be a RN, more specifically I would like to work in a NICU, but I’m getting ahead of myself. First I need to get through 4 more years of school. The past few years while still working full time, I have been upgrading to get the marks needed to get into the BSN program & now that all is said & done. I GOT ACCEPTED INTO NUSING & AM STARTING ON SEPTEMBER 6!!!! One great benefit of having 4 years of Uni already is that many of my science courses I took will go towards electives throughout my 4 years of Nursing, so my course load will be slightly less intense. I'm very excited to get started on this next chapter of my life.

I'm feeling very positive about my future. :)