The past few weeks have been a whirlwind. Like … you have no idea.

• First, I thought I was gonna be starting school in the Spring but then I found out that I could start this fall. So I got enrolled in College Algebra because it was a prereq for MTSU’s nursing school. Freaked out about the cost of a TI-84 calculator and the textbook because I somehow forgot how expensive school is.
• Second, I attended an informational Zoom meeting with someone from the nursing program that left me feeling discouraged because admission into upper division nursing was based solely on GPA and prereq grades*. I’m not worried about the latter, but the former? I was a dumb teenager the first two years of college and made a lot of mistakes (example: I failed aerobic dance. Failed. Because I was foolish and scheduled an 08:00 aerobics class and only went twice (I ended up repeating it during the summer of 2003 and getting an A because I actually attended). And so my work ethic, job experience, and passion mean absolutely nothing because there’s no way I will bring my GPA even close to 3.5.
• Third, I applied and got accepted into Marian University’s pre-nursing program, in which I would graduate in September 2022 instead of December of 2023 like I would if I went to MTSU. Even got awarded decent financial aid!
• Fourth, I dropped out of algebra (waiting on the refund check). I am very relieved about this, mainly because of the cost of that damn calculator.
• Fifth, I registered for two classes (chemistry and developmental psychology) out of the four I have to have completed in order to start actual nursing school in May 2021.

The second thru fifth literally all happened over the last nine days. It’s been exhausting. But I’m enthused beyond belief. It’s transformed from this ambiguous concept and into a reality that simultaneously terrifies me and motivates me. My life is going to be overwhelming, to say the least – especially since I’m still going to be writing, maintaining this blog, and working on a couple other artistic projects – but I am determined to make the next two years the best of my life.

* This is a terrible way to admit students into nursing school. There are plenty of people who may not have the GPA, test well, etc., that would make much better nurses than people with a 4.0.