As I am writing this blog post, I am overjoyed and also very emotional. I just finished my 6th semester in college and received my unofficial final grades. If you have read my previous blog posts or you have heard me talk about college, you will know that college has been more than difficult for me. My first semester, I was dealing with all the issues with my Dysautonomia (here) and had a difficult time in my classes. I ended that first semester with a GPA that I am not proud of by any means, but I also think it shows how awful my health was and how far I have come. (Here is the blog post after my first year in college.) Over the past 6 semesters, I have had my fair share of people telling me I am doing everything all wrong. I have had countless advisors, professors, and friends tell me that I am not making the right decisions. I started out my first semester taking NINETEEN hours. I was told to do so by my advisor, and I feel he was irresponsible and did not take his students seriously. He just wanted to get us in and get us out as fast as he could. For a student like me, that did not go over well and I am so glad I do not have him anymore. I started out a Psychology major and once I took my first Upper Division course,Thinking and Cognitive Processes. This course was beyond hard and way over my head. I realized that Psychology probably was not the best route for me to go.
The Spring 2015 semester, I was not in school. While I was away that semester, I had quite a bit of changes happening in my life. I moved back home, worked part time, and tried to find what I wanted to do considering school. I wrote this blog post about the pressure high school seniors have to go to college and to get a degree. I was realizing that college may not be for everyone, including me. At this time, I was deciding if I wanted to go back to Memphis, try and get a full time job or go to Real Estate school, and taking care of my health. A few months later, I decided to go back to Memphis (here) and I am so glad I made that decision.
That next semester, I decided to go back part time. I took 3 classes that were only on Tuesday's and Thursdays. I was there from 9:20-2:05 with no breaks in between. I was still going to school but I had lots of time to focus on health and taking care of my body. I believe that it has played a huge role in my well being and I am getting so much better every day. My grades were finally starting to get better with this new schedule so I continued to go Tuesday and Thursday with only 3 classes.
College has been so far from easy for me but I am so happy where I am and I am so proud of myself because I MADE STRAIGHT A'S THIS SEMESTER! I am so so so proud of myself and I just want to encourage you to never let anyone tell you what you are not capable of. You are you and no one knows you better than you know yourself. I have had to gather up my emotions and hurt feelings when I have been told that "You are not going to graduate on time" or "you know you have to take at least 12 hours to be considered full time.." I know all of these things but I also know myself and I have found what works for me and what doesn't. I know what school load my body can handle and when I need to cut it off. I want to thank everyone who has helped me and encouraged me to keep going and to not give up on myself. My parents, my family, my best friend, Sara, and a few others who mean so much to me, have pushed me to keep going and to try my very hardest.
If you are having a hard time, keep going, push yourself to what you know you are capable of. You can do it, if I can get straight A's, you can do it too!! I have faith in you :)
Thank you again to everyone who has encouraged me all along the way, I could not have done it without you!!!!
-Steph
