Unit 5 Post

Attending Kaplan University has been a huge change in my life thus far. It started out with an urge to do something different with my life, to change directions. I had started a degree many years ago with a stint at a major university in California, but.....life happened, and got in the way. I quit, vowing it was "just a break." But a year turned into two, then three, and so on. I was in a rut, and didn't know what to do with myself. It took the fact that I was (and still am) in a dead-end job, and that if I wanted any type of meaningful career, then I was going to have to complete my education. After much thought and consideration, I settled on Health Information Technology, because it has major potential and is something that I could see myself doing for a long time, along with whatever else I decided to do in life. I knew I wanted to be in the healthcare field, but I didn't want to be a nurse, and could not go to medical school. I don't have that kind of personality to be that "hands on" with patients, anyway. Going to online classes is very strenuous on my life, but at the same time rewarding in many ways. I get a sense of accomplishment when I complete a course, knowing that I have gained one more step in completing an important goal. I feel better knowing that I will "finish what I started" a long time ago. This time, education means more to me, and I am even more determined to cross that finish line. Online courses are difficult to integrate into my life at this point, because of my work and family obligations, but I am also slowly learning how to juggle things. Sometimes I do screw up and miss an assignment, but I try to turn things in late anyways, instead of cry about it. I have even failed one course, but am retaking it this term, because I am not giving up for anything! I hope to keep a positive attitude most of the time, and turn my failures into learning experiences, even if the same mistake is made more than once. Now that I have a child, it is important for me to set a great example for her to look up to when she feels lost or discouraged. Completing my education and looking to the future for more opportunities is one of the best things I can do to teach her by my example to work hard and never give up on her goals.