Re: Any College 'kids' here?? Share your stories, please!!

[Anonymous]

7 years post secondary right here! I’m finally graduating this year!

I graduated from high school in June 2004. In September 2004 I went back for a “victory lap” (as I like to call it) to gain some credits and bring up some marks *NOTE: I had not been diagnosed with ADHD at this point.*

In September 2005 I went to Niagara College and took their one year Pre-Health Science Program so I could pursue Nursing. When it came time to apply for the Nursing programs I was all psyched to apply for the Nursing degree program but when I discussed this with a academic counselor at Niagara College (a women I had never met before), she told me something that I was offended by but knew was true in my heart…. let’s put it this way, this lady predicted the difficulty that I would have in the degree Nursing Program. As we talked she encouraged me to go the route of RPN, a 2 year diploma program in Nursing, as opposed to the 4 year RN program (I’m bringing this up as it plays a key role in the story later on.) I ended up having a mind opening discussion with this counselor and after we had finished talking I headed back to my dorm and proceeded to change my program choices on my college application from degree Nursing to diploma Nursing. When I shared this with my mother, long story short, she was upset with the counselor for telling me to switch to the diploma program, and basically told me that I’m bright and that I would be able to get through the RN (degree) program no problem. So, there I was, switching my choices yet again . Diploma back to Degree.

Fast forward to September 2006… I was accepted into the Loyalist College/Brock University Collaborative Degree Nursing Program (what a mouth full), which meant that I would spend my first two years at Loyalist College and the last two years at Brock University.

My first two years in the program were okay, and I attribute it to the fact that I was a smaller institution, with smaller class sizes, and a lot more supports. *Again, I still had not been diagnosed with ADHD yet.* 2 years into the program, when I made the transition to Brock University that’s when the proverbial shit hit the fan. Everything came to ahead and I had a mental breakdown. In my third year I was diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder and Anxiety, which I knew was right, but that both were a result of something else.

I continued to press on in my third year but I withdrew from some of my classes and became discouraged and stagnant. Everything seemed to come to a grinding halt. When the new school year started in 2009 (which would have been my 4th and final year), I found I was just going through the motions of life and I was also in denial, but I also knew I didn’t want to feel like this for the rest of my life and I also knew that I was fully capable of being a Nurse… so I had to press on, I had to figure this out, I was not going to give up that easy. I advocated for myself over, and over again, which is hard when you’re depressed but I knew my depression would never be fully resolved unless I found the route of it (besides a chemical imbalance.)

In 2010 I finally sat down with my folks and discussed how I needed an in depth psycho educational exam ( I was 24 at the time and had lived on my own for 4 years at this point…my poor folks were completely in the dark about how bad my situation had actually become) but knew enough to take my plea seriously and I finally got the in depth assessment I had been longing for. The assessment confirmed my suspicion, and as I found out later, my parents’ suspicions as well. I took some time to build my confidence and self-esteem back up and in January 2011, I headed back to Loyalist college to complete the 2 year Diploma Nursing program… and I’m doing awesome!! I take Ciprolex for my Anxiety and Depression and Ritalin for my ADHD and it’s an awesome combination for me and works beautifully. I also talk to an ADHD Life Coach on a weekly basis and I utilize the schools “disability” services.

Because of my experience I find that I’m very self aware and I also feel that it will make me a better Nurse. I’m so proud of the progress I’ve made and how far I’ve come. I’m glad I didn’t give up on my goal of becoming a Nurse, even though it has taken me 7 years. I may have flunked out of University but I certainly did not fail when it came to achieving my goal. In April, I will graduate from the Registered Practical Nursing Program and by the end of this year I will be working as a full fledged Nurse; and I can’t wait!!

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