I'm All Done

Shortly after we lost Gabriel, I made the decision to go back to school to become an ultrasound tech. If you've known me awhile, you know the first step of this journey took place awhile ago... about 5 years ago when I took my first pre-requisite class. The plan wasn't to take 5 years to finish school, but with life throwing us some curve balls along the way, it took a bit longer than I had expected.

Even though it took me a few years to get to this point, I have finally ended my journey, taking the final step yesterday. Yesterday was the last day of my clinical experience which means I have concluded my education. I can't say it was always easy, but I feel blessed for the experience and proud to have accomplished something in honor of Gabriel.

I wanted to make a difference in the world so that his legacy could live on through me. Though one long journey has come to an end, I know this is really just the beginning. I have a lot more to accomplish and am excited to see what the future holds. I know it won't be easy but I feel confident that this is what I'm meant to do with my life.

A New Semester

It's that time. The spring semester has begun. By some miracle, I was able to once again get into all of the classes I need. I am taking my last 3 prerequisite courses this semester and that means I'll be able to apply for the sonography program this month. Unfortunately, rumor has it that those who have completed all of the prerequisites get priority over those who are still working on them. But, I still get to apply which at least gives me a chance at one of the slots for this year's program.

Though my schedule is pretty intense, it's worth the time and work just to finish my prerequisites and to have a chance at getting into the sonography program this summer. If I don't get accepted this year, I'll have to wait a whole year to apply again which is a pretty substantial delay. So, I'm grateful that I can at least apply and try to get in.

Honestly, I have no idea how good or poor my odds are. I have good grades and the application is G.P.A. based with 4.0 students getting first priority, followed by 3.8 and so on. I have all A's except for one B in English which I took at U.S.C. (Let this be a lesson to those of you who are in school that grades do matter.) So far, everything has fallen into place and I can't help but feel like I am meant to be in this year's program. However, I know that there is no guarantee and that things don't always go according to plan. At this point, all I can do is try and hope for the best.

Please keep your fingers crossed for me!

Fall 2013 School Update

The Fall semester actually began last week but I didn't want to post an update until I had everything figured out. Things were a little crazy and uncertain in the beginning, but I've managed to sort out all the issues and I now have my schedule finalized.

The reason it took me so long to get my class schedule figured out is that this semester there were 2 classes I desperately needed to get into. For those of you who don't know, my goal is to be able to apply to the sonography program next May. In order to apply to the program there are 8 prerequisite classes that I'll need to complete either before or during the next Spring semester. This seems straightforward enough, but it's not quite as easy as it sounds. There are 2 challenges. The first is that I need to complete some of the classes before I'm allowed to register for other ones. The other problem is that there are not enough classes available for all students (thank you California budget). As a continuing student I do get priority registration, but there are still so many other students who get to register before me which makes it very difficult/nearly impossible for me to enroll in the classes I need to take.

So, this semester the 2 classes I was planning to take were Anatomy & Physiology and Survey of Medical Terminology. The reason being that next Spring I have to finish my last 3 prerequisites and yes, you guessed it, I can't move forward without A&P and Medical Terminology. You might be wondering why it's so important that I be able to apply to the sonography program next May. The reason is that my college only accepts applications in May, which means if I don't get in next May, I'll have to wait an entire year for a chance to apply again. Not only will this delay graduation and future career plans by 1 full year, but I won't have any classes to take during that year. I only have 3 prerequisite classes left to take and once those are finished, I'm not sure what I could do while waiting for May to roll around again. Most likely, it's just going to be a gigantic waste of time.

Thanks to my horrible registration appointment date, I started this semester with 0 of the 2 classes I needed. Not the greatest way to begin this very critical semester. But with a little bit of effort, I was able to find a Medical Terminology class at another college which will transfer over. And I lucked out in that it's an online class which means no extra driving or parking pass to worry about. I was also able to get on the wait list for A&P and even though I was certain that I wouldn't get in, I showed up on the first day of class, praying that 6 registered students wouldn't show up, and to my surprise, the teacher came out and announced that there were 7 available spots. I was 6th on the wait list so (miraculously) I got into the class. Needless to say, I was ecstatic!

I'm also take a Health class to fulfill my Physical Education requirement, which is the only G.E. that I have to take. I don't need to take it to get my sonography certificate, but I'll need it if I want an Associates degree. I figured since I have the time this semester I should just take it and get it out of the way in hopes of being accepted into the sonography program next May.

So how are all my classes?

I'm happy to report that they're all going great. This semester is definitely going to be the most challenging one so far, but somehow my schedule worked out perfectly. I have Health on Mondays and Wednesdays and A&P on Tuesdays and Thursdays and Medical Terminology is online so I think it's going to become my weekend class. Health is my easiest class and my teacher is really funny and makes the class interesting and exciting. I'm not exactly sure how Medical Terminology will be. So far, it seems like a lot of memorization but there's a lot of terms that I already know which makes me think it won't be as hard as I originally thought. Anatomy is going to be my most time-consuming class. There is a lot of information to memorize and learn and there's really no way to get around this. Even though it's going to be a lot of work to keep up and do well, I'm excited and extremely grateful to be in the class.

I know that I'm so lucky and blessed to be in school and to be taking the classes I need. I'm one step closer to accomplishing my goal but at the same time I can't help but feel like there is so much more that needs to be done. I still have to complete these classes with good grades and I'll need to get into all 3 of the remaining prerequisite classes next semester, and then I'll need to go through the application process. And all that only gives me a chance of getting into the sonography program, which itself only gives me a chance of having a career as an ultrasound technician.

It's hard knowing there are no guarantees. All I can do is work hard, pursue my dreams as best I can, and trust that God has a great plan for me. In the end, I just hope this journey is a happy and fulfilling one. And that no matter how long it takes me, when it's over, I hope everything I've learned and all the challenges I've overcome along the way will have made me the person who I wanted to become when I first started out.

Summer School

I've got some good news and bad news. The good news is that I survived my first week of summer school. The bad news is that I'm not completely sure I'm going to make it through the second week. 

Earlier this week, I had planned to write this beautifully inspired post about how much I've learned this past week and how fascinating my classes are and how great school is going, but honestly with the current state of my brain, that's not going to happen today. I'm tired from studying, I'm tired from classes, I'm tired from reading, and I'm tired from just thinking about another week of studying, classes and reading. 

So, I'll just say this. Summer school is intense. I'm taking Human Biology (a.k.a. Too Much Information To Absorb) and Psychology (a.k.a. Harder Than I Expected). Both classes are demanding, in that they need to cram a semester's worth of knowledge into just four weeks. That's not to say that I'm not enjoying them, because despite the lack of sleep and late night blurry vision, I'm finding both classes to be extremely interesting. Human Biology might actually be the most fascinating class I've ever taken. I really recommend this class to anyone, no matter what your career is or how old you are. Just don't take it during the summer, when you only have four weeks to learn EVERYTHING about the human body starting at the molecular level and working quickly through all eleven of the organ systems. 

With that said, I have to go study now. If I want to sleep at all this week, I need to make the most of my weekend and get ahead, or in the case of Psychology, rush to turn in my assignments on time. I imagine that one day in the future, I'll actually have the time and brain function necessary to write a proper update on school. Until then, I'll leave you with this little tidbit of information... The outer layer of skin, also called the epidermis, is comprised of stratified squamous epithelial tissue. I know that probably doesn't interest you now, but if you ever take Human Biology, trust me, you'll thank me then.  

The First Step

I've really really really been meaning to post an update on how school is going so far.

Yesterday, the teacher said something about it being the 5th week of classes already and my first thought was that I haven't blogged about school yet.

For those of you who are new here, I've decided to go back to school to become a sonographer in Gabriel's memory.

Things were a little bumpy and confusing at first, but I think I've mostly got it figured out now. I'm taking my first class (Computers) and so far, it's going well. It's pretty (I mean extremely) easy, the teacher is nice and I'm not the oldest student :)

On March 21st (would greatly appreciate some reminders closer to the date), I have to attend an information workshop to learn more about the requirements of the Diagnostic Sonography major. Hopefully, all unanswered questions will be answered and I'll be able to plan out the remainder of my classes. Yay!

Starting school was one of my goals for 2013. I'm so happy (and relieved) to have taken this first step. I'm starting to realize that this is something I can actually do and that if I just keep moving forward, it won't even be that difficult. My only regret is that I wish I had thought of this sooner (and by sooner I mean 10 years ago), but then again, another part of me feels like the timing is just right. I need to do this to heal. I need to do this to keep Gabriel alive. I need to do this so that I'm doing something. I need to feel like I'm living life to the fullest, that I'm pursuing dreams, that I'm not letting his death constantly overshadow his life. I need to keep setting goals and reaching them, no matter how small or big they are.

Because I do want to change. And I do want to grow. I want to be a better person and that doesn't just miraculously happen overnight. Self-improvement take years of reaching goals, completing tasks, changing habits, breaking down barriers, and abandoning comfort zones. I'll never be the person who I want to be if I just keep complaining, feeling sorry for myself, dwelling on what I don't have, and envying others for what they do have.

I have to say that it fills me with peace and tremendous hope to envision my life in 5 years. I've had a lot of 5-year plans, but this is one that I'm going to stick to. Day by day, class by class, step by step. This is something I know I can and will accomplish.

Lastly, I'd just like to thank everyone who has supported my dream by ordering a photograph at the Sacred Seashore or by sharing it with others. I can't express how grateful I am for your love and support. Without you, this dream wouldn't and couldn't be quite as meaningful.

This Little Dream of Mine

Today I registered for my first class.

Since I'm a new student, I think my registration date was towards the end, so there weren't a lot of classes available. I'm also unsure of exactly which classes I should be taking and in which order, so in January, I will need to schedule a meeting with a counselor to get more information. But since today was my registration date and classes fill up quickly, I had to sign up for something.

So...

The only class I was able to register for was Computer Systems, which seems like it will be easy enough and I suppose it is relevant to my major (Diagnostic Medial Sonography). Even if it's boring, it's a requirement, and at least now I'll be able to get it out of the way early on. I'm also wait-listed for Biology which I'm praying I get into... I really need that class. It's a pre-requisite for several other classes that I would like to take in the Fall. Just in case I don't get into Biology, I also wait-listed for Human Communication which sounds awful, but again it's required and I may as well try to get it out of the way now. I'd hate to just take one class, so let's all cross our fingers that someone decides to drop Biology (and that they decide to remove Human Communication from the list of required classes).

I am really excited and even a little relieved to have started this process...at least to have gotten the ball rolling to making this little dream of mine slowly become a reality. I know there's a very long road ahead of me and I will have to dedicate the majority of the next 2-3 years to classes and studying, but for now I'm just going to take a deep breath and focus on taking it one day at a a time. I will have plenty of opportunities in the future to feel completely overwhelmed and freak out. Today is all about realizing that dreams only come true if you're willing to do what it takes to work for them. It's not going to be easy, but I really want this and I'm truly looking forward to all that this experience forces out of me.

This little dream of mine is inspired by Gabriel and I shall carry him in my heart every step of the way.

It officially begins February 4, 2013!

I hope you're all looking forward to reading stories about my Computer Systems class :)