Going back to school on-line

Arlyne22 — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 19:13:00 GMT

'beverly' on November 14, 2007 said:

Hi Arlyne,
Your story is very inspiring. It makes me feel like I can accomplish more for myself. I work fulltime as a Registered Nurse and have 2 young children 4 and 7 year olds. How does it work out for you going to school and raising the kids? I would like to go back to school to get my Bachelors so I can become a Forensics Nurse but it seems very hard since I am also a Nurse Manager 5 days a week.

Beverly,

Sounds like you already manage your time with two children and a job as an R.N. Thank you very much for the compliment. What has me reaching for that degree is making a better life for my family.I enrolled in Axia April 2005. I will get my AA in March 2008. Time flew fast. I would totally reccomend distant learning espeacilly if you have children, a job and a house to take of. The busy homework days are Sunday's so I make sure I can get my homework done. My husband helps out with watching the children on Sundays and especially on Final week. Classes are 9 weeks long and they do fly by quickly.

You get a lot of support from you academic counslor and make quite a few friends from all over the United States and beyond. Your instructor helps you when needed and after turning in your homework and recieving the instructors feedback makes you proud of your work. I have made friends all over and we even help eachother out with problems we do not understand. I enjoy being back in school, I never thought in a million years I could earn a degree and now I am going to continue and reach for a Masters. Forensic Nursing sound interesting.

What is your hold up now in pursuing that degree? Is it managing your time? Scared? Finances? You have already completed your R.N. so going back to school will be a breeze for you. What field in nursing are you in today? Do you know which school you would want to attend? Checking out schools is your first step and that is the hardest step. I love going to school and how it has wakened my brain. I have an answer for a to all the questions I have asked you. Are you interested?

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eLearners Welcomes Its Newest Blogger - Arlyne!

Victoria — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 15:12:00 GMT

eLearners.com would like to welcome its newest blogger, Arlyne. Arlyne recently wrote an essay about her online education experience, that she has agreed to share with the community. A resident of southern California, Arlyne is currently earning her degree from Axia College of University of Phoenix. Welcome, Arlyne!!

I have worked since I was 14 years old to help my parents with eight children. I am the third from the oldest and felt it was my job to always help. At 18 I married my high school boyfriend just to get away from always having to help with my brothers and sisters. I found out getting married I had more responsibilities. Now I had to work, hard work (working in the fields-Migrant work), pay bills, learn how to drive, make dinner, clean house and help my new mother in law with her chores since now we live with his family. After a year in a half and working all different season, from picking grapes, peaches, berries, watermelons, and tying vines for the new grape crops, I went home, and of course got a divorce. I got a real job working at McDonalds, were I became crew leader. I decided to take a course and become a C.N.A. (certified nurse assist). I worked in Convalesant hospitals for two years. I re-married what I thought was my soul mate. He went back to school to become a dentist while I paid for his schooling for the first three years.

My mother had a stroke so my husband and I moved in to help my father care for my mother. I still working taking care of my parents and know my second husband, I felt over whelmed but it also felt rewarding that I could take care of my parents and a husband. Thank God we had no children, we did have a doggie named Jordan. Well, after being with my second husband for seven years he decided to tell me he had been seeing a girl he was tutoring in Calculus, That make seven affairs out of the 11 years we had actually been together. I asked him to leave with a good luck kick in his butt!! He did marry that affair and had and affair with on his new wife. We did become friends after all that. My mom did give me a forgiving heart. I met Eric he asked me to move in with him and when I told my parents, my father words were "All your brothers and sisters are married with kids, Arlyne. And you’re not getting any younger". On that note I walked outside to take a breather and think. 20 minutes later when I walked in the house my mother and father had packed my bags. I guess at 30 it was time for me to fly.

I moved in with Eric and became an Administrative Assistant for a company in Newport Beach, CA. I loved that job. I worked long hours and never complained. In November 1999 Eric and I found out we were pregnant! Pregnant at 35?! I was told by a Dr. in 1988 I could not have children, so this was truly a miracle. Eric and I married when I was 3 months pregnant. I wore a beautiful WHITE dress and White Tennis shoes and I had a belly. It was very merry Cheech and Chong kind of wedding. Now, I needed to tell my boss at the job I loved, I was pregnant. I did and he was happy for me. I worked until the day before I gave birth to our son Alex. Eric thought I should stay home and raise him, but part of me wanted to work. I had a great job with bad pay and I was headed up to becoming an Assistant Manager. I went and told my boss I needed to quit. He would not take my resignation and said "Come in at 7am and work for about 2-3 hours and then you could leave. I did better. I [prepared milk] for Alex and left to work at 4 am-11:30am. Get home at 12pm and then Eric would leave to work he started at 12:30pm.

It was all perfect, until… My boss asked when I was coming back full time, Alex was 15 months now and my boss had big plans for me. On 9/11 I found out I was pregnant again!!! We were now buying a house that would be a distance away and I knew I could not return back to work. My boss did not want to take my resignation and said "Come back when you are ready whether it is 1, 4,10 years aways you can always come back". My Babies, Eric my Family needed me. My Mother had another stroke that took her from us at the age of 65 on Dec 31, 2003 at 6:03am. I was by her side until she flatline and I was the only child out of 8 that stayed by her side that day. 1 year passed and I decided to get a part time job. I felt like something was missing. I got a job working weekends as a Caregiver in a retirement home for Alzheimer/Dementia residents. I think my mothers passing trained me to do this work because of the loss that goes with the job. I did that job for 6 months. My son got pneumonia and he needed me. 2 years pass now Alex is going into Kindergarten and my daughter was getting ready to start Pre-Kinder.

I felt I needed to do something with my life. I wanted to go back to school and get a degree to be able to manage a clinic or hospital or even direct a retirement home. I found Axia College of University of Phoenix Online. I spoke to an enrollment counselor who gave me all information needed to make my decision to attend school. I started April 2006. I will have my Associate in March 2008 and I have decided to work on my BA in Human Service/Management. I will then continue to my Masters in Healthcare Management and maybe even continue for my Doctorate. I am now 42 years old and have a wonderful Goal in my Life. My GPA is 3.8 and the only classes I got a "C" in were Algebra. I never liked school and now I can not live without it. Online course have made it possible for me to return and continue my education with that reward of a degree at the end of the ride. Now, I need to focus on getting a great job to pay back my loans.

Alex is now a 2nd grader and Erica is in Kindergarten, and I have 4 hours a day to work on homework. The kids see how mommy takes her school serious and they now take their homework serious. I love it. I would recommend distant learning to any mother or father needing to take care of their family and wanting to future her education. The best thing is my Husband and family supports me 120%, and I will have my first degree in 5 months to show my accomplishment. Bring it on U.O.P. I am more then ready.

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My Axia College Experience : About Me

Going back to school on-line

eLearners Welcomes Its Newest Blogger - Arlyne!