7 Different Schools to Graduate

I really don't care who thinks this is a sign of stupidity. It's rough having a brain injury dammit. I freaked out at one school in the parking lot and never made it to the first class, so that doesn't really count does it? 

Seriously though it was an exhausting progression. I started my first college class while I was stationed in Germany, and pregnant with my daughter. Unaware I had PTSD or TBI, etc., I enrolled at University of Maryland and took classes all over the country. Later that year I was kicked out of my house, and arrived back in Massachusetts with baby Kat on Christmas Eve. A few months later, I enrolled in an EMT course and by the end realized it was not a good fit, so enrolled in community college. I struggled with learning the campus, but academically did great until mid-summer semester when my head killed so bad I couldn’t get out of bed or finish my classes. I was so bummed out because I was taking week long intersession courses to get caught up, and now my GPA was suffering because I never even made it to the office to properly withdraw, resulting in failing marks on my record. Trying not to be phased I applied and got into UMass Boston. My momentum soon dissipated as I completely flipped out in what I considered to be an unsafe stairwell leading up to registration. Having just bought a new home, I decided to at least enroll in a couple classes at a nearby junior college, where I excelled and transferred my credits to get my AA.

Ah, now time for a four year school. I started attending a full course load at U Mass Dartmouth and had huge anxiety about my safety at this campus also. The parking lots were set up so you had to walk through a heavy treed area to get back to the parking lot after my night classes. Campus news about the high rape incidents really freaked me out, and I began getting migraines and my PTSD spiked to the point I couldn’t go to class. At the time I had no diagnosis or knowledge of what was going on, and really began to hate myself for failing. I tried again at summer session, but then had my Accounting Professor asking me out and calling me at home, which really stressed me and I dropped all my classes once again. I was working third shift loading trucks for the Teamsters at this time so I could spend time with my daughter during the day, and with little sleep my TBI symptoms escalated.

Mostly, to do better with computer programs at work, over the next few years I took a class here and there and at different community colleges. On the verge of losing my GI Bill (the military scholarship I sacrificed so much for), I decided to go back to school full time and leave my job at the Waldorf School. I just couldn’t stand working for peanuts with little appreciation any more, and really wanted a few letters after my name. Well this didn’t go over well with my husband and he asked for a divorce. I became even more committed to finishing my degree now that my daughter’s relied on me more heavily.

I missed BSU fall applications but enrolled fulltime in courses anyway. During winter break I got a denial letter for admissions, though I was at the top of my classes. After talking with an admissions rep, she stated it was because I dropped out of classes at my last two degree seeking schools, and the only way I could get around that was to go back to one of them and successfully complete a course. So that semester in addition to three classes at BSU I enrolled in a degree program at Massasoit and took a class. It worked and I was now accepted to BSU! I spent one full year at BSU without being a matriculated student, which meant no financial aid, no loans, and all debt on my credit card. I felt I had to do whatever it took, and I did.

After a total of ten years, and several different schools, I completed my Bachelorette in Science in Accounting and Finance, with a concentration in Accounting. Additionally, I managed to be named BSU student of the week at some point. I had so much momentum built up that I took my GMAT without even having taking the suggested classes for the test, passed, and enrolled in Graduate School. Receiving special permission to enroll in more courses than allowed I then finished my Master’s Degree in just one year! Now nineteen years later and just learning of my diagnoses, I can’t believe I did it all without any help from Student Special Services. Going through a divorce, moving a few times, a million physical hurdles including surgery, being a single parent with no family support, hours of commute time each day, and yet I did it amid a long list of insanities that were present in my life at that time!

I now consider going to school to be one of my strong suits. Yes, it’s challenging having a need to always sit in the back corner, yet also having a bit of trouble hearing. The oodles of issues with organization, and just a hard time simply reading, nevertheless, now I can look back and smile. I’ve rewritten my educational history to be a successful story. However, I’m also not ready to stop here!