Jackson, MS
University of Mississippi Medical Center

Dear High school Sydney, Right now you are thinking to yourself that you need to get out of this state. The outside has to be more exciting than this! And your blood is pumping to your calves and thighs to give you all the energy you need to run and leave your hometown. Slow down there, bucko! Stop and think about potential debt and self fulfillment. I would advise you to really think about what you want out of life, and try to find a career that can best suit that list. Do not pick a major or career path based on what others' expectations are of yourself. Listen to your gut, and listen to your heart. Why am I telling you all of these things? Because I am currently going back to school after I realized that what I really wanted to do is not teach or work in academia for the rest of my life. But I want to be a nurse. I want to work with people. I know you are struggling with the idea of what you should do. Don't worry; you figure it out eventually. Sincerely, Sydney

I wish that I had known better time management and stress management. Nursing school is much harder than high school and more difficult than the prerequisite classes that I had to take to get in. Learning how to best manage my time and try to balance stress while also learning all the material is quite a challenge! I wish I had utilized better time and appropriate stress strategies earlier.

The best thing about University of Mississippi Medical Center is that I am learning nursing at a hospital. Very few nursing programs can claim that you take tests and go to classes at the same location you will participate in clinicals. The fact that I run into other nurses and doctors in the halls and am already in the hospital environment is invaluable.

University of Mississippi is a teaching hospital.

If I could turn back the hands of time and revisit myself as a senior, I would take ample oppurtunity to search all the many avenues for scholarship and grant oppurtunities. I believe as a senior in high school I took finiancial assistance for college lightly because I thought scholarships would fall into place for me because my grades were really good and I excelled in many areas as a student. However, as I entered the real world I discovered everything doesn't come to me with a silver spoon, athough you may truly deserve it. Just because I feel that I've worked hard enough in my own eyes, maybe I should take the extra mile. When you work above and beyond what is needed, then you may recieve more than you felt you had expected. So, as a recent radiology graduate, I have come to learn that everything in life doesn't come easy. Give your all when doing something and search the many avenues before advancing to an new area.

I wish I had known about advancement oppourtunities and scholarships avaiable before attending. Overall I believe the education I recieved was really good, but finances play a major part in how you feel about a school when you feel you've excelled and no scholarships are availaible for people who excel in the school.