My Grandma Goes To School Just Like I Do
Natalie Warren
English 121 English Composition
Instructor: Kathy Conner
April 18, 2011

I hope that by the time you finish reading my paper; you will know why this old grandma decided to go back to school. On my birthday, Oct. 8, 2010, I woke up that morning and decided that I was going back to school. I had toyed around with the idea for a long time, but was never really serious enough to do anything about it. I thought I was too old. I also thought that I never would be able to afford it, but I met someone that was as nearly as old as I am, and she had gone back 2 years ago. She convinced me to check out financial help, and how she was doing it. I toyed around with it for a while, and then I just woke up that morning and decided that what I wanted to do. After I had told every one of my intentions, my little granddaughter was overheard telling one her friends that her grandma was going to school just like she was. She also stated “ I did not know that old people had to go to school too. I hope I do not have to go to school when I get old”. So I hope that by the time you finish reading this paper, you will know what made this old grandma want back to school. After that, I started researching schools, and I finally went back to my friend who was in her second year of online college and asked her where she was going. She told me that she was going to Ashford and she really liked it and she could be of great assistance for me if I needed it. So I contacted Ashford and was put into contact with someone who was very nice and very helpful. She either called or e-mailed me nearly every day to see how I was coming along on my papers for enrollment and financial aid. She told me that if I needed her, to call or e-mail and she would be right back into contact with me to help. And she kept her word, she even called to remind log in at least twice a week for attendance. She was wonderful. I started in January; I am in the second week of my third class. And I really feel like I am doing something for myself. Something I have not felt in a long time. If it had not been for her, I honestly do not know what I would be doing today. Now, I had to decide what I wanted to study and do for the rest of my life. Right after high school, I thought I wanted to go into nursing. I attended one year at a junior college for an associate nursing degree. Well after the first year, I got the bug that I wanted to go out with my friends, who were already nurses; I met them where I worked as an aid. I was always shy in high school and did not have a whole lot of friends. I was a bookworm and did not get out much. So this was party time. It was mistake, but we are not all perfect. The worse part about it, was that is has taken me this long to get back to it. I had my family-2 sons, and my youngest is 14-so it was really time to get back and finish. After all it gave me 30 years of life experience to figure out that I did not want to be a nurse. Lots of things have happened over my lifetime, way too much to go into. But those things I went through made me finally figure out what I wanted to do. It led me into psychology, with a health and human services minor, although that could change. I have decided that I want to help people and their families with addictions. The health and human services could help people who are down on their luck with food stamps, Medicaid, and other things to make their lives easier. If not health and human services, I could minor in criminal justice, so I could counsel juveniles and try to stop a lifetime of bad choices and dysfunctional lives. So in conclusion, I feel like this is the right thing for me to do for me and the benefits it would bring my family, even though they are nearly grown. I am excited to get through this and get started with my new life. You know the old saying that you have to put yourself out there to get what you want. So, I am out there and will prove to everyone that I can do it.