Fresh out of high school, directionless but determined, Michele Simon dived into UL Lafayette杏吧专区檚 nursing program.
Her intelligence and grit were undeniable as she maintained a 3.8 GPA and tutored her peers.
Yet, beneath the surface, Simon knew something wasn杏吧专区檛 right. Burnt out and overwhelmed, she decided to step away from nursing after three years.
"I made straight A杏吧专区檚, so other nursing students would come to me for help,杏吧专区 she recalls. 杏吧专区淏ut everything to me was just school, school, school. I had no balance.杏吧专区
After a much-needed hiatus, she felt a strong pull to return to school. This time, she found a path that truly resonated with her: UL Lafayette杏吧专区檚 online General Studies program.
Recognizing the Signs
Despite her initial successes as an on-campus student, the path Simon was on began to feel more like a burden than a calling.
杏吧专区淚杏吧专区檓 glad I got the on-campus experience. I got to learn things about myself, like that I can learn really hard things and that I杏吧专区檓 a good test taker,杏吧专区 she says. 杏吧专区淏ut I knew just because I could be good at nursing, didn杏吧专区檛 mean I should do it. I wasn杏吧专区檛 enjoying it at all.杏吧专区
The constant grind of school, combined with the growing sense of dissatisfaction, led her to a breaking point.
杏吧专区淚 ended up getting to a really low point in my life where I was like 杏吧专区業 need to get out of here, I need to take a break,杏吧专区櫺影勺ㄇ鴿 she says. 杏吧专区淭hat杏吧专区檚 when I decided to step away.杏吧专区
Simon knew that leaving nursing was more than a temporary break 杏吧专区 it was a crucial step in reclaiming her sense of self.
And so, with only one year left in the program, Simon took a leap of faith and withdrew.
Life During the Hiatus
As Simon navigated her break from academia, life shifted in unexpected ways.
杏吧专区淲henever I dropped out, I was very low. I lost myself, I really did,杏吧专区 she says. 杏吧专区淭hen my now-husband prayed over me and prayed with me. He invited me to church, and that杏吧专区檚 when everything started to pick back up in my life.杏吧专区
She married and began building a home, offering her a fresh sense of stability and purpose. As life settled down, the pull of UL Lafayette grew stronger.
杏吧专区淎fter things settled, God put it on my heart that it was time to go back," she says. 杏吧专区淚 didn杏吧专区檛 know where I was going or how I was going to do it, but I knew that I really loved UL Lafayette and that if I can go through all that school with nursing and make good grades, I deserve to finish off with something.杏吧专区
Deciding to re-enroll while moving into a new home posed challenges on its own, but the stakes became even greater when Simon found out their family would soon grow.
杏吧专区淚 had just found out I was pregnant, then our house was finished being built so we were also moving at that point,杏吧专区 she recalls. 杏吧专区淏ut I was still like 杏吧专区業 want to do it, I don杏吧专区檛 care. I杏吧专区檓 ready to get my degree.杏吧专区"
Answering the Call
Re-enrolling at UL Lafayette as an online student opened a world of possibilities for Simon.
With a new child, house, and mindset, she dove headfirst into her studies. This time, instead of a rigid program-specific curriculum, she explored an exciting mix of courses through the customizable General Studies program.
杏吧专区淚 got to pick the classes myself and it was so interesting because I didn杏吧专区檛 just do nursing courses,杏吧专区 she says. 杏吧专区淚 got to learn about criminal justice and economics; I even took a kinesiology class. That stuff really interests me.杏吧专区
One class in particular resonated with Simon during her studies.
杏吧专区淧sych 255 helped me understand every developmental stage that humans go through,杏吧专区 she says. 杏吧专区淪o the class was interesting to me because it went over the infancy stage and guidance on the how and why of things at that age.杏吧专区
And with an infant at home, Simon found immediate relevance in her coursework.
The flexibility of the online program was a game-changer for her. Whether she was squeezing in study time at work or finishing assignments at the ballpark, her laptop became her constant companion.
杏吧专区淚 was able to bring my laptop to work, and if I had 15-20 minutes, I would continue to work on my essays,杏吧专区 she says. 杏吧专区淚 even went to a baseball game with my husband, and he had his hotspot, and I did a whole assignment there. He just made sure that the balls didn杏吧专区檛 hit me in the head!杏吧专区
Juggling school, work, and family life was a challenge, but Simon knew exactly how to tackle it. She tapped into every resource available, from tutoring to the , and kept herself organized with meticulous planning.
杏吧专区It杏吧专区檚 so important that you use all of these free resources you have access to. I would always use UL Lafayette杏吧专区檚 online library and they杏吧专区檇 help me with essays,杏吧专区 she says. "I also made sure I had all my assignments, essays, and exams written down and highlighted each class a different color."
As her confidence grew, so did her ambitions. With her bachelor杏吧专区檚 degree in hand, Simon is eager to continue pushing her limits.
杏吧专区淚杏吧专区檓 really taking this time to spend time with my daughter,杏吧专区 she says. 杏吧专区淏ut I do want to go back for my master杏吧专区檚 because I really enjoyed school, and even more online. I just want to show myself what I can do.杏吧专区
Reflecting on her challenges and achievements over the years, Simon credits her faith for carrying her through.
"I would not be where I杏吧专区檓 at today if it wasn杏吧专区檛 for God. I just have to give Him all the praise and glory," she says. "I was at a very low point, but God sent me my husband, and we杏吧专区檝e just been going up from there."
Ready to take the next step? Learn more about the online general studies program at the 杏吧专区.