Week 10: Degree Engagement

This week in FYE we focused on our majors and what it takes to graduate. An important piece of advice I got this week was to be my own advocate when it comes to planning my future and getting my degree.

Monday

In the beginning of class we talked about Program Maps and Georgia Southern Catalogs. My program map can be found right here (1) under the "Program Links" tab. Dra. Leticia McGrath also shared with us that there were 5000 major changes reported this past year. We then talked about how it is not abnormal to graduate in more than 4 years. Taylor then went on to share that she would not recommend graduating early unless you are not confident in what you want to do with your life. Also, if you are not ready to be an adult with many different responsibilities... why rush?

Then, we each individually filled out a list of values that helped us to figure out what values are most important to us. The five values that I slimed it down to were family, love, faith, purpose, and service. When thinking about what values were most important to me I was mostly thinking about about my current events/ future plans. I did not really focus on my past events. It was not really focused on what I have accomplished and done but what I want to accomplish. Knowing your personal values will help you be successful and an overall more rounded person. The two questions that Dra. Leticia McGrath asked us were:

1. Do your academic decisions follow these values?
2. Do your personal decisions follow these?
3. If people evaluate you do they see those values?

(2)

Wednesday

On Wednesday, we continued our conversation on values. We talked mostly about how our values not only impact our future end goals. We also talked about how our values are used whenever our life does not go as we plan. In our groups we discussed if we have used our five values to help us whenever we do hit a bump in the road. I contributed to the conversation and talked about how at first I was an Exercise Science major and my route was pre med. I was mainly on the pre med route because growing up people always told me that I was smart, therefore I should be a doctor. All the outside influences made me believe that I really wanted to be a doctor, however, once I came to Georgia Southern things began to change. I was no longer surrounded by those influences, so I was able to really evaluate what I really wanted for my life. I began using my values to help me come to that decision. One of my five values is faith. Personally, I realized that it is not about what I want for my life (or anyone else for that matter), but I realized that what God has planned for my life is so much more extraordinary than anything that I could ever want. Then, I started to think.. okay so what does God want for my life? After much prayer and diving into the Word, I realized that ultimately my purpose is to honor and glorify the Lord. Also, in Psalms 37:4 David talks about how the Lord will give you the desires of your heart. The cool thing about seeking Christ is that as you are running towards Him, your desires and His desires begin to align. It was through all of this that I truly realized that I want to be a mom. I know that you can be a mom and have a career, but my ultimate dream and desire is to have a family. However, in our society today, being a mom is not always encouraged yet, it is something that I truly desire. Therefore, I chose to major in Nursing. Nursing allows me to become either an RN or go up to a NP or even get my doctorate in nursing. Becoming a nurse will allow me to serve others, work towards fulfilling my purpose of glorifying the Lord, allow me to show love to others, have a family, and incorporate my faith into my occupation. However, if a "bump in the road" kind of instance occurs, I am confident that the plan that the Lord has for my life is ultimately greater than myself.

Resources
(1) https://chp.georgiasouthern.edu/nursing/programs/bachelor-of-science/bsn-admissions/
(2) https://www.rencaigroup.com/company-values-dont-let-them-just-be-words-on-your-wall/