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There have been many experiences in my life where I feel like I’ve gotten an education. Obviously in University and then in my Master’s degree. But also outside of the ivory tower. Forexample in the four years between high school and college I joined a no defunct NGO and travel the world providing free conversational English classes for students.

This was an awesome choice by me, even though my parents were less then enthuised…but if they were not going to support me then they also couldn’t tell me what to do. At least that was my twenty year-old reasoning. So off I went to France, Thailand, China and Bosnia. Picture this a small-town girl from the Prairies at the tender age of eighteen traveling and living in France THEN in Thailand. Then more travels, such privilege and honor. That was an education and one I’m not likely to forget.

But there was a period of time after my studies that I was not expecting to be so hard. And that was parenthood. Which for me was unexpected because by that time I was a bit older, accomplished and overall a independent person. But parenthood slapped me upside the face and sat my arrogant ass down and gave me (and is still giving me!) lesson after lesson.

I think it first starts off the restructuring of your brain while you’re pregnant. Pregnant brains literally shrink. So quickly after conception I felt like I became dumb. And luckily that continued until birth and afterward /s

I really should have known that caring for a newborn was going to suck, but nowhere on my radar was there any information about it. Hollywood let me down. Netflix too. Newborns are trickly because they’ll all over the place. But some of them can my like mine was, and absolutely refused to be put down and also mine is/was extremely sensitive. Needless to say there was no chill at all at home with a newborn. Which was unexpected.

I should have looked into postpartum care more, or even childbirth classes like this site offers. I was completely over my head and it was not a fun time. Coupled with the fact that overnight I became a primary caregiver to an extremely small human. I was not prepared. Even three years later it finally seems like I’m coming out of a haze and still don’t have my feet solidly on the ground.

But yeah, during that time I was no good for exact names/dates/etc. but I could tell you exactly how many bowel movements my little one had and their consistency. Even now I can exactly recall how my lo slept and ate. But specific words in specific circumstances? Nope.

So dear readers, if you want to have a baby for god’s sake get educated about the process. Find a childbirth education class, better yet get yourself a birth and postpartum doula. You’ll thank me later.

Hello everyone! My name is Kaitlyn Lauren Collins and this blog will be about my experience at College and beyond!

I was super toked to be beginning my studies when I did.  I’ve had a bit of a different life than most folks, much to my parents chagrin I did not attend college right out of high school. Trust me my mother was pissed when she realized that I am not college bound.

And you know what really sucked? They completely pulled all sort of support from me. Are they going to help me pay for things? Nope. Fine I said. I’ve been working ever since I was 14.5 years old, mainly because my parents don’t have a lot of money, which is okay. But mainly too because I was really involved in sports in high school and I absolutely needed new shoes for every season. Do you know the price of basketball shoes now? You absolutely cannot get a good pair with out going over 145$ maybe a bit less if you can find some on sale… but I digress. I started working in a print shop doing Bindery the year I turned 14. I mostly made sure that the materials were properly assembled and ready for distribution. It was mind-numbingly boring, and it paid only minimum wage. But I was able to get the shoes for basketball and the tennis racket that I wanted that fall.

At the beginning of my senior year I told my parents that I wasn’t going to college. Which should not have been that much of a surprise, I was not that good of a student. They flipped. My dad told me that when/if I ever were to go to school that he would not pay for it…I was like that was on the table?? I did not expect help from them for school at all.

Anyways, since they were not behind my plans, I needed to get a job stat. I decided to forgo the last season of track and field, and I got a job at McDonalds. I was thrilled. The pay was slightly better than the print shop I started at, but by 17 I was used to working albeit in the summertime. So, I got right to work and for more than half the school year I worked at Micky Dees to pay for my plans after graduation.

Long story short I took off four years after my graduating high school to go to college. And let me tell you, I’m so glad that I did. I feel like at age 17/18 I was still a child but by 22? I knew what I wanted to do and then I went out and did it. Also, the parental support being taken away was pivotal, because I know now that I can do what I set my mind to. I’ll give you a spoiler… after my initial studies I was accepted into Harvard for my masters. So, take heart if you are a young person and you want to put off higher education, you can still go back and succeed.