I’ve learned a great deal during my journey to obtain my baccalaureate degree at New York City College of Technology. I entered the program as a registered nurse with no experience. I was a very quiet and introverted person. I really disliked group work assignments and every class had some form of group work involved. I also really didn’t have good presentation skills. I dreaded the days that I had to present an assignment. I remember telling myself during the first semester “I am not learning anything that I don’t already know.”

As the semesters passed my perspectives about the program started to change. I started to collaborate much better with my fellow classmates. I was still a bit quiet but I spoke more often and started making friends. I’m not as introverted as before and not afraid to speak up. During my last semester I started to become conscious of something else, I actually enjoyed group work. The ability to work with others and share ideas is challenging but there is so much to learn from others. Everyone has a different style of writing, a different thought, and a different input. I even felt very comfortable speaking in class. I was told by a professor after one of my presentations “For a quiet girl you actually spoke the clearest, loudest and maintained great eye contact.”  I was so happy because at that moment I noticed that the nursing baccalaureate program helped me gain confidence in myself. The baccalaureate program also helped me become more aware of my surroundings. I learned a great deal of my community and I have been living here for over 10 years. It’s shocking how ignorant one can be and what a difference it can make to pay attention.

The nursing baccalaureate program in New York City College of Technology showed me the skills I will need in the nursing field. I learned valuable attributes like communication, listening, collaboration, presentation, and leadership skills. Coming into the program I was ignorant and reclusive. Today I am a confident registered nurse and believe that I will make a difference anywhere I go. I even got my first work experience as a Flu Shot Nurse and thanks to City tech I was very confident in my work.