When I got pregnant I was told to drop out of college – I was hyperventilating
MEET the woman who proved her doubters wrong after realizing her dream of a college degree, despite studying while pregnant and even after becoming a mother.
Briana Merriweather always dreamed of becoming a nurse. It seemed like she would make that dream come true until she suffered a setback at the age of 20 when she found out she was pregnant.
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The now 30-year-old woman initially denied her pregnancy after her period was missed, and waited another month before taking a test after missing a second period.
Briana started to ‘hyperventilate’ on the news and told her boyfriend she was pregnant shortly after the couple moved in together while attending the University of Alabama.
After completing the term and nearing the end of her pregnancy, Briana claims she was strongly discouraged by university staff from applying to the next one phase of nursing education.
She was convinced that she could be a full-time mother and study hard to achieve her career goals. After giving birth to her daughter, she decided to apply for the program.
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During her pregnancy, Briana didn’t tell her mother she was pregnant because she was afraid of her reaction.
But she finally had to announce the news when she was eight months pregnant and due to give birth.
To Briana’s surprise, her mother knew she was pregnant and waited for Briana to tell her. She admitted that it was a weight off her shoulders.
Briana, from Birmingham, Alabama, shares her experience: USsaid: “The nursing program I was in was quite competitive, so I worked hard and school was my main focus.
“Within a few months of moving into this new apartment, I found out I was pregnant. I was in complete denial.
“I didn’t want to believe I was pregnant – I just couldn’t believe it.
“When I finally took the test and it was positive, I literally started hyperventilating and couldn’t stop crying.
“I wasn’t devastated by the idea of having a baby, but because my dream of becoming a nurse was over.
“Once I accepted it all, I stopped talking to my friends and avoided seeing them on campus.”
She says the stress became even greater when she had her counseling session.
“As if I didn’t already feel like my life was over and I would never become a nurse, I went to my counseling meeting and she advised me not to apply to the upper division because it would be extremely difficult to have a child and complete the program.”
After giving birth, she went for it anyway and eventually graduated when her daughter was still a baby.
“The moral of the story is don’t let anyone tell you you can’t do it and you should take the birth control pill,” she said.
In the comments, people shared their experiences and praised Briana for her perseverance.
What options do I have if I don’t want to study at university for a while?
If you find yourself in a situation where you need to be away from university for a while, you have a number of options.
The mental health care organization MIND say: “Every course is different in its approach to taking time off from studying. It may be possible to postpone the course for a while. Or you could possibly repeat a semester or a year.”
Other options you may have include:
- Complete your education part-time
- Have longer deadlines for coursework
- Get more time for exams
- Questions or meetings can take place at a time that suits you best, for example when you have sufficient energy
- Requesting that meetings be held at a specific location, such as near your accommodation or virtually via applications such as Zoom
Someone said, “Consultants are honestly your biggest haters. [grinning emoji].”
“Your testimony will help someone during their TEST [hands up emoji]…thank you!” wrote another.
A third commented: “You showed the advisor, honey. God knew, and you knew, that you could do it!!!”
“I’m so proud you didn’t listen to them!!!” wrote someone else.
A fifth said: “I love this story, congratulations [heart around face emoji].”
