Cather moved to Lincoln, Nebraska, in 1890 to enroll at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. In her first year, her essay on Thomas Carlyle was published in the "Nebraska State Journal" without her knowledge. After this, she published columns for $1 apiece, saying that seeing her words printed on the page had "a kind of hypnotic effect," pushing her to continue writing. Following this experience, she became a regular contributor to the "Journal". In addition to her work with the local paper, Cather served as the main editor of "The Hesperian", the university's student newspaper, and became a writer for the "Lincoln Courier". While at the university, she learned mathematics from and was befriended by John J. Pershing, who later became General of the Armies and, like Cather, earned a Pulitzer Prize. She changed her plans from studying science to become a physician, instead graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in English in 1895.