ARGH!!!!!

In my last post I was stressing over how I wanted to handle my Stats 1 & 2 classes. By the end of the weekend, I had decided to do the weekend college accelerated classes and just get them out of the way. I was waiting to talk to my math instructor. I wanted his opinion on the courses and any feedback he may have had on the instructor.

Unfortunately, this add'l information just threw me back into complete confusion. Stats is going to be harder than I first anticipated. I don't think so much in the applictaion of the math, but in the theory and analysis behind the math. Now I am back to my original dilemna of just taking it in the normal 15 week class, three hours one night a week, or doing it in the four hours on a Saturday in ten weeks. Either way it is going to be alot of work and stress. If I only take one additional class in the Fall for the normal semester, I may actually be able to handle the workload. And I would really like to be able to cross the two courses off my list.

The biggest question, and the one I always stumble over, is "Will I be able to take the courses as I am planning and succeed with the grade I want"? Successful completion of the course, with preferrably an A but no less than a B, is of optimum importance to me. I am giving myself one more week to make a decision. By next weekend I will have my fall schedule decided.

Decisions, decisions, decisions

I can't believe it is time to decide on fall courses. The spring semester is barely over and already registration for the fall is filling up. I need to take my Stats 1 and 2 classes, but I am having trouble deciding if I want to do it in two, ten week, Saturday classes and be finished by mid February or take one each semester for the normal 15 weeks. If I do the Saturday classes, I could then take an add'l course in the fall on Monday or Tuesday night (or possibly take a course each night if they are not to intense) and then two night classes in the spring. The up side is this would complete an add'l course between the two semesters and get me that much closer to my degree. The down side is whether I want to put that much stress on myself, especially as it is my daughters senior year in High School. I know there will be many activities, including college visits, that will require time.

Fortunately, I have a small bit of time before the decision has to be made. And I know, once I make up my mind there will be no holding back.

Wish me luck.

Support and encouragement

For weeks I have been sharing my challenges associated with going back to school. I have tried to offer advice, as I have been faced with various situations, give guidance on where to look for classes and offer ideas and suggestions on how to choose courses.

The one thing that I have failed to mention, and is the most important factor, at least for me, that has kept me going through the challenge of returning to school, is the love and support of "T", my life partner.

Without his support, his understanding (especially when homework needs to be completed and plans have to be cancelled to study for a test) his encouragement, his ear when I am frustrated or worried about a test, his extreme patience when I express my self doubt and inability (quite vocally) to complete something with a good grade, and then wind up pulling out the A, I would not still be continuing on towards my degree.


"T" is my greatest supporter. He encourages me at every turn. He has confidence in my abilities and reminds me at every opportunity that I can accomplish everything I put my mind to.

This post is dedicated to him. My life, my world, my love - Thank you!!

Online versus Classroom

Computer vs Classroom





Well, I have my first experience with an online course. Actually, it is an on-line/classroom hybrid. Classroom attendance is not mandatory but participation online through Blackboard is.

I have to admit, I like the classroom learning experience better. I am finding it difficult to gather the energy to go to class. Maybe because it is on a Friday night and after a full work week and two night classes, I am just beat. The class itself is very interesting and the material is presented with a new insight into food and how different cultures affect the way we eat.

I think I will stick to classroom classes. I am not saying that online is bad, just for me I need that interaction with the instructor and other students.

Good luck in your quest to find what works best for you.

Cutting Class

Cutting class is an event every student looks forward to doing. I have to admit, I never did it when I was younger. I was always afraid of getting caught, either by school officials or my mom.

Well, I have joined the thousands of class cutters out there. I blew off my Friday night class this week. I had a family emergency earlier in the week which led to an emotional roller coaster, work was extremly busy and the 61 grown up "kids" I work with all decided to through a tantrum at various times. I was exhausted and just didn't feel like driving up to school. Luckily the class is an on-line/classroom course and attendance at every in-class meeting is not mandatory. Still, I wonder what I missed with questions and answers being exchanged. I know I missed the expanation of next weeks homework, which is a two to three page paper. The writing isn't a problem, it is the research I am afraid of.

Oh well! I guess the saying "crime never pays" is really true.

I am off to start my research,

Wish me Luck!

Intro to Online

Well, I started my accelerated Hybrid course tonight. I have never taken an online course before so I thought starting out with a Hybrid would be a good way to evaluate if I have what it takes to complete a full online course. This course combines face to face classroom learning with online learning. The course requires 4 or 5 mandatory in classroom sessions. The other sessions are optional in classroom attendance and mandatory online participation. I think the hardest part of this course for me is going to be the posting on line. Because it is an accelerated course, it will be completed in 10 weeks. Therefore a "normal" week consists of five days. This means Saturday may not be the first day of the week (as class is on Friday) but could be the fifth day of the week. My time management skills are going to be severly tested.

Other than that, the course sounds very interesting and has the potential to be fun. The best part is, it fulfills my Phys Ed requirement for my Associates at MCCC, but also fulfills the culture requirement at Albright, if I decide to continue my Bachelor's through them. Always looking for ways to gain the credits in less time.

Well, wish me luck.

Happy Learning

Back to School

Well Spring break is over and our chaotic schedules start once again.

I hope you have given some thought to taking a summer course. There are many to choose from at MCCC and the option to go at night is a great advantage. Although the two sessions a week are long, they afford the option of completing a course without disrupting a daytime work schedule.

My next dilemna is whether I am going to take an accelerated History class. It starts June 13 and runs through Aug 15th or so. I have two hesitations; the first is I will miss one class (in a ten week course, this is alot of time to miss) and be out of town for a full week, putting my classwork and homework behind. The second hesitation is that for about four weeks, the history course will run concurrent with my math class. I am concerned the schedule will be grueling. It all comes down to how determined I am to complete my degree before the end of 2009.

I will keep you posted as to my decision.


Welcome back and happy studying

Spring Break !!!!

A week to get caught up on normal, day to day chores without the worry and stress of getting homework done in between. I don't know about you, but I am ready for a little ease in my schedule.


However, just because Spring break is upon us, thoughts of summer courses are still lurking in the background. If you are like me, and you are looking to get your degree as soon as possible, summer classes are a great way to gain the extra credits.

If you have taken an accelerated class, a summer course isn't much different. In six weeks, you can be 3 credits and another course closer to that coveted diploma. As you destress from the first 7 weeks of classes and homework, think about continuing through the summer, or at least one session. And here's another advantage, by continuing classes over the summer, you are less likely to disrupt your already established routine and your time management will continue to improve.


So have a great week, and don't forget to stop to smell the roses!!!

Course Selection

Now that I have started on my trek to attaining my Associates degree, the need to complete the required courses is very strong.

I have to make a decision on an accelerated class that starts on March 23; but in addition to that I am trying to figure out the best schedule for the summer sessions. I have the opportunity to take an accelerated History class that begins June 9 and continues through August 15, but I also need to take a math course in summer session two. That would mean the two classes would overlap for about a month.

Unfortunately I can't take any courses during the first summer session because of a national gymnastics competition I attend with my daughter.





But thats ok, it is an important event and it is the culmination of her competition year.

Any way, I have to solve my dilemna before Monday, when I am going to register for the math course. Good thing there are weekends, huh?

Have a great weekend!

There's not enough time to do it all

Is there really such a thing as true, successful Time Management?

I always thought I was pretty efficient at getting important tasks done. Between being a mom, running kids all over the place, managing a household, ensuring bills are paid, food is stocked , meals are prepared, chores are completed and working outside the home, keeping things on a schedule is important. Establishing a list of priority items is crucial. However, even with a priority list, inevitably, important items on "the list" sometimes got pushed aside and not completed.

I work in a pretty intense job where my daily responsibilities can change at the drop of a pin. The need to be able to complete scheduled tasks as well as assignments that are given at the last minute and needed ten minutes ago is very important. It requires the ability to manage everyday responsiblities with the addition of what I call "emergency minutes" - time set aside for the "this needs to be done yesterday" situation. I always thought I handled this well, then I went back to school. Managing time has now become a task that I am having difficulty completing.

This week I had a complete and total meltdown. Between the pressure of getting caught up with my Accounting class and managing homework from my other two classes and taking over the managing responsibilities of another Division, I found I just couldn't complete one more request or assignment. I literally blew up at a sergeant and told my Lieutenant he could do his own research. Not exactly a good career move, but I did feel better. And after my meltdown, I was able to refocus and reaarange my schedule to get the task accomplished. I even managed to get some homework done.

So here is my advice: Accept that you are not going to be able to do everything for everyone all the time. Make a list everyday of priority items that must be completed. Include any school work you have, or your kids have, as well. Both of these are tasks you have to complete and are just as important, or maybe more important, than doing the wash or scrubbing the floors. Start at the top of your list and complete as much as you can, but understand you will run into problems that push your timeframe back. Just accept it. You can't change it or prevent it, so just accept it.

I would dearly love to attend a Stephen Covey seminar on time management, however, I need the "time" to do it. Here is a site I found that gives some advice and tips on managing time.

Happy Schooling

http://www.amanet.org/resources/time-management.htm

Go to the bottom of the page and click on Articles & Research
Under Article Title, click on the title
"Managing Your Time When You Don't Have the Time"

Barry J. Izak gives some pretty sound advice in the synopsis.

Time Management

Is there really such a thing as true, successful Time Management?





I always thought I was pretty efficient at getting important tasks done. Between being a mom, running kids all over the place, managing a household, ensuring bills are paid, food is stocked , meals are prepared, chores are completed and working outside the home, keeping things on a schedule is important. Establishing a list of priority items is crucial. However, even with a priority list, inevitably, important items on "the list" sometimes got pushed aside and not completed.

I work in a pretty intense job where my daily responsibilities can change at the drop of a pin. The need to be able to complete scheduled tasks as well as assignments that are given at the last minute and needed ten minutes ago is very important. It requires the ability to manage everyday responsiblities with the addition of what I call "emergency minutes" - time set aside for the "this needs to be done yesterday" situation. I always thought I handled this well, then I went back to school. Managing time has now become a task that I am having difficulty completing.

This week I had a complete and total meltdown. Between the pressure of getting caught up with my Accounting class and managing homework from my other two classes and taking over the managing responsibilities of another Division, I found I just couldn't complete one more request or assignment. I literally blew up at a sergeant and told my Lieutenant he could do his own research. Not exactly a good career move, but I did feel better. And after my meltdown, I was able to refocus and reaarange my schedule to get the task accomplished. I even managed to get some homework done.

So here is my advice: Accept that you are not going to be able to do everything for everyone all the time. Make a list everyday of priority items that must be completed. Include any school work you have, or your kids have, as well. Both of these are tasks you have to complete and are just as important, or maybe more important, than doing the wash or scrubbing the floors. Start at the top of your list and complete as much as you can, but understand you will run into problems that push your timeframe back. Just accept it. You can't change it or prevent it, so just accept it.

I would dearly love to attend a Stephen Covey seminar on time management, however, I need the "time" to do it. Here is a site I found that gives some advice and tips on managing time.

Happy Schooling

http://www.amanet.org/resources/time-management.htm

Go to the bottom of the page and click on Articles & Research
Under Article Title, click on the title
"Managing Your Time When You Don't Have the Time"

Barry J. Izak gives some pretty sound advice in the synopsis.

Where does the time go?

Good evening to all.
I can't believe a week has gone by already. It is amazing how fast time goes when you are constantly on the move.

Between working and being at school two nights and Saturdays, doing homework and keeping up with daily chores, there doesn't seem to be enough hours in a week.

As promised in my last post, I have attached an additional link that gives some pretty good advice for adults returning to school. I did not get to read the entire site, but I have it bookmarked to return to later (when time isnt quite so limited).
I hope you enjoy it and find it useful.

http://www.cce.umn.edu/tips/returning.html


Here is a link you may find interesting. On the left hand side of the site are additional links. The links will take you to various community colleges. Most offer on line courses to obtain your Asscoiates Degree. If you really want to get your degree, but do not have the time or confidence to attend on campus, there maybe an option here that will fill your needs. Remember, there's always a way to attain your goals.

http://adulted.about.com/od/teachertoolkit/Teacher_Toolkit_Careers_in_Education_Teaching_Resources.htm

In my next post I hope to be able to give you some advice on time management. This is the one area I am struggling with. I find it difficult to break the little amount of free time I have into manageable chunks; where i can get my schoolwork completed and still have some down time. I know if I am to succeed, I need to get my time under control.

Have a great week and I'll be talking to you soon.

Helpful tips for adults returning to school

Hi everyone.

I can't believe a week has gone by already.

I have a link I want to share. It was actually given to me by one of my instructors. There are some great tips for adults who are going back to school, or thinking of going back. I wish I had seen this befiore I started in August. It would have made the transition to co-ed a little bit easier.

I have found, after 6 months being back, that it does get easier. And getting into the swing of classes and homework really isn't so bad. So, if you are just back this semester, don't let frustration get the better of you. You will find your feet, then discover it isnt so hard to begin the walk toward accomplishing your goal;soon you'll be running.

Here's the link. I hope you find it useful.

http://www.ecampustours.com/collegeplanning/adviceforadultstudents.aspx

How to start

To school or not to school, that is the question I ask of thee.

Or rather, this is the question I had to ask myself. It took a bit of evaluating my circumstances, my goals, my desires and my own self confidence. The first was easy, circumstances are what you make of them. If you want it bad enough you'll find a way.

The second, my goals, was also easy. I want to grow in my career, professionally and personally, and furthering my education will help me achieve that.

The third, my desires, was also easy. I have always wanted to go back to school. For various reasons I was not able to. The biggest obstacle was my children, or so I always told myself. They are now teens and on their way to asserting their independance, so I could not use them as an excuse anymore.

The fourth, my own self-confidence, was the hardest issue for me to overcome. This is probably the biggest obstacle that has kept me from returning to school. Once I admitted to myself that I could, in fact, go back to school and be successful at it, there really was nothing left to hold me back.

So, here I am. An "older" student working towards her Associates degree in business with hopes of going on to get her bachelors.

That is my history. My next post will explain how I started.

Feel free to send your own experiences in going back to school. I would love to share stories and experiences.

Till next time.

Adventures in blogging

This is my first adventure into the world of blogging.
I hope to share with you my experiences, trials and tribulations in returning to school after a lengthy lapse in time (23 years). The biggest decision I had to make was to actually return to the world of learning. It was a daunting thought. Once the decision was made, I had to investigate courses that held some interest to me. I wanted to be successful in my new adventure, and what an adventure it has been. The hardest step in this process, at least for me, was to actually visit school, complete the paperwork and register. To say it has been smooth sailing since is being a bit optimistic.