OK fans, I moved to Michigan and was expecting lots of snow. Well, it was a sunny day today and around fifty-two degrees. I went for a walk with my neighbor and we surely enjoyed the day. It was January and in Michigan, this was not suppose to be a nice day, it was suppose to be cold with about a foot or two of snow!! One just never knows, maybe I brought up the warm weather with me when I moved from South Carolina, or maybe it is just luck. If it is luck, well I feel pretty lucky in Michigan. I have felt lucky before in my life and that is when I went to Portsmouth, NH to take my Nutrition class that I just loved. I learned so much in that class that was held at the Portsmouth NH College. That class was so beneficial to my life and my well being. Learning about Nutrition was interesting and with the obesity rate soring, it is so important to learn what to eat that keeps you healthy. Granite State College has so many good beneficial classes. Whether you are going to just learn about something that interest you or if you are working to obtain your degree, it is a great school.
Michigan is a great place too. It is the place I remember as HOME, where I grew up and now live once again. I hope the snow is nice to me this year, so far it has been. But if it does show up one of these wintery mornings, I know it will pass and summer will be here again before I know it. Summer, to enjoy my bike rides, kayak adventures and some hiking. It is no different than classes. They pass and before you know it, you have earned your degree. Just remember, you can do it. I did and am so glad I did.
If I was to appreciate one thing it would be my very striking journey from my homeland and those who gave me refuge in their countries. I left my country due to the civil war that had put the country into huge turmoil. I have been to Ethiopia for four years, Kenya for nearly ten years and finally to the United State from August 23rd 2001 to the present.
I have never been to school in my country and neither have my parents or any other family members. I remember going to grade one in Ethiopia before we were driven out by the regime change in 1991. It had been long treking and painful for me and colleagues during those times.
In August 2001, I landed here with the idea of becoming the first ever person in the family who should reach the goal of achieving the break through in education. However, I was affected by the homesickness that overwhelmed me because of the long time that I had spent with no parents. So I decided to go back home in 2006 and get married to a girl that I knew back in Kenya.
In 2007, I came back and started to take some online adult education classes while doing a follow up on my wife's process to come here. It had not been easier and I personally learned a lot from that. Finally, my wife came here in 2008 and gave me a sense of relieve mentally. I am now a Granite State College student pursuing my BS in Business Management. It is my true pleasure to be a GSC student and I look forward to graduating next year if possible. To my fellow students, there is no hesitation to better living and there is no struggle with no reward. Remember that whatever you do has an outcome/end result.
Name: James Alier
Class of: 2012
Location: Manchester/Online
Degree: BS in Business Management
For the Winter 2012 semester we have a great new online tool called Moodle. Im not sure if any of you are familiar with it, but I have been nothing but impressed. It makes having to pass in any work, take quizzes, get lecture outlines, or even message the teacher or fellow classmates so easy. You can build your own profile and add a photo which helps to make it more personable. I have to say I'm not an online student, but this makes me feel very confident in taking an online class in the upcoming semesters. So many possibilites and always plenty of time :)
It's hard to believe the holidays are already behind us, and the new year has begun. Boks have been ordered and supplies bought as winter semester begins this week at Granite State College. I'm filled with anxiety and excitment, I'm taking some great courses this semester, Vietnam War: A Historical Perspective and The Human Brain. I can't wait to see which class mates I will have in class again, and to meet the new great teachers I will have. Sign up now there's still time.. See you on Campus :)
As I sit and watch the Bowl games on TV, I ponder over what happened in my life just last week. I had a wonderful time as I ventured down to Nashville, Tennessee to visit my youngest daughter who works as a manager at Roast Inc.. It is the best coffee I have ever had. They roast their own beans and make each cup of craft coffee to your liking as you wait. It is well worth the wait as it is so good, you will be hooked. So, if you are ever in the Nashville area, please look it up. I also spent a few days with my grandson who is almost five. We went ice skating one day which was really fun even if his legs didn't work right, so he says anyways.
I remember learning how to ice skate when I was young, I remember that feeling and probably thought "what am I suppose to do on this one blade?" I am sure he probably thought the same as he could not keep himself upright for too long without the help of Grammy supporting him.
The next day my daughter had off so the three of us went up to Cave City Kentucky to go through Mammoth Cave. He had never been in a cave so I was not sure how he was going to be and my daughter was really young when she last went through. It was about a two hour drive from Nashville but it went by fast as we stopped for a snack along the way. I am all about making these experiences FUN so he will want to do it again someday. I pretty much have that attitude with everything. Even when I attended Granite State College in Manchester New Hampshire, I was thinking how can I make this a fun experience. It was easy as I met some really neat people to hang out with, study with and smile our way through one class after another. Yep, learning can be fun and what you learn can enrich your life so much that the outcome is fun. I would love to go back and get my Master of Science Project Management degree someday. School was fun and even though it was lots of hard work and time management skills, it was well worth it.
For my grandson, skating and spelunking through the caves, were something new for him. If school is something you want to do, just do it. It may be new to you but you will never get that degree until you make that first step kind of just like my grandson learning to skate.
It's Christmastime, the decorations are out, the carolers are warming up, the shopping season is in full swing, and it's time to reflect on the challenges and accomplishments of the past year. If I were making a list, the first item in both the Challenges column and the Accomplishments column would be the pursuit of a Masters Degree in Project Management.
The challenge lies in the fact that I haven't been a college student in, oh, let's just say, a very long time. Not only am I enrolled in the very first graduate degree program offered at Granite State College, I am in the very first cohort scheduled to graduate in 2013. I am so proud and excited to be part of such an illustrious group of bright, dedicated and funny people...I really like this thing called adult higher education!
In the accomplishment column I proudly include the completion of the first of ten terms in the project management masters program. This term was made up of two six-week classes - PM 804 Project Management Seminar and PM 804 Leading Teams; both were excellent courses. My preferred delivery method for instruction is face to face, on the ground at our Manchester NH campus. Of course, for those of you who would rather operate completely in the digital world, you always have the option of taking any of our adult college courses online.
It is interesting now that I am immersed in the world of project management...all that we do in life is a project in one way or another. I see it all around me. The applications, tools and techniques of project management can be applied to everything from planning a holiday party to putting a man on the moon.
Now there's a thought...how might I apply what I've learned so far in my project management classes to make my holiday season just a little less stressful and a bit more organized?
Project Scope: Just what do I want to accomplish this holiday season? I certainly don't want to bite off more than I can chew so I had better define exactly what I will and can commit to this year.
Project Team: My family...who is responsible for what and can we accomplish everything we have identified in our project scope?
Project Planning: Creating a task list (work breakdown structure in project management speak) that includes all of the typical activities (cards, gifts, parties, decorations, food, etc.) around the holiday would be helpful.
Project Risk: Have you ever had your heart set on a particular gift for someone only to find the gift is not available, or that the cost exceeds your budget? Contingency plans are always a good idea.
Project Close: The holidays are over; now is the time to assess what worked and what didn't...lessons learned are a very valuable tool at the close of any project, but only if you use them.
So as you think about everything you have to do for the holidays, remember these four easy steps to help you along: plan, execute, manage and close. Wishing you a very merry and stress free holiday season!
GSC Factoid: Granite State College offers the most affordable continuing education in the state and is the University System's leading online provider.
When I first enrolled at Granite State College, I knew that my grand goal was a Bachelor degree. Because of my lifestyle-- working a full time job, raising a child on my own-- it was necessary for me to take one class a term and I knew that added up to years and years of evening college classes, online classes, and weekend college classes. The idea was daunting and scary.
My adviser suggested a pitstop, a milestone to aim for-- a smaller goal to focus on that wasn't so intimidating. She convinced me to pursue my Associates degree first. I thought it was a great idea. (Thanks, Allie!) It seemed so much more attainable. I loved having a more tangible goal to strive for and keep me going.
On top of that sweet arrangement, I got to wear a cap and gown twice and attend two commencement ceremonies. It was a great honor to be able to stop halfway through my college path to recognize my achievements and feel proud of the progress I made.
And after that first graduation, acquiring the additional credits I needed to get my Bachelor degree was easy as pie. Mmmmm.....pie.
My daughter is 14. She started high school this year and is experiencing a whole new world. On her first day of classes, one of her teachers had her list her goals for her future. I'm not sure she's ever even thought in these terms before. Here's what she wrote:
I want to get straight A's.
I want to be on the honor roll.
I want to take AP (advanced placement) classes.
I want to be valedictorian.
I want to go to a really great college.
I want to get a college diploma.
Then they asked who her role model was. She wrote:
My mom.
I'm the first person in my immediate family who has a college degree. Granite State College's adult and continuing education program made that possible when it seemed impossible.
My daughter wants to be the second.
Just because November is over, doesn't mean I shouldn't still be able to state what I'm thankful for, right?
The great thing about this Granite State College blog is that it reminds me to really stop and consider what the school has meant in my life, how my life might have gone without the opportunities it offered me, and how much richer my life has become because of my experience there. It also reminds me how grateful I am to many of the college folks I've met along the way.
So...
Thank you to Allie Kaplan, my first advisor when the college was known as the College for Lifelong Learning. You were supportive, helpful, and put me at ease, making the process of enrollment as easy as possible. I honestly wouldn't have perservered if it hadn't been for your guidance.
Thank you to the college librarian (I'm sorry I don't remember your name). You were so easily accessible and rescued me multiple times during research paper nightmares.
Thank you to instructors like Barbara Benham, Claude Caswell, Peter Conklin, Steve Gage, Chris Zerillo, Judy Jones, Jeff Haight and countless others for your excellence in teaching GSC's adult college courses. You fed my mind, challenged me to think, and connected unused synapses.
Thank you to all the administrative staff for always answering my questions, showing me how to utilize the computer labs, directing me to classes, tracking down information, loaning me pens, and preventing me from breaking the copy machine.
Thank you to the college staff who organized the two commencement ceremonies I
attended for my Associates degree and later my Bachelors degree. You made those days even more special by creating events that were meaningful and inspiring. You reminded me that I have much to be proud of.
I love New York City. I love the lights, the noise, the people, the larger than life... everything. I have a fondness for the apartment-building stoops and the architecture and the street food carts and all of the different accents from all the different ethnic groups. I've always wanted to experience New York City at Christmas time. Watching "Miracle on 34th Street" (the black and white version only!) every year makes me long to see the famous parade, witness the light displays, visit Macy's. My daugter feels the same way and when I asked her what she'd like to do for Thanksgiving this year, she asked to go to the city to see the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.
No matter how much I love the city, the actual reality of going there always scares me, especially with my kid in tow. I have to think about parking and train schedules and hotels and packing and safety and supplies and weather and money and food and directions and logistics of all sorts. But I really wanted to go and I told her I would make it happen. But when it came down to it, just a few days before we were to leave, the fear set in. What if I encounter something I'm not prepared for? With a city that size, there are millions and billions of unpredictable situations. It was the fear of the unknown.
I've felt this fear before of course. Every year of my life on the night before the first day of high school, upon starting a new job, before a date. And one of the biggest ones-- going back to college as an adult. The thing about this fear is, I couldn't ever let it stop me from moving upward and onward. As much as I'd rather have gone about my daily life stuck in a job I deplored with no formal education beyond my high school diploma, and as much as I'd rather sit in the warmth of my living room watching the parade on television when that fear took hold, I knew I couldn't. I wouldn't be that person.
Before beginning college in New Hampshire, at Granite State College, I went through these same feelings and worked through them the same way I did a few days before Thanksgiving. I just stayed scared and followed through with my plan anyway. I just forged ahead despite the fear. Because the only way to make the fear of the unknown go away, is to jump in until its known.
We ended up having a great time in New York City and my daughter and I are now able to say that we saw the most famous annual parade up close and live. We were there. Everyone else I know watched for us on TV from the comfort of their living rooms. But we were there.
It is a beautiful morning in Michigan. I peered out my little kitchen window and was delightfully surprised to see a blanket of white snow. Yes, I am not used to the snow as I had lived in the south for about twenty-three years, but the sight of it was refreshing and brought back great memories. Playing in the snow as a youngster, was great. Snowballs, snowmen, castles made out of snow and lets not forget the snow angels; lots of fun. I will have to wake up a little earlier from now on just to clean off the drive or the car before I head to work. I am sure I will get in the grove and adjust to my new morning chores, just like I adjusted to the many hours of homework, going to Granite State College after work and study sessions with my adult learning friends. Adjusting a lifestyle can be a challenge but the benefits that come from being an open minded, well adjusted person are priceless. The benefits of Granite State College and their flexible school schedule, are points to mention. From after work schedules, on-line learning classes, weekend intensive classed, it is all possible for just about anyone. The college makes it possible to fulfill that dream of having a degree. Enjoy your day and remember, YOU CAN ADJUST!!
Well, I am on the road again, visiting more of New Hampshire's SAUs. I am meeting with Superintendents, Special Education Directors, HR specialists, Principals and anyone else who might be connected with the teachers (or future teachers) within the school districts. I think I am up to 28 SAU visits since September and the state has somewhere around 90...so I will be on the road often, since it is my goal to visit all of them!
Today's trip takes me to southern NH, to spread the word about Granite State College's Post Baccalureate Teacher Certification Programs and Advanced Endorsements for already certified teachers. Making sure that school administrators are familiar with Granite State College Teacher Preparation Programs
www.granite.edu/academics/teachers/educators.php helps teachers to continue learning and make a difference in their schools.
Travelling New Hampshire's highways and backroads in search of each district's schools provides for an interesting and fun day. I always loved fall and "back to school" time. The happy sounds of teachers' and children's voices in the schools and on the playgrounds reminds me of the excitement of learning, socializing and playing together.
While this is my first year out of the classroom and not teaching, my visits to the different SAUs throughout the state are a lot of fun and very interesting. I especially enjoy talking with prospective teachers about the programs that
Granite State College offers. The excitement of going back to college, taking adult online classes and becoming a teacher is contagious. It is a little bit like visiting those schools and playgrounds...it makes you feel so excited about learning and going back to school!
So you are thinking about getting a degree on line? Well, as a professor of an on line course I have to ask you a few questions first. Are you motivated to get things done on your own? Are you comfortable manipulating your computer? Do you enjoy reading and writing on line? If you can answer positively to each of those questions then go for an online degree at Granite State College. There are so many on line courses to choose from, such as courses in Early Childhood Education or Project management college courses, or even courses in health care and psychology. But not just anyone can successfully manage on line courses. If you hate being on the computer then an on line course will frustrate you. If you have trouble motivating yourself to do your work without someone standing over you then the on line course is not a good idea. On line education can be an awesome experience if you are willing to take the responsibility. So be honest with yourself. We all have different learning styles. If your style is as an independent learner then you will love on line education. Check out the Granite State on line list of courses to find the perfect ones for you.
What a long strange trip it’s been… Jerry Garcia
I’d like to take the journey metaphor a bit further with regard to the paths that lead you to Granite State College and pursuing an adult education degree at this point in your life. How many times have you found yourself in the right place at the right time? Feels great when it happens and you have the presence of mind to recognize the moment and act accordingly… those times when you are clearly in the driver’s seat and the GPS is spot on.
Other times we find ourselves in the passenger seat –restrained, observing the scenery and letting others take charge. Then there are the events that leave one stranded on the side of the road or that car you thought was your trusted friend, (you even named it) that won't start and betrays you on the morning when you can least afford to be late. These are the situations that test our ability to think critically, explore options, and identify opportunities.
Returning to or beginning college is a turning point for anyone. It’s exciting, daunting, exhilarating and a leg of the journey to finding out things about the world and yourself that will change you. Savor every moment, fill the tank and step on it!
What’s in your trunk?
I know I have had those thoughts run through my head when I was thinking about going back to school. Thinking about what would earn me the most income, what would be more full-filling for my own personal growth are just a couple of the thoughts that ran through my head when I decided to go back to Granite State College. There are so many choices to chose from. Special education teacher, or Study Health Care Management or even and Undergraduate Psychology Degree, all are good choices.
I chose to go into Business Management as I was in a field that this degree would help me go further with the company I worked for. If I were young, straight out of high school, I might have chose another field of study. I always wanted to be a nurse and also loved sewing so maybe a fashion designer might have been my choice. However, I was not there in my life, I was in my fifties and wanted to advance in my present career. I have never looked back at my choice and am very thankful that I stuck to it and finished my education. It has made me a better person, better parent and more knowledgeable in my present job.
Speaking of incredible adult college courses that deeply impacted
me (well, I was speaking
of it in my last post anyway), I'll never forget another class I took through
Granite State College-- a Manchester, NH college class called Humanities in the Age of Technology. I always loved the unique course selections available to me every term, excited when a crisp new course schedule would arrive in the mail, and this was no exception.
Professor Jeff Haight was the instructor's name and he was really tough. But he was the best kind of tough, because his high standards, proficiency, and insistence on advanced-level learning challenged me beyond what I thought I could do. He introduced me to another genre of learning that was to become a lifelong love of mine-- philosophy. His passion for the subject made it easy to attend that weekend college class.
His was the type of course that went beyond just career training education; It was a class that provoked me to pursue questions about life and meaning and analytical thought. He introduced me to the discourses of Jean-Jacques Rousseau,
exposed the class to the trial of Socrates, and taught us the concept of consilience-- the unity of knowledge.
So, yeah. Here's a shout out to you, Jeff Haight. Thank you for your teaching excellence. I won't forget it.
I happened to be up late last night flipping through the channels, when I cam
e across the movie "Mona Lisa Smile" with Julia Roberts, Julia Stiles, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Kirsten Dunst-- a great cast! It's one of those movies I'd always wanted to see but just kept getting pushed further and further down my Netflix queue. So, I grabbed a bag of pretzel twists and some mini Hershey bars left over from Halloween (one pretzel + one square of chocolate in your mouth at the same time = the best chocolate-covered pretzels ever) and I burrowed into some covers to watch the movie. It was so incredibly good! I had no idea it would make that much of an impact on me. By the time it was over I was simultaneously crying and laughing from my mixed feelings of righteous anger and inspiring hope.
The movie is about women. It's set at Wellesley College in the 1950s and focuses on a strong, "subversive," female art history teacher (played by Julia Roberts) and her female students. The movie portrays the messages that were prevalent at that time about the roles of women, their long-inherited expectations of what they were "born to do" with their lives (basically have babies and serve their husbands), and the misguided and unfortunate beliefs that their value was merely rooted in their looks, their ironing skills, and their ability to have dinner on the table by 5:00. In the end, the art history teacher's commitment to empowering her female students changed the courses of their lives in ways they'd never could've dreamed without her.
It got me all worked up and angry. It made me think of all the messages in today's society that continue to perpetuate women inequality and objectification. It vividly reminded me of a couple of evening college classes I took at Granite State College some years before. And more importantly, it reminded me of a teacher that changed my life-- Professor Judy Jones. She was for me what Julia Roberts' character was for her students.
I hadn't thought about her for years and we'd lost touch, but she taught two Women's Studies classes, the first I'd ever taken, and she was responsible for opening up a powerful arena of study for me that fundamentally changed me. She helped me recognize the subtle (and not-so-subtle) ways that women are raised to accept a less than equal footing in the world. She helped me become an even more empowered woman through her Women's Studies courses. And by extension, she helped me offer the tools my daughter needs to recognize the same messages, at a much earlier age than I could have.
That's the amazing thing about the quality adult college education that Granite State College offers. Almost every class I took not only got me one step closer to a degree, but also made a significant difference in my personal evolution as a well-rounded, thoughtful, critically-thinking, impassioned, engaged member of society. I'm so grateful that I had the opportunity to take those remarkable classes and be impacted by such a remarkable teacher.
When I started taking classes with Granite State College (formerly CLL), the idea of online classes was just taking hold. The notion that online learning could be just as effective and fulfilling as face-to-face classes was up in the air. I remember there being a lot of controversy about it. Would online classes be more work? What would be missed by not having the dynamic of spontaneous classroom discussion? Would online student-to-teacher interaction limit learning?
Through all of the years at Granite State College, I've taken about ten classes online, and what I discovered was that there's no one way to answer those questions just like there's no way to answer them when you compare different classroom-based courses. Every class is different. Some online courses were much harder and others were easier. Some online courses offered little value in class discussion and some classes were surprisingly insightful.
The thing that I liked about Granite State College is that they offered such a big variety of both types of classes, in addition to weekend intensives and independent learning contracts, so I had plenty of options. Online classes afforded me more flexibility and the opportunity to study subjects I might not have been able to if the course was offered outside of my area.
One thing's for sure about taking online college classes-- "going to school" while wearing my pajamas was delightful!
In 2010 I earned my adult college degree from Granite State College in Business Management. My 23 year old daughter is now in the Business Administration program at White Mountains Community College. She chose this school because she is living in Berlin, NH for the next two years. She knew that once she received her Associates degree from this New Hampshire Community College she would be able to seamlessly transfer all of her credits to GSC to pursue her Bachelor's degree through the
CCSNH Transfer program.
My daughter is worlds brighter than I but she loves to be able to come to me and ask for my assistance with any questions she may have regarding her assigned course work. To date, I have been able to help her with everything she has presented to me! I have had to pull out some of my own books and notes from the similar business classes I completed at GSC, but I have succeeded in helping her every time either through finding the correct answer or offering my personal insights. What a great feeling it is to know that earning my adult college degree not only improved my own life but it is helping my daughter in her life as well.
Unfortunately my business degree was of little consequence to me when it came to helping my younger daughter in her course work. Business and creative hairstyling have little in common. Below is my daughter on the right with her model from the Avante Garde hair styling fashion show she participated in for her studies in cosmetology. Thank goodness she did not ask for my advice in this undertaking!
One of the most valuable things I got out of attending classes at Granite State College was from my fellow class mates. They ranged widely in age and background from me and each other. At both my night college classes and my weekend college classes, I was surrounded by a plethora of experience, knowledge, and unique perspectives in addition to what the instructor also offered.
I was able to give peer feedback to a lively, aspiring writer in his 60's who extended his own constructive feedback to me with grace, compassion, and wisdom attained from his life's journey as a middle school teacher, father, husband, and grandfather. I was given the opportunity to support a recent high school graduate majoring in Psychology who was even more scared and unsure about college life than I was. And I found support, myself, from others like me-- tired, single moms working hard all day long before attending part time evening college classes.
I remember sitting in the classrooms and looking around me and being very grateful for this exposure to people from all these different walks of life. And these people were still basically aiming for the same goal I was-- a quality education to fulfill my love for lifelong learning and the golden bonus of a continuing education degree at the end of it all as a New Hampshire graduate. Even though we were vastly different from each other we also had at least that one fundamental dream in common. And I stopped regretting not being able to go to college straight out of high school as I once envisioned, because I wouldn't have been able to experience all of those wonderful voices, young and old, that were only available to me through adult education courses at Granite State College.
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