College for Lifelong Learning

Post-Turkey Gratitude

Thursday, December 8, 2011 by Heather Carter

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.

Another Incredible College Course

Thursday, November 24, 2011 by Heather Carter

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.

Voices, Young and Old

Wednesday, November 16, 2011 by Heather Carter

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.

A lifelong learner

Wednesday, November 16, 2011 by Deidre Romeo

What is the most important lesson I learned at Granite State College? Dr. Stenho taught me the meaning of being a "lifelong learner." Before I began my adult college program at GSC I tried to stay close to what I knew. I rarely ventured far from what was familiar and comfortable to me in my professional duties. Today I jump at the opportunity to learn about something foreign to me. During my undergraduate studies I found that I loved research and had little trouble absorbing and retaining new information. Today I am involved in a re-branding project, digital marketing initiatives and search engine optimization (SEO). I have no experience or even any prior exposure to these business practices but feel comfortable in my role and responsibilities because of my ability to accomplish thorough research, ask questions and take chances.

I am truly a lifelong learner. How about you?

A Visit with my Grandson!!

Monday, July 18, 2011 by Gail Gifford

It is Sunday and a week after my trip to Tennessee to visit my grandson. If you are not a grandmother or grandfather yet, I pray you get to enjoy that life experience some time in the future. His eyes just light up when his Grammy comes to visit. He seems to know that in his short life of four years, that Grammy gives him all the attention, love, fun and special moments he so enjoys. We talk about everything and he is very inquisitive at this young age. His voice yells out, "But Grammy, why?" so many times throughout the day.

Why this, why that? Isn't it great to want to learn, want to discover, want to experience everything that is right in front of you every day?! In this picture to the right, we were at a park with a megaphone, where one talks in one end and at the other end of the park. Grammy is talking back. He kept saying, "Grammy are you there?" When I talked to him, he would look inside with wonder with curiosity and confusion, wondering where the heck was I.

So cute, so memorable.

Just as he learns, we all learn. We all have that desire to learn and grown. Sometimes I think we get in a rut and forget to grow our minds. Our minds are muscles and need to be worked. It is known fact that when we get older we need to read, do puzzles, play Scrabble, etc. It just shows that learning is a life-long process. Granite State College gave me that avenue to learn and grown. Whether it be working towards an Adult Education Degree or just working on Adult Continuing Education Programs, they all involve learning.

So if you are reading this, thinking about what I wrote about learning, get started and contact an adviser. They are so helpful and can get you started to learning, growing and working that brain of yours. Until next time, have a great day!!

The story of John; a true lifelong learner

Tuesday, July 12, 2011 by Deidre Romeo

The inspiring story below is that of John, another ALA Scholarship Recpient for 2011. John is just one more example of the unique and diverse student population you will find within the classrooms or on the blackboards of Granite State College.

   My educational journey has encompassed self-learning for most of my life after high-school. My father passed away when I was in seventh-grade and I was a C+ student in a Catholic High School in Lawrence, MA. I began college in Maine intending to study Marine Biology but being a mediocre student I needed student loans to cover all of my expected expenses. I dropped out several weeks after the start for fear of mounting student loan debt. At eighteen I entered the workforce as a high-school graduate, married my wife in 1981 and began a family in 1983. As expected my job choices were very limited but I held a desire to enter the technology field. After much research I chose Sylvania Technical School and entered the Telecommunications Electronics program using student loans once again, but these were limited and controllable. Our first daughter, Bethany, was born with a heart defect and passed away after heart surgery at 7-days old. Our second daughter, Noelle, was born just over a year later in 1984 but was diagnosed with Muscular Dystrophy at 1-year. Her care was a significant part of our existence and it took a huge effort on my part to attend Sylvania Tech three days per week at night after my job to attend classes in addition to sacrificing that time away from my family, but it was for their benefit that I was educating myself to better position me for employment that provided a living wage and benefits that we so dearly needed for Noelle’s care. Just before I graduated in 1988 with a diploma I interviewed for an Information Technology position at Raytheon and because of the reputation of Sylvania Tech and my grades I was hired as a Data Communications Field Tech.

   Wentworth Institute of Technology purchased Sylvania Technical School before I completed my program so my diploma bore the Wentworth name. Because of this relationship Wentworth Institute of Technology in Boston offered graduates of Sylvania/Wentworth Tech advance standing entry into an A.A.S. in Electronic Technology degree program. Raytheon’s tuition reimbursement benefits were significant enough to allow me to attend one course per semester at their Boston campus and continue my career college training. It took me five years from 1992 till 1997 to complete my associate degree. Five years of time and travel into Boston and precious time away from my family. Nights and weekends I worked at our kitchen table on study and research while my family patiently gave me the time I needed for my studies. My wife supported my endeavor by taking on additional care responsibilities for our daughter. I wanted to complete my associate degree so that I could advance my career, become a better provider, and show my growing daughter that education is important and is a lifelong endeavor. Noelle passed away on the second-to-last day of a wish trip to Disney on May 19, 1996. My life was shaken for months after that event. I did not attend the spring or summer semesters that year but eventually wanted to complete that degree for my daughter. Two more semesters and I was finally able to dedicate my degree to Noelle during graduation on May 18, 1997, one day short of the first anniversary of her death.

   Afterward I honestly didn’t have the drive to continue my education at Wentworth. Like many parents who have lost children I grieved by immersing myself in my work. I continued to attend annual technical training to hone my information technology skill-sets which made me a more valuable employee but every year that passed I still thought about completing my degree. After graduating Wentworth I worked with a recruiter from Boston in a job search. He informed me that he would not be able to even get me into some corporate doors for interviews without having at least a bachelor’s degree. Fortunately after interviewing at Lahey Clinic Medical Center they valued my technical skills more than my education and hired me as a Data Communications Engineer. Each year that followed I have given consideration to completing my adult college degree but talked myself out of it. Each year I thought, “if I had only begun last year I would almost be done”. Well after a close scrutiny and self-assessment a couple of years ago about my past, present, and future life and career I decided to take that first step to completing my B.S. I realized that as I grow older I am handicapped from further career growth without completing an adult college degree, B.S. After almost twenty-five years working in technical positions in the field of information technology I find myself desiring to move into a leadership/management position within my current field of healthcare IT.

   I began the next iteration of my education journey in the spring of 2009 with Granite State College. I discovered that the program for Applied Studies: Allied Health Services was tailor made to my career. I have almost twenty-five years of technical experience but I needed to round out my business skills that are so valued in industry. This B.S. will give me the necessary business skills with a slant toward the healthcare field that I currently work in, providing a targeted learning environment for me. I began this degree program intending to provide myself and my wife “career insurance” to update and round out my skills, make me a more valuable employee and insure my future ability to provide a home and life for the both of us. That goal has morphed over the course of the past two years, sparking my interest in pursuing an advanced degree after I complete my B.S. this spring at GSC. Plymouth State offers a M.B.A. in Healthcare Administration, an ideal advanced degree for my career plans to remain in healthcare.

   After spending over a decade caring for our daughter, Noelle, at home and in Boston Children’s Hospital I would never have imagined that I would be working in the healthcare field yet here I am. My education has been a struggle of work/life/family/financial balance yet we have accomplished much with the time we have had together. I dedicated my A.A.S. to my daughter, Noelle. I plan to dedicate my pending B.S. to my loving wife, Kathy, for her patient support during these past two years and God willing I will dedicate my future M.B.A. to everyone who has supported me and my family. We have a great deal of loving family and friends in our lives, some have been treated at Lahey Clinic, my employer, and at least one had his life saved at Lahey with a liver/kidney transplant. I am proud to dedicate my career to such an institution and hope that my continued education will allow me opportunities to serve in greater capacities. I plan to achieve my B.S. before I am fifty-years old. I still have between fifteen and twenty career years in front of me; I plan to contribute further to the success of Lahey Clinic’s service to our community, friends, and family. I may have started as a mediocre high-school student but I believe with time and continued commitment to the goals I set and achieve for my benefit and also for my wife I am gaining back the opportunities I missed in my youth. Two more semesters and I will have achieved this next goal while I plan yet further!

Please visit John's website to learn more about his personal accomplishments.

Lifelong Learner

Wednesday, May 11, 2011 by Beth McKenna

Do you know what it means to be a lifelong learner? Hopefully you are one. Maybe you graduated from high school 40 years ago, or maybe you are just about to graduate. Does that mean your learning is over? Do you stop learning just because you are no longer a student? A lifelong learner is one who is interested in knowing more about the things in their world. A lifelong learner is one who is excited by the many things they come in contact with each day and they want to know more.

Granite State College has so many programs for lifelong learners - after all, it's a lifelong learning college. Whether you are someone who just wants to take a course, maybe in environmental or behavioral science because that interests you, or you are someone who is thinking about finishing a degree in Early Childhood Education or taking Foster Parent Classes or online college English classes, you are a lifelong learner.

Granite State College has campuses around New Hampshire that can offer the lifelong learner opportunities for growth and understanding. You can take online college classes, or come to one of the campuses for a face to face experience. Either way, being a lifelong learner is what life after high school is all about.

What month is this again!

Monday, March 21, 2011 by Marta Smith

Wasn't it just last week when it was 50 degrees and sunny? I looked out the window this morning and what do I see - more snow! I was planning on a craft program this week at the library, we were painting plant pots and then planting seeds in them. But, somehow, the project doesn't seem so timely after more snow. On the other hand it may be the only green growing things we get to see for awhile.

I guess if we were having a spell of good weather it would be harder to concentrate on school and right now I am finishing one class and getting ready to start another one.

Another exciting thing happening this spring is the first semester of OLLI (Osher Lifelong Learning Insitute) at Granite State College at the Claremont NH college campus. I will actually be helping with the computer class which still has several openings. The classes are available to students over 50 and the cost is very reasonable - appropriate offering from an adult education school!

If you know someone who might like to sign up let them know about it.

Where Do You Find The Time?

Friday, March 18, 2011 by Joe Grabowski

As a father, husband, uncle, caregiver, pastor, blogger, AND a full-time student of Granite State College, one of the questions that I sometimes encounter is "where do you find the time?"

Honestly, that's really a loaded question. If time were something to be found, I would never find it at all. When I stop to think of the sheer amount of relationships, roles, and responsibilities that I have to juggle on any given day, I find myself bordering on hyperventilating, especially when I factor in all that I have yet to do in a given week, or at least by the term's end of any of my adult online classes.

The true answer to "where do you find the time?" is simply "I don't."

I have to MAKE the time. But how is this done?

I recently watched a video by motivational time management speaker, Stephen Covey, on this very subject. Given a challenge to fill a bucket with a certain amount of pebbles and rocks, people will often put the pebbles in first, before attempting the big rocks, which, to their frustration, will not fit neatly in the bucket, no matter what they do. This problem is solved by putting the big rocks in FIRST, and then pouring the pebbles in around the rocks, which then all fits neatly together.

In life, we are given a certain amount of responsibilities, and it is up to us to determine the priorities we give to each. Like in the big rock illustration, what may appear to be overwhelming when approached from one perspective, becomes manageable when approached from a different mindset.

Of course, I can't answer for you just what constitute your own pebbles and rocks, but I can tell you, from personal experience, that you CAN do it! You will never find the time to pursue your education, but you can make the time. It's a small distinction, but it's an important one. Granite State College is a lifelong learning college, one that recognizes the unique challenges faced by nontraditional adults, and accommodates for them through night college classes, weekend college classes, and, the option that best suits my busy life, online classes for adults.

Don't wait to FIND the time, MAKE the time! It's your turn!

A Lifelong Learner

Friday, February 11, 2011 by Deidre Romeo

The day I gave birth to my first child I knew my life had changed and I would be a "mother" for the remainder of my lifetime. Both my daughters are now in their 20s, independent and living on their own. My role as a mother has changed over the years but I am still their mother and enjoy every new aspect of my ever changing parental role. Presently my role is to be an adviser, friend and supporter. I am thankful that I am still young enough to be able to enjoy adventures and experiences with my daughters. Below is a picture from my trip to Ireland with my 22 year old daughter. We went sea kayaking in Dingle Bay Ireland.

Although the adventure above and entire trip to Ireland was a celebration of my adult college degree, my learning is far from over. I knew by the second semester of my adult college program at Granite State College that my life had once again changed and I would be a "lifelong learner" for the remainder of my lifetime. Presently I am finishing up my fourth graduate course in the pursuit of my MBA. Even outside of my academic pursuits, I live everyday questioning, researching and learning from all of the experiences and situations presented to me. Gaining knowledge and understanding from all the resources in my life energizes me and motivates me to continue my daily living, learning and happiness.

I may have become a mother at the young age of 21 but my role as a lifelong learner did not begin until the age of 40. When did you begin your journey as a learner of life, experiences and knowledge? If you have not yet started this role in your life what are you waiting for? Do you have questions, anxiety, apprehension of taking on this role? If so contact me as I am happy to share my story and experiences with you.

OLLI at Granite State College

Monday, February 7, 2011 by Marta Smith

Beginning this spring, there will be something new at Granite State College at the Claremont NH college campus: OLLI!

OLLI (Osher Lifelong Learning Institute) at Granite State College is a volunteer-run organization that offers free or low cost educational opportunities to residents 50 and older. Healthy communities require healthy stimulated brains and OLLI has many brain-stimulating offerings statewide - and now in Claremont!

You must sign up for a membership - $40.00 a year and you have access to free or low cost programs in the area of literature, history, world cultures, arts, social issues, environment, theater, religion, science, music and other topics.

This spring in Claremont there will be several different offerings - Watercolor Painting, Beginning Computers, Personal Biography writing to name a few.

On Wednesday, February 23, there will be a Kick-Off Event at Granite State College at the Claremont NH college campus, from 11 am to 1 pm. Stop in and sign up to become a member or to take a class. Keep your brain young and fit and the classes are fun!

For more information about OLLI at Granite State College, click here.

Fall Term Winding Down

Thursday, December 9, 2010 by Joe Grabowski

Another twelve weeks has come and gone at Granite State College, and I am emerging on the other side of this term changed once again. Perhaps 'changed' isn't the right word, as each class has enhanced or refined who I am as a person. I don't believe that one can actively engage one's mind and learn new concepts without being impacted. A truth, once learned, becomes a part of who we are. Once our eyes are opened, it would be utter foolishness to close them again to what we have seen.

Learning doesn't stop at the classroom door. Some people consider their educational career to have been completed upon receiving their high school diploma; others equate learning with adult continuing education programs, and "pause" between courses. What I've found from taking my behavioral science classes, as well as the core and elective classes, is that the readings, discussions, and assignments throughout the terms have stirred my hunger for knowledge.

I've often filled the between-times trying to learn more about the subjects I've already learned, or trying to satisfy my curiosity about thoughts and ideas yet to be explored. A simple search for "behavioral science" on YouTube results in many videos illustrating the psychological concepts discussed in textbooks and classes. Another favorite site of mine is http://www.sciencedaily.com, which I've used extensively both in my classes and for my own interest.

One of the many benefits of being a recipient of adult higher education at Granite State College is that it has prepare my mind to be a lifelong learner, not only in the classroom or through the online adult programs, but in the great classroom of life.

There is knowledge waiting to be discovered everywhere. Whet your appetite and prime the pump at Granite State College.

Am I really done?

Thursday, December 2, 2010 by Marta Smith

I finally did it! I finished the paper for my independent study project. My paper was on the Influence of Place on the Poets and Poetry of New England. It started out that way anyhow; because I believe the climate and culture of our area definitely finds its way into the work of New England authors. After I began the paper, in fact, when I was almost finished with it, I realized something else: the paper was also about poets who lived very close to the Claremont area. In fact, one of the poets, Wes Mcnair was a graduate of Stevens High School.

Claremont often gets a bad rap when it comes to education, but I like to hope that things are changing, for the better. We now have Granite State College located right on Pleasant Street, we have an active theater group not only at the Opera house, but also in the Middle School and High School. We are also in the process of setting up a branch of OLLI (The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute) in Claremont - if you aren't familiar with the program, check it out. OLLI is a program of enrichment classes for people over 50. There are many great classes on a variety of topics at little or no cost, all over the state.

Here I go again getting off topic - I finished my paper! Consequently, I should be done with my adult college classes, ready to walk down the final path in June with my brand new B.A. in Literature and Creative Writing, but somehow I'm still not ready. So for now I am going to continue to take classes; some history, some social studies, and maybe a couple of OLLI offerings. Just because I finished my first goal it doesn't mean I'm done learning. Education is a lifetime process and I intend to enjoy every minute of it!

Quotes about Lifelong Learning

Wednesday, December 1, 2010 by Joe Grabowski

I'm a big fan of quotations. When you consider how many words have been written in the span of human history, it's easy to believe that everything that can be said has already been said in a far more eloquent fashion than I could possibly articulate in a fresh and original way.

This blog, then, is primarily to convey what other people can't: My own experiences.

In the meantime, I thought I'd share a few quotes about lifelong learning that have spoken to me during my journey at Granite State College:

"You can teach a student a lesson for a day; but if you can teach him to learn by creating curiosity, he will continue the learning process as long as he lives." ~ Clay P. Bedford

"Get over the idea that only children should spend their time in study. Be a student so long as you still have something to learn, and this will mean all your life." ~ Henry L. Doherty

"You learn something every day if you pay attention." ~ Ray LeBlond

"The purpose of learning is growth, and our minds, unlike our bodies, can continue growing as we continue to live." ~ Mortimer Adler

"Always walk through life as if you have something new to learn and you will."
~ Vernon Howard

"No matter how one may think himself accomplished, when he sets out to learn a new language, science, or the bicycle, he has entered a new realm as truly as if he were a child newly born into the world." ~ Frances Willard

"Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young. The greatest thing in life is to keep your mind young." ~ Henry Ford

"The man who is too old to learn was probably always too old to learn." ~ Henry S. Haskins

"The day you stop learning is the day you begin decaying." ~ Isaac Asimov

From Advisor to Instructor

Tuesday, November 30, 2010 by Jan Hodges

Have I mentioned that I am a big believer in life-long learning? To that end, I have recently embarked on a new adventure. I am currently teaching Intro to Drawing for the first time at the Conway, NH Granite State College campus. Teaching a college evening class has always been on my "bucket list" and it has been a wonderful experience so far.

Much to my surprise and delight, 15 students registered for my course. As is typical at GSC, the class is a rich and diverse mix of ages, from 18 to 50. I have been so impressed by the warm and supportive atmosphere that has developed in the class. I have always heard about the wonderful atmosphere in GSC courses, but it is exciting to experience it first hand.

When you think of continuing education degree programs, you wouldn't necessarily picture a studio art class like this one, with students of all ages sprawled around the room with drawing boards, the furious sound of quick sketching, the smell of fixative and markers in the air. Every Monday when I teach the class, I am struck by the wonderful diversity that Granite State offers, from online degrees to live college classes.

At Granite State College, adult continuing education includes those of us who are staff and faculty, not only students. We strive to develop new skills, expand our knowledge base and engage in professional development.

I'm excited by this experience because it gives me a new way to connect with my students, as well as allowing me to use a lifetime of accumulated knowledge in a new way.  Even though this course is still in progress, I can't wait to do it again!

Going Back to Kansas

Monday, October 4, 2010 by Mary Gaetz

My husband and I are preparing to visit family back in our home state of Kansas. It is an exciting but daunting prospect. I am always nervous about running into people with which I went to high school. In high school, I was the weird, artsy, semi-smart student in a class of 40ish kids. After graduation, I didn't go to college. I, instead, became a mother. I found out I was pregnant three weeks before graduation--I received confirmation from the doctor's office on the pay phone at school. I tried not to tell anyone until after graduation, but it came out at lunch one day. Consequently, I am remember by my peers as the weird, artsy, teenage mother-to-be. I am still fighting the shame of that title, all these years later. Right after high school, everyone left town to go to college. I stayed and took classes at a local college (a lot like Granite State College) and worked my part-time pizzeria job. The best part of my days were my classes in the evenings. I could stretch the brain muscles that my job didn't need, and those classes made me want more. There was no such thing as online classes for adults back then, and my options were limited by my location. When I finally moved away to go to college it was terrifying and liberating at the same time, but I was brave enough and wise enough to know that, if I was going to do this, I was going to do it well--and I did. If I hadn't pursued my education and career advancement the way I have I am sure I would never go back to my hometown, except maybe for my parents funeral.
I was never a popular girl in high school, but lucky for me most of life happens after high school, and those experiences form a sort of lifelong learning college that helps me expand and grow each day I am in the world.

Signs, Signs, Everywhere Are Signs

Tuesday, September 14, 2010 by Heather Carter

After the idea started percolating in my head that Granite State College (formally College for Lifelong Learning, or CLL) just might be the perfect route to my long-desired college degree, I still hesitated. After all, it was really scary. The notion of going to college at all made me nervous. The notion of going to college as an adult, years after most people with whom I'd attended high school had already graduated from higher education institutions, was really daunting. Going to college while working full-time and raising a child as a single mother, seemed utterly terrifying.

I calculated how long it would take me to graduate with a Bachelor degree if I only took one 4-credit class a term. 38-years-old?!? That idea floored me. Then I thought, well, I'm going to be 38-years-old eventually anyway. I might as well be 38-years-old with a degree! However, I still couldn't bring myself to make the call to the school to start the process.

Then mysterious things started happening to me! Suddenly, it seemed that I was constantly reminded about the college, after never having heard of it before. I'd be listening to the radio while I worked and I'd hear an ad talking about the college and how it offered classes at the Concord, NH college campus (perfect for me, since I worked in Concord at the time). I'd be in line at the bank and would overhear people discussing the school and how they offer online college English classes (I'd longed to study English and literature). Suddenly, a friend that I'd known for years happened to mention that she was attending CLL's graduation ceremony where her sister was celebrating her newly-acquired adult education certificate.

It was so strange! This kind of thing seemed to happen over and over again. And, as if the universe's message couldn't pummel me any harder, everywhere I went I'd see the initials C.L.L.-- especially on license plates!

I remember the actual moment when I surrendered to the signs that bombarded me. I was sitting in my car noticing yet another car's license tags that contained the letters CLL. I threw my hands up in the air, laughed gleefully, and said out loud, "Okay, okay. I get it! I'll go!"

The next day I called the main number and, within minutes, had an appointment scheduled with an adviser. And my college career had begun!

Even babies have to learn!!

Sunday, August 29, 2010 by Gail Gifford

I am excited to tell all my blog followers that I am a Grammy for the second time. My son and his wife gave birth to an adorable baby boy on Thursday 8/26/2010. He came into this world weighing 7 pounds 3 ounces and almost 21 inches long. Mom and Owen are doing well, as well as Daddy. My son and his wife are both in the Navy stationed in Norfolk, VA. I will taking off a couple of days from work to head over to meet my new grandson and welcome him into our family.

Shawn, my son, just called me and was telling me of the scare they had last night when Owen was crying. He said, "He was crying so hard mom, we thought he was going to choke." Well, they got through that first scare and I am sure there will be more. With those moments, they will learn. Both together how to take care of their we bundle of joy.

Owen will learn how to nurse, his mom will learn what Owen needs with all his different kinds of cries, when he is hungry, wet, tired etc. Learning is a life long process and it starts at an early age. I don't think it matters how young or how old you are, we all are continuously learning. Learning is a Life Long process, maybe that is why Granite State College started out being called The College for Lifelong Learning.

I will be getting my two cents in when I get over to Norfolk, VA next week. I will be asking my son if he signed up for college yet? Has he thought about online classes for college? He needs to just do it. One class at a time and before he knows it, he will have earned an Adult College Degree. It's all about the learning, all about it.

You Can't Handle the Truth!

Tuesday, August 24, 2010 by Mary Gaetz

I attended a workshop last week held by the Department of Education in Concord. It addressed the difficulties for adult learners (adult high school, GED, etc.) transitioning to college, and how we (adult ed facilities and colleges) can make the transition less tangled. It was a great workshop and I learned a lot about adult learners. One of the activities we did was take the LASSI test, Learning and Study Strategies Inventory. It evaluates a student's current habits and thinking and is designed to bring to light areas in which he or she is likely to run into trouble. The one area I completely tanked was the Study Aids area--I hated to ask for help when I was a student. Thinking about this flaw in my character led me to another online test--the Jung Myers-Briggs personality test. Turns out I am ISFJ, which stands for introverted sensing feeling judging. I disagree with the experts that say this means I have a good memory and unexpected analytic ability (if only), though it is true that I have few close friends and like to serve others. Overall, I was not too excited about the test results. I was hoping for something more mystical and esoteric (which is completely normal for us ISFJs).

I am kinda glad that I didn't take these tests as an incoming student (some NH colleges and adult education programs have their students take LASSI). They would have made me cranky. When I started college I was trying to figure out the finals parts of who I was and how to meet the goals I had made. It would have been too much to also contemplate what I should do about my low score in information processing, or ponder the ramifications of my need to be needed. I think there is a point where the learning just has to come from doing. Most Granite State College students are already A+ students in learning by doing. They have been learning this way on their feet in the workplace for years. This is a skill very hard to learn at a traditional college, but one that is so necessary. Forget the online testing--we're all learning about who we are as we go along, and if we're smart (like GSC students!) we take the phrase "lifelong learner" literally, not only in terms of book smarts but in terms of self-smarts.

But in case you're curious . . . www.humanmetrics.com

Teaching and Thinking

Thursday, August 19, 2010 by Beth McKenna

I am fortunate enough this summer to be working as a mentor for a student interested in teacher education at Granite State College. She has been thinking about teaching and learning. She recently wrote a paper on critical thinking. Hmm.. you are saying.. so what? What is that and why would it be something on a blog about adult college education?

Well, it is important because it is all about how you learn. Do you think when you have to read text books for an evening college course or you read the books late at night when you are hurrying to get to bed so you just highlight everything without really thinking about it? If you do, you may have just missed out on a great lifelong learning college experience. When we think about what we are reading and apply it to what we already know, then we remember the new information and can use it in the future.

So while you are planning on taking courses at Granite State College this fall, also plan on really thinking about what you are reading and hearing in each course. The experience will be so much more meaningful for your career goals.