I don't know about you, but I have been unbelievably busy for the past several months! Fall Term at Granite State College is winding down and registration for Winter Term is less than a week away! It's hard to believe how many things have happened in such a brief span of time.
A huge amount of my time and energy has gone towards getting my daughter settled into her freshman year at college. Unlike me, Jess has opted for the traditional academic route, with all the triumphs and tribulations that those very intense four years entail. She is attending a small, residential college here in New England. She studied like crazy all last year because she was intent on getting into an elite school - and she did it! I'm ecstatic for her! And so very proud of her!
Even so, the meandering educational path I took - that many Granite State College students take - is equally valid. We just have a different set of accomplishments and adversities. We may not have to deal with communal living or eat cafeteria food ... our challenges are often more to do with finding child care in order to attend college evening courses ... or waiting until after the kids go to bed in order to focus on our online classes for adults.
Neither pathway to a college degree is without challenges. Both routes offer opportunities for success. And while having a destination in mind, such as the attainment of a college degree, the really meaningful stuff is the learning that takes place along the way. As impatient as we might be to reach that goal, we have to travel some distance to get there, and we might just find that the journey is as precious - perhaps even more than - than reaching the destination.
Whichever path you're on, don't forget to stop and look around along the way to enjoy the view!

Here I am with my daughters Anna (L) and Jess (R) on Family Weekend at her college - enjoying the view from the bridge across the babbling brook that runs through campus.
A huge amount of my time and energy has gone towards getting my daughter settled into her freshman year at college. Unlike me, Jess has opted for the traditional academic route, with all the triumphs and tribulations that those very intense four years entail. She is attending a small, residential college here in New England. She studied like crazy all last year because she was intent on getting into an elite school - and she did it! I'm ecstatic for her! And so very proud of her!
Even so, the meandering educational path I took - that many Granite State College students take - is equally valid. We just have a different set of accomplishments and adversities. We may not have to deal with communal living or eat cafeteria food ... our challenges are often more to do with finding child care in order to attend college evening courses ... or waiting until after the kids go to bed in order to focus on our online classes for adults.
Neither pathway to a college degree is without challenges. Both routes offer opportunities for success. And while having a destination in mind, such as the attainment of a college degree, the really meaningful stuff is the learning that takes place along the way. As impatient as we might be to reach that goal, we have to travel some distance to get there, and we might just find that the journey is as precious - perhaps even more than - than reaching the destination.
Whichever path you're on, don't forget to stop and look around along the way to enjoy the view!

Here I am with my daughters Anna (L) and Jess (R) on Family Weekend at her college - enjoying the view from the bridge across the babbling brook that runs through campus.
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