I fell in love with Granite State College almost immediatley. I was initially drawn to GSC for two reasons: the main reason being it was one of a few schools in NH that offered a Criminal Justice degree. Secondly, it is a part of the NH university system, so I knew a majority of my credits from UNH Manchester would transfer over. I entered into GSC a 'different' type of student than I did when I entered into UNH Manchester almost 5 years ago to obtain my associates degree. This time around, I was a full-time working mom with bills to pay and more determined then ever to complete my bachelor's degree. I needed a school that would not only work around my schedule and daughter, but consisted of other faculty and students that knew where I was coming from. From the day I started, I knew GSC was the right choice for me. I fell in love with my online classes, the teachers, faculty, and fellow students. Not only have I been truly impressed with my courses, but I have also had such a pleasant experience dealing with the staff, whether it be financial aid or my counselor. GSC has given me a confidence that I have never felt before and an unparalleled passion for learning. I have been very successful at GSC and I am proud to say that I am a GSC student.
- Stephanie
I am only in my 3rd term at Granite State College, but already feel very at home. From the first day that I stepped foot into the offices in Manchester, I was welcomed with friendly faces and had all my questions answered. I was not even planning on enrolling in GSC when I went to speak with someone in Manchester, and when I left that day, I was all enrolled in a B.A. program. Everyone I have been in contact with from financial aid to scheduling classes, has made everything stress-free for me. I love that I can get my entire degree online if I want to also!
The #1 reason why I love GSC, is their affiliation with the school district where I work (Hudson, NH), and my district will pay for some of my classes! I thought I would never see a light at the end of the tunnel, but I plan to graduate from GSC with my bachelor's degree in the Spring of 2014! From there, I hope to get a job teaching Math, and once I am settled, I will continue my education at GSC and someday receive my Master's Degree.
- Rachel
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.
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.
Life is good being back in Michigan. I think dad enjoys me being around and sharing some time with him. Time is all we have; time to grow, learn, enjoy and have fun. I had so much fun going to the Manchester NH college campus and meeting new friends at Granite State College. We would laugh about our classes at times, about your essays about each other really, we were all on the same boat, we wanted our degrees and we were going forward to get it.
Those days in New Hampshire were happy days and happy memories, same as days with my dad. So if you are thinking school and getting an adult education degree is all work, think again and just do it!!
The reason I bring this up is because seeing two of these people (one from each 'category'), I began to run through in my head what high school was like for me. I tried to remember my teachers, how they taught, the environment, etc. A lot of my high school teachers were very strict about assignments and due dates and making sure they made NO exceptions, because they were trying to prepare us for the "real world" and for college.
I woke up this morning thinking, where are you spring? It has been a long winter so far. The snow has fallen in South Carolina and even though it only lasted a mere week and a half, it was ugly. Then I think of my friends up at the Manchester NH University and realize that I was lucky, we only got about seven inches of the white stuff, where you all got around two feet. Yuk, but yuk in a good way. The north knows how to clear the stuff from the roads and sidewalks, and work goes on as usual just like any other day. Therefore, students could get to school for their evening college classes after work or on the weekend. What I have learned with this past snow storm is that I need to go buy a shovel. No matter where I live, I may need it. It was kind of sad that only one person in our neighborhood had one and we all borrowed it to shovel our way out. I don't think we are too far away from spring, though. I just looked at my iris in the flower beds and they are starting to grow. The pussy-willow bush is getting buds and the birds are starting to come back to my kitchen window for some birdseed in the feeders. But my wooden flowers seem to have survived the snow. They bring a smile to my face as I look out of my back door. 
It is Saturday morning, I am getting ready to go into work, and the weather lady on the TV just said it is going up to 62 degrees today. No, it is not shorts weather yet, but I believe it is just around the corner. Sunshine, flowers, picnics, vacations and, yes, learning are all just around the corner. Learning never stops no matter what the weather is. So, to all of you doing on-line classes with distance learning universities, keep at it. It is so rewarding to have that degree under your belt. Until I get myself back to school to earn my Masters degree, I will enjoy the place I am in my life. This morning, it is a day of work with the realization that spring is not too far away!! Come on Sunshine...shine on South Carolina today!!
I'll have two online classes for college this semester and one in the classroom at the Manchester NH college campus. I can't say that I'm very good at biology, but I am so looking forward to my class, "The Human Brain." It will be interesting to learn more about different disorders and what parts of the brain are affected. Cool stuff!
I'll also have my Introduction to Research Methods in the Behavioral Sciences and Social Psychology - Hi Beth! (Beth was the instructor for my Human Development class too.)
The Intro class is so interesting even though we're only about half way through the first week. Lots of great online discussions as responses to a posted question from our instructor.
I can't wait to see how these classes unfold. I wish in some ways that I had started at Granite State College earlier because they have so many interesting classes being offered through the year. But I'm not complaining! It's because of Granite State College's flexible class schedules and different formats (classroom, online, and weekend intensive) that's allowing me to graduate in June!
I'll let you know how things progress!
mary
Two days later:
We still have ice, schools are closed, some streets are slick and I am staying in side today to sew. I will go to work in the morning and I believe we are done with the snow at this point. I did see New Hampshire was getting some snow though. Well enjoy it as you venture out and be thankful that you all have the equipment to clear the streets and life keeps going as you know it, even in two feet of snow. Enjoy your Manchester NH Education and Career College Training as long as you can.
I was walking to McDonald's one day with my laptop as they have free WiFi so I could get connected while Owen was sleeping and a Scotch lady was weeding her flowerbed and stopped to look at the baby and the buggy. She right away went inside her front door and brought out her Beautiful English Pram that was her's when her children where young. She was the age my mom would have been, around 83 or 84. What a beautiful buggy she had and leather on the inside with beautiful fringe on the hood. She told me stories about that buggy and how many children had been buggy walked in it. Her daughter used it for her 3 children and now there are great grandchildren coming along to take a ride in it. I feel that my buggy stories and her buggy stories are all part of a cycle that we both plan on passing on to our children.
Buggy walking as a tradition and cycle/norm of life is pretty much what I wanted my children to understand when I went back to Granite State College. I want them to understand and carry on the tradition of getting an adult college degree at some point in their lives. I took most of my classes as online learning classes while I did have a few classes at Manchester NH University. I hope my young adults follow suit and get their degree someday and also that they walk their babies in the Buggy!! Life is so good, Grandchildren are truly God's reward to parents. 
Left is the buggy the Scotch lady brought to show me...it was just beautiful. She bought it in England where she used to live. Mine is above, yes that is me with my coffee. My mother bought mine in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. Both had some similarities and both had wonderful shocks, those babies didn't feel a bump along the stroll.
It was a sunny Saturday morning September 26, 2010 when over 3,000 people came out to run a 5k, 1k or walk the distance for breast cancer. I was one of them. They raised more than $500,000 for the cause. I had a great time at Race. My boss, Jim, and friend, Jana, all ran the distance. None of us beat our times but we did finish. There had to be ten or more hills; hate those hills that wind through downtown Greenville, SC., but, we got the t-shirts and had a good day. All three of us learned that so many people have suffered with breast cancer, had families that suffered, lost loved ones from the disease. Learning is something that takes place in all forms of life, school, work, friendships and even races. We learn how to deal with things, how to improve our times in the race, how we deal with loss of loved ones. Whether it be by experiences through our life or at college.
Granite State College gave me such insight into the world, to life, to be able to think outside the box. Whether it was online adult learning classes or face-to-face classes in Manchester NH college campus or the Portsmouth NH college campus, I learned so much. Just like I learned so much entering this fundraising function for Breast Cancer.
So many people had names of loved ones pinned to their backs of their t-shirts. So many had Survivor t-shirts on, how wonderful, others went because they had daughters whom they cared about with hopes of finding a cure for this disease. It was a great day and a great learning experience.
It is Saturday evening, just got home from work and what a crazy day. I deal with Ohio dealerships and needless to say, when the football game started today on TV, there was not a deal come through for me to look at. It is an exciting time of year. Not many people are thinking about going to buy new cars the first day of football season. Lots of guys love to sit on the couch for the afternoon, watch the game, drink a few beers and have a few laughs. Some of my girlfriends love to do the same from time to time. I am not a huge football fan but do like the excitement of it and I love to watch the Super Bowl at the end of the year.
Fall is my favorite time of year, the wind is cool and we are all winding down from a busy summer. Whether that summer consisted of vacation, seeing family or taking a class at Granite State College in one of there many locations like Portsmouth NH College, Concord NH College, Claremont NH College, Manchester NH College or onine classes for college. Lets not forget about that unforgettable experience to take a class on the Isle of Shoals. We are all winding down and thinking about the fall, maybe fall classes or just what the next year may bring our way.
Football kind of starts that all off; friends, new beginnings, expectations and goals for the year to come. Go Team!! Whatever that team may be.
I have attached a link about Career Advice that may be helpful to students who are undecided about which course or academic direction they may want to take, whether they are attending classes in Rochester NH college, Concord NH college, Claremont NH college, or Manchester NH college campuses.
It is necessary to have a sense of what direction to take. Perhaps the use of a website like this one could help students decide whether they have a better aptitude for the Behavioral Sciences offered through Granite State College or maybe they are more inclined to pursue Early Childhood Education Classes there. Either way, the technology abounds to provide information when college Advisors are not available at the end of a telephone line. At least this website gives students someplace to start.
http://career-advice.monster.com/job-search/Getting-Started/Try-This-4-Year-Career-Checklist/article.aspx
Adult Education is all about independently acquiring information, skills, and success. Technology is available to also help students form questions they need to ask of their Advisors.
Why not click on this website, dip your toes in and get yourself organized for the the Fall Semester. Granite State College empowers students to ask questions and achieve answers.
A few weeks ago I started getting ready for a job interview that I thought I had a pretty good chance of getting. Through the week though, I started to get nervous and a bit fearful ("what if I don't have the right qualifications?" "what if I don't get the job?") and I started to study... going through all of my notes from my previous jobs, looking up other information that I wanted to become more familiar with, and contacting people that I used to work with to ask for references. Well, at one point I had become so nervous about the interview, I half thought that I might cancel it! Funny what the mind can do.
Before I started attending college, there were a number of times through the years that I talked myself out of going back to college because of unrealistic fears... "it will take too much time" or "do I have what it takes?" Well, I can tell you that at 45 years old I started seriously pursuing a degree and it was the best thing I ever did! I attended Nashua Community College (NCC) and began experiencing what it was like to become a student. Now that I am at Granite State College pursuing my Bachelor's in Behavioral Science, I can continue using the different educational formats that I found at NCC. I can take courses at any number of sites (though I'm closest to Manchester, NH classes) and online. This is my first semester here (online), but so far the instructors have been great with providing help when requested and keeping the online discussions interesting. The online classes at Granite State College are a great way to have flexibility in my schedule.
Btw, my interview went fantastic and they may have a position opening locally in the near future. If I had given into my fears, I would not have had such a great interview nor would I have found myself traveling down this path of higher learning, a decision I am so happy that I made.
Until next time!
Mary
Things sure have changed in terms of flying nowadays.
Things have changed too at GSC. The Manchester NH classes now have a new home. The campus is now housed in an old refurbished mill building. I recently had the chance to visit the campus at 195 McGregor Street. The building itself is grand, the inside is beautiful. It has fantastic old, wide plank floors and high ceilings. Huge windows make the space bright and sunny and exposed brick is everywhere. The classrooms are spacious and parking is easy. This old mill building, like the previous campus in the terminal building, is steeped in history and full of charm.
While I'm no longer a student, I will remember fondly my time at the old airport building. The planes landing and leaving were part of our classroom environment. I am a little envious though of the students who will be at the new (though very old) building as they take their adult education courses. The work and activity that once took place when this building was a bustling mill can still be felt. Now, students get to enjoy this fabulous space while achieving their academic goals!
But why not you? Do you realize that you could be taking courses at home on your computer instead of watching tv? You could be enrolled in a course at Granite State College right now at home, or you could be in Rochester, Concord, Manchester, or any number of locations sitting in a classroom and learning new things.
Oh, I lost you again. You say to yourself, "I can't sit in a classroom. I am too ____," (old, tired, busy..) But what if you went to class one night a week? Everyone else in the room is just as busy as you. Even most of your instructors are working somewhere else during the day. They know what it is like to juggle responsibilities. So instructors give you work that is geared to help you in your profession, classmates support one another and suddenly, TADA! You have taken your first course.
Give it a try! Granite State is a place where adult learners can grow and learn and only by giving up a tv show or two!
I had been counseled to start with a critical thinking class. It's a required class and many "newbies" start with it. It's a good way to get into the swing of college work. I tried to imagine what my first class would be like and could readily picture not having a word to say - which of course was wrong, I had lots to add!
We also studied two writings, one by Lincoln and one by Martin Luther King. We had to them and I found myself thinking about what I was going to write, the points I wanted to include, etc. It was actually a very creative process and as my paper went from thoughts to words on paper the confidence grew.
Our final assignment for the class was to read and analyze a novel by Steinbeck. We discussed in class how we might approach our papers. I recall one young woman's take on the novel that totally impressed me. She had seen something that made so much sense, but I had not seen it for myself. It was interesting for me to hear what others thought and how they were going to approach their paper.
I knew that I wanted to take a novel approach also and illustrate a theme that might not be immediately self evident. Again, I found myself thinking about my paper and the points I wanted to make. Submitting this final paper and being proud of what I had written was one of many milestones on my way to my adult college degree in behavioral science. Yeah me!
"It’s a kind of magic...
One dream one soul, one prize
One goal...
One golden glance of what should be...
One shaft of light that shows the way...
The bell that rings inside your mind, challenging the doors of time."
Queen - It's A Kind of Magic
What was the "bell" that went off in your mind that caused you to reflect on where you were in your life and where you wanted to be?
For me, it was the birth of my third child. I loved my role of wife and mother. I had always wanted and looked forward to raising a family. But one day, as I sat feeding the youngest baby, I thought "Is this all there is? Isn't there something more?"
In high school, the St. Joseph nuns offered me a golden glance of what could be, encouraging me to consider college, but they were ahead of their time. The thinking back then (the pre Ms Magazine era) ran something like this: sending a girl to college was a waste of money because she was only going to get married and have babies. And, in my family, there was also the issue of money or rather the lack of it. I'm sure there must have been financial aid back then, or at least something similar to it, but I knew nothing about such things. In any case, it wouldn't have mattered - my paycheck was needed at home.
So, graduating from high school, I worked on Wall Street for two years, eventually marrying and moving to New Hampshire. Three children and seven years passed before the "bell rang inside my mind" as the dream of a college education reawakened. And so, the door to my future was challenged, opening just a crack. Researching adult college courses in New Hampshire, I found the School for Lifelong Learning, as Granite State College was known back then (by the time I graduated, the name had morphed into the College for Lifelong Learning).
I met with an adviser at the Manchester NH college office who shed a shaft of light that pointed the way to achieving my goal. She mapped out a plan for my Associates Degree (because, at the time, working towards a bachelor's degree seemed such a huge, insurmountable challenge) and I got to work - one part time class at a time. Over the years, the magic continued.
Meeting kindred souls, people in my adult college courses who were dealing with the same day-to-day issues as I and aspired to goals similar to mine; befriending faculty who nurtured the flame of inquisitiveness burning inside of me and who helped me to discover the wonderful world of adult learning - all of this, and more, caused a seismic shift in my perception of what the future could hold for me.
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