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.
I recently attended the Business NH Health Care Summit in Manchester - an event and topic that interests me greatly, thanks to my role as program director of the Granite State College Bachelors degree in Health Care Management. The New England Director of the U.S. Dept of Health and Human Services, Christi Hager, delivered the keynote where she discussed what has transpired since Health Care Reform was introduced and the implementation of the Affordable Care Act. Many businesses and agencies were represented at the conference and all are grappling with the high cost of health care benefits. Small companies tend to pay 18% more in premiums than larger corporations resulting in them being a third less likely to offer insurance. The State Based Insurance Exchange will make coverage more affordable for small businesses and is slated to be available in 2014.
We learned that New Hampshire has one of the highest quality health care delivery systems in the country and has the highest rate of private insurance coverage at 72%.
A panel consisting of HR representatives from a large corporation and a small business, a physician, the president of NH Hospital Association, a representative from AARP, and someone from Harvard Pilgrim N.E. answered questions and discussed emerging trends. Health care costs have lead to a trend in companies and insurance agencies to promote wellness among their employees. These initiatives range from discounts on health club memberships, sport teams, onsite health professionals, onsite fitness centers, regular safety assessments, smoke-free workplaces, walking clubs, and preventative care, to free health coach consultations from insurance providers. The bottom line is that to control health care costs, companies need to embrace wellness programs.
How do you get started?
- Get connected with your HR department
- Form a wellness committee
- Connect with other business – find out what they’ve done and set benchmarks
- Create the infrastructure to support the initiative and promote cultural transformation
- Develop an action plan – get data- build collaboration
- Get to know your co-workers/employees
- Investigate what support your insurer may provide
- Develop partnership with local pharmacist to assist with education in the workplace
- Go to: http://healthaffairs.org/
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!!
Why I say this is because I had an opportunity to go golfing, a date actually, and I hadn't golfed in years. I loved it when I did it but like I said, it had been years. With attending Granite State College at the Manchester NH college campus over the past few years, and just learning a new job twice at work, I just didn't have the time or the opportunity to golf. Well, I just played this afternoon and I have to tell you, I all came back to me. I did fairly well in fact, and hope I play some more real soon. I love the sport, love the challenge of planning my swing, what club to use and just getting the ball in the we hole.
So, if you think you will never remember what you learned in school or in life, think again. You never loose it, it is there, it just needs to be ignited again.
When I graduated from Granite State College in December 2010 I very much wanted to join a writer's group. I was vetted and accepted into the Seacoast Women Writer's Group. Still, something was not quite right. Then I realized what was wrong ...
I wanted a writer's group of my own.
So, while I work on my NH Teaching Certification, I am also accepting new members into my writing group called The Write Ideas writing group which meets every other Tuesday morning in Portsmouth at Barnes & Noble.
I have been inspired by every wonderful writing Instructor I have had the opportunity to work with in Portsmouth, Manchester, and Rochester through Granite State College.
Adult education and training has taken me further than I ever dared to dream I could go. But I do think it is important to give enormous consideration to the Institution you are joining and whether or not you fit in.
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.
who did have college degrees. I don't regret it, but where would I have been if I had started off with a college degree. Who knows, but it certainly wouldn't have hurt, I know that. Good news (terrific news, actually) is that it's never too late! I can't believe all of the amazing experiences I've had since leaving my job of 20+ years a few years back and going in a completely different direction in my career. I grabbed hold of all of the possibilities of college life and ran with it. Heck, I even played the college mascot at one of Nashua Community College's basketball games. Yup! That's me at 47! What a kick!
So, is it ever too late to go to college? I don't think so! Granite State College has many degrees to suit your interest or, perhaps, working with a Granite State College advisor, create your own! I chose Behavioral Science and I'm psyched about being able to complete my courses via GSC's online courses and by attending both the Manchester NH college campus and the Concord NH college campus. I can't wait to walk in June with my bachelor's in Behavioral Science. How cool!
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.
My daughter and I are so much alike, yet so very different. We are both the kind of women that go all in on whatever we do. For twenty plus years I went all in when it came to raising my children, now my focus is on my adult education courses. Brittany gave her school work everything she had in high school and has since that time given all of her attention to her job. Throughout high school and after she was also heavily committed to refereeing soccer. She has traveled through the Northeast in her capacity as a professional soccer referee and has been honored as the young female referee for the state of NH. This past year she became eligible for tuition reimbursement from her employer. I was so happy for her and had hoped she would take advantage of this opportunity to get her adult college degree in her twenties instead of waiting until her forties as I did.
Brittany found a new passion this past year, Roller Derby. Needless to say I was horrified! My beautiful, classy young daughter is now a bruiser. She walks around with abrasions, black eyes and bruises all over her arms and legs. I have always supported my children in their extracurricular activities of softball, soccer, basketball, drama, etc. but this was beyond my apprehension. I love sports, I instilled the love of sports in my daughters but is roller derby actually a sport? My daughter had never been on roller skates in her life, I figured she would try it out and decide this was not for her. Boy did I ever underestimate my daughter. She started skating in October and has already become one of the better skaters in NH. She currently skates for “Skate Free or Die,” a NH roller derby organization that has just recently been accepted into the international derby association of the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA). 
Although I did not want to attend the bouts (games) I have because I believe in supporting my family in whatever it is they are passionate about. I have become an actual fan. This is a sport and I actually understand the game and have even come to enjoy it. It is not as brutal as I imagined although I have witnessed teammates of my daughter breaking collar bones and teeth during bouts. The physical endurance these athletes have is nothing to take for granted. They train harder than you can imagine. My daughter practices 4 times a week for up to four hours at a time. Although she has always been active in playing sports she has never transformed her body like she has by her derby training.
My daughter is only 22 years old and is loving life and her accomplishments. I had hoped she would attend college directly after high school but she chose a different path. She has succeeded in this path so I am very happy for her. Her company offered her tuition reimbursement so I had hoped she would immediately take advantage of this, but once again she has chosen a different path. Her path will lead her to become the woman she will become, to date she has made wise decisions and has done well for herself. We are so very different and have taken very different paths in our lives but we are so very similar in the fact that we chose our individual paths which will fulfill us and lead us to become the women we aspire to be.
When the time is right and my daughter is ready I have no doubt she will attain her adult college degree and thrive in the academic environment.
If you are looking for a night out of doing something different then come to a Skate Free or Die event at the JFK Coliseum in Manchester for a night of laughs, bruises and fun!
PS My daughter's derby persona is "Slick Tracy"
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