My 23 year old daughter started her adult college program this week. She not only asked me to attend her orientation day at White Mountains Community College in the North Country but asked me to accompany her shopping for her back-to-school supplies. I was able to help Brittany choose her courses and class schedule because she trusted my knowledge and advice in this new challenging era of her adult life.
Brittany chose a community college because she could not find full-time work in the north country so she decided to attend school full-time instead. She only expects to be living in Berlin for the next two years so she knows once she receives her Associates degree from WMCC she can easily transfer all of her credits to
Granite State College to earn her B.S. degree as GSC has pre-approved transfer degree programs with all NH Community Colleges.
Receiving my adult college degree has earned me respect from many people. The respect it has earned me from my own daughter is really the only one that matters.
I have always believed it important to not only talk the talk, but to walk the walk, when it came to teaching my children. I have tried to accomplish this throughout the past 23 years of motherhood. It is not always what we did do but often, what we did not do, that our children pay attention to.
My daughter was very proud of me when I graduated with my adult college degree last year. It got her thinking of going back to school herself but although she talked about it she never took any action towards this stated goal. The very same week my promotion at work was announced, my 23-year-old-daughter enrolled as a full-time student at a local New Hampshire State College.
As soon as my daughter realized the opportunity offered to me as a direct result of my academic accomplishments she realized there was no reason she had to wait until her mid-life for the same opportunities.
No matter what your age, an adult college degree will open doors, present opportunities and offer new and exciting challenges. I will not be surprised to find myself working for my daughter in 5-10 years!
To my daughter Brittany; you have always been bright, beautiful, ambitious and highly capable. Now that you have decided to begin your adult college program, the world is yours for the taking.
You continue to make me proud of the young woman you are today and will undoubtedly become. I am grateful you have made different life decisions than I, you will thrive in your academic pursuits and enjoy the benefits of your education for a lifetime.
You go girl!
Learning, it stays with you no mater how long it has been since you learned it. It doesn't matter if it is something you learned in school, or something you have learned along life's path, you just don't forget.
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.
At all of our Granite State College campuses, we have recently implemented a new model for serving students on their path to degree completion. We have formed Student Success Teams at each of our campuses. I am very excited about this because it provides students with even more support than they have previously enjoyed.
At the Conway NH college campus where I work, everyone is coming together to support our learners. We have so many new options to make college learning easier! We are offering a series of workshops, including writing and math labs, workshops on time management, organization....lots of different kinds of information to help students be more successful. These workshops are offered in a small group format, which allows us to support more students while fostering networking and relationship building.
Another exciting direction we are moving in is offering Career Advancement Services. We have always offered one-on-one career counseling, but we are expanding our programs and will soon have more to offer to students who need extensive career and life planning.
We are very unique amongst colleges with online classes in that we offer so many different kinds of learning supports. We have online 24/7 tutoring, "Smart Thinking" and online students who have access to one of our GSC Campuses, are also able to attend the live workshops.
Another exciting tool we offer is a degree auditing system called CAPP. Its available online, 24/7 and helps learners track their path toward an adult education diploma. CAPP shows students where transfer credits fit in, display grades and gpa information, and allows students to do a "What If" analysis that shows where their credits would fit in if they switch majors.
If you have a suggestion for workshops you would like to see to support your learning, please email me your suggestions at
jan.hodges@granite.edu.
Have any of you moved and can't find some of your belongings at the other end? Well, that happens. It has happened to me almost every time I have moved. What is missing, is always the question and what just about drives you nuts looking for it.
That exact thing, happened this time with my move from SC to MI. An iron is lost and a couple boxes I had packed earlier are also missing in action. The movers were so great and nice, I have no clue where these items were put or delivered too. Well, the movers are coming out tomorrow to take a look in my attic to see if they can find the items. I hope they do, I hope they find everything I have lost. Hopefully it will not be too hot up in that attic in the morning.
Moving brings back my memory of my move to NH. Learning the area, finding some friends, learning a new job etc., all very exciting. I also had to find an adult college program to transfer too from Aquinas College in Nashville, TN. I found a college that took all my credits and continued my education at Granite State College. They had an adult education degree program, they had Accelerated weekend intensive classes that helped me move along to that piece of paper while raising a family and holding down a full time job. I mostly liked their evening college classes - they included other adult learners just like myself.
So, whether it is finding belongings after a move or finding a college to finish your adult college degree, stay positive and you can do it. We can do anything we want to do bad enough, I am a believer, I am proof it can happen.
Another move is underway. Boxes are everywhere to be seen!!
The day started early at 6am when the truck arrived to load up my belongings and head to my new adventure/destination. I have a new address, actually an old address, as I am moving back to the same city I was raised in. I am sad to leave my newly-built dream home, but I am also happy to be back in Michigan and close to my dad who will be 90 this year.
I am moving into a much smaller home, eight hundred and one square feet to be exact. I have been running to the dump and goodwill the past few days; pitching stuff I don't need, don't have space for or just tired of moving it from one state to the next. I figure if I haven't opened the box from my NH days, which was 4 1/2 years ago, I didn't need it. I was surprised the boxes that came in that category. We all tend to save things for sentimental reasons and yet, someday someone else will pitch them for us when we are dead and gone.
There is one thing no one can pitch though, and that is an adult college education from Granite State College. The value in an education is so great and the good example of continuous learning will be passed on for generations. Whether a grandson says someday, "Grandma went back to school," how cool is that? I hope I have been a good example for my family and I pray they keep going to school all of their lives. An adult college degree is priceless, kind of like the commercials on TV about Master Card. There are just some things that don't have a price on them and a dult college education doploma is one of them.
Got to get back to the movers... more later.
I remember not so long ago taking my required Technology course at Granite State College, hemming and hollering all the way; resisting the learning curve. I know I was torn between wanting to learn more about Excel, PowerPoint, Access, and Windows while feeling quite nervous about not understanding the lingo in the commands.
Although my Instructor at GSC's Rochester NH college campus worked very hard to help me get up to speed, I always knew I was clearly out of my comfort zone. With my college Advisor's encouragement, I pressed on.
By the end of the semester my self-esteem kicked in with my adult learning process and shazam! I passed the course. Fast forward to present-day. Something I thought I would never understand about computer technology was how websites were created. With the help of Mic and her brilliant young mind, I now have my own website.
Career college training initiatives from course work for my Language Arts Degree build on success. From one learning curve to another you can experience more and more success which in turn becomes more and more confidence in academic achievement. The best feeling in the world is when I am able to translate what I have gleaned from academic studies to real life situations.
Michigan is where I find myself these days after twenty-three years of being moved around, from TN, NH, FL and SC, I am back home. Michigan is where I was raised and even though the town has changed, it still feels good to me. I miss my kids so much but they are scattered all over the US and there are flights to each town where they reside. I certainly have lots of places to visit. I will end up in the south, I think but for now, I am so happy to be in Michigan.
My cat is staying with my old friend until I find a home. I miss her so much, she is part of my life now the that the kids are all grown. So looking for a new home is the first thing on the agenda.
Work is going well. I am sure it was my adult college degree that got me the promotion to my new job. I am so glad I made that commitment to go to school at Granite State College, even though I was older when I started an adult college program. It is still the best thing I have ever done for myself. It was proven with this job promotion that all that studying has paid off!
Another move means another house to find, another place to call home. This time, I don't want much, something simple and small is what I am looking for. This move is a bit challenging as Michigan home prices have dropped so much and the questions is, will they drop anymore? I guess it is all relevant as my home in SC still has not sold and I don't need a big house payment. I go out tomorrow to scope out some areas that I am interested in. It is similar to when I moved to NH and scoped out Granite State College. It was everything I needed in a college and when I moved to SC, it was the college that could move with me. The online classes for adults made it possible for me to continue my education without a bump in the road!! It was great. I am hoping this house hunting trip tomorrow will be as smooth as my education was.
It has been a long day and I need to get some rest for my busy house hunting day I have tomorrow...till the next post!! You all keep learning!!
Since December 2010 when I graduated from Granite State College, I have been considering the possibilities of what I might do next. As a result of achieving my Bachelor's Degree in Language Arts, I have gotten involved in a writing project that is very important to me.
As a way to learn more about the book-writing process, I attended a Writer's Workshop at the University of Southern New Hampshire that was facilitated by Mary Carroll Moore, a published author.
Since the termination of my adults college classes at the Rochester NH and Portsmouth NH college campuses, I have missed the collaboration with my peers very much. I am transitioning to the next level of my educational journey. During my weekend workshop I once again felt the connection of being with like-minded individuals who were sharing my path. I think this is an important issue to address sooner than later, once the initial cessation of college classes sets in.
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.
A few weeks ago, I ran into an old friend from high school. A few days after that encounter, I ran into another friend from high school. It's always amazing how you feel when you run into old friends. There are some people you get very excited to see, and others you get this feeling in the pit of your stomach and in all honesty, you may try to dodge them from seeing you. For most people that I have met (post high school) it's a time in their life they want to forget. And seeing someone from your past can bring up some uneasy feelings that you thought you had buried.
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.
Because of how we were being "prepared", I didn't want to go to college anymore. Of course I had ambitions and I DID want to go to college, but I was expecting that it would not be the experience I had always dreamed it would be. Not after those experiences...
I may not be where I thought I would be when I was 16, but I'm happy to see where I am today. I'm in college, and in a short number of years I will have obtained two adult education diplomas. The exact same outcome as if I had gone off to college right after graduation.
The differences between high school and Granite State College are numerous! In high school you can become invisible. Very few people know your name, interests, etc. At this Concord, NH college campus, you walk in the front door and you are greeted by your first name! (Side note: I mention Granite State College's Concord, NH college campus because it's my "home base." I go there a great deal, even though I take classes sometimes at the Manchester, NH college campus).
In high school, no exceptions were made; here at GSC, teachers will work with you and they understand that life happens. Many students who I have taken classes with have demanding jobs and/or children.
These adult accelerated degree programs are very different from high school. Of course there are always exceptions, but my guess is that these programs work because everyone there has the same goal: to make life better for us. That includes fellow students, and it also includes the faculty. Hazing and bullying don't go on at college (or at least this one). This is the one place you will always look back on as a positive experience. It's a second chance for people (or third, or fourth...).
In many years down the road you run into someone who you went to college with, there will be no uneasy feelings; you'll finally have an educational experience you are more than happy to revisit.
The moral of this story: don't let your past experiences hold you back from really living your life. It's always the time to create some new experiences, and you know you'll be better off for it.
I recently attended the 2011 College Access Showcase sponsored by Campus Compact for NH and NHCUC. One of the workshops I attended was with John T. Kirkpatrick, Associate Dean, College of Liberal Arts, UNH. A dynamic and engaging speaker, John spoke about his experience as Dean and the challenges that new college students encounter. While his focus was on the traditional aged student in the New Hampshire university system, he made some great points that are appropriate for all of us.
The purpose of higher education is more than just filling students with information. It should not only develop the intellect but also the heart, character, integrity and judgment and how to use all of this wisely. We want students to become productive and useful citizens contributing to society in a meaningful way. Intellect needs to be balanced with innovation and creativity.
Look at any job search website and you will find lists of qualities that employees are looking for. Apart from skills in the profession, employers want people who have reasoning skills and the ability to problem solve. Communication skills, both written and oral, are crucial. Understanding of human behavior is important to be able to work well with others. Having an historical consciousness to have that understanding of how we got where we are today.
As I listened to John talk I realized this makes a good argument to the complaint "Do I have to take these gen eds?" Yes, you do! Those classes help to develop skills apart from those specific to your field of study. They help you to learn about yourself, others and the world around you.
Granite State College offers a great variety of general education electives that I encourage students to take advantage of. Whether students are looking for online classes for adults or evening college classes there are plenty of classes to choose from that will help develop their creativity, intellect, and compassion.
There's nothing more frustrating and nerve-wracking then your computer Internet connections giving you problems when you are trying to make a deadline for your online adult education classes. It can never be the days when you know you have a few days to submit an assignment: no, no... it's always on Sunday starting at 6pm, and it's the end of the module (which means nothing can be submitted after Sunday midnight), and you can spend HOURS trying to get your computer working and when it does, it is now Monday morning.
So what can you do about this? Fortunately, everyone in the Granite State College system are very understanding, and will help you in any way they can. Whether that means going to the college and using their computers, or working with your teacher(s) explaining the situation. My experience has shown me time and time again that the teachers don't want to see you fail: they genuinely want you to do your best and pass the class. And for those who participate and put in the effort, they will help you in any way they can.
In some respect, high school was harder than college.
I recently had some *very* annoying Internet issues, and I was very touched at how the faculty helped me. Which got me thinking about other technical issues I have had in the past. Any time I had a question about a form that adult Financial Aid sent me, or any letter about my schooling, I can call them up, or stop over at my home base (the Concord NH college campus), and they will take the time to answer any questions that I have. They are there to help make this process easier for us; including helping us with forms and/or submitting grant requests, etc. It's a true example of adult education services.
Everyone needs help at one time or another, and I will never forget all of the hands that have been and are reaching out to help. As corny as it sounds: Granite State College is a family. No one is excluded. Everyone knows your name, and it has that true feeling of "home" away from home.
Applications at Granite State College are up nearly 40% over last year. This is wonderful news for the college, since it indicates that we are addressing higher education needs that are in demand. It also represents the college's ability to adapt and change in ways that impact prospective students. Granite State has taken a number of steps this year to make the college more attractive to working professionals and adult students of all ages, who are juggling job and family commitments.
Over this past year Granite State has streamlined its application process, significantly upgraded our Rochester NH college campus center and opened a new center at the Littleton NH college campus. Students are also gravitating to our online classes for adults and therefore we have significantly expanded are online offerings and currently offer every one of our degree programs fully online.
The world is moving very quickly and the needs of our students are changing just as quickly. While Granite State College continues to emphasize the quality of the student experience we are also paying increasing attention to the convenience factor that is integral to access.
Tonight, in my child development class at Granite State College's Portsmouth NH college campus, we were talking about cognitive development of high school students. We discussed how during the high school years, children are transitioning to adulthood, not only in their size, but also in their thinking. Students in high school begin to analyze things from a variety of perspectives. They start to think of themselves as part of a larger world and they start to make moral judgments based on an understanding of right and wrong. You might not think that education classes at Granite State College would touch on world issues, but as we discussed thinking and reasoning, we also talked about issues facing not only today's teens, but also issues facing our country and our world. Should we be concerned about the fate of people half way around the world in Japan? Should we care about how the United States is responding to the crisis in Libya? There are many classes at Granite State College that will allow you to think more deeply about world issues. Think about registering for online classes or face to face classes. These might be behavioral science classes or critical thinking or an online class for criminal justice. Try registering for an adult education class. Many of the classes will encourage you to think and offer you a chance to discuss your ideas with other people who are also interested in world issues.
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.
The end of the term is approaching fast. I have taken my first 5 week intensive online class. This (of course) is held the last 5 weeks of the term: which is the same time I have major research papers due in my other classes. It's a different type of experience. What's great is that adult education classes have the correct forum to try new things. Everything you do, every class you take will help you in your future endeavors. And everyone is traveling down the same road you are.
I am currently in this place where even though there are only 3 more weeks of classes, I know that time is going to fly by, however it feels like the days are never ending. This is the time when papers are due, quizzes are there to finish, etc. Outside of school, things have seemed to pile up and everything has now been officially moved to "#1 priority" which need to be done yesterday.
Life does this to you. These moments help define who you are as a person. I cannot even begin to tell you how many strong people I have met that will repeatedly stand up to the challenge. It's at these home stretches where you either "break" or walk against the wind "fight or flight."
I am a person who reflects...a lot! I was thinking about my first weekend intensive class I had at the Concord NH college campus here at Granite State College; not so much about the class itself but the atmosphere of it all. It was a very comfortable place for me. Not only was the class itself filled with information, but what was happening around us. Our class was constantly laughing - so much we had to shut the doors. The best part about it: we weren't the only ones! There were Foster Parent Classes right down the hall. Whatever you were there for, everyone seemed to have a glowing aura.
Career College Training is a resource that has become more easily accessible. From 4 year colleges, to strictly online classes, to adult accelerated degree programs (or even adult education certificates) which can be completed during day and/or night classes: there is something for you out there!
How does this relate with this being the end of the term for me? It's because I have been put in a position where I need to pick myself up off the ground, dust myself off, and get ready to fight for the next 3 weeks. These 3 weeks will be a test and I can guarantee you I will learn more about who I am as a person. Every experience, new or repeated, will help push us to where we would like to see ourselves. Hard work pays off: although I wouldn't mind having a personal genie at times :)
As many of you may know, Adult Financial Aid has been a hot topic in recent federal and state budget debates. These debates have left many of us wondering, “What is financial aid going to look like in the future?” I can’t speak for other schools, and I certainly do not profess to know exactly what is going to happen, but here are my thoughts and opinions on how Granite State College students may be affected.
With regard to State Financial aid, I believe we will see a cut to many of the grant and scholarship programs for New Hampshire. Governor Lynch proposed the elimination of the Post-Secondary Education Commission as a stand-alone agency. They are currently the ones administering the NH Incentive Grant. With the proposed elimination, it is unclear who, if anyone will be administering this program. There have been mentions of each state school receiving an allotment of funding to be used at the school level, but we have not received any official word as of yet.
We have been notified; however, that we will no longer have funding for the Unique Allocation Scholarship or the Unique Endowment fund. These funds will be re-directed to support public institutions of higher learning in New Hampshire.
In addition, Congress is still debating the proposed cuts to its budget as well. There have been talks of decreasing the annual Pell Grant allotment from $5550 (maximum annual award) to $4705 (maximum annual award). Senate is planning to vote on these proposed cuts this week, and if they are not passed, they will return to the drawing board until they can come to an agreement.
That being said, Granite State College is still able to fund the majority of our students using the Federal Aid Programs available to us. Because we are mainly an Adult and Continuing Education college and do not have the high costs of residential campuses, we will not be as heavily affected by these proposed cuts as some of the more traditional colleges in the area. We are confident that no matter what happens, we will have proper funding to assist our students.
There are, however, things students can do on their own to help supplement their educational expenses. Because we may have to use more Stafford loan money to cover the portion of charges typically covered by the State Grant Programs, Students should take a good, hard look at what they are borrowing. Students should keep a close eye on their outstanding loan debt by checking the National Student Loan Data System on a regular basis. This will allow them to track how much they have already borrowed and reconsider their borrowing habits. Another good tool to use is the financial aid loan payment calculator. This will give them an idea of what their monthly payment will look like once they have finished their program. These tools allow students to make informed choices as to how they want to spend their money and more importantly, what they can really afford.
Another option students should be aggressively pursuing is scholarships. It takes a little more leg work since most have an application and essay requirement, but with the cuts to many grant programs, this is another very feasible way to get free money for education.
Students can create a profile on a scholarship search engine which will then send them different scholarships that may be applicable to them. Another excellent scholarship resource for New Hampshire residents is the New Hampshire Charitable Fund. Specifically, the adult student aid program is designed for adults returning to school to upgrade skills for employment or career advancement. In addition, the statewide student aid program is designed for the traditional student in a four year baccalaureate program.
Keep in mind that not all scholarship opportunities are legit. Take a look at these Scholarship Tips to avoid being caught in the middle of a scam.
So as we move forward into the 2011-2012 financial aid award year, things are still very uncertain. Rest assured though, Granite State College will have aid to cover our students regardless of what happens with both the State and Federal governments.
OMG, what a crazy month so far. With my daughter's wedding coming up and job interviews, what will this year bring?
Yes, it has been crazy in my world. My daughter's wedding is coming up in just a few days and every thing that needs to get done is flying through my head. From hair appointments, getting chocolates, flowers, pressing the dress, finding shoes and the list goes on and on. The showers are done and we all had a blast. The Bacholrette party was something I will never forget. Every bride needs one of these and the group that was enjoying it with her was the best, fun, exciting, res-cay etc..it was fun. We stayed in a cabin up in the Georgia mountains and it rained the whole time. It had a metal roof so the noise of the rain was quite soothing after a few drinks the night before. My daughter had fun and I had a new experience under my belt. I had only wished my friend from Granite State College in NH, could have been there with us to celebrate. But, miles away and her fear of flying kept her in New Hampshire.
The wedding will be here before I know it so I have to get my act together this week. I have sewing to do this week, doctors appointments and lets not forget the next interview for the job in Michigan. Yes, I may be moving again just like I did four years ago when I moved from New Hampshire to South Carolina. It will all work out, time management is a skill I learned while I was attending my adult education courses a few years ago. I can do this and I will.
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