A friend presented me with a challenge this week. When I admitted that I struggled at my first attempt at the challenge his response to me was, “It is not rocket science and you’re smart.” He was correct, the challenge is not beyond my means, I just needed someone to remind me that I am a smart woman. How did this new friend know that I was smart? He has not known me long, we have not worked together professionally, I can only assume he believed it to be true because that is what I portrayed to him, and after all, I am a Granite State College graduate!
I struggled during my first online classes for college, I struggled during my first night college classes, who am I kidding, I struggled during most of my adult college courses! I never gave up though. My professors and classmates constantly encouraged me and reminded me that I was a “smart” woman. Today, with my adult college degree in hand, I only need to be reminded once to believe it to be true. I am a smart woman capable of almost anything. I will succeed in my current challenge and know it us due in part to the experiences I have received through my adult college program.
It was the kind of night where you would put on a sweater before turning the heat up any further. The fire was low, yet it did the trick in taking the chill out of the October air. A thin film of smoke hung lightly in the room. It reminded me of how much I enjoyed the sweet smell of hard wood burning. Three torchieres were positioned in the the corners of the room and their light was dim. I was aware of the size of the room and how much light was being given off by each lamp. There were five windows with elaborate built-in seating for each one, though one window had been boarded up with paneling that matched the rest of the decor; an obvious correction to the original structure when an addition was put on. The panels on the wall as well as the boards on the floor were a soft white pine (from the colonial New England forestry trade); wide and stripped of any finish. Each board had to measure 18-24 inches across. The paneling on the walls were hand hewn raised panels with mortis and tenon joinery. The windows themselves were double sashed and multi-paned, which was typical for the style of the architecture and a hallmark of the colonial times. The wavy glass added to the mystery of the surroundings.
As I waited for our class to begin my mind wandered. I wondered what would it have been like to be far away from my native home and brought into the wilderness of New England in 1701. That was just 9 years after the Salem Witch Trials happened in neighboring Massachusetts. Would I have been an accuser, or an accused participant? Would I be able to survive in this environment without indoor plumbing or central heating?
Our class began the same way it had every other night except this time the visual aid was not a power point presentation, video, or replicated document. We were enveloped by the actual artifact of history. We could touch, feel, see and smell the essence of the time period we were studying and learning about. I can't fully explain the heightened sense of learning I have regrding our Granite State College class inside the Colonel Paul Wentworth House, but it was truly an amazing experience, one that will remain with me for quite some time.
Have you ever thought about teacher training education? Have you wondered how people become teachers at the early childhood or elementary levels? Childhood education classes are what makes it possible for teachers to become teachers. If individuals do not take education classes they are likely to just copy what they saw in school themselves. So look back at your own learning career. You probably had some great teachers and some ordinary teachers. Unfortunately you may have had more ordinary teachers. Yet if you want to teach, you want to be one of the great teachers. And that doesn't just suddenly happen. You need to become involved in childhood education classes that challenge you to think and to expand your knowledge. You need to be equipped to change with the times. Classes at Granite State College make that possible. The classes are scheduled in the evenings so you can work during the day and expand your skills at night. You can enroll in just one class, at a local campus such as Portsmouth NH classes or Rochester NH classes, or you can take online classes. Recently a student at Granite State College observed in an elementary school classroom and saw the teacher handing out worksheet packets while students got into trouble. She decided that the lesson was a good lesson until she was challenged in her evening class at Granite State to think about what could have been done differently to reach the many needs and learning styles in the classroom. Her thinking was challenged and with her classmates she discussed other options. Now and in the future her own students will have the benefit of her learning and experience. That thinking and reflecting is what makes ordinary teachers great.
If you decide to become a student at Granite State College, don't think twice about taking your homework on the road. This weekend was my second wedding anniversary. My husband invited me to go away with him. At first, I wasn't sure if I could manage my homework and travel at the same time but with my optimistic husband, all things are truly possible.
We packed up everything I needed in order to do my homework and drove by car to the Overlook Cottages in Eagle Lake, Maine. But this is the thing: although we spent our nights in the cottage, we drove another hundred miles into the Allagash during the day in search of Ramsey Ledge, a campsite located along the Allagash River.
Because my husband loves to drive to these faraway places, I get to sit, relax, and read all of my homework as we coast along the rural roadways which is exactly what I did this past Sunday. I read approximately 200 pages of Letters to a Young Teacher by Jonathan Kozal as we wandered into the Great North Woods! I used post-it notes to mark off bits and pieces of information that I will later use in my Capstone I-search paper, my Integrative Experience for my Language Arts Degree that I have almost completed at Granite State College.
I cannot think of a more relaxing way to read a required book for a college course than to sit on a big rock at the edge of the Allagash River in Northern Maine without another soul in sight except for my precious husband who loves the wilderness as much as I do.
If you think that you will have to give up a part of your life just because you want to take adult classes at Granite State College to advance a degree in a career you just know you will love, take my word for it, you don't!
Technology has made traveling easier than I ever dreamed possible. And... by taking Independent Learning Contracts, you are free to come and go as you please without having to worry about scheduling time to attend classes. I truly have the very best of both worlds!
- I figured that was an appropriate song title to start off with :) One thing that I am always either reading or looking up, is quotes. Song lyrics can work extremely well but I just bought an ipod touch which is the perfect time to buy one because it's exactly like an iphone but without the service (which if you bought one when it first came out, ... well sorry folks). Back to the point I was making: I have apps that I will look at for even 10 minutes of tons of inspiring quotes that pump me up! I love to look at these during my work break, school break, I mean, ANYTIME!
I know that this is the first blog that I have done, but things are a little different since I left you with my very first post. My home base was the Granite State College in Concord, and this term they had a Shakespeare class that I REALLY wanted to do, and since I live in Concord driving 20/25 minutes wasn't a big deal, so I am taking my classes in the Manchester location. This semester I am doing my second weekend intensive class!! Child Abuse and Neglect: I'm really excited! Although I wonder if that's weird to be as pumped as I am about that class....
During this summer I did 4 classes: I did my very first (2) online classes! They were amazing! They were completely doable, and it fit in with my lifestyle and I could not have asked for more! I was cautious about it because I really wanted that interaction and excitement that the students feed off from one another, and in an online class I would assume that you wouldn't get that. WRONG! If anything, I think it's just about the same, if not more. One of my classes was a women's health class. Because we were behind computer screens and NOT face to face, we were so open about ourselves and we learned so much about each other and ourselves. My other class was a politics class. Because we were on the computer so much, we were using discussion forums and we were only required to respond to "3 student's posts", and discussions went on for pages, I am going to assume because we had the Internet at our fingertips we could look up each others points and debate, etc.
I also had my very first Weekend Intensive Class at the Concord location as well this summer! Media and Its Message. GREAT CLASS! If you ever get a chance to take the class, TAKE IT! It's given as a bunch of different things, I took it as an English class, sometimes it's given as a Sociology class, etc. I love how those classes work. The summer ones I guess are a little bit different, but that's how I prefer to get in "X" amount of work done in 3, 4 days. Oh man, there was so much work that was done, my brain was fried at the end of those days but it felt so rewarding! I got a 4.0 in that class. You really can do anything if you just do the work! That's the key to success in anything. If you start to fall behind (Weekend Intensive is a little tricky) that's what everyone else is there for. I hated to ask for help. But I ended up "asking" my teacher on the very l last night of class (my Wednesday night class in Concord), because I had fallen a little behind, but because he saw how much effort I had put in, he helped me catch up and I completed everything.
Ok, so that was basically a recap over my summer. In my bio it says that I take 4 classes at a time. I guess I will leave that up. This term I'm not. I dropped down a few weeks ago from 4-3, and then when this past Thursday before the deadline I dropped down from 3-2 (which is still full time). I was trying to do to much. I am working, taking care of a parent, and I need time for me! I am working on my health this term, and it shouldn't be for "this term", it should be "every term" and beyond, but one step at a time. I am very big into music now, I've been playing with a wonderful band. I have found some wonderful people to play with and we play in gigs around the state. They are like my family, as corny as that sounds haha! The guitar player, he is just like a big brother to me, and the drummer and his wife, he's like a big brother and uncle in one, and his wife is like a big sister and aunt wrapped in one. It's great to be part of a close knit made-up family LOL. It's great that I have the time to have them in my lives instead of shutting them aside because of school. -(I am by all means saying that school should come first in MY life, but if I were to take 4 classes and never have time to "hang out" and play music with anybody because I always have a paper to write: for me it's the same exact thing as shutting people out)
I never thought I would say this: I absolutely LOVE my life! I am going to school full time! I am a sophomore (finally!), I am a musician and play with some amazing musicians!, I have some amazing friends, I have a great job, part-time yes but it IS better than nothing I know that for a fact, I have a great car (knock on wood that it stays that way), I have a great relationship with both of my parents (finally!), AND I was just asked out the other night... ;) Somehow I think I will be alright!
I was upset at the fact that I had cut down from 4 classes to 2, but with all of the papers that had to be written, I just couldn't do it. But man...I am SO SO SO SO SO SO SO HAPPY that I did!!! I have one Weekend Intensive Class in Manchester and Wednesday Night class in Manchester, can you imagine what it's like to have some days and nights and weekends free??
I am up this morning, sipping on coffee and thinking about the presentation I give this afternoon at the office. I have to show the collectors what my job is as a Credit Analyst and how I determine who and when to grant credit to for a car loan.
I never liked getting up in front of people, hated it. I was shy as a youngster and in my teenage years, I was pretty much a loner. Standing up in front of a lot of people was something I just dreaded. I had a teacher/professor who taught a class called Small Group Dynamics. She gave us assignments to give presentations every week, individually as well as a small group presentation. It was one of the adult accelerated degree program classes I had taken in TN and it was accelerated class. Giving a presentation every week was the pits. Preparing by making note cards, standing in front of the mirror the night before and thinking about it all through the day until the class came that night was so unbearable at times. But, I did it and so did everyone else who had the guts to stay in the class. That class went from a roll of 20 students down to 14 students in just one week. Only the strong survive, as I told my girlfriend Doris Card. We joked about that years later saying we got through the Class from H _ _ , we can do anything!!! Doris is no longer on this earth, but my fun and fond memories of our days in school will stay with me always.
So today I have another presentation to give. I am not dreading it anymore, in fact just the opposite, I looking forward to it, I love it. I love getting up there explaining what I do to others, showing them a career path they may want to explore at some time in the future. College gave me that confidence to do so. Whether it be on-line classes from distance learning universities or from Granite State College, anyone can do it if they just stick to it. You too can be a survivor!!
I've fallen in love with the stories people tell in a new project called "Story Corps." I first heard them on NPR's Morning Edition. They have their own website and today are being featured on youtube.
I always mention them in my psychology classes, because these slices of life often hold a nugget of inspiration, especially when considering human lifespan development - a course I teach often at Granite State College. (In case you'd like to see what a course like that is all about here's the syllabus for an intensive course that I taught recently, that covered the whole course in just five weeks.)
Here's a favorite Story Corps story of mine, where a young woman interviews her mother, who was an immigrant. Her parents cleaned offices at night, and she and her brother remember going to the offices with their parents, since they couldn't afford a babysitter. The best is at the end, where she asks her mother if she would do anything differently, and her mother answers she wishes she'd spent more time with her when she was a child, but there was so little time with working, raising children and going to school. Her daughter replies that seeing all that her mother did to get an education helped make her determined to go to college and get her degree.
Reading the comments at the end of the clip, I'm betting it will inspire a lot of people to get that college degree.
I was just getting ready for work and thinking about how cool it is this morning. It reminded me of the cool mornings we had on the Isle of Shoals where I took one of my NH college classes. Yes, it was with Granite State College. What a great way to earn four credits and learned about the ocean in my Oceanography class. We learned about seaweed, tides, shells, jelly fish/gammies I recall and so much more. We also got to enjoy a great week on the Isle of Shoals which is just off the shoreline of New Hampshire. What other college do you know that has classes on islands?? Probably none like this NH state college. All and all, great memories. We had a great class, so diverse and so many different personalities. From the early mornings, to the late night ice cream snack, it was to this day, the best four credits I ever earned. The wind blew, the air smelled so good and I met some great friends to spend a week with. We learned so much and our teacher had so much energy. I would highly suggest anyone in school, to take a class on the Isle of Shoals. Take it at Granite State College...check it out!!
So I just finished my second-to-last class; Victim's Right and Advocacy. For me, it was one of the more interesting online classes for criminal justice. Mostly due to the fact that with 25 years of experience, I have had plenty of training in the application of law enforcement theory, but not a lot of experience in the more human side of the endeavor. Also, the class was made up of a larger mix of students in the social and behavioral sciences and not just CJ students. It was nice to see other viewpoints expressed on topics I had dealt with for years but never really discussed intellectually.
This class got me thinking more about what kind of school Granite State College really is. What might have been considered a kin to a correspondence school 20 years ago, because the institution didn't have classrooms or a singular campus, it really is a first rate distance learning university. The students have ample opportunity to exchange ideas, access to excellent research tools and professors that care.
I think the most endearing components of our school are the motivations everyone expresses as to why they are here. Reasons like; Moms making a better life for themselves and their kids, mature adults who have raised families and now want a formal education for themselves, and adult learners who want to continue to contribute in their chosen fields by staying current and up to date, are all common themes with my fellow classmates. Sincerity, selflessness and concern for the greater good are all goals that are held by members of our institution. These are the types of beliefs that any college or university would be happy to have their student body hold sacred.
So along the way, on this journey of mine that has spanned 20 years, I have come to realize something. Granite State College IS a "Brick and Mortar" school of sorts. Not one with a campus, and a quad or a student union, but one of a different kind. One where each and every GSC student that lives a life each day, and studies each night, are the bricks. Those bricks are bound together not only by the collective experiences we share in the virtual classroom but by our goals to become better people, and to make the world around us a better place as well. Those ideals become the mortar, solidifying us into a real place, a place where accomplishing more than your believed you could becomes a reality.
As I enroll in my last class, I reflect on the work I've done, the people I've met, and the real sense of satisfaction I feel knowing that I accomplished much more than I believed I ever could. At Granite State College, I feel like not only did I GO to the school, but that I am an integral PART of what makes the school special. In the end, virtual or brick and mortar, that's what a great college experience should be all about anyway.
Thanks for reading, and I'll see you at graduation in June ;)
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.
Every Thursday night she came to her evening college classes. We would talk a little bit, usually after class or during the breaks. She drives from Farmington to the Portsmouth NH university campus, which is about 30 miles one way. Now it's the end of the term. Tonight she told me how she does it. She started by saying she had baked stuffed haddock for dinner. I looked at her and said,
"You made baked stuffed haddock before you came to class tonight?!"
" No, I went out with my friend."
"Nice."
"Yeah, this is my time. I arranged with the place where I volunteer to leave early on Thursday afternoon. While my brother comes by to watch the kids, I can do some studying. Then my friend and I go out to dinner."
I could not help myself. I smiled as she told her story. She then gave a little, unapologetic shrug, smiled back and continued, "This is my time."
There it was the Granite State College marketing tagline: It's your turn! The motto that says after you work to impress the world come to GSC to do something just for yourself. Adult learners are goal oriented and come to higher education for a variety of reasons. Yet here is a woman, a mother of three, who has chosen to honor herself with an education. She carved out time, (which as we all know is a precious commodity,) to create a space for herself. She has included her family and friends in that plan too. This says to me that her designs are more than mere career advancement. It's just like the sign says. I couldn't make this stuff up-- it really happens.
Online classes are not my favorite method of learning, but I have to say that for parents of young children they make a lot of sense. It’s hard enough going back to school when your kids are small without the added expense of a babysitter. My daughter-in-law is a student at Granite State College and when she has a class, my son is home with the kids (they have three, ages 3 months, 2 and 3 ½). The reason she likes the online classes is that she can write her papers or post to the class online anytime of the day or night. In fact she is becoming quite good at multi-tasking.
When she sits down with her laptop to do her homework the two girls snuggle up, one on each side, she tucks the baby in one arm so she can feed him while she types with the other hand--talk about a hand full! My daughter-in-law has been working very hard to complete her degree over the last two years, and despite taking care of two toddlers and giving birth to a new baby this spring she is still managing to do very well at GraniteState, even ending up on the Dean’s List. I am so proud of her!
We recently took the same science class (Sustainable Gardening) and she managed to help prepare and plant the garden, participate in the class field trips which involved slogging across muddy fields, over hill and dale while touring local orchards and greenhouses, and completed the class with only a few days off to have the baby - who by the way joined us for the last field trip. I’m not sure that would have been possible at any other school. I have found the professors at GraniteState College to be special people who are flexible and encouraging and respectful of the challenges faced by their students.
So if you need a flexible schedule check out the online and hybrid classes offered at Granite State College. I personally prefer the hybrid classes where part of the course is face to face and part is online - I like the face to face interaction and still have the convenience of being able to go online 24/7 to post my work.
That is the best aspect of the Granite State College experience, it works for just about everyone. If you think your schedule is too full to fit in a class or two a semester you may find that it will work out if you take an online class.
If you are a parent, single or otherwise going back to school is the best way to make a better life for you and your family. And GraniteState has many options to offer the student with a family a job and a busy life.
I can't say enough about the classes for Early Childhood Education that we offer at Granite State College. Not only is this Bachelors Degree available in the form of evening college classes or online classes focused on adults, we have such wonderful Faculty as well. I'm thinking for example of Catherine Yeaton, who is currently teaching EDU 553, Creative Arts in Early Childhood Education, which we are offering this Summer at our Rochester NH College. Catherine runs the well-know Building Blocks School - located in southern New Hampshire.
But here is the key detail that might surprise working childcare professionals looking for career advancement programs: Granite State College has a program that will jump start your Early Childhood Degree. If you are employed at least 20 hours a week in a NH licensed or license-exempt child care center or family child care program, GSC will pay for half the costs of your first class, or even the full cost, depending on the class. Click this link for details.
Let me be specific about Fall Term, because registration is open right now. Here are two classes that you can sign up for using the ECE Tuition Assistance Program:
EDU 601, Observation & Assessment in Early Childhood Education, 4 credits (GSC Rochester, Monday nights, starting Sept. 13th)
You do NOT need to be enrolled in a degree program to take these courses - but if you ARE interested in career advancement education, give us a call (603.332.8335) or register online.
There are too many reasons it won't work in my life. There too many obstacles preventing me from going to college. It's impossible.
-It's embarrassing to be an adult on a college campus. It's embarrassing to sit in a classroom surrounded by "college-aged" kids. I'll feel like a freak.
-I don't know how to relate to fresh-out-of-high-school students now that I've been out in the world and on my own for several years.
-I have a full-time job. I have a child. I don't have time to take classes.
-I can't take days off from work to spend my days in school.
-College is expensive. How will I possibly be able to afford it?
-Even if I apply for financial aid, I won't qualify unless I'm a full-time student taking multiple courses a semester, and I know I can't fit that workload into my already full life.
-Being a divorced, single parent of a small child, I don't want to spend more time away from my daughter than I already have to.
These were the messages running through my head as a random stranger was telling me about Granite State College, actually suggesting that it was possible for me after all.
"No, no, no," I said, shaking my head. I was convinced that this woman had no idea what I was really up against.
Then she explained that Granite State College is a non-traditional school that specializes in education for adults. "You'll be with many other adults in similar situations to your own. There are a lot of people now who don't go to college directly out of high school, people who take time off and then decide to return to school years later. People like you go to Granite State College. Not only will you be able to relate to your fellow students, the experience of learning with people of all ages is incredible. You get to learn about so many other perspectives. It's great."
I said, "I don't know how I could possibly fit it into my life. I don't have enough time to go to college."
So she started telling me about all of the course options that Granite State College offers. "They have a lot of evening college classes that only meet once a week." I thought about it. I could afford to spend one night a week away from home. And it wouldn't interfere with my job.
She told me that they offer a ton of online classes for adults. I realized that if I could take college classes online, I'd be able to work on the courses after my daughter went to bed for the night-- no childcare necessary, I'd have the flexibility to fit it into my hectic schedule, and I could even "go to school" in my pajamas!
She explained that Granite State College even offers weekend college classes and concentrated courses called "weekend intensives." I could earn credits toward a degree over the course of one weekend!
"Still," I persisted. "I'd need financial aid and I just can't handle a full-time college work load."
Then she told me a key piece of information that dramatically shifted my doubts about my college possibilities. At Granite State College, one 4-credit course a semester is all I'd need to take in order to qualify for financial aid.
After that conversation, there was a new statement that ran through my head:
Maybe, just maybe, there is a way that I can actually go to college.
Recent experiences have led me to consider becoming a foster parent. Without going into specifics, I have become painfully aware of the obstacles children face when home is not a safe place for them to be, but their parents still have all the legal rights. A young person I know was forced to navigate "the system" in order to escape a harmful environment. If not for her friends, and her friends' parents, it is likely that this teen may have been left in an unsafe home or become a runaway. Fortunately, she is now living with a great foster family.
I don't know if it was a coincidence, or serendipity, but this is the front page article that greeted me at work one morning in the midst of the aforementioned ordeal: "Teaching from the Experience," by Angel Roy, Eagle Times Newspaper, August 14, 2010. Keith Marsh, the instructor for many of the Foster Parent Classes that meet at GSC's Claremont, NH College, was featured. As the article mentions, Granite State College is "the school through which all foster care and adoptive training is conducted in the state, in partnership with the NH Department of Children, Youth and Families."
If I didn't live in Vermont, I'd sign up for one of Marsh's foster parent classes in a heartbeat, but as a Vermont resident I have to take classes through my state's equivalent agency. Not only would it be more convenient for me to take these classes at GSC, because they are held where I work, but I have a very positive impression of the instructors I've encountered. Although my interactions with Marsh have been few and brief, my overall impression leads me to believe he's a fantastic teacher, and a wonderful foster parent. Case in point:
One evening last spring, we lost electricity just before one of Marsh's foster parent classes. I was the only GSC staff left at our Claremont NH College for the day. The epitome of calm, cool and collected, Keith asked if there was a pizza place nearby. I pointed him in the direction of Ramuntos. He thanked me and led his class down the sidewalk to the restaurant. I was so impressed by Keith's "go-with-the-flow" demeanor. While many instructors might have gotten flustered and/or cancelled the class, Marsh didn't let this obstacle stand in the way of continuing with his foster care class, he simply moved it to another locale for the night. What a terrific role model for his students!
If you want to learn more about Foster Parent Training at Granite State College -- I encourage you to check out that page on our website.
Wow, summer sure did fly by! I can't believe that it's already almost time for fall semester to start. I don't know about you, but I had an eventful summer. I got married, moved into a new house, and went on a few really nice vacations.
Now that my summer off is almost over and fall is upon us it's time for me to start thinking about what classes I wanted to take for the fall semester at Granite State College. The Conway campus has some great classes to offer this fall, especially for my major: behavioral science.
Living in the White Mountains means that during the fall, my two jobs are very busy and it could be a challenge to also try to take classes. With the convenient evening college classes at the Conway NH college campus, I can make a schedule that really works for me. I also have a great advisor, who can help me figure out which courses will work best with my busy schedule. That's one of my favorite things about GSC: there is always someone there to help you throughout your education journey.
I'm going to take Art therapy, and Cognition and Learning this upcoming semester. Both are Psychology classes, and both seem really interesting. I'm not a great artist, but I love the challenge of taking a class that will teach me more about something I'm not the best at. I feel that's an important part of the college experience; to try to be challenged as often as possible. I think Cognition and Learning will help me build a better foundation to achieve my career in behavioral science. I can't wait to meet my new professors and new classmates. With one more month to go, I need to order my books and supplies. I love that you can order them directly from the Granite State College Website, it makes it so easy to be prepared for the first night of class.
I hope to see you on the Conway NH college campus in a few weeks :)
It was dance night last night for the Singles here in Greenville, SC. Yes, every week there is a dance to go to; it is actually quite a lot of fun. Some of the regulars are always there and some new people show, at least that's how it has been each time I go. I love to dance and it gets me out, not that I am really looking, but it is always good to get yourself out there. There were dances in NH too. I believe they were held in the Crown Plaza in Nashua. Boy, those were great dances and I could not believe how many people would show up. There had to be over 300 one time.
Ok, where was I going with this? Oh, yeah, there was a really handsome man asked me to dance and we talked a bit while we danced. He asked me where I worked and I did the same. He asked where I went to school and I asked him. Gosh, it ran through my head, what if I hadn't gotten my degree? How I might have felt that maybe I was judged because I didn't have one. That did come to mind but I told him I finished my degree online with Granite State College. I told him the school was part of the University System of New Hampshire. He never took any classes online and I had told him that taking online college classes is great and so convenient with working a full time job. You don't have to be a full time student, you can be a part time student with part time classes.
I am so excited as I have a date today, I am cooking/grilling dinner for him and I. I am just thrilled. Hope we have some great conversation again. That is one thing I have noticed since I have gone back to school and have an Adult Education Degree, I love a good conversation!!
I started at Granite State College in April of 2007 and this summer is the first time I have taken a semester off from school. I start back to school in the fall to attain my MBA. I love taking adult college courses and never wanted to take a semester off before but I have to say I have enjoyed this break from school. This week alone I spent one evening taking a leisurely kayak trip up the Merrymeeting River with friends from work followed by a quick night time dip in Alton Bay. Tuesday evening I spent the night with friends and fellow bloggers at the Fisher Cats game in Manchester. Living working and going to school in New England is a special way of life. New Hampshire has so many wonderful outdoor activities to offer, yet I am only an hour and half away from downtown Boston, a city which holds many fun, cultural and unique prospects.
What was the best part of this week? Spending Saturday with my daughter. Brittany had bought tickets to Cirque du Soleil for my Mother’s Day Gift. She told me to block off August 7th to spend the entire day with her. What a gorgeous day it was, warm and sunny with no humidity. We dressed in comfortable shoes and cool sundresses. We started the day having a great lunch at La Caretta’s then drove into Fan Pier in Boston. This is a fairly new development on the Boston Harbor so I had never before been. What a gorgeous area. The walkways were made of different colored pavers with beautiful plants, grass and trees lining the area. There were outdoor speakers hidden in the foliage playing lovely music for all to enjoy. The seat benches were made of wood with back rests which were four feet tall. Scattered among the area were simple aluminum tables and chairs for people to enjoy a picnic lunch or just a gathering of friends to socialize. Lighting in this area is built into the ground. The harbor was busy with sailboats and luxury yachts coming in and going out.
The show began at 4:00pm under the bright blue and yellow Big Top erected on the Wharf at Fan Pier. We sat in the 9th row from the stage. The show was ASTONISHING! If you ever have the opportunity to see Cirque du Soleil in person, jump for it. The creativity of the costume makers, set designers and performers is like nothing you will ever see. The entire venue was 1st class. The music was modern and upbeat with a Caribbean flare. The acts were all unique and amazing.
Granite State College is a unique academic institution that understands the need for their students to take time away from their studies to care for family members, accomplish professional projects, and live life to its fullest. Breaking away from one’s adult college education for a semester here and there to live life is part of the norm at GSC. Rest assured, your advisors, professors and adult college program will still be there when you return. After all, life is all about balance.
Recent events in my life, including the birth of my second child, remind me that there is a certain danger in being comfortable.
Please know that by comfortable, I am referring to a sense of complacency when the basic necessities have been met. By no means am I referring to comfort in the furniture sense of the word. If that were the case, this would be more about Monty Python's Spanish Inquisition sketches - "bring out... the comfy chair!"
Comfort here is referring to the complacency in the progress of personal or human endeavors. Even though I knew from an early age that I wanted to have children, I was still terrified of my first child until she was about eight weeks old. I thought I was going to injure her if I held or burped her improperly, and the slightest cry from her room at night would send my adrenaline into overdrive. And yet, after all that, here I am some four years later, and she's best kid ever (but everyone thinks that about their kid).
The birth of my son was a similar situation. We knew we wanted to have more than one child, but having an infant at home throws me right back into that constantly on-alert and sleep-deprived state.
Mind you, I am not complaining. It's tempting to, at times, but the idea here is that doing the right thing is scary and uncomfortable more often than not, and the ease and comfort of keeping things the way they are can become a road to perdition.
Although changing my son's diaper is millions of miles from advising students at Granite State College, in the figurative sense, it made me think that many of my students probably struggle with the temptation to just keep on keeping on. At first, it's difficult to figure out why my students voluntarily make their lives more hectic by taking on adult college courses alongside all of their other responsibilities: job #1, maybe job #2, senior parents to take care of, kids, soccer practice schedules, and everything else.
But in the end, it's because it's better to push and challenge yourself and take more behavioral science classes rather that sitting there watching Gilligan's Island reruns or playing Bejeweled for the eleventy-billionth time.
Following the ethos of voluntarily moving out of the comfort zone is seldom fun, but I have learned that it demonstrates character and willingness to keep moving forward that pays off in most walks of life, including professional development, family life, and personal betterment.
My first crack at college life was anything but idyllic. No strolling the quad, no Frisbee on the common with the buds. Just plain work! All classes were face to face then and at night. Back then, Distance Learning Universities meant you had a long drive to class! I was working day shift at the PD, prosecuting cases in court and studying by night. My work was intellectually challenging, but that made school work even more so, I only have so many active brain cells!
Along with the schedule, there were the finances. To qualify for federal financial aid you had to carry a part time class load which meant at least two classes a semester. This had me out of the house two nights a week and studying the remainder. There were even times, because of the emergency work I did, where I would have to leave class due to a robbery, burglary or other dilemma. Not an easy road, but who said college was supposed to be easy?
I did start to make headway towards my college degree, got my first official college "A", and my first migraine headache from all the STRESS!!!!! Ahh the good old days. The quality of the classes was, and still is, first rate. My mind was opened up to a lot of new and meaningful concepts particularly in management. I carried on for 2 years and then life began to take it's toll. I couldn't carry the part time student class load, which meant I would have to pay as I went. This got expensive on a cop's salary. In 1992 I took a break from formal classes. Although I had learned a lot, and was applying that knowledge at work in my position as a Sergeant, the dream of a college degree was still just that, a dream. I wondered if with all life was throwing at me, would I ever finish what I started and have a degree?
Powered by Compendium
