The semester is almost over and I can't believe how fast it went by. One of my classes is almost over, and one just ended last week. They were both upper-level Behavioral Science classes that had really neat projects and class discussions. I did very well in my Cognition and Learning class, and I hope I do just as well in my Art Therapy class.
Two research papers, two projects, hours of class time, and one night of class left, and I will be able to hold in my hands my Associates Degree in General Studies. Taking me one step closer to my Bachelors Degree in Behavioral Science. I can't believe that it's finally here after three long years. I'm so happy, I can't wait to admire my degree on the wall, that will make it worth it for sure :)
Now that I'm finally done for this semester it's already time to register for classes for Winter. There is never a dull moment in this college girls life, but that's all part of the fun!
P.S. Registration for our Winter term begins today!!
The only exciting thing about the change in weather is that it means we are getting close to the holidays - Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years. I love Thanksgiving and Christmas, but I usually panic on Thanksgiving because I haven't even started shopping yet.
I have actually gotten a lot of my Christmas shopping done early this year, usually I am a last minute shopper-starting on Black Friday and fighting the crowds. This year I started early and when the stores are full of crazy last minute shoppers frantically looking for inspiration and sales and that last impossible to find gift, I will be sitting at home sipping hot cocoa and reading a good book - I hope. I'm sure I will still be running around looking for just one more last minute item. It wouldn't feel like Christmas otherwise.
Before the holiday rush completely fogs your mind don't forget to sign up for the winter semester at Granite State College. Registration begins on November 22nd. If you don't like driving in the snow and ice you can always sign up for online classes for adults this semester.
That way even on those icy, snowy nights you can go to class without ever leaving your house. Happy Shopping!
Dinner tonight is in the car. It consists of a cold egg roll, black coffee, and a bag of cookies from the vending machine.
My day started at 5:15AM, and that’s because I don’t want it to start at 5:00AM. I throw coffee down my throat, shower, dress and head out the door by 6:30AM, (earlier if there’s weather). I have breakfast and lunch in my shoulder bag as well as my text book and notes that I will need for my class tonight. If all goes well I will have an hour and a half between work and my class. I'll be tidying up my homework during this time.
I work a full day and head home to find the trash needing to be emptied, the laundry basket overflowing, and the dishwasher needing to be emptied. I check the mail (mortgage is due this week), and discover that I neglected to call the doctor to have my prescription refilled. My well laid plans are interrupted by the needs of my household. I grab dinner and head out again. It is a bit earlier than I would have liked but at least I will have some time to review my notes in class and let the egg roll settle. I think I need some floss too.
When I arrive at Granite State College I see a number of my class mates sitting in the lobby. I nod a greeting to folks as I pass by and I hear, "Don't go in there! You can't go in there yet since the previous class is still in there." In my head I am grumbling, (something like I heard on the early Saturday morning cartoons of my youth when the villain was thwarted in their endeavors) through my smile.
The professor makes the necessary apologies as we are let into our classroom and settle down. After the last video we stayed over a half hour beyond our normal ending time, discussing the elements we encountered, comparing them to the points made earlier in the night by the professor and each other. The night's topic is highly engaging and elicits spirited discussions. It is a perfect ending to a rather imperfect day.
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.
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.
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??
See you all soon! Hope you are all doing great :)
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.
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!!
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
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
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
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:
PSY 508, Child Development, 4 credits
(GSC Rochester, Tuesday nights, starting Sept. 14th)
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.
-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.
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.
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 :)
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