University Mama

And She Lived Happily Ever After...

2010-05-30T15:40:00.000-07:00

Well, well, well....where to begin?

I completed the school year (both university AND working at the public school). Going back to work full-time while in grad school was more than a bit challenging. There were many times when I was stretched to the limits of my sanity, but I made it just as many others have done before me.

We are settled in our new Texas home and most of our boxes are actually unpacked. It's so lovely to spend evenings on the back porch with the hubby while the kids play. What a change from summers past when I spent every waking moment on the computer researching or working on assignments. These days, I rarely crack open the laptop!

The best part is that I now have two degrees framed and hanging above my desk!! I remember when I first started considering returning to college. Back then, I thought that spending two years to finishing my bachelor's degree was a monstrous time commitment. I couldn't see a light at the end of the tunnel. I thought it was an impossible task, especially since I had a family to maintain. Little did I know that I'd also start working on a master's degree--something that I had never seriously considered--a few weeks after I wrapped up my undergrad studies.

All in all, I devoted three and a half years to finishing my higher education as a "university mama." When I look back on those years, I look back with wonder ("How did I manage to do it?") and fondness for all the people I've met along the way and experiences I've gained. I've also learned a lot about myself along the way. Turns out, I'm capable of much more than I thought!

So, if you are a Mama who feels a strong desire to get back into higher education and finish those unfulfilled goals, I encourage you to get started right away. Just fill out a college application and see where it takes you! It's a journey you'll never regret!

Wow. Just Wow.

2010-03-29T15:50:00.000-07:00

Yes, I have been stressed many times throughout my past few years in college, but I'm not sure I've ever reached the level I am at right now:

*The husband just accepted a job in Texas. He will be moving in 3 weeks; the girls and I will finish out the school year here and commute on weekends. Enter a trillion tiny (and not so tiny) things to add to my to-do list.

*My professor is coming to observe this week.

*Evident ally, our graduate portfolio presentations begin next week. I wasn't aware of this! Good news...I was one of the first to discover the online sign-up sheet, so I chose the latest presentation date possible. Now I have an entire month to finish. Whew!

*My large collaborative project with the first grade must be finished up tomorrow. Not only do I have to prepare their books for a contest entry, but I also promised them that I would make and laminate copies to add to our library circulation. That means, I have to scan, print, paste and laminate 20 books. All this is falling two days before my professor comes to observe!

*Did I mention we are moving? Packing? Picking out paint colors for our new home?????

Please...send chocolate ASAP!!

Real World Application

2010-03-13T09:33:00.000-08:00

You know how kids always whine about, "When will I ever use this in the real world?" Well, here's a couple of snapshots of my schooling in action!

Here I am teaching first graders about the elements of a story. I wore my best apron and created a "story stew" in my big pot. We also read "The Story of Ferdinand" and picked out the elements of that story.

Then, we got started brainstorming ideas for the stories they would write on their own. I must say, kids seem to have a tough time with creativity these days. I'd like to blame part of it on television and part of it on a shift in our education system away from creative teaching methods and instead focus on how to make our kids good test-takers. Still, the kids came up with some good ideas! It's always interesting to peek inside their little brains and see what's going on in there. :)

Actually applying my studies has been the best part so far. Sure, I love learning--being in a classroom, discussing theories, etc.--but I also love to be in an environment where I can help others and witness progress. I had to pre-test and post-test these kids for my practicum project, and I'm excited to report that they all showed gains on their post-tests. One kid even made 400% gain on his post-test! Now, that makes me feel all warm and fuzzy.

52 days and counting....

2010-03-11T19:27:00.000-08:00

Let's just skip over the part where I give all my excuses for not blogging lately, shall we? ;)

52 days until I have my master's degree! I just counted them and, while it actually sounds like a rather large number, I can totally see the light at the end of my tunnel. In fact, I feel like I'm aboard a freight train traveling at startling speeds through that tunnel because there's so much to do!

I feel rather liberated from homework since my winter intersession class finally wrapped up in early February. It was rather time consuming work (writing curriculum plans and creating a lot of lessons), but I was able to "kill two birds with one stone" and use some of those lessons for my practicum hours. Speaking of which, practicum has kept me pretty busy. I started a pretty intense collaboration project with our 5th grade Social Studies class, but due to many uncontrollable events (snow days, state testing days, etc.) we still haven't finished it. I was feeling like the project should be on the Fail Blog so I decided to start up another one! So now, I am helping first graders write and illustrate stories for a young author's contest while trying to get the 5th grade project done. I think one of the main lessons I have learned in my practicum hours is "it will always take longer than you think" and/or, "there are never enough hours in a day." Of course, what mom doesn't already know the latter?

In addition to my collaboration projects, my regular job (library aide), and my homework (from my "Techniques of Research" class--ugh.), I also have been trying to put together my portfolio. Right now I am thanking the heavens that one of the teachers during summer school had us set up the "skeleton" of our online portfolio using Google sites. Now, all I have to do is plus in the artifacts and reflections. I'm sure I have some "spiffing up" to do, but the biggest chunk of work is already out of the way, and for that I am very thankful.

So....we're all caught up for now. I promise to do better...especially since there's only 52 days and counting before I leave the title of "University Mama" behind!

Little Blessings

2010-01-29T06:43:00.001-08:00

Usually, January is a slow, cold month: we're just getting back into the routine of school, winter has slowed down the hustle and bustle of life...but this month has been an extraordinarily stressful time for me. First, I took a winter intercession class right after Christmas. It required me traveling to campus (4 hours away) and staying in a hotel for a few nights. That was actually not so bad: I got to visit with friends that I made during summer school, talk to my professor "in the flesh," clear up some questions, etc. However, we did not get many assignments done while we were there. "No biggie," I thought, "I have a month to get them done." In the meantime, I started back to school (both university and work), I found out that the lesson I was co-teaching was starting early (which meant that I literally had to lock myself in the school library one weekend and work my tail off trying to get a WebQuest written and designed), my daughter's basketball team was playing numerous games, we had a plethora of activities (school, church, personal) that we were involved in, so on and so forth. Not surprisingly, the month flew by much quicker than usual.

I am stressed. I am cranky because I am stressed. I am eating junk because I am stressed. I am not getting enough exercise because there don't seem to be enough hours in a day...and that makes me stressed.

All of my assignments are due at the beginning of next week. I also have my teacher certification test for library-media this weekend. Our college has 100% pass rate (no pressure). STRESS!!!!

What could possibly give this girl a break? A gracious God.

Snow! We have snow!! Snow = snow days = no work = being holed up indoors with nothing pressing to do other than finish homework assignments!!!

All day yesterday, I lounged around in pajamas working on homework for probably ten hours. I wish I could say I got more accomplished, but at least I feel like I'm making progress! I haven't begun studying for my big test nor have I completed two major projects that are due Monday, but I have big plans for today.

I'm just so grateful for little blessings like snow days. What a difference they can make!!

So Much Can Happen in a Year

2010-01-03T14:32:00.000-08:00

As we were ringing in the new year, I couldn't help but think back on the dawn of 2009. It's amazing what can happen in a year. When 2009 began, I had just happily completed my bachelors degree and had decided to work on freelance writing from home. Since then, I began working on a masters degree (rather unexpectedly), went to summer school away from my family for three weeks, met some incredible new university friends, accepted a full-time job, and closed my business of five years. None of these things I ever expected to happen when we were counting down from 2008 to 2009 on New Year's Eve which makes me wonder: what will 2010 hold?

21 Years to Finish a Degree???

2009-12-16T17:32:00.000-08:00

One woman did it! She started back in her 30s as a single mom and talks about the difficulties of juggling work/family/school and doing homework alongside her daughter. 21 years later, she has two degrees. I call that patience and determination. I'm grateful that my education is only taking three years! Whew!!!

Click HERE to read the article.

Semester Recap!

2009-12-15T14:00:00.001-08:00

Goodness! Have I been a terrible blogger or WHAT? I wonder if there's anyone left to read my random musings? It just goes to show you how difficult this semester has been. I truly have felt at my wit's end at some points and completely overwhelmed with all of my responsibilities. Some days I would break into tears, and other days I would feel completely triumphant knowing that I was handling so much.

In the end, I survived. "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger," right? I don't know that I feel particularly "strong," but I do feel relieved that the semester is over and that I came away with A's and a wealth of information (seriously--my brain runneth over).

Honestly, the absolute BEST thing that I did to improve my studies was to begin working at the school library as an assistant. It's so true that experience is the best teacher. It's been invaluable to be able to put theory into practice. I felt like I've had a true advantage over some of my fellow students who haven't yet had the chance to work in the day-to-day or continually learn from an experienced library media specialist as I do each week.

However, I will admit that working full-time has severely impacted my life. The job itself is not particularly stressful, but having less time to work on assignments, plan dinner, do housework, chauffeur children or just hang out with my husband has been stressful. There were many days that I just had to ignore the growing piles of dirty clothes and work on a collection development policy instead. I noticed that I had my hair trimmed less frequently (no time to make it to the salon), I rarely leave town during the week, and our healthy eating habits have started fading away. I did try to keep some things a priority. I didn't skip bedtime stories with the girls, I tried to keep a semi-regular exercise schedule and I tried to quit working on assignments in time to watch favorite television shows with the husband before bedtime.

So, the semester from Hades is over. Thankfully, I don't expect the spring semester to be quite so rough since I won't be taking as many hours and the workload shouldn't be quite so intense. Right now, I'm just trying to soak up some homework-free days and enjoy the holidays with my family before I get back to books...and blogging (I swear!). :)

Somwhere Between "Losing My Mind" and "Only Slightly Crazy"

2009-11-10T18:01:00.000-08:00

Where in the world have I been? Well, those of you who are truly University Mamas and Papas wouldn't be asking that question because you know that my current location is somewhere between "Losing My Mind" and "Only Slightly Crazy." October and the first of November have been, in my experience, the hardest part of the school year (or any part of year, for that matter). On the personal end of things, our family begins to juggle basketball schedules, 4H competitions, holidays, special events at church and in the community, etc. It's like there is a mad dash to cram in a bunch of stuff while the weather is still partially nice and the Thanksgiving/Christmas rush hasn't started. On the school end of things, it always seems like the biggest projects and papers are due during October/November. Add all these things together, and you have a recipe for extreme stress overload.

I kid you not: there were many nights last month that I sat at my computer on the verge of tears and/or a heart attack. Okay...maybe not a heart attack, but perhaps a chest pain or two. You know the feeling where you could hyperventilate if you were the hyperventilating-type? You don't? Oh. Well, that's kind of what it felt like.

In summation, October was miserably stressful.

I quite literally survived by sending myself e-mails and setting alarms on my phone to remind me of things. Everything from orthodontist appointments to "thaw chicken" showed up in my phone and/or inbox.

Thank goodness for technology...and for a family who has stuck with me and chipped in throughout this crazy roller coaster ride. The best news is...the semester's almost done!!!

(P.S. If only I had one of those combo washer/dryers that begins drying a load after it's done with the wash cycle. That, my friends, is what I call harnessing the power of technology for REAL!)

This Is How My Brain Works Lately

2009-11-05T17:48:00.000-08:00

i've got to finish my bibliography tongiht. i wonder if i have cited everything correctly. i really should double-check my guide. i need to email myself a reminder. i wonder what we should have for dinner? do we have any chicken in the freezer? do we have any milk? i really wish i had a big glass of chocolate milk right now. or milk chocolate! i have got to get my eating back under control. we were eating so much healthier when i wasn't working full time. wonder how i can keep my vegetables fresher longer. do they sell something for that? where am i going to find winter boots for the kids. what size do they wear now? i should just measure their feet. i need to keep a tape measure in my purse. or put their sizes into my phone. i wish i had a better phone. should i get a blackberry or an iphone or that new samsung thingy. has consumer reports reviewed them yet? i'd really like an iphone but i hear they're getting bad service. man, my back hurts. is it my shoes or plain ol' stress? i sure could use a massage. or a vacation. i'm really tired of whining about being tired and stressed. i wonder if next semester will be better. i hope so. because i'm tired. and stressed. wonder if there are any hershey bars left in the girls' halloween bags...?

The Homework Excuse

2009-10-03T10:05:00.000-07:00

Do you ever find yourself using your student status to get out of obligations or events? I admit--I do it a lot. I'm not being dishonest when I say, "I really need to spend the weekend doing homework/studying," because there's ALWAYS something that I could be working on. However, in theory, it's entirely possible for me to set aside one evening and get all my work done so that I could enjoy a much-needed day off to sleep in, reorganize closets or just hang out with my family. While people may understand (and, indeed, pity) my full schedule, they don't seem as willing to accept a response of "I can't do [fill-in-the-blank] because I just need a day where I don't have anything scheduled." They may say, "Oh, I understand," but their eyes say, "You just don't want to do it." That's why I use the homework excuse like a crutch.

As I write, it is lunchtime on Saturday and I am still in my pajamas. I haven't accomplished much other than eating the great breakfast my hubby prepared and washing one load of clothes. I tried to go back to bed and get a little extra sleep; that didn't work, but I read a chapter of a non-assigned novel instead. Oh--and I made a trip to the grocery. I can think of a long list of things I NEED or COULD be doing, but I don't mind admitting that I need some laid-back days like this to keep my nerves in check.

I'm already beginning to wonder....what will life be like without the homework excuse to fall back on? I've been able to pass out the homework excuse for almost three years now. I think I'm going to miss it. I guess I'm going to have to learn the art of saying "no"--gasp!

Tiny Victories

2009-09-22T19:01:00.000-07:00

It occurred to me that I spend too much time on this blog complaining. I tend to use it as a outlet for my frustration and exhaustion because I know many of you out there in blog land are nodding your heads and saying, "Amen, sister! I know exactly how you feel!" Yes, there are a lot of obstacles juggling a family, a full-time job and a (nearly) full-time class load. Yes, it can be overwhelming. Yes, it sometimes feels like full-time failure because so many things get left undone. It's easy for me to feel defeated at the end of the day because it never seems like my "to do" list gets any smaller. But despite what I sometimes feel, I still manage to accomplish some things.

For example, today I:

*mowed the lawn while my hubby was away on business
*had a "heart-to-heart" with The Eldest and dealt out some parental discipline (I feel like she's learned a lesson and it won't happen again)
*helped a teacher find some educational research to help validate a very important program at our school
*washed one load of laundry (hey, it's something)
*helped The Youngest get her pig-sty room cleaned up
*unloaded the dishwasher and started a new load
*cooked dinner (though sadly, it was lacking in any veggies...but it still counts!)
*read "The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks" for 15 minutes (my "pleasure reading" for the day)
*read my daily Bible Study
*exercised for 20 minutes (not including mowing the lawn)
*helped the kids with their homework
*read a bedtime story to The Youngest

Victory!!! Tiny victories, but victories nonetheless. From now on, I'm going to try to keep it all in perspective.

Three Day Weekends: We Should Have More of Them!

2009-09-07T16:56:00.000-07:00

Labor Day always used to feel like a wasted holiday. It always falls a week or two after school starts (or only a few days after school starts, for some), and it made me wish we could save it for February or some other bleak month when there are no holidays. However, this year I must say I am very grateful for the 3-day weekend, and it couldn't have come at a better time. My coursework has been very heavy lately (hence no blogging, if you've noticed). Last Thursday night, I devoted the evening to finishing up some school projects so that I could enjoy my weekend without cracking a book.

The weird thing is, I have this compulsion to check the discussion boards for my classes constantly now that we are entirely online. It's as if I'm afraid I'm going to miss something. That being said, I wasn't sure that I'd be able to stay away from my laptop...but I did! I made it all the way to Sunday morning (when I just popped in to make sure my group member had posted our project on the discussion board). Progress! I got back on this evening, but only because I felt that I had done sufficient relaxing. I visited my sister and my best friend in Texas, went shopping, took the kids to the water park, played tennis with the hubby, read a book (for pleasure!), and [insert dramatic pause here]...I slept in this morning. Heaven!

I'm trying not to think about the upcoming weeks which look to be VERY busy both at work and at school. Why ruin a moment?

I just know one thing: three day weekends are wonderful, and we should have more of them!

Playing Catch-Up

2009-08-29T18:29:00.000-07:00

Weekends are for rest and relaxation, right? Then why am I spending it playing "catch-up?" I'm catching up on homework, catching up on laundry, catching up on quality time with the kids...and I'm STILL not caught up! Maybe I should just accept the fact that I never will be. Motherhood seems to be one of those occupations where there is no "I'm finished!" moment followed by permission to kick up your heels and relax.

Still, I am feeling a bit better now that I started a day without being woken up by an alarm clock. It also feels good that I've somewhat gotten a handle on my homework. I am concerned about a couple of things (one being a group project--only two other people have communicated with me about it, we haven't started anything and it's due next week). I keep thinking that if I can just get through a couple of weeks, I'll begin to get back into the rhythm and flow of things....or at least figure out the homework schedule.

On the upside, I'm SO glad I took my professor's advice and dropped a class before the semester began. First of all, I'd never be able to handle 12 hours of classes and a full-time job (especially since the class was a research class).

Another piece of good news is that the Education class I am taking for my teacher certification does not have assignment due dates; the only rule is that assignments must be completed in corresponding order. Then again, maybe this is bad news. I'd really hate for December to roll around when I'm being blasted with the Christmas holiday rush and suddenly realize that I've put off all of those assignments while trying to stay afloat in my graduate classes!

At any rate, I don't feel guilty hanging out with my kiddos, watching iCarly and painting our toenails tonight. At least I've caught up enough to do that!

My Brain Feels Like Scrambled Eggs.

2009-08-25T17:46:00.001-07:00

Let's see if I can make a cohesive sentence or two....

Have you ever felt like your brain is just a glob of scrambled eggs? Have you ever really tried to concentrate on something but felt like you were wading through a fog? Have you ever read one passage over and over in circles...and gotten nowhere?

This is how I've felt for the past few days. Actually, my days have been starting off fairly well. I'm not even complaining about the wee hours of the morning that I must get out of bed. But somewhere after 2 p.m., my thoughts become a little less defined. I think it's partly a drop in blood sugar, partly my body's realization that I need a nap and partly the thought of going home to tackle homework and grad school classes.

Since classes began last week, I have met my fair share of confusion and frustration. While I am truly thankful for web-based classes, they are the most frustrating thing in the world if you have a professor who is not on top of his/her game. You have to be VERY structured and VERY prepared if you are going to teach a web class. That, sadly, is not always the case. So, I have been dealing with the typical start-of-the-semester chaos AND trying to figure out, "Exactly what do you want me to do?" The latter has been made extremely difficult in some cases (in one class, we were given last year's syllabus...with last year's assignment deadline dates on them!). To make matters worse, some of my best study buddies that I meet at summer school have been moved into other class sections. (We are crying, "Conspiracy!"--lol!). I'm so thankful that I am not a first year student in this grad program or I would be lost. Sadly, I kind of know how things operate, so I just roll my eyes and keep on trudging through.

Meanwhile, I'm thinking of instituting a daily toast regimen to complement my scrambled egg brains. :)

The Week in Review

2009-08-16T05:20:00.000-07:00

Exciting. Apprehensive. Overwhelming. Invigorating. Structured. Challenging. Exhausting. Fulfilling. Enjoyable. These are just a few words that describe my back-to-work experience this week.

A few people may wonder how a simple position as a library assistant could possibly be invigorating or fulfilling. I can hear it now, "Don't you just shelve and check-out books?" Um...no. There's actually much more to the job than that, but most people think that's all a bonafide librarian does anyway. However, because I am working on my master's degree in the field, I am privy to much more than a typical library assistant would be. I'm so excited to be working under a wonderful librarian who is basically treating the opportunity as a mentorship. We look at budgets and Accelerated Reader testing. We discuss policy and brainstorm on how the library could be rearranged. We are much more of a "team" than a typical librarian/assistant would be.

I have been pretty well exhausted this week, though. First of all, I'm not used to being on my feet all day. This is one aspect of the job that I didn't expect: I rarely get to sit because we are constantly busy and on-the-go all day. That adds to the tired I'm already feeling from trying to get back into a school sleep schedule rather than a "wake up when you want to" summertime schedule. I admit that I'm not doing very well on getting to bed early enough, but I have forced myself out early enough to get a tiny bit of exercise in (this week I need to work on doubling my exercise time).

My freezer meals have been a tremendous help so far. I'm already worried about running out of "goodies" because I either don't have time and/or energy to get to the grocery store after school.

I am a bit anxious about my grad school classes beginning this week. I'm taking nine hours this semester (glad I dropped one class earlier this summer; I could have never handled 12 hours and a new job!). I'm not exactly excited about coming home and getting started on homework when I have plenty of chores to take care of, dinner to cook and when I need to be supervising my children's homework/chores. I'm wondering where I will find the energy? Where will I find the time? The evenings are so short as it is...and we haven't even begun extracurriculars like soccer and piano lessons for the girls, yet. Still, I keep reminding myself that others are in the same boat. They lived and survived; so will I.

Too Tired to Blog

2009-08-12T18:31:00.000-07:00

I have plenty to talk about since I started my new job & the kids have started back to school, but I'm too tired to type. Instead, I'll just share the most recent reason for smiling: my first publish in a "glossy" magazine. You can check it out on my photography blog HERE.

HI Ho, Hi Ho, It's Off to Work I Go...

2009-08-10T08:14:00.000-07:00

Today's the day! I'm starting my new job as Library Assistant at our local school (K-12th grades). Wish me luck!

Preparing for a New School Year: Meal Planning

2009-08-09T05:13:00.000-07:00

Recently, I mentioned that I was trying to make meal-planning a bit simpler. Well, apparently there's nothing like getting a full-time job to put your organizational efforts into hyper-drive! Here's what I've been doing to get prepared for the new school year:

Purse-Sized Meal Planning Grocery/Recipe Cards
Inspired after reading Nannygoat's 30 day meal plan, I downloaded some trendy & stylish recipe cards (here) and filled them out the most commonly eaten meals in our home. On the cards, I also included suggestions for vegetables and side dishes which are often a difficult decision in themselves. Since I made the JPG recipe cards and filled them out using Adobe Photoshop, I decided to send them to my local photolab for printing. I am slipping them into a small 4x6 photo album and will carry them in my purse. Now, when I'm out shopping, I can make sure I don't forget to buy that one pesky ingredient that I always seem to forget!

Once a Month Cooking (or OMAC)
I've heard a lot about Once a Month Cooking over the years. I've always meant to give it a try, but lacked the motivation and/or a free day to devote to cooking. However, the combination of the husband being out of town on Friday-Saturday and my desire to get things together before my first day on the job Monday gave me an opportunity to try it this weekend. The basic premise is that you buy groceries in bulk, spend a day cooking said groceries, package for freezing and enjoy your bounty of prepared meals out of the freezer for days to come. Many people actually try to make enough meals for an entire month, but I decided just to cook as much as I could and call it "good."

The most important part of this OMAC thing is the menu planning/grocery list stage. I spent many hours on the internet looking up recipes and tips for freezing. I found most of my recipes at recipezaar.com where you can search "OMAC" or "make ahead" and find loads of recipes. Some people plan their meals based on which meats are on sale, but I simply chose things my family would actually eat. Then, I made out a huge grocery list and divided it by the sections in our grocery store (fresh, cold, frozen, canned) to help find things quickly and easily. I was dreading the trip to the store. In my mind, I imagined that it would take hours on end to find everything. However, since I went at the end of a long day of back-to-school shopping and I was ready to get home, I simply stuck to my list and got out rather quickly. I was also dreading the final tally on the check-out receipt, but it was actually just bit over what a typical excursion to the grocery costs. (Another reason why people like OMAC: it prevents waste and saves money in the end.)

Saturday was cooking day, and--I'll be honest--it was a long one. I started cooking at 8 a.m. and finished at 4 p.m. I'm sure I could have been a bit better with my cooking organization and saved time, but my "method" was to look around and ask, "What needs to be cooked next?" I also had two little kitchen elves who were a great help (and it felt good to be teaching them some cooking skills). I had to overcome my desire to constantly clean up and, instead, waited until the end of the day to clean up just once (though I did wash some dishes along the way). I used all my resources including my trusty crock pot and my bread maker. Here's what I ended up with at the end of the day (links provided to the recipes I used):

*Meat for tacos/spaghetti
*1 Chicken & Rice Casserole
*10 Breakfast Burritos (will do more after we see how they taste post-freezer)
*Shredded chicken (to use in casseroles or soups)
*6 Calzones (using this bread maker dough recipe)
*Pulled Pork for sandwiches (frozen in individual servings for lunches)
*Chicken Relleno (a new recipe, but quite tasty)
*6 Hamburger Steaks
*2 packages of homemade chicken broth (left from cooking chicken)
*10 slices of breakfast sausage (ready to be microwaved for a quick meal)
*Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread (thanks to my parent's overflowing garden--we made muffins instead of loaves)
*Fried Rice with Chicken (actually, I have the rice ready but I need to finish this meal today)
*2 packages of brown rice to be used as a side

I also froze pork chops and a roast beef that can be thawed and thrown into the crock pot. And, while I was at it, I decided to try my hand at Sticky Roast Chicken which I prepared and will be cooking for lunch today.

Yes, it was a long day, but I feel a little more under control and relieved knowing that, if all else fails, there is something in the freezer to eat!

Big Changes Ahead

2009-08-07T19:22:00.000-07:00

First, I had to make the transition from "Mama" to "University Mama." Then, I had to get used to commuting three times a week rather than twice a week. Then, I had to figure out how handle summertime and summer school. After that, I had to get into "life-after-college" mode when I finished my undergraduate studies, and quickly transitioned into accepting "life-in-graduate-school." Then, there were the three weeks where I had to remember how to live in a dorm and eat in a college cafeteria. Yep, I'd say I've had to make plenty of changes and adjustments over the past three years....but none as big as this one.

After 11 years of being primarily a SAHM (stay at home mom), I'm going back to work full-time!

I was excited to learn that I'd been hired as a library aid at our school. This is excellent on-the-job training for me (not to mention that I'm now getting paid for practicum hours I needed to fulfill anyway). A great resume booster and I'll be working with a top-notch librarian. For someone in my position who is studying to be a librarian, you really couldn't ask for more.

While my photography business has kept me busy, I've never had a steady work routine. I've always had the freedom to schedule doctor's appointments or hair cuts during the day. I've never had to fight the crowds at the grocery store when the hungry masses are just getting off work. I've always been able to leave town for anything from funerals to visits to old friends without major scheduling issues, even while a student at the university. I realize that those days are over to some extent, and that I will have to make significant changes in the way I do things.

I guess a part of me is a little sad to see the SAHM part of my life pass by. It was good while it lasted, but my girls aren't so little anymore. Our plan was for me to stay home until our youngest went to kindergarten. I did, and now it's time for the next step in life. To be honest, I do perform better when I'm adhering to a fixed, regular schedule.

Then, there's the part of me who is nervous about juggling graduate studies with a full-time job. I've always felt sorry for my classmates, most of whom are full-time teachers trying to get homework done while finishing their lesson plans, too. Still, I should be grateful that as an aid, I will not have such a significant work-load. I don't even have to be at school on teacher in-service days or anything.

There are so many questions and ideas and plans rolling around in my head these days, I can hardly sleep. Monday--my first day on the job--will be here soon. I feel like there's so much to do to get ready!

All Quiet on the Homefront

2009-07-27T09:21:00.000-07:00

Back in June, I didn't think it would be possible to totally forget about school, but I'm proud to say that I have successfully managed to do so in July! The first few weeks of July were insanely busy with work, community and church projects and/or travels. Last week, we packed our bags and headed to the beach for our annual family vacation on the Gulf of Mexico. It was wonderful. As I laid on the sandy beach in the warm sunshine and listened to the waves crashing on the shore as my kids and husband giggled having fun in the background I realized something: I was RELAXED. I wasn't worried about anything. I read a stack of books just because I wanted to not because I had to for a class. I had no idea what time it was, and I didn't care. I wasn't even thinking about anything in particular, I was just enjoying myself and the simple pleasures of life. Times like those are so rare in my busy life. I wish there were more, but I understand that the rarity of those moments is also what makes them so valuable and treasured.

There are only a few weeks--maybe three?--until class begins again. I've tried to clear my work schedule so that I can get a few household organization and cleaning chores completed before the school year begins. Today, I'm trying to organize an easier way for menu planning and grocery shopping (something that I hate to do and always seems to suck away my time). I'm currently reading about Nannygoat's 30 Meals Plan and also checking out new recipes at $5 Dinners. My biggest obstacle is finding recipes that coordinate with our family's lifestyle eating (lower carbs, no refined or processed foods, lots of veggies, etc.). Any of you non-traditional college students have any recommendations on menu planning, healthy eating and/or simplifying grocery shopping?

A Quote for the Ages

2009-06-29T10:54:00.001-07:00

I recently stumbled upon an interesting blog called Langwitches about integrating learning through technology. But regardless of whether or not you care about integrative technology, one post listed this quote should capture your attention:

"It is bad enough that one cannot learn anymore for the rest of one’s life. Our ancestors were able to hold on to the education they received in their youth; instead we must relearn every five years, if we want to keep up with the times."

--Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

This quote completely validates my personal learning and teaching philosophy which can be summed up as: "You don't have to know all the answers, you just have to know where to find the answers" and "Learning should be an ongoing, lifelong adventure."

Funny thing is, von Goethe lived in the early 1800s...how much more does this quote apply to our fast-pasted, technological-based world today?

I passed!

2009-06-27T14:18:00.000-07:00

Today I was able to access my "unofficial" teacher certification test scores online...and I passed! I'm breathing a big sigh of relief because I would have been totally embarrassed had I not passed!

I'm a little uncertain of what I have to do next and I can't find out until I call the state's department of education on Monday. If I understand it correctly, it will happen like this:

I must be reviewed by a panel for licensure (Teacher Competency Review Panel or TCRP). I understand that it's not in-depth, but an approximately 15-minute interview.
TCRP forwards recommendation to state department of education, I pay any required fees and I am given an initial teaching license. I think that means I might be able to teach this fall, but I'm not certain.
I must complete a certain amount of professional education. In my case, I must complete six hours. The amount of hours varies from person-to-person based on their working/professional experience within the field they will be teaching. (In other words, I couldn't be a florist and just walk in and get a teaching certificate.) I can complete this after licensure. I think I will be completed with this portion of the requirements by December having taken one class in my master's studies this summer that should meet half of the requirements and the other class to be taken in the fall.
I must take the OPTE (Oklahoma Professional Teaching Exam) which assesses a person's knowledge about skills needed by educators in order to teach successfully. I can not take this test until after I receive my initial license, but I must complete it in order to receive a five-year teaching certificate. I plan to complete this test this fall.
Like all first-year teachers in the state of Oklahoma, I must be assigned a "mentor" during my first year who will regulate my progress and (I assume) be available for guidance.
When I complete my graduate studies, I will also have to take the certification test for Library Media Specialists. Additionally, I plan to take the English certification test since I was an English Ed major as a "traditional" student.

I'm pretty excited and much relieved. I will be calling the TCRP as soon as possible so I can get my interview set up (hopefully this summer) and send my resume to our local school administrators. I feel like I'm finally making progress!

Summer Vacation

2009-06-24T06:59:00.000-07:00

"Vacation is having nothing to do and all day to do it." --Robert Orben

According to this quote, I haven't officially started summer vacation. Even though my days are still busy and full, at least it's not filled with course work! I'm trying to catch up from being gone but so far, softball games, appointments and birthday parties have prevented me from doing so (yesterday I hosted a tea party for my daughter's 7th birthday--it was fun, but time consuming). I'm thinking I might be able to find an hour to hang out at our backyard pool today. Maybe I'll mow the lawn this afternoon and get so hot that the cold water will be irresistible to me. Here's to hoping!

Home Sweet Home

2009-06-21T13:25:00.000-07:00

I'm home again and summer school is over! I'm SO glad that I did it--definitely worth the time commitment to get nine hours (nine tuition-free hours at that!) completed. For now, I'm going to focus on SUMMER and enjoy a little time with my family.

Time to Wrap it up

2009-06-18T06:32:00.000-07:00

For almost three weeks we've had a great time at summer school learning, laughing and enjoying one another's company, but I think we've finally reached our threshold. It's clearly time to wrap it up here. Everyone is beginning to get cranky and sensitive. There is a lot of whining, complaining, and finger-pointing going on. People are starting to sweat the small stuff.

Personally, I find it amazing that we've lasted this long. Usually, when you get a bunch of women together for weeks on end, the drama begins before the end of week one--lol!

Like I've said before, I'm really glad I had this experience, but I will definitely be really glad to get back to my home, my family and my life, no matter how crazy it all may be. :)

Great Resources

2009-06-16T16:57:00.000-07:00

Summer school has left me with a variety of valuable tools and resources, including:

a new circle of friends and acquaintances for networking, brainstorming and who can help me survive the rest of grad school
a list of electronic resources and online tools of which I had no previous knowledge
books that I can use to create lesson plans
ideas or "lessons learned" from other teachers who have "been there, done that" so that I don't have to
more university contacts that I can turn to during grad school (for help) and beyond (for references)

On Time (and How It Flies)

2009-06-14T19:05:00.000-07:00

It's funny how getting older changes how you view even the little things in life. Take exercise, for example: what once seemed like a huge waste of time (because there was plenty of metabolism to go around), now seems like a necessity. When I was a true freshman, time seemed to pass so slowly. It seemed like each week was dragging, postponing the arrival of the weekend. A semester seemed never ending. It was incomprehensible to think about four years of college-that was an ETERNITY to me!

When I was planning to be away for summer school, three weeks seemed like a pretty good chunk of my time. I was sure that the week would pass slowly and the weekend too quickly. Now, I'm back in my dorm room preparing for my final week here and I'm surprised at how quickly time has passed.

When I first stumbled upon the program, it did seem like a giant leap of faith and commitment on my family's part to dedicate three weeks of summer to school, especially since it meant living on campus. Yet, I decided to look at it from a long-term perspective, deciding that the benefits far outweighed the negatives. It really has. Just think: I have added six hours to my transcript in the past two weeks. SIX HOURS!!! By the end of this week, I will have added another three! That's without even mentioning all the great people I've met here, the fact that the whole program is FREE and that I've had time to focus on some personal goals. so thankful that I took advantage of this opportunity.

Here's to one last week of class....then, "Summer, ho!!!"

OGET and OSAT

2009-06-10T09:00:00.000-07:00

It's been a couple of weeks, but I thought I would post about my experience withe OGET and OSAT as promised.

As I've mentioned before, on that Saturday I got up bright and early (5:30 a.m.) after only four and a half hours of sleep to take two of the three required teacher certification tests in my state. I was a little nervous (okay, a lot nervous) even though I usually test well. Mostly, I just didn't know what to expect.

I was more than a little frustrated when I showed up at 7:15 (as my admission ticket said to) when I had to sit and wait for almost an hour before I could start the test. Lesson learned: next time I will not show up until 20 minutes before the test begins.

I started the morning with the OGET which is the Oklahoma General Education Test. This test covers all major subject areas and cover the basic competencies that high school graduates are expected to know. I was not at all worried about the Reading and Comprehension portion of the test. I wasn't even concerned about Science (because those questions usually rely on reading comprehension and answer elimination). I was, however, nervous about the Math portion of the test, particularly Algebra and Geometry because I haven't used them in such a long time! I was also kind of concerned about my History competencies. I spent extra time studying both of these subject areas. I was greatly relieved when I heard (through an online chat board) that the Math symbols and equations were given in the test. Whew! One less thing to cram into my brain! Still, I had to figure out how to use the equations, so I kept practicing. Also, on a recommendation from a friend, I brushed up on all the major wars in history--who was involved, where they took place, how it began/ended, etc. This test surprised me in several ways:

There were few Science questions
There weren't very many History questions (at least, not as many as I expected)
I don't think there were any questions about wars at all and it was mostly American History
The Math was tolerable
The essay question at the end was not difficult, especially since they pretty much gave you both sides of the argument and you only had to pick one
Still, the essay took more time for me than I expected (maybe because I had to hand write rather than type?)

I completed the test in about three hours, then left for lunch and a short break before test #2: OSAT.

The OSAT is the Oklahoma Subject Area Test, which means it is the test covering the subject area that you are planning to teach. I took the Journalism test this time, though I later hope to take the Language Arts/English test. I really felt like I would be better prepared for this test having just come out of Journalism school in the fall. Still, I did some extra studying just to be prepared, but I was still surprised by the test:

Several questions had answers that were just slightly different. If I wasn't totally confident, I just had to pick one. I did this more often than I thought I would have to.
Having been a portrait photographer for almost five years, I didn't anticipate having any problems with photography questions. I was told that there would be many photography questions, but they weren't at all like I expected. There were no technical questions over f-stops or ISOs or shutter speeds. Instead, there were questions about whether or not you have to identify subjects in a specific photo or questions about how a particular photo was framed.
Many questions regarding technical journalism issues (like laying out pages, developing photographs) seemed quite dated. There was one question about how to develop an image in the darkroom. Nobody does this anymore in the real world--almost everything is digital and it certainly would be for a public school. We didn't even have a darkroom at my college! So, I had to rely on the information left in my brain from the time I spent in a tiny closet developing pictures for my high school yearbook many years ago. Hope my brain didn't fail me!
This was the biggest shocker of all: I actually felt more confident in my Math answers than many of my journalism answers! I didn't expect that at all!

I'm anxious to get my scores, but that won't happen until at least June 25. Until then, I've got to start preparing for the Language Arts subject area test and the final test requirement: the professional standards test.

Mama Tired. Very Tired.

2009-06-09T16:48:00.000-07:00

Today is the most tired I have been in a while. I'm really dragging.

It may have something to do with the fact that I didn't go to bed until almost 1 a.m. and then the sunshine pouring through my window woke me up before 6 a.m. the next morning. So, instead of rolling over and going back to sleep like a normal person, I got up and went to the gym hoping to beat the "regulars" to the elliptical machines. Instead, the girl at the desk asked if I was there for the morning class. I was feeling rather adventurous, so I simply answered, "Sure." Then, for the next hour I was taking part in "Track Attack" (you pretty much get the drift of the type of exercise I was doing). I came back feeling rather refreshed, productive and ready to tackle my day.

Of course, had I remembered what the day was to entail, I might not have felt so optimistic.

Last week, I truly enjoyed our class. The topics aligned with my interests and abilities well and our assignments ended up being so much fun. We literally laughed until we cried making a funny promotional video! This week, however, is one of those classes that is a required drudgery. It's a topic that just doesn't really inspire anyone. It's "Cataloging and Classification" which means that we are learning about all the different ways that books are cataloged/organized for libraries. Very technical. Very dull. It's a necessary evil--you can't have a library unless books are arranged in an orderly fashion and can be easily located--but it's still a very stale topic.

That's not to say that I can't find the silver lining: my teacher is wonderful and has great ideas for lesson plans, my group is amazing--we work so well together and enjoy one another's company, and we have been able to use some of the tools that we learned about last week to make our group project a little less difficult and more entertaining, etc.

But the bottom line is that this class--or today anyway--has exhausted me. Even if I had gotten more sleep last night, I still think the end result would be the same. I ended up collapsing on my bed for a few minutes after dinner, then my friends took me to Sonic for a little caffeine wake-up call. I'm feeling much better and looking forward to a quiet night of either movie watching or book reading. Here's to hoping that Mama's batteries get recharged for another long day tomorrow...the day we find out what our next two assignments will be!

Students, Technology and the Future

2009-06-05T16:04:00.000-07:00

We watched this video in my Educational Media Production class this week. Does it frighten you or inspire you?

(For me, it was a little of both.)

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun...Even Old Girls!

2009-06-03T18:30:00.001-07:00

Yes, we've been working hard at summer school, but we've also been having a good time. I've enjoyed getting to know my classmates (who are all female, by the way). We've shared stories, laughs and even our stashes of dorm room snacks.

I guess this is kind of a "do-over" for me. I never found my "niche" on the college campuses I attended as an undergrad. I never found a group of friends to fit into and, honestly, at the time I wasn't worried about it (I was more worried about working and visiting boyfriend--the one who eventually became my husband).

So, here I am, 32 years old sharing late night talks, taking silly photos, working out at the gym with friends and driving to Sonic to get a free root beer float just like any regular college gal. It's actually been refreshing for me to get away for a bit, clear my head, and feel footloose-and-fancy-free without so many responsibilities to bear. I don't think about what's for dinner (because dinner is cooked for me!) or where I need to be at 8 p.m. (because I don't have to be anywhere!) or if I have anything to wear tomorrow (all my clothes are clean because it only takes one load of laundry to get it all done!). Granted, I wouldn't want to live this way forever, but I hope this experience allows me to come home rested and refreshed for a change.

College Student Communication in the 21st Century

2009-06-02T19:52:00.001-07:00

Now that I find myself back at one of my old colleges, I can't help comparing how things have changed since I was a nineteen year old freshman. The campus is a little different--there are new buildings and landscaping and such--and it also seems a lot smaller now that I'm "all grown up." The food seems to have improved (we finally got to eat in the cafeteria....much better!) and there are many computer labs to choose from these days.

One of the main differences I now see between life for a college student today versus latter years is the availability to keep in touch with people. Just today, I have used my cell phone to call at least three people, texted the same people, IM'd (instant message) a friend (while I was in class, no less), checked my e-mail, and communicated with friends from all over the United States via Facebook.

When I was a traditional undergrad, very few people had e-mail. No one had a cell phone. To keep in touch with my friends and family, I primarily wrote letters. Can you imagine a college student today whipping out paper and pencil to write a letter to someone? If I had only had a few of those communication conveniences back then, I think I would have adjusted much more easily to college life.

So, all-in-all I'm glad that these things exist to keep people connected. I definitely feel less homesick knowing that my friends and family are just a click or a phone call away.

As for today....it was kind of a long one. It started out with the unexpected announcement that the cafeteria is being renovated, so we have been rerouted to the Ball Room for mealtimes. That means we don't have full access to the range of cafeteria foods normally offered. Still, it has been an improvement. At least there is salad, veggies and fresh fruit! Also, the afternoon class time was very long. We worked in front of our computers from one to almost five o'clock without a break--without so much as standing up to stretch! On the positive side, we did seem to accomplish much more today and we are starting a fun video project. Plus, part of our assignment was to set up a Google site, so I was able to get a head start on my electronic portfolio. Yay! Now, I'm off to finish my warm green tea (something I had never tried but was encouraged to do so by a classmate--now I like it!) and read a book (The First Year by Harry Wong) before bedtime. I have to rise and shine early so I can get a warm breakfast before they put it all away and only leave cold bagels or cereal for the late risers.

Summer School: Day One

2009-06-01T15:31:00.001-07:00

Today was the first official day of summer school, though we had to be here early Sunday evening to check into our dorm rooms. So, I've officially been here 24 hours.

I'm having a serious case of deja vu and suddenly remembering all the little things that have to be worked out between roommates. We have private rooms but share a bath. We also share a full-size refrigerator that is located in my room. I had forgotten how much etiquette is required when living in the dorms. You have to figure out things like whether or not you will leave the doors to your room open or closed. Closed feels rude, especially if you like your suitemate (I'm fortunate that I do!), but open all day means phone calls are not very private and you might be annoying your neighbor with your music. You have to figure out subtle ways of figuring out whether or not someone is in the bathroom and if flushing the toilet cause your suitemate to be awakened when they really wanted to be sleeping in. Are you required to do everything together or at least always invite one another along? Like I said, I'm very glad that I was paired with someone that I was at least familiar with before we arrived and we get along well, so none of these issues have been a problem. It's just strange to be back in the place where you have to figure all this stuff out!

I would be lying if I said I wasn't homesick. Class time is a great distractor, but when you are back in the quiet dorm rooms with a huge amount of free time (compared to being at home), it really makes you miss the activity of your on-the-go family. And their noise. And their hugs. It didn't help when my youngest called crying hysterically last night. It was seriously heart-wrenching to hear her saying, "I want you to hold me!" in between sobs. Turns out, she was just upset with her Daddy who made her clean up her messes, but it still didn't make me feel any better about it.

On the upside, I'm starting to know a few more names and have met some great ladies. I feel very confident in the course we are taking this week (it's basically a Media and Technology class) and we are doing some fun projects. I have so much free time (because we don't have homework; we do everything in class) that I am getting to read some books that I have been wanting to finish and I have time to exercise (I even started my day with a walk/run and hope to end it at the gym tonight).

But as for food...so far, no good. :( We have been limited to the food in the student center so far because regular summer school doesn't officially begin until tomorrow, which means the cafeteria is closed. We have been limited to hamburgers, fries and chicken strips. Yum--a big, greasy mess. We opted to go out for dinner tonight. Hopefully, we'll at least have some veggies at the cafeteria tomorrow!

Test Day

2009-05-30T15:27:00.000-07:00

Despite only getting four and a half hours of sleep, I managed to survive my OGET and OSAT test day! I'll reflect on the tests later, but for now I have to pack. I'm leaving tomorrow for summer school!

OGET is the Oklahoma General Education Test and OSAT is the Oklahoma Subject Area Test: both are required for teacher certification

My To-Do List

2009-05-28T07:45:00.001-07:00

Finish proofing almost 200 engagement & bridal photos
Create blog post for engagement photos sneak peek
Get oil changed and tires checked in the car that will be making the four hour drive to campus this weekend
Go to the dreaded Wal-Mart to purchase snacks and supplies for the kiddos and myself for our travels next week
Get caught up on "regular" laundry before husband and daughter return from youth camp with mounds of dirty clothes
Finish reading the book club selection, "Copper Sun" by Sharon Draper so I can return the book before leaving Sunday
Figure out what I'll need for three weeks in a dorm (maybe it would be easier to decide what to leave at home!) and pack it
Pack my two children who will be visiting friends and my sister in Texas and attending day camp next week
Buy a few groceries for the hubby so he won't starve (or eat out)
Exercise (I missed the last two days because of our busy schedules)
Create "gag gift" for a friend's birthday as payback for a Christmas stunt
Make a notebook for the babysitter with all the do's, don'ts and "where to find it" information
Fill out day camp enrollment forms, make out checks for said camp and copy insurance cards
Clean out vehicle
Put away all photography gear from this week's sessions
Make a deposit at the bank (10 miles away)
Get a pedicure!!! (I promised little daughter we'd have a "girl party" while Daddy & big sis was away)
Clean house (the chore that never leaves my to-do list, so it seems)
Water garden
Breathe

To Panic or Not to Panic....That Is the Question

2009-05-24T18:39:00.000-07:00

A week from today, I will be loading my car and driving four hours away to stay in campus housing for three weeks without my family in order to complete a significant portion of my master's degree studies.

Part of me wants to panic. Okay, the biggest part of me wants to panic because I keep thinking:

I'm stressed about all the things I meant to get done before I left (that I haven't).
I'm sad about all the things I will be missing while I am gone.
I'm nervous for my husband and the babysitter whose task it is to keep my six-year-old entertained (she announced that she was already bored by 10 a.m. the day after school let out).
I'm worried about making it through eight hour class days without getting a migraine.
I'm wondering how well I will get along with my classmates. Will I be the odd man out because I am not a certified teacher nor have I ever taught?
Will the cafeteria food be bearable? I have valid fears: I lived on this particular campus the year before I married, and the smells from the cafeteria made me nauseous as I passed by each day. I still claim it was the worst food in the history of university cafeterias! Even the salad and cereal was unsuitable to eat, in my opinion. No joke! I lost so much weight that year....

On the upside, there are several things to look forward to in this experience:

I get to meet new people and (hopefully) make some new friends. If not, it will be a great exercise in networking.
I will have completed nine hours of courses in three weeks. There is no other way I'd be able to graduate in a year's time if not for this intense session.
I won't have to cook any meals and I will only be responsible for dressing myself, cleaning my tiny dorm room and keeping my small stash of laundry clean. What a load off!
Evenings should be free for reading a good book or working out at the really nice Wellness Center (they are even having Zumba classes!) or taking a walk around the track just like I used to do in the "good ol' days."
I don't have to be in class until 9 a.m. which means I can sleep in if I want!
If the cafeteria food is bad, maybe I will drop those last few pesky pounds before we head to the beach for vacation!! :)
It's free! All of this is free even down to the textbooks and meal plans. Whoo-hoo!

I decided that instead of looking at it as being gone for three straight weeks, I'd take it one week at a time. I will only be gone five nights before I can come home for a short weekend. That's not bad. I'm pretty sure the week will pass much more quickly than I anticipate. Between Zumba and working on my portfolio...well, you know what they say: "time flies when you're having fun." ;)

Now I Remember Why I Hated Math

2009-05-17T13:33:00.001-07:00

It's a lazy Sunday afternoon here. I am thankful for a nice morning at church, beautiful weather, a lovely lunch and a wonderful nap, but now it's time to hit the books. It's a little difficult to muster up the desire to study when you're not in school; it feels a bit uncalled for. Yet, the reality is that my OGET and OSAT tests--the general test and subject area test for teacher certification in the state of Oklahoma--are looming and I haven't really put much effort into studying for them. But study I must...it would be awfully embarrassing to fail a test that is supposed to encompass the basic skills that any teenager in the state should have in order to graduate from high school!

I downloaded the study guide and have been tediously making my way through it. Language Arts generally come easy for me, and I don't usually have a tremendous amount of difficulty with Science, either (so long as you're not asking me to become a endocrinologist or something), but Math....Math is my Achilles heel. I distinctly remember coming home in fourth grade with giant tears rolling down my face because I had a "C" on my progress report in Math. Fractions were killing my straight A average and my hopes of perfection (lol)! From that point on, I struggled in Math, though I usually found a way to keep my grades up to an acceptable level that wouldn't induce serious crying fits. I actually thought, for a moment, that I might enjoy Geometry, but eventually, I would run into some sort of equation that I simply could not wrap my mind around and would, once again, have to come to terms with my shortcomings in Math.

Math was always the subject area with the lowest score on any standardized test that I ever took. In fact, I never attempted taking the SAT because, although I probably would have benefited from a test that was largely based in Language Arts, I knew that the other half (being pure Math) would kill my score.

All this to say, here I am at thirty-two years old trying, for the life of me, to remember how to do linear equations and line graphs. It's very frustrating, to say the least, but it's also kind of a nice challenge. I've noticed that a great many things that I could not fully understand as a teenager or younger adult have actually become a little less difficult over time. For example, I find it easier to understand some foreign languages or at least understand how they are conjugated, though it once was my most difficult class as a freshman in college. So, as I study these equations that once made me sweat and worry and find that I can actually solve them after all (even though I have not found reason to use those skills in the 14 years since I have been out of high school), it makes a girl feel pretty good.

That's not to say that I'm finally figuring all this Math stuff out. It's still giving me headaches, I'm still thankful that it's a multiple choice test and I still hate Math...but I'm allowing myself a little bit of hope: maybe I'll pass the Math portion after all.

Graduation Day: The Recap in Photos

2009-05-12T05:30:00.000-07:00

Rushing to the stadium after finding a replacement tassel

My wonderful, supportive family

My girls--I hope they know better understand the value of education, follow-through and keeping their promises

The cold & windy ceremony

My friends and family who are drinking hot chocolate in the warmth of a gas station while I'm still shivering in a stadium, waiting on the ceremony to wrap up

My best friend & her son who surprised me by coming up for the weekend

Graduation Day: The Recap

2009-05-10T13:04:00.000-07:00

So, if you've followed my blog long, you've known about my indecisiveness regarding whether or not to take part in my undergraduate graduation ceremony. I flip-flopped quite a bit, but decided to go ahead and do it, even if it were for no other reason for my young daughters see a cumulative end to my efforts and understand it better.

This week has been a doosey...lots of unexpected events and activities going on, lots of uncertainties for my schedule, etc. As late as Friday afternoon, I considered not attending the graduation ceremony and just doing something fun instead. But, I decided that I was tired of being indecisive and was going to stick with my original decision no matter what. When my six-year-old said, "I want you to graduate, Mommy," it sort of sealed the deal.

Overall, it was a memorable day. There were plenty of both positives and negatives to the experience. Here is a recap of the good versus bad.

Thumbs down:

Bad news
Several family members were unable to attend due to recently discovered serious health problems. In the end, I'm glad they didn't have to join us in sitting through two hours of speeches and freezing weather (see below).

To rain or not to rain...that is the question
There was a chance of rain and ominous, dark clouds filling the sky. The back-up rain plan called for the university to divide up into departments and take turns using indoor facilities. If that happened, my graduation ceremony wouldn't be held until 11:45 instead of 10 a.m. Since I live an hour away, I didn't want to bother rushing to campus to early if I didn't have to. When we didn't find any official rain plan announcements posted on the school's website at 8 a.m., we began to head that way. My sister asked, "What will you do if it starts raining during the ceremony?" My guess was that we would just get a good soaking. Fortunately, I only felt one rain drop during the event and a couple of rolls of thunder, but I couldn't count how many times I thought, "I wish this were an indoor ceremony."

Missing pieces
After parking in a "no parking zone" long enough so that I could toss on my cap & gown before rushing down to the football field, I discovered that my tassel was missing. Swell. The bookstore (which carried all our graduation gear) is not usually open on Saturdays, but I decided to make one desperate phone call to see if they were open and had any extra tassels available. They did.

"You'll have to buy it, but we have some."

Really? I just paid all this tuition and you can't spare $3.60 for a red tassel? We sped over and purchased one, anyway. During the moments where I was running into or out of the bookstore, I was thankful for the university's rule that we wear flat-bottomed shoes instead of heels for the ceremony!

I also regretted not bringing my cell phone with me. Not only could I have taken photos and played games during the boring speeches (I had forgotten how b-o-r-i-n-g graduation speeches could be!), but I would have been able to track down my family afterwards. I wandered around the field forever searching for my loved ones who promised me, "Don't worry about it; we'll find you." It felt very awkward to be walking around alone while masses of people gathered for photos, etc.

Freakish weather
FREEZING temperatures (high of 60 degrees....maybe) and the 20 mph wind gusts made the graduation ceremony quite an ordeal. People in the stands were huddled under blankets, and many had obviously dug out winter clothes to wear for the day.

I was sitting on the outer row with no one to block the wind, making it miserably cold. Additionally, I only brought one bobby pin along for my cap. I was terrified that my cap would fly off as I reached for my diploma and shook the president's hand. Thankfully, it didn't happen to me, but I watched it happen to many others.

After my portion of the ceremony, my family slipped off into a nearby gas station to get out of the weather and to drink hot chocolate...and I don't blame them one bit!

Medal Envy
I'll admit it: I envied my friends who made Magna Cum Laude or Cum Laude and got the extra rope or medal "bling" to wear around their necks. I missed Cum Laude by 0.02 points.

Someone recently mentioned to me that their G.P.A. started falling when they started dating their then-boyfriend now-husband. Looking back, my worst grades were my freshman year when I began dating my then-boyfriend now-husband, Tim! I have decided to officially blame my shortcomings on him. How dare he keep me from better understanding the finer points of conjugating German verbs? Just kidding...the blame was all mine. If only I had known then what I know now. Adult students rarely have a problem knowing how to study, but I was clueless coming right out of high school.

Bottom line: I was jealous. Wish I could have had a shiny medal of my own, but I'll have to just make peace with myself knowing that I had a 4.0 in my major and, as my husband likes to remind me, no one really cares what your G.P.A. is in the end.

Thumbs up:

Friends
My best friend surprised me by coming up for the weekend and going to the ceremony with us. I love her!! She has a way of making a girl feel special. She had already given me pointers on how to style my hair with the rather unfashionable cap. She even brought special hairspray so that I could follow through on my plans to curl my hair....even though we ended up leaving it straight (as you will see in the photos later). Irregardless, it was very thoughtful!

Also, I got to see my college friends who I've missed for the past six months and acquaintances within the department, too. It was good to see them, catch up on their lives for a bit and find out what's in store for their immediate futures.

Warmth (& No Sweat)
I was very, very thankful to be wearing a long robe with long sleeves on the cold, windy day. I had once been worried about sweating through those awful polyester things under a hot May sun, but never considered how helpful they might be in a spring cold spell! I was also grateful that the closest friends that I made in our department had alphabetically similar last names. Since we were sitting next to one another, we didn't have to feel awkward about huddling together for warmth!

Food
When my husband was sitting in the gas station, warming up the children and chit-chatting with the locals, he heard about an authentic Italian restaurant in the next town over. We knew all the restaurants in my college town would be filled to capacity (it's a rather small town with limited dining facilities), so we decided to give it a try. It was fabulous! Since it had been so long since I had good Italian food anyway, it made the day extra special.

No Security Checks or Long Lines
Thank goodness our speakers were just alumni who had done well in the world, but not risen to the heights of say, President of the United States of America. President Obama is scheduled to give the commencement address at Arizona State University next week. Students have to arrive almost four hours early to pass through the Secret Service security check. Lines are expected to be crazy-long and, all the while, they will be waiting in 100-degree weather in the middle of the desert in an open-air stadium. Fun!

The Diploma
Okay, so I think it's rather hilarious that people sit through a ceremony and do all these "official" things like moving the tassel, shaking the president's hand and conferring degrees...but no one actually gets a diploma during the ceremony. I know this is standard practice, but it still seems pretty silly if you think about it. (It gives new meaning to the old saying, "All this hassle for a tassel?") Yet, when I picked up my diploma and opened up the envelope containing what amounts to no more than raised-letter wording on heavy paper, I really did feel a sense of accomplishment. Yay, me!

Would I do it all over again? I don't know. I still stand by the fact that it was a lesson for my children in the importance of finishing things. Unless something really changes my mind between now and then, I don't think I will participate in the ceremony for my master's degree because the university is located much farther away and will take more effort. Plus--I'll be honest--it really was a pretty boring event overall. If I had not had not known the people sitting around me, it would have been a miserable experience.

In a nutshell, I guess I'm glad I had the experience, but I probably won't do it again...unless I get a doctorate! LOL!

Lifelong Education

2009-04-29T07:30:00.000-07:00

"Real ongoing, lifelong education doesn't answer questions--it provokes them. It causes us to see that the fun and excitement of learning doesn't lie in having all the answers. It lies in the tension and the stretching of our minds between all the contradictory answers. It makes us think for ourselves. It frees us all." ~Luci Swindoll

The Decision

2009-04-28T07:58:00.000-07:00

I finally made a decision: I am going to participate in my undergraduate graduation ceremony. I'm trying to live a life of no regrets, so this is just one way to keep me from wondering "what if..." or "I wish I would have.." later on.

I've now got a date with a cap and gown on May 9th!

Still Conflicted: To Walk or Not to Walk

2009-04-26T15:35:00.000-07:00

I can't decide whether or not to walk in my university's graduation ceremony. My thoughts have evolved in this order over the course of the past six months:

Of course, I'll participate! I worked hard!
I really want to walk so my kids will know that education is important.
I feel so distanced from school now that I've been away and moved on to grad school...maybe I shouldn't walk.
Honestly, would anybody really miss me if I didn't walk?
If I did walk, would my family just feel obligated to come. I don't want anyone to feel obligated to come.
The graduation ceremony is going to be like three hours long. In the sun. On a football field. And I only know a handful of people there. Hmmmm....
If it rains, the ceremony will be moved indoors and I will only have four tickets. That only leaves one extra ticket for anyone other than my husband and children!
I'm going to graduate from grad school next spring. Wouldn't I rather walk in that ceremony?
Grad school graduation will be farther away and we would have to stay in a hotel. Maybe I should walk now and skip grad school ceremonies? Plus, I won't know as many people there...
THREE HOURS in the sun and wind??? I dunno....
But my youngest daughter doesn't understand college or that I've completed something. This might help her understand.
Maybe I do want a day of praise and glory.
I don't want a day of praise and glory...that's silly.
I already paid for all of the graduation gear in my student fees...might as well get my money's worth.
Will I regret it if I don't walk? After all, I looked forward to it for years.
My dad told me the story of a man who drove hundreds of miles to attend graduation ceremony at this school. He thought it was important...maybe I should, too.
I already have plans for that weekend. It's Mother's Day weekend and we really need to visit my husband's mom. I shouldn't change those plans.
I don't know what to do.

This is another one of those situations where I wish someone would just step in and make my decisions for me. Right now, I have a signed "Graduate in Absentee" form sitting signed on my desk, but I have been unable to mail it (though I filled it out a week ago). University friends say, "yes--come back!" but they probably won't miss me (who knows if we'll even see one another). My family says, "it's your decision." My husband and friends like to give conflicting reports: one minute they encourage me to do it and the next they tell me they might not have walked if they had to do it all over again. It's honestly not as important to me as it once was, but I do wonder if participating might help my kids understand the importance, the sacrifice, and the honor of university studies.

Maybe I'll just flip a coin.

Getting Off the Hamster Wheel

2009-04-24T16:08:00.000-07:00

Here we are at the end of another productive yet absolutely CRAZED semester.

Last week, my husband and I took a cruise to celebrate our 10th anniversary (it was two years ago--we're a little late) & the completion of my undergraduate degree. I left my cell phone at home and only checked e-mail once a day for five minutes in order to send a message to my kids back home. While I was on the trip, I enjoyed laying in the sun and reading (for leisure!), listening to music or napping. I enjoyed long, three-course meals and sharing interesting conversation with strangers. I enjoyed walking around a small Mexican village, watching the locals who obviously had fewer possessions and money but seemed equally (or more!) happy with life.

However, it wasn't until I got home that I realized how truly unburdened I had been on that trip. When I am at home, I feel compelled to check e-mail and Facebook twenty or more times a day. Many days, I don't enjoy the sunshine or feel the breeze because I am sitting behind a computer all day. When I am at home, my cell phone is in my possession almost 24 hours a day and I feel compelled to answer it each and every time it rings. When I am at home, I live and die by a calendar--never are there unstructured days for "wandering"--and taking a nap would just lead to guilt that time would have been better spent doing something besides sleeping.

Even worse, every time I travel, especially outside of the United States, I come home so frustrated by the things that occupy our time and thoughts....the things that we fuss and fight over/for...the things that we consider most important. Those things, for the most part, are utter ridiculousness. In the grand scheme of life, they are foolish things that don't really matter.

I am certain that life is for more than a busy calendar. I'm sure that I'm supposed to have enough quiet, unhurried time in a day to have thoughts or rest or simple pleasures. I know for a fact that I shouldn't feel like a hamster in a wheel.

I have decided that something needs to change in my life and I'm trying to figure out the best way to clear out the clutter and simplify my life somewhat. Waiting for the "next semester" or the "next stage of life" obviously doesn't work--getting to the next stage means things are just different, not less busy in my experience.

Right now, the best bet for simplification seems to be to shut down my photography business. My business is definitely "small" in all aspects of the word, but it can be very time consuming nevertheless. Though I have been mulling it over for a week (actually, I mull it over every year, it seems), I am still hesitant to do away with it completely for several reasons:

a) it provides income
b) people respect and enjoy the work I do
c) other than motherhood, I have held this position longer than any other job
d) it gives me a sense of pride and accomplishment

This business has been my baby, my brainchild, my sweat and tears. Even though my hectic lifestyle prevents me from enjoying the work like I once did, it is difficult to say the words, "I'm done."

Also, there is the money matter. I am preparing to enter the teaching world. Education, as we all know, is not a particularly lucrative field. In fact, right now it takes me a month of substitute teaching (averaging twice or three times a week) to make similar take-home pay as one photography session. Now, before you start to think that photographers are making a killing and robbing you blind, let me tell you about one major difference. In education, I walk away at the end of the day with no further obligations (well, more-so than some professions--no job is 100% this way). With photography, the time committed for a photo session is just the beginning. I spend much, much more time editing, cropping, posting to the web, fulfilling orders, etc. Do you know what that means? There is no separation between home and work for me. Between my university classes, substitute teaching, hauling kids to ballgames, church obligations and the like, I crave time at home to be just that: time at home and nothing else. Besides, money isn't everything.

All this to say, I think I am on the verge of making a very important decision. It both relieves me and scares me, but something must be done. You know something is not right when you find yourself envying simple life of the Mexican senorita who sits on the sidewalk mashing masa and selling tortillas from an egg crate!

The Good Stuff

2009-04-21T21:57:00.000-07:00

I feel like I have spent the majority of this semester whining on this blog. Shame on me. It hasn't been all bad, really! Sure, it's been stressful, I have felt even busier than usual, and my assignments have been super time consuming, I can still find some silver linings in the grad school clouds.

One of my professors was willing to negotiate our assignment list meaning many due dates were changed and several assignments were reduced in size or deleted from the syllabus altogether.
All of my professors are very understanding about the fact that we have families and jobs to juggle. Generally, if we have a hard time getting an assignment turned in on time, they are willing to work things out with you.
I expected to be in class every Monday night from January through May. Instead, we only met about twice a month and next week (still in April) is our final class date!
One of my professors was very organized and her class was very structured. Plus, she was very quick to respond to questions and grade assignments. It made life SO much easier!
I have one other classmate at my ITV location...thank goodness! Having someone to contact with questions was so helpful. I am so glad I didn't have to go at it alone. Plus, it always helps to have a classmate that you can vent with.
We always have plenty of time to eat dinner in-between classes. Honestly, I was very worried about this. Sitting in class from 4:30 until almost 10 p.m. without food or caffeine could only mean one thing for me: migraines. Mama's gotta eat! Fortunately, our teacher always gives us a 30-minute break.
It was tough reading so many books this semester, but I really enjoyed it. It helped me have a reason to read some books/authors that I wasn't familiar with and might not have read otherwise.

See? I AM capable of seeing the glass half full...are you shocked? :)

Insanely Busy

2009-04-04T19:44:00.000-07:00

I don't know why all my blog posts seem to come back to one theme: I'm busy and/or there's not enough time in day. So sorry for the boring, repetition, but it's so true.

This week has been another jam-packed one-thing-after-another week with a couple of unexpected events to deal with thrown in for good measure. It seems that April and December are the two busiest months in my year for some reason. Sure, they both contain the two biggest holidays in our household, but for us, Easter is not usually something that takes up huge portions of our month--it is very big spiritual celebration but not so much a time-consumer. I think it's because those two months are the end (or the near end) of semesters both for myself and my kids. Not only are school activities on overload, but we are also in the middle of soccer season. Plus, since the husband and I are taking a mini vacation/anniversary celebration/graduation gift cruise this month, it has added extra stress to my already nerve-wrecking schedule. Here it is, Saturday night and I haven't finished all of the homework due for Monday. I have one major project due a week from Monday but I also need to complete the work that is due the day after we get back from our cruise so I can just enjoy my vacation and leave the work at home.

Fortunately, I have cleared my calendar this week. I am only working one day (and that is subject to the weather cooperating) and I plan to slug away at homework. However, being the week before Easter, I will have daily mid-day interruptions as I attend our community's Holy Week luncheons. Not to mention the gigantic piles (and I am not kidding when I say "piles") of laundry waiting to be done. As always. I need to help my daughter with her 4H speech that she will compete with while we are gone. I need to gather things for my mom (who will be keeping the girls while we are away) and prepare for Easter. Oh--and I am in charge of my kid's Easter party at school this week. I guess I should also think about packing at some point when I'm not busy worrying about exercising/eating right/drinking enough water so I can feel comfortable in my bathing suit....or busy worrying about any of the above said things! *Sigh*

But on a positive note....only 4 more weeks of school left!!! I can't wait until MAY!!!!

Crunch Time

2009-03-26T19:59:00.001-07:00

My instinct told me to hold off on getting ahead on any assignments this semester. My instinct served me well. Turns out, my professor is swamped with grading and decided to negotiate off a couple of major projects. WHEW! I really can breathe easier now. AND....I'm on the downhill slide of the semester!!

I really don't understand why this semester has been so incredibly busy that I can barely keep up with blogging. I mean, is 9 hours of graduate school really twice as hard as 18 hours of undergradate hours? I really don't think that's the case, but the evidence points otherwise, I suppose. I am working more than I have in previous semesters (I think), so maybe that is a major player as well. Regardless, I hope to find some time soon to share my reading list as promised. Until then...happy studies!

Blessed Spring Break

2009-03-12T12:08:00.000-07:00

It's here! It's here! I'm glad to see spring break finally arrive, but at the same time, it's aggravating. There will be no relaxing on this spring break because I will be working every day but one. There will not be much of a break from homework on this spring break because I have a seven page in-depth study due on the Monday following break. Needless to say, it hard to get too excited about Spring Break.

That's okay. I'm holding out for the cruise hubby and I are taking next month.

As for classes, they are as frustrating as they ever were. I seriously have never been so frustrated with a professor. I've had professors who have bothered me with their point-of-view, general disorganization, pity for the slacker and so on, but I've never had a professor that makes it hard to do well simply because the expectations are not clear. I'm very concerned about taking any more internet classes with this specific professor. My saving grace has been ITV classes where we sort everything out. I won't have that with web-only classes (which are coming this fall).

But back to spring break....it's here. I'm glad. The end.

Blah.

2009-02-25T16:10:00.000-08:00

Today I've felt terrible. Thank goodness I didn't have to work or be anywhere. I'm lounging around in my yoga pants and trying to get a leg up on my homework which overfloweth. After our face-to-face class meeting this week, I found out that my videoed book talk is late (even though the professor e-mailed me saying that it wasn't due until next week). Normally, I would freak out about this, but I've decided to take it all in stride. I'll send it in when I get it done tomorrow and I'll be sure to copy her e-mail just in case. And, if she still decides to take off for tardiness, I don't care. This class (or should I say, the class schedule) has been so confusing, I'm no longer striving for perfection.

I do, however, admit to being a little panicked. My family is supposed to be out of town this weekend, so I'm not sure what that means for the homework I have left to do. I know I can get some of it done on Sunday afternoon. I plan to carry my laptop with me, but I will have limited internet connectivity. I'm a little overwhelmed right now, I must admit. Homework is piling up as is the laundry and I have several obligations (one is an article I am supposed to be writing for a major trade magazine plus I'm supposed to be designing several pages for a photo directory in addition to all the "regular stuff" I'm a part of). I'm trying to keep my eyes on the prize: the cruise that my husband is taking me on for our 10th anniversary (that we celebrated 2 years ago) and as part of my graduation gift. I can't wait until April!!!

Teacher Certification

2009-02-20T14:58:00.000-08:00

After anxiously hovering about my mailbox for the past few weeks, I finally received what I'd been waiting for: a letter from the State Department of Education.

I had applied to participate in alternative teacher certification. In order to do so, you must have an undergraduate degree in a a corresponding certifiable subject area and working experience in the field also.

When I first headed back to school and decided to pursue journalism rather than English Education, my plans were to eventually try to take part in the alternative certification process, though honestly, I thought I would work work on the staff of a publication of some sort before doing so. Honestly, my field is not a high-demand subject area, especially for most rural schools so I didn't think that being certified in that area alone would be especially helpful.

Then, I enrolled in grad school and put myself in the position where I had to be certified before I could graduate from the program. I quickly put my resume and application together for the Alternative Certification Program, then waited by my mailbox for about four weeks.

I'm so happy to report that I have been accepted into the program, I only have to take six additional professional education hours in addition to passing my certification tests and I can get my initial certification in both journalism and/or speech/drama/debate. Once I complete my graduate studies , I will also take the test to be certified as a librarian. As you can see, this provides several opportunities for me.

I've been spending a lot of time as a substitute teacher in our local school system and I feel increasingly comfortable there. There has always been an adventurous streak in me that wanted to have an unusual or unique job. Sure, it'd be really cool to be a freelance journalist who travels to all corners of the earth gathering news, meeting people and taking photos of exotic lands, but it's not very practical when you have kids to raise or if you actually enjoy hanging out with your husband or if you like being part of a community.

I guess I've come to realize that family and community are two of the most important things a person could have. School systems are rooted in community, or at least in all the places that I've lived. And really, are there many jobs that are better suited for family life? Top it off with the chance to influence and possibly change lives....what could be better?

Stop the Clock!

2009-02-13T08:48:00.001-08:00

Time is a mystery to me. When I was commuting to school three times a week this spring, I felt like there was never enough time to get things done...yet, I still managed to work, minimally keep up with housework and shuttle my kids to their activities. So far this semester, I only go to class once a week (and not even weekly, at that) and I am working less than usual. In fact, I have not actively been booking photo sessions at all lately. Yet, I feel even MORE pressed for time. I can't figure this out. Surely I don't have more assignments than I did when I was taking 18 undergrad hours. Maybe my classwork is more time intensive? Whatever it is, I sometimes wish I could stop the clock for a few hours to play catch-up. Whenever things get rushed and crazy, I find it even harder to concentrate. I find myself hopping from one activity to another without wrapping up the first (that is why I am blogging in my sweaty work-out clothes rather than taking a shower).

But the fact is, time marches on and so must I...

The Homework Commute

2009-02-05T19:58:00.000-08:00

Just when I thought I gave up commuting to class, now I find myself commuting to finish homework! Today, I visited my alma mater (hee hee--that sounds funny) and spent three and a half hours in the library trying to finish my latest assignment for my Reference Materials class. I drove over thinking that I'd be able to complete two weeks worth of homework in one visit, but it was just wishful thinking. I wasn't even able to finish all of this week's assignment. It was worth the trip, though. As much as I love modern technology and the internet, sometimes there's just nothing better than using a real book for research.

Conquering My Reading List

2009-01-30T11:35:00.000-08:00

I feel like I'm actually making a little progress and slowly but surely getting a grasp on what's required of me in my classes. Today was especially productive because, in one trip to our local high school, I managed to finish three assignments (observation, interview, book talk) and start another (bibliography).

I've also been able to wade through the gigantic reading list for my young adult literature class and decide what I'm reading when. That sounds like an easy task but trust me--it wasn't!

Plus, after combing through our local library system and high school's card catalog, I've also discovered what I can read for free. I love free.

I'm doing okay on my reading list. So far I've managed to read:

Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt (my favorite)
Holes by Louis Sachar
Hero by S.L. Rottman
Harris and Me by Gary Paulsen
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne (my second favorite thus far)

I'm considering starting another blog to share my personal book reviews on the books that I'm reading. Not only would it be a fun blog project, but it will be a helpful resource when I am a librarian and need to remember the plots and characters of these books in a pinch. I'm still on the fence about it. Maybe now is not quite the time to take on another project.
We'll see!

Do Unto Others

2009-01-27T08:19:00.000-08:00

Professors are busy folk--I get that. Many times, they don't have time to answer everyone's e-mails in a timely manner...probably because they are swamped! That's why students should try to take care of one another. Lately, I've had more of my questions answered by friends and random co-students than I have by instructors. I'm always so thankful when someone takes the time to reply to an e-mail or share a informative link or give insight on a project.

The best advice I can give on taking online courses is to live by the golden rule: do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Take time to reply to an e-mail if you have the answer. Encourage a fellow student who seems to be overwhelmed. Direct someone to a good resource online or in a textbook. "Live" education is all about sharing ideas and online learning should be no different.

Internet Courses: A Love/Hate Relationship

2009-01-22T08:43:00.000-08:00

I have a love/hate relationship with internet courses. On one hand, they make life so much easier. I mean, I can do my classwork while sitting in bed in my pajamas, or after I've just worked out when no humans would dare to be near my smelly, unsightly self. I can even do my classwork while I'm traveling. It's super handy. On the other hand, you are basically left to teach yourself. Remember the old Mike Myers sketch "Coffee Talk with Linda Richman?" It's sometimes as if a teacher posts all the necessary information along with a syllabus, then in true Linda Richman fashion says, "Okay...talk amongst yourselves."

I feel like I've spent most of my week trying to sort through all of my class information and create some sort of workable schedule. I still haven't successfully managed to do that because there have been so many changes to the syllabi and, adding to the confusion, several different reading lists are floating around.

It's frustrating! I feel like I'm spinning wheels even though I'm trying to get ahead. For instance, I managed to read a couple of books this week (working on a third) and have written partial book reviews for them. I thought I was doing pretty well since--by my calculations--I need to average two per week. I also made arrangements for my observation & book talk times next week (which requires me to read another book in preparation for that). However, last night I got a call from a classmate concerned about an assignment that she found online that is supposed to be due on Monday. I'm glad she called it to my attention because in all the syllabus-change confusion, I had no idea that it needed to be done this week!

I hope that after next week's face-to-face class, I will have a better handle of the flow to these classes. Ironically, the one class that I'm taking that is entirely online is easily managed; it has a definite "flow" already. Of course, that may be due to the fact that it is a class about online education methods!

Holiday

2009-01-19T14:25:00.001-08:00

Today was supposed to be day #2 of class for me, but since it is a national holiday, it was canceled. This sounds totally stupid (because who doesn't love a day off?), but it has really disrupted the whole "rhythm and flow" part of getting back into school for me. Grrrr....

Out of My Element

2009-01-15T12:47:00.000-08:00

I'm not sure if it's being in a non-traditional classroom (ITV + internet) after getting used to a traditional class setting or just being in grad school or because I'm back in the education genre (almost everyone else in class has working experience in the field; I do not), or if it's just that we've only had one class day & I haven't gotten into the flow of things yet, but I feel a little bit like a fish out of water.

As an undergrad, I already had working experience in the areas I was studying, so I was confident. I feel a little intimidated by the many teachers who are in my classes. I guess I feel that I have nothing of value to offer despite the fact that most of them are newbies to the Library-Media world, too.

Luckily, I was chatting with my good friend online this morning and she said this:

"You'll get in the groove at school. That's exactly how I felt when I started, going into a new field that I didn't have as much knowledge about and everyone seemed to "know" more. In the end, I liked grad school much better than undergrad."

It's so good to have encouraging friends who have "been there, done that!"

I am a hard worker, so I have no doubt that I will do well. Okay, well maybe I have a little doubt, but at any rate I know I will survive. Everything happened so quickly, I kind of feel like I'm still caught in a whirlwind. Hopefully, things will settle down soon and I will get into a rhythm with schoolwork and better understand what is expected of me on a weekly basis.

Going to Grad School: The Backstory

2009-01-13T07:55:00.000-08:00

I decided to go to grad school last Thursday. Classes began on Monday. How'd I manage that??

First of all, I had been encouraged by good friend (who is also a librarian) to consider Library-Media studies more seriously. She and I had discussed it in the past, though I had never really spent much time researching which universities offered Library-Media graduate studies. I began looking at our state schools just to see what was available. I also looked at one program--entirely online--that was out-of-state because I had a friend who was enrolled in it.

What really propelled me to start this semester instead of later was free tuition! I found out that one university had received a special grant to extend their library-media studies to the western part of our state (a.k.a "the boondocks"). The grant covers nine hours of graduate tuition! Awesome! The catch: students must come stay on-campus for three weeks during the summer term to take those 9 hours. On the upside, that's nine hours completed in three weeks...nine FREE hours I might add. Also, room, board and transportation are taken care of through the grant. Sweet! The downside, of course, is that I will have to be away from my family for three weeks. I will come home on the weekends, but I will be missing a lot of their summer activities and put extra strain on the husband who will have to juggle work and kids all on his own. Also, the campus is quite a drive--3 to 4 hours away--so there will be no quick trips home mid-week for anything. I keep telling myself that three weeks away from the family is a small price to pay in order to be on my kids' school schedules for the next 12 years of their lives.

When I actually started thinking, "I should do this....like, right now!" I had two pretty big hurdles: deadlines for enrollment were looming & I hadn't taken the GRE. Actually, the university that I am now enrolled in had started classes the day I called to talk to someone about the program. Talk about last-minute!

So, I quickly made the decision to give this a shot. I'm actually glad that there was a small window of opportunity to make that decision, otherwise I might have agonized over it for days. I started typing up applications, faxing unofficial transcripts, requesting official transcripts, e-mailing a trillion people for information, etc. Though I had once been an undergrad student at this particular university, it had been so long that I actually had to reapply for admission. That ended up holding things up a bit, but we finally got everything completed....yesterday (four school days after starting the process). I wasn't actually enrolled when I attended my first class. In fact, I paced the floor all day waiting impatiently to hear word whether or not I should drive to my ITV (interactive television) class. I had to leave by 3:30 to get there in time, and I finally heard back from the university somewhere around 2:30.

Luckily--VERY luckily--for me, this particular program didn't require the GRE for admission. God bless 'em.

I put out the admissions and enrollment fires, now I'm tending to the teacher certification fires! I'm getting a lot of different answers about whether or not I have to be certified before or after I complete the program and how I will go about certification. So now, I'm making tons of phone calls and e-mails to that end.

Maybe I should just be a firefighter instead!

Going to Grad School: Why?

2009-01-13T07:15:00.000-08:00

Obviously, if you've been reading my posts for the past year, I wasn't seriously considering enrolling in grad school. I didn't plan to start grad school a only few weeks after graduation, either. Honestly, I had been tossing the idea around for a while, but something held me back.

I am now enrolled in a Library-Media Specialist program. Why?

*I love to read.
*I love technology.
*I love researching.
*I place a high value on education.
*I'm a life-long learner.
*I'm curious (reading/researching helps satisfy my curiosity).
*I have a strong desire to be in a steady job.
*Bonus: I want to be on the same school schedule as my children.

Thirteen years ago when I started my college career as a "true freshman," I was an English Education major. When I started back as an adult student, I still intended to get my teacher certification, but I had planned to go through an alternative certification process. Somewhere along the way, I began to reconsider; the alternative certification process would have been a little more difficult since I had a Mass Comm degree rather than English. I was also a little concerned about the way teacher's are required to teach these days (a.k.a. "teaching for the test"--standardized tests). Still, I always pictured myself working in the school system in some manner.

Throughout my Mass Comm studies, I was encouraged to try my hand at freelance writing as a career choice. While it appealed to me in many ways, I did express my qualms about constantly having to track down work and (once again) I also desired to have steady employment...something that would (for the most part) allow me to go home at the end of the day and not carry my work home. I also wrestled with the decision to send my resume in for a newspaper position that I was definitely qualified for and probably could have taken. I debated with myself constantly, and it never felt like the right thing to do for myself or my family.

I have come to realize that what you CAN do and what's BEST to do are not always the same things. People think that I am a skilled photographer. I could continue in this profession and continue to grow my skills, but it is an unpredictable job--income is unsteady, it requires countless hours of time working in front of a computer and the best hours for photography are often the times that I most want to be with my family (nights/weekends). I could write for a living. It would be interesting work--I would get to research a variety of topics and meet interesting people--but I would also have to basically "beg" for work each day (it's called "marketing" in the freelance world--lol!) and I'm not sure my fragile ego can handle the constant rejection that is part of daily life of a writer.

I'm not going to lie: I'm a job snob. I hate this about myself because I was always taught that no job should ever be beneath me. Not everyone is meant for white collar work; we should all just do whatever job we're given to the best of our abilities. But still...I find myself asking, "What would people think if I did this?" or "Is this a respectable profession?"

What do you think of when you hear the word, "librarian?" Chances are, you are remembering a librarian from your hometown or school. It's probably a woman, she's probably older, and she may or may not be a little grouchy, right? I think the one thing that was holding me back from looking into this (seriously) earlier was that negative perception. That's so childish, I know, especially since most librarians that I know these days don't fit that mold at all!

Honestly, librarian is a very good fit for me in many aspects. I'm actually excited about this new journey, even after surviving my first night of classes. I've got a giant list of young adult literature to read, and I can't wait!

A professor once told me something (twelve years ago) that I've never forgotten: "It's not what you know, it's knowing where to find the answer." I live by that statement. You don't have to be super-smart or remember everything that you've ever read, but if you have the tools to find the answers that you need, you will never lack for anything. Librarians give people the tools to find the answers that they need. This is why grad school--and becoming a librarian--is perfect for me.

P.S. Did I mention that librarian was listed as one of the top 30 best careers for 2009 by U.S. News and World Report?

And the Big News Is....

2009-01-12T13:01:00.001-08:00

(drumroll please)

I'm STILL a University Mama!

That's right, I've decided to enroll in grad school! It has all happend in a whirlwind, last-minute kind of way. It's a story that I'll have to share tomorrow because class starts this evening and I have to leave soon!

And you thought it was the end of this blog....

Surprising & Exciting News!

2009-01-09T13:05:00.001-08:00

My lips are sealed for now, but come back soon for the big reveal! Oh, the suspense!! :)

Question Suggestions

2009-01-03T15:25:00.000-08:00

Plenty of well-meaning folks who just want to congratulate me on my graduation and really don't know what else to say have been regurgitating the same blasted question: "What are you planning to do now?"

I don't know, already!!

First, I'm pretty agitated with myself that I don't know; I'm a "planner" and this is totally unlike me. Secondly, I'm actually in constant stress over this issue. Between racing thoughts and/or waves of sadness, I'm really struggling with big questions like, "What do I want to do?" and "Where do you see yourself in ten years?" or "What's most important in life."

So, yes--many thanks for all the well-wishers who are making me aware of my current state of limbo.

Maybe I should simply suggest a few new questions to ask me. How about:

1) Where did you get that lovely sweater? (What sweater?)
2) Are you enjoying this wonderful winter weather? (Absolutely not.)
3)Boxers or briefs? (Um...not sure how to answer that one...)
4) Do you prefer fried chicken or grilled chicken? (Fried, but we try to eat low carb meals.)
5) Are you excited that LOST will be back on January 21? (YES!!!!)
6) Why did the chicken cross the road? (To get to the other side. Really. True story.)
7) If a train leaves Point A traveling north at 45 mph into a 25 mph wind, how long will it take to reach Point B, 192 miles northeast of Point A? (I dunno...I haven't had a math class in ages and I wasn't any good back then, either!)
8) Are you going to enjoy not having to drive 120 miles to school each day? (Yes, very much. Thanks for asking.)
9) Would you like to use my vacation home in Hawaii for a couple of weeks, rent-free? (HECK YEAH!!! When can I leave?)
10) Junior Mints are quite refreshing, aren't they? (Yes, they really are.)

10...9...8...7...

2008-12-31T17:06:00.001-08:00

With the new year around the corner, people are busy posting flashbacks or countdowns. I decided to combine the two! Here's a look back at University Mama's

10
ten+ new friends made

9
nine dollars per week spent on caffeinated products

8
eight a.m. daily departure (thank heavens for no 8 a.m. classes!)

7
seven textbooks that I bought but probably could have lived without

6
six hours of commuting per week

5
five hours straight spent sitting in a desk at school, three times a week

4
four-point-oh G.P.A.

3
three back-to-back semesters

2
two large notebooks full of class notes
.
.
.
.
ONE DIPLOMA!!!

If you are contemplating become a non-traditional university student in 2009 but think that finishing a college degree would take f-o-r-e-v-e-r, don't sweat it. Everybody knows that time flies in the "real world," but once a year is divided into semesters, it really flies. I speak from experience. I once thought dedicating two years to finishing a degree was an absurd reality, but here I am, wondering where time went.

You CAN do it. Write down "finish my degree" as one of your new year's resolutions today, then start taking the steps toward making your dreams a reality tomorrow!

Finish Line

2008-12-17T11:10:00.001-08:00

I crossed the finish line today.

This morning I took my last final. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, I am finally an educated woman with a bachelor's degree in Communication Arts (Mass Communications).

I'm not going to lie: driving away from campus was pretty emotional for me. For the past year and a half, "college student" has been a large part of defining who I am. It also doesn't help that I'm a total "school nerd" (I love learning, homework, making the President's list--the whole bit). Of course, part of the emotion I felt was relief and accomplishment.

I'm still uncertain about the path that lies ahead, but I know that I am a better person for having run the race, especially since I've had my eyes on the prize for thirteen years!

The End Times

2008-12-14T20:02:00.001-08:00

Slowly, but surely, I'm coming to accept that the end of college life. People keep sharing their congratulations and well wishes with me (the winter graduate list was recently printed in the newspaper), my mom sent me a cute "Class of 2008" graduation ornament for my tree (thanks, mom!) and my sister dropped off a very generous graduation gift tonight (thanks, sis!).

The strangest thing for me to have right now is TIME. This afternoon, I napped just for the heck of it. I surfed the internet aimlessly. I ate too many chocolate chip cookies just because I had time. My Christmas shopping is complete, I have wrapped up all my photo sessions for the year and I'm starting to regain some kind of control over my household affairs. So, for the first time in a while, I have time to waste! Granted, some of my "free time" will be used for studying in the next couple of days, but it is a strange and somewhat terrifying/liberating feeling to have time on my hands.

The world is my oyster!

The Journey Back to Normalcy

2008-12-12T17:26:00.000-08:00

Today, I turned in the work for my guided study class and took two of my five finals. Afterwards, I joined my hubby (who graciously drove me to school, allowing me to get some last minute studying done) for lunch at a great Mexican restaurant followed by Christmas shopping. We were even able to get many of our Christmas gifts wrapped before we picked up the kids. This evening, the girls and I did a 15-minute cleaning marathon and managed to knock out the clutter and chaos that has been driving me insane in our living room and dining room (it's really amazing how much can be done in 15 minutes). My oldest daughter and I braved the cold for a while and tried to get a good photo of the moon which is looking especially mysterious tonight. Now, I'm in my pj's and getting ready to join my daughters for an encore presentation of Samantha--An American Girl Holiday movie.

I feel very accomplished today, not in the "hey, I'm somebody" way but in a "wow, I got a lot done" way. I'm starting to feel normal again, like I can actually handle the day-to-day things that I've neglected in favor of projects and study guides and late nights in front of the computer.

Honestly, I've kind of dreading the return to normalcy, but right now, it feels just right.

Finals Stress

2008-12-11T17:58:00.001-08:00

I got up early this morning with the intentions of devoting most of my day to studying for tomorrow's finals. It's now 8 p.m. and I still have not cracked a single study guide or book. Things like last-minute photo editing (things that had to be ordered today before the Christmas shipping cut-off), a daughter's orthodontic appointment and a quick trip to the dreaded department store ended up being the major time suckers. I just spent the past hour trying to wrap up the final chapter in my guided study class only to find that my software program is too updated for the book I'm using (which means I will have to spend some time in the lab tomorrow--ugh!). I'm trying not to stress out, but I do admit to feeling slightly panicky. Mostly, I'm just bummed that there is a lo-o-o-o-ng night ahead of me. Bummer.

Maybe a trip down memory lane will help. Remember this jewel of a poem: 'Twas the Night Before Finals?

'Twas the night before finals,
And all through the college,
The students were praying,
For last minute knowledge.

Most were quite sleepy,
But none touched their beds,
While visions of essays
Danced in their heads.

Out of the taverns
A few were still drinking,
And hoping that liquor
Would loosen their thinking.

In my apartment,
I had been pacing,
And dreading exams,
I soon would be facing.

My roommate was speechless
Her nose in the books
And my comments to her
Drew unfriendly looks.

I drained all the coffee
And brewed a new pot,
No longer caring
That my nerves were shot.

I started at my notes,
But my thoughts were muddy,
My eyes were ablur,
I just couldn't study.

"Some pizza might help,"
I said with a shiver.
But each place I called
Refused to deliver.

I'd nearly concluded
That life was too cruel,
With futures depending
On grades had in school.

When all of the sudden,
Our door opened wide,
And Patron Saint Put It Off Ambled inside.

His spirit was careless,
His manner was mellow,
A grin on his face as
He started to bellow:

"What kind of student
Would make such a fuss,
To toss back at teachers
What they tossed at us?"

"On Cliff Notes! On Crib Notes! On Last Year's Exams!
On Wingit and Slingit, And Last Minute Crams!"

His message delivered,
He vanished from sight,
But we heard him laughing
Outside in the night.

"Your teachers have pegged you,
So just do your best.
Happy Finals to all,
And to all, a good test."

To all a good test indeed.

What I Love About College (& Will Miss the Most)

2008-12-09T06:00:00.000-08:00

Lately, the classroom conversations have been about one thing: enrollment and the upcoming spring semester.

"Did you get into that class?"

"Do you like that professor? Is he hard?"

"Will this class meet the requirement for my major?"

etc...etc....

It's making me get all sentimental and emotional. Okay, maybe I haven't shed any tears, but it does feel odd not to be enrolling. It is weird to see all the requirements "zero-ed" out on my degree requirement checklist. It feels strange to know that all the students and professors that I have come to know and enjoy will no longer be a part of my life come mid-December.

If I were to pull a "David Letterman" and make a top ten list of things I will miss most about university life, it would probably be...

10. Discounts. I don't get to take advantage of them quite enough, but it's a great feeling to be able to get into a theatre production for free or save a buck at the movie theatre simply by whipping out a college I.D.

9. Ham & Cheese Sandwiches at the Market. I'm probably the only one on campus that likes these (I mean, it's only ham, cheese, and rye bread), but I do! Maybe it's not-so-much the food as the much needed break between class.

8. Wearing my "Good" Clothes. I've been a stay-at-home mom for ten years and my uniform of choice has often been "whatever's comfortable." Jeans and tees or hoodies are staples in my closet. Sure, I don these for campus life too, but I'm more motivated to put on my "cute clothes" when I'm hanging out with a bunch of 19 & 20-year-old girls for some reason. If I continue working from home, I may just continue the tradition of wearing my "good" clothes, just for kicks and self-esteem...maybe.

7. Listening to Morning Edition on NPR. I used to only relate NPR to those totally hilarious skits on Saturday Night Live, but now I am a total addict. It makes the drive to school so much shorter and allows me to get caught up on important news in what I feel is less biased and definitely less stressful than watching broadcast news. I mean, come on...how could you get upset about plummeting market conditions while Mozart is playing softly in the background? I totally accept my new found state of nerdness.

6. Interesting Conversation. Most people in my household aren't really interested in journalism or issues therein. So, if I want to have any interesting conversations or debates about the field, I must meet-up with like minded people. Granted, not all college students get on fire for stimulating conversation, but some do.

5. Grades. Yes, grades. Being the over-achiever that I am, I have taken great pride in the fact that I would have had a perfect 4.0 GPA since going back to school had it not been for one measly "B" (darn you, Biology!!!). Sure, I have some real issues with perfectionism that I need to tackle, but I ask you: what feels better than getting a good grade? It's like a subliminal pat on the back!

4. Red Bull Energy Drinks. Now that I'm not going to be trying to cram homework, motherhood, and a "real" job into 24 little hours, I should be able to refrain myself from indulging in so much Red Bull. At one point, I could have just hooked up an IV of the stuff for simplicity's sake.

3. Leaving my Home. I primarily work from home and it's likely that I will continue to do so after graduation. Sometimes, the walls feel as if they are caving in on me and the only thing that makes me feel better is getting out of the house...even if it's for a short walk to the mailbox. I really like how my school schedule mandates that I get out for some fresh air and actual human contact regularly.

2. The Commute. Actually, I look forward to skipping the 120 mile round-trip daily excursion, but I'm not being entirely contradictory. While I hate trying to stay awake for a long drive home after an exhausting day at school, I really enjoy taking in the scenery along the way. The mornings are an especially beautiful time when the sun is just peeking through and wildlife is wandering about. I'll miss watching the clouds and the multi-colored sky.

1. Students. I really love my classmates and have developed some friendships along the way. I mean, how could I not love them when they say things like, "you don't look 31" or "I thought you were like 24 and just had kids when you were really young," etc... They tell me their troubles & I sympathize remembering when I, too, had "been there, done that." We share stress and misery and occasionally food in an effort to rid ourselves of the former. We also have a lot of fun together, joking, sharing goofy YouTube videos, chit-chatting about our favorite television series, etc. It's safe to say, of all the things I will miss about college life, I will definitely miss the laughter I've shared with my classmates.

When the Best Laid Plans Go Astray

2008-12-06T07:42:00.000-08:00

The plan: spend all weekend in stretchy pants wearing no makeup and looking too scary to leave the house, thus propelling myself to sit in front of the computer for hours and complete the projects for my guided study which are due on Friday.

The reality: I brought my book home, but left my project CD (I'm creating projects from graphics & photos that are on the CD that came with my textbook) & my USB drive at school. School is 60 miles away. Professor is out of town, thus unable to unlock the computer lab where all my goodies are located.

The back-up plan: I don't have one! I'm really stressed out about all this. I spent over an hour working on one project yesterday; they are pretty time intensive. I have somewhere around 12 projects left...you do the math.

On one hand, I feel kind of liberated from the school shackles that I had planned to be wearing. Suddenly, I have a weekend of nothingness to look forward to. That mean I can tackle mountains of laundry or do some online Christmas shopping or work on editing a last batch of photos.

On the other hand, I'm restraining panic right now. I HAVE to complete this project or I won't graduate! If worse comes to worse, I will sacrifice my 4.0 GPA this semester on the alter of "getting it done" and just turn in enough to pass satisfactorily....but it won't make me a very happy girl.

Deep breaths...deep breaths....I think I can handle this.

Crunch Time

2008-12-03T21:20:00.000-08:00

I'm tired. I'm stressed. I'm anxious. I'm worried. I'm excited. I'm exhausted. I'm working like a madwoman. I'm sad. I'm drained....

...but I'm almost a college graduate.

Lessons from the Pilgrims

2008-11-26T12:00:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving is here. Yay! It's my favorite holiday.

Talk of Pilgrims always comes up in November at my house, especially if the kids have been studying them at school or want to read a selection from our holiday book collection. As I recounted the story of the Pilgrims in my head--the real story with its harsh realities, not the "happily ever after" condensed version often shared with kids--I saw many lessons that a nontraditional college student could take away from it.

One thing that I appreciate about the Pilgrims is that they accepted failure but didn't let it defeat them. Did you know that the Mayflower wasn't the Pilgrims' original boat? Actually, they had two boats: the Mayflower and the Speedwell. The Speedwell began taking on water shortly after departure and had to be sold. The Pilgrims didn't abandon their efforts; they just changed course. They combined passengers and moved on.

They managed to make it across the Atlantic, but it was winter by the time they arrived. They managed to build one common house. Nearly half of the Pilgrims died during the harsh New England winter. At one point, there may have been only six people well enough to help care for the sick. They stuck together and endured until the break of spring.

They didn't have homes or know how to farm the land, but they kept plodding on. Eventually, as everyone knows, they were successful in their efforts, mostly thanks to the native people who were willing to share their knowledge.

There it is...food for thought. I hope you will be enjoying some real food this weekend and counting your blessings. I have so much to be thankful for, but I will admit that one thing I am especially thankful for right now is Thanksgiving break!!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!

Guided Study Procrastination

2008-11-22T18:33:00.001-08:00

There's this really big part of me that is feeling kind of relieved these days. I have no more tests until finals, we are done with lectures in one of my classes, we are putting the finishing touches on a group project that I have no qualms about and there are no major assignments between now and the last six class days of the semester...but I think I've lulled myself into a false sense of security.

I've mentioned before that guided study or independent study classes have been a great addition to my traditional university classes and were actually part of the reason I am graduating in December rather than January. However, it is easy to put those classes on the back burner in favor of classes that seem more urgent. There are no timelines on my guided study coursework other than the fact that all lessons must be turned in by December 12th.

I've worked on the projects in bits and pieces, but I have yet to finish one complete section of the three classes I am working on.

I am confident that the work can and will be finished, but I have to constantly remind myself of it lest it get swept away to the farthest recesses of my backpack. My goal is to get it completed before finals. Lord knows I don't want to be studying for comprehensive tests AND trying to cram in Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator lessons!

Group Projects

2008-11-21T06:00:00.000-08:00

Group projects: you either love 'em or hate 'em.

If you love 'em it's because...you are a slacker hoping to get a good grade with minimal effort on your part by allowing your group mates to do all the work.

If you hate 'em it's because...you fear being "stuck" with a slacker and having to do all the work on your own lest it jeopardize your grade. You also probably hate the possibility of spending extra time outside of the classroom working on projects and/or the difficulties associated with trying to coordinate a bunch of incompatible schedules to do so.

I have always disliked group projects. Even when I was a "true freshman" I hated them. Back then, I was working crazy hours--sometimes up to forty hours a week. I barely had time for "regular" homework, much less anything extra time consuming. Plus, I felt out of place. All of my group mates didn't have jobs which meant that they had plenty of time on their hands to meet whenever they wanted; I was the only holdup. It was frustrating.

When I started back to school, I still disliked the thought of group projects mostly I because I worried about being paired with kids who could care less about school and don't mind sabotaging my GPA. (I'm clinching my jaws just thinking about it.) I also feared feeling out of place again, but in a different way. Nobody wants the "old folks" to be in their group, right?

I must admit, my back-t0-college experience has been the opposite of what I expected. The traditional-aged students have been welcoming if not downright befriending to me. In one class, my constant partner and I are "PB&J" because we work together so well and totally depend on one another. In another group project, I'm paired with three girls who are probably ten years my junior (I got a reality check when they all admitted to being too young to remember much of the Columbine shootings--I was pregnant with my first child when that happened!), but we have a great time studying together, encouraging one another and laughing...a lot. Plus, I know that I can count on these girls to do their part and they are as concerned about making a good grade as I am.

For me, group projects are no longer a thing to dread because I'm having so much fun doing them! Maybe the key is that my professors let us pick our own groups and that has allowed us to pair up complimentary personalities.

You Can't Have it All (Or Things That Have Suffered Since I Returned to College)

2008-11-18T06:00:00.000-08:00

Hate to break it to you people, but you can't have it all despite what they tell you. Sure, I have a family, a job and attend college full-time, but there are plenty of things that have suffered along the way.

Diet & Exercise

Throughout most of the year, I have done really well turning my eating and exercise habits around, but the past two months have really taken a toll on them. There never seems to be enough hours in a day, so exercise is the easiest thing to skip on my "to-do" list. Eating well has also gone on the backburner because it takes so long to plan ahead and prepare healthy, balanced meals (keeping fresh items in stock when you live in the country can be pretty challenging). Somehow, I've managed to maintain (even lose!) weight this semester, but I don't feel as healthy or strong. I have a feeling that I'm losing the muscle mass that I worked hard to build and my skin just doesn't look as healthy. I'm not eating well and I'm not drinking enough water. Since I'm in class through lunch, I usually have a fountain drink and a package of carbs or nuts on the way home as my pitiful meal replacement. I used to pack a sandwich lunch and apple, but I can't even manage to get that together each morning. I'm not eating a hearty breakfast anymore (though I never skip breakfast entirely) and my family's dinner is, more often than I'd like to admit, just thrown together at the last minute. I'm frustrated with myself and my inability to get out of bed at 6 a.m. to exercise, but late nights and long days have weakened my will power.

Laundry

The universal thorn in a woman's side: laundry. It seems like when I finally get to the bottom of my laundry pile, it only takes a day or two before it is out of control again. Why is that? It's so annoying! I've tried doing XX loads per day or doing a marathon laundry session, but inevitably, it gets the best of me. I have encouraged my husband to get a "spare" wife whose sole duty would be to tend to our laundry, but he doesn't seem too interested.

Parenting

I'm honest enough to admit it--my parenting skills have not been as stellar as I'd like them to be. I've denied my kids' requests to help with knitting projects or postponed storytelling time on occasion. They often get in bed later than I want (I'm talking 9:30 instead of 9, but still...). I can't seem to get them to the hairdresser often enough. I sometimes forget to check their homework folders until it is almost too late (because I use the time they spend outside playing with the neighbor kids to do homework). So, okay...I'm not a terrible parent or anything, but I am getting a little sloppier than I'd like on the Mama end.

Entertainment

I find that there is SO much going on in my life, it is hard to just "chill" because there is always something I could be doing. It's been a while since I've watched an entire movie or read a book (for recreation) because those things are pretty time-intensive. I do have one saving grace: the DVR. Husband and I usually record our favorite sitcoms and watch one or two before bedtime most evenings. Even when I could be working, I try to take a sitcom break with the husband because a little something is better than nothing.

Relationships
I used to be the kind of girl that remembered everyone's birthday, wrote letters to grandparents and shared photos of my kids with friends. These days, my family blog has been neglected for months in lieu of homework, I rarely remember a birthday (until its too late) and my grandparents get their updates on the family through the grapevine. I really hate these changes and I'm hoping that this too shall pass when I no longer have class projects or crazy commutes.

To give credit where credit is definitely due, my husband has been a real champ throughout this university journey. He has filled in the gaps during my inadequacies from laundry to housework to reading with the kids, and he even understands (and sometimes encourages) eating out when my plate is full. (No pun intended.)

If you are contemplating returning to school as a non-traditional college student, you should definitely consider who could be the "gap filler" in your life. You may have plenty of cheerleaders, but "gap fillers" are what you really need to be successful both in the classroom and in life.

The Value of University Education...from the Wiz

2008-11-16T12:57:00.000-08:00

This afternoon, as I was doing my homework while my daughter watched "The Wizard of Oz," I giggled when I overheard the scarecrow asking the Wizard for a brain. This is what he said:

"Why, anybody can have a brain. That's a very mediocre commodity. Every pusillanimous
creature that crawls on the Earth or slinks through slimy seas has a brain. Back where I
come from, we have universities, seats of great learning, where men go to become great
thinkers. And when they come out, they think deep thoughts and with no more brains than
you have! But they have one thing you haven't got - a diploma. Therefore, by virtue of the
authority vested in me by the Universitatus Committeatum E Pluribus Unum, I hereby
confer upon you the honorary degree of Th. D...that's Doctor of Thinkology." *

Good news for those who are worried that you don't have what it takes to get a college education: according to the Wiz, you don't have to be a brainiac....just learn how to think deep thoughts and you, too, can have a diploma!!

*Special thanks to www.filmsite.org for posting excerpts from the script...because, even though I'm getting a diploma soon, I had no idea how to spell "pusillanimous!"

The "F" Word

2008-11-14T14:22:00.001-08:00

The "f" word: my professor said it two classes today. It was like music to my ears.

That's right...she brought up finals. :)

Only Ten More School Days!

2008-11-12T06:05:00.000-08:00

I can hardly believe that I can count the number of class days left using only my hands! Whoo-hoo!

Want to take a quick trip down memory lane with me?

I remember my very first University Mama blog post like it was yesterday...it was the post where I how I ended up postponing my degree in the first place.

Over the past three four semesters I've discussed my insecurities about being "the old lady" in class, the differences in college life from "back then" to now, why I think it was a good idea to get my degree traditionally rather than online, even occasionally wondering out loud "why am I doing this?"

It's been a wild--and sometimes exhausting--ride as a thirty-something non-traditional student with a family to care for and a business to run, but I know that at the end of these last ten school days, I will FINALLY have the peace that comes from marking that enormous, ever-present "to-do" off of my bucket list.

Research Papers

2008-11-09T13:40:00.000-08:00

I love to write and I love to research, but I hate to write research papers. I'm not sure what my hang-up is with writing for academia. I guess it's that I feel like my creativity is squelched by end notes and abstracts. At any rate, research papers are an almost inescapable part of university life; here are a few resources that I have found helpful:

Easy Bib: Why am I always "a day late and a dollar short?" My pal introduced me to this site just as we were completing our papers. It's a free service that create your works cited page. You have to enter in all the vital information, of course (like titles, authors, dates, etc.), but Easy Bib automatically sets up your entry in the correct style and will alphabetize all your entries. Sweet!

Tips for APA format: Having only written in MLA style in the past, I had to do a little research about APA style. The OWL at Purdue website was the one place that I kept coming back to when I had questions, and it answered them all for me.

The Elements of Style is a must-have book for any writer. This book focuses on the fundamentals rather than forms of writing. Since there is more to a research paper than making sure you have your title page formatted correctly, Elements of Style is a great resource to help professionalize your writing.

MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, Sixth Edition
is another must-have book for every college student's bookshelf. If you're required to use APA format as I was, the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association would be a great resource to have as well.

From the Kids That Brought You President Obama...

2008-11-05T15:22:00.000-08:00

Okay, so that blog post title may not be entirely true, but according to some of the stats that are being reported, voter turnout for the 18-29 crowd really jumped this year. Considering that most young voters favored Obama two-to-one, there may be some semblance of truth in my blog post title after all!

I thought it would be interesting to play the "fly-on-the-wall" and do a lot of listening around the classroom yesterday as I expected a lot of post-election chatter. I will tell you that I live in a very red state and there were a great deal of students (more than I expected!) who were planning to vote for McCain. Here's what was going on in my classrooms today:

9 a.m.--Guy recounts his evening at his place of work (I assume a bar or restaurant), mentioning how one guy came in whooping and hollering after Obama's win. He mentioned how one girl that he worked with was getting aggravated--not because of the Obama celebration--but because the whooping-and-hollering guy wasn't an American citizen. He's African.

When discussing the electoral college, one girl says, "Why don't the McCain supporters move (spread out across the country) so they can get more electoral votes?" (She was joking, probably a little half-heartedly, though.)

10 a.m.--Classroom is strangely silent. It's usually a very chatty place.

11 a.m.--African student (mentioned above) shows up for class giddy & blasting an "Obama, Obama" song from his cell phone. He recounts his beer-filled evening: neighbors called the cops as he cheered in the front yard around 11 p.m. (he was alone) then he walked back into his apartment and blared the "Obama, Obama" song through his stereo speakers. He writes the total electoral vote on the board and "400 year of oppression are over." Other students giggle; they are used to his antics. They also sarcastically tease him about how they are so glad that prejudice has been completely wiped out of America in a single vote and how every American must have obviously been a bigot until this day. In true non-partisan form, we all join him at the computer to watch a YouTube video of the (fake) candidates having a dance-off (with a surprise guest appearance from Sarah Palin). At some point, someone mentions his non-citizenship status, but he says, "My wife and son are Americans, so that's enough for me." He even says, "I love America!" (though most days he spends classtime telling us what's wrong with the country compared to European nations).

From my guesstimation, most people in this class were McCain supporters. No one tries to start arguments or complain.

12 p.m. Other students talk about how they stayed up watching the election (and drinking, of course). One guy said "I just kept drinking because I'm a Democrat, but I voted for McCain because Obama scares me." He wasn't talking about the man Obama, but Obama political ideology.

Talk turns to media coverage (a likely topic in a journalism class). Things that were mentioned:

*calling states for a candidate when only two percent of the ballots have been returned
*how it was hard to choose between real coverage (CNN, Fox, ABC, etc) vs. fake coverage like Indecision 2008 (Comedy Central)
*breaking down every single exit poll by black vs. white voters (argument: no other ethnicities were mentioned and "I thought this election wasn't about race?")
*only cutting to the reactions of the African-American communities after the election was called (again, the argument that the media made the election about race)

Someone (of mixed ethnic heritage herself) asked how a person of mixed ethnicity goes about choosing "one side or the other" when determining race.

(I must mention, these kids weren't being racially biased. They really were frustrated with a society that says "don't see people in black or white" but then basically reports everything from a "black or white" perspective. This was particularly confusing to them as black and white Americans will soon be in the minority compared to the Hispanic population.)

1 p.m. Girl comes to class wearing her Obama shirt that she picked up in California. "Wasn't it great?" she asks with a smile. Another girl (a Caucasian, since we're breaking down by race again) mentions being angered by an African-American guy who didn't seem to care about the historical significance of the election,. She also mentions how she was almost brought to tears herself by images of Jesse Jackson crying at the Obama post-election rally (she didn't mention Jesse Jackson by name--I'm not sure she knows who he is--but this girl is not the emotional kind).

Looking back over the semester, McCain supporters were much more likely to discuss politics in class while Obama supporters were more visible, wearing Obama t-shirts and put "Vote for Obama" buttons on their Facebook pages, etc. I'll leave it to the political parties to determine all the psychology behind those behaviors.

For now...I'm just glad the election chaos is over because I have a lot of homework to do! :)

Life Lessons: The Classroom in Action

2008-11-04T06:11:00.000-08:00

Everyone in the United States and throughout much of the world knows that today is a special day: Election Day.

I can recall many of the lessons on Democracy that I had been taught as a child from the fabled tales of George Washington cutting down his father's cherry tree to the more serious matters of civic responsibility and service. I vividly remember my American Government professor (who slightly resembled a Viking in my mind) who with all the passion and gusto he could muster, plead with our 18-year-old college selves to get involved in the political process, even encouraging us to save our pennies and buy an expensive meal at a political fundraising gala so our voices could be heard. I remember how, during times of trouble (war, terrorism or natural devastation), Americans rallied together for the common good. All of these things factor into the importance I place on voting and being a part of the democratic political process.

Sometimes, as a parent, it's hard to remember how much influence you have on your child's life. I began to think about how much I had talked with my kids about political matters, and I was pretty surprised to realize how little we had discussed it.

I decided to change that.

A month or so ago, I decided that I was going to get up early on Election Day and take my kids to the polls with me. Since that time, we've discussed how often people get to vote, voting restrictions/age limits, why I will/won't vote for a certain candidate, the difference between state and national government, etc. None of these conversations were in depth, mind you; they were just kid-sized nuggets of information.

This morning, my kids got to see how voters check in, what a ballot looks like, how to fill out a ballot and how ballots are cast for a final vote. The only effort on my part: getting out the door a few minutes early and letting them watch over my shoulder. There's just some things that can't be taught in a classroom.

I feel like I have completed my civic duty for today, both as an American and as a parent.

Studying for the 21st Century

2008-11-04T04:49:00.000-08:00

I think anything that makes life easier or makes information more accessible/portable is cool. Sometimes I wish I lived in a metro area and had to take the train to get to work just so I could watch podcasts on the train; it just sounds hip!

As a commuter student, it can be difficult to manage the transfer of information from school to home and vice versa, especially when you are working on many different computers. It can also complicate studying on-the-go. You've heard about my love of old-fashioned index cards , but since I am also somewhat of a self-proclaimed technology geek, I have been looking at the many online study aids that are available to students.

SyncNotes seems to be one web application with promise. You can synchronize information between the web and all your many techno gadgetry (computers, cell phone, PDA) so you will always have access to the information you need no matter your location. You know what that means, right? No more excuses for not studying!

A Good End to a Bad Month

2008-11-02T14:58:00.000-08:00

October was a terrible month. It was a want-to-pull-my-hair-out-slightly-overwhelmed-and/or-exhausted kind of month. Translation: "I've never been so happy to see November!"

No matter how crappy the month may have been, I've got to admit that it ended--and November started--on a good note due to the following:

*Professor and I figured out an alternative route for the guided study classes that I am taking (the extremely time-consuming ones that I feared I would never complete).

*I came home to a SPOTLESS house that my husband had graciously cleaned on his day off. Walking into a clean home always melts the stress away. I was able to let go of all those nagging "undones" (well, all except the nagging laundry "undones").

*My sister came to visit.

*I enjoyed the yearly hayride/trick-or-treating with a trailer bed full of friends from our small town...and we were able to leave our coats and hot chocolate at home this year!

*My best friend and her son drove up from Texas like a stealth bomber and made a totally surprise visit (in coordination with my sis and hubby). It was like having a surprise birthday party except without the "growing older" part (yes, she even brought dessert!).

*Said friends and family members helped me eat all of the children's Halloween chocolate quickly so I wouldn't be tempted by it for a week. I know...it's a tough job but somebody's gotta do it! Don't worry--we left plenty of Starburst and Skittles for the kids; I'm not tempted by that at all. (lol!)

*I went to see High School Muscial 3 at the theatre with the kiddos. I'm not gonna lie: I'm a fan. It was cute.

*I went for a drive in the country and enjoyed the beautiful autumn leaves.

*I relaxed.

*I got an extra hour of sleep thanks to Daylight Saving Time.

Moral of the story: there's never anything so bad that a little time with friends, family or a pillow can't improve.

So, bring it on, November...I'm ready for you.

Mama Guilt

2008-10-31T07:55:00.000-07:00

Today is Halloween and I'm in class today. My youngest daughter wasn't very happy that I wouldn't be able to attend her party at school. We did have the conversation about how lucky we have been that I have been able to attend almost (if not all) of her school functions since there are many mommies who can't because of their work schedules. Still, she still whined, "Can Daddy come to my party?" Thankfully, Daddy is stepping up to the plate (as he always does) and making baby girl happy, but that leaves me here, dealing with mama guilt. I know my kids will have to deal with disappointment in life and I know that I can't be all things to all people all the time, but the realization of these facts does not lessen the feelings of guilt.

I seriously considered skipping class today. What is more important: reviewing notes on communication theory or being a part of an event that is the highlight of my kid's month? My professor won't give me a big smile and hug when I walk into her classroom, but I would get that in my daughter's kindergarten class.

In the end, responsibility brought me to campus (I had my broadcast team's video and they wouldn't be able to work without it), but the whole shenanigan reminded me that freelancing after graduation might be the right path after all.

You think COLLEGE is hard....

2008-10-29T13:02:00.000-07:00

This came from a e-mail that is frequently forwarded on the internet. I checked out it's authenticity and it is real. One of the educators from back-in-the-day that helped write this test mentioned his students' inability to pass the it. He described how many of them were blushing and had elementary-like answers for many of the questions. Make me feel better; we're just as "dumb" now as we were back then!

------

This is the eighth-grade final exam from 1895 in Salina, Kansas, USA . It was taken from the original document on file at the Smokey Valley Genealogical Society and Library in Salina, and reprinted by the Salina Journal.

8th Grade Final Exam: Salina, KS - 1895
Grammar (Time, one hour)
1. Give nine rules for the use of capital letters.
2. Name the parts of speech and define those that have no modifications.
3. Define verse, stanza and paragraph4. What are the principal parts of a verb? Give principal parts of "lie," "play," and "run."
5. Define case; illustrate each case.
6. What is punctuation? Give rules for principal marks of punctuation.
7 - 10. Write a composition of about 150 words and show therein that you understand the practical use of the rules of grammar.

Arithmetic (Time,1 hour 15 minutes)
1. Name and define the Fundamental Rules of Arithmetic.
2. A wagon box is 2 ft. deep, 10 feet long, and 3 ft. wide. How many bushels of wheat will it hold?3. If a load of wheat weighs 3,942 lbs., what is it worth at50 cts/bushel, deducting 1,050 lbs. for tare?
4. District No 33 has a valuation of $35,000. What is the necessary levy to carry on a school seven months at $50 per month, and have $104 for incidentals?
5. Find the cost of 6,720 lbs. coal at $6.00 per ton.
6. Find the interest of $512.60 for 8 months and 18 days at 7 percent.
7. What is the cost of 40 boards 12 inches wide and 16 ft. long at $20per metre?
8. Find bank discount on $300 for 90 days (no grace) at 10 percent.
9. What is the cost of a square farm at $15 per acre, the distance of which is 640 rods?10. Write a Bank Check, a Promissory Note, and a Receipt.

U.S. History (Time, 45 minutes)
1. Give the epochs into which U.S. History is divided
2. Give an account of the discovery of America by Columbus.
3. Relate the causes and results of the Revolutionary War.
4. Show the territorial growth of the United States.
5. Tell what you can of the history of Kansas.
6. Describe three of the most prominent battles of the Rebellion.
7. Who were the following: Morse, Whitney, Fulton, Bell, Lincoln, Penn,and Howe?
8. Name events connected with the following dates: 1607, 1620, 1800,1849, 1865.

Orthography (Time, one hour) [<>
1. What is meant by the following: alphabet, phonetic, orthography,etymology, syllabication
2. What are elementary sounds? How classified?
3. What are the following, and give examples of each: trigraph, subvocals, diphthong, cognate letters, linguals
4. Give four substitutes for caret 'u.
5. Give two rules for spelling words with final 'e.' Name two exceptions under each rule.
6. Give two uses of silent letters in spelling. Illustrate each.
7. Define the following prefixes and use in connection with a word: bi,dis, mis, pre, semi, post, non, inter, mono, sup.
8. Mark diacritically and divide into syllables the following, and name the sign that indicates the sound: card, ball, mercy, sir, odd, cell,rise, blood, fare, last.
9. Use the following correctly in sentences: cite, site, sight, fane, fain, feign, vane , vain, vein, raze, raise, rays.
10. Write 10 words frequently mispronounced and indicate pronunciation by use of diacritical marks and by syllabication.

Geography (Time, one hour)
1. What is climate? Upon what does climate depend?
2. How do you account for the extremes of climate in Kansas ?
3. Of what use are rivers? Of what use is the ocean?
4. Describe the mountains of North America.
5. Name and describe the following: Monrovia, Odessa, Denver, Manitoba, Hecla, Yukon, St. Helena, Juan Fernandez, Aspinwall and Orinoco.
6. Name and locate the principal trade centers of the U.S.
7. Name all the republics of Europe and give the capital of each.
8. Why is the Atlantic Coast colder than the Pacific in the same latitude?
9. Describe the process by which the water of the ocean returns to the sources of rivers.
10. Describe the movements of the earth. Give the inclination of the earth.

----

Man, this makes me feel much better about those comprehensive finals that I have coming up!!!

I Wish I Was a Coffee Drinker

2008-10-29T09:00:00.000-07:00

I'm. So. Tired. So very tired. I've pretty much been sleepwalking since the beginning of October. Plus, my tiredness had given birth to a Red Bull addiction. I wish I could stand the taste of coffee; it would be a much cheaper addiction to maintain.

Last night, it dawned on me that I only have like a month and a half of school left. If I can hang on for 49 DAYS, I'll be okay!!

Hanging On

2008-10-27T21:43:00.001-07:00

If...I....can....just...make...it....through....October....I think I might be able to survive....

Advisement

2008-10-24T20:37:00.000-07:00

I get by with a little help from my friends....and my advisor.

Today, after getting out of class early, a classmate and I were discussing an upcoming career fair with my advisor. One conversation lead to another and soon he and I were talking about freelance writing. Long before I went back to school, I had been doing a bit a freelancing here and there. I have read several books about the subject and I still follow blogs on freelancing regularly. Still, I have a multitude of questions that nag me and he was kind enough to let me vocally weigh the pros and cons with him. We also discussed other career options given my circumstances. I appreciated his honesty and practicality. He didn't try to sell me the overused American favorite of, "You can do anything that you want to do!" or, "You can be anything you want to be!" But he did say one thing that stuck with me: "(Freelancing) is what I envisioned for you."

My husband has encouraged my writing over the years and friends or family members have often sent kudos my way. Yet, it is easy to shrug off their compliments. It's hard to trust the words of loved ones. They might be a little biased, after all.

So, to hear that my professor--a person who knows my writing style well and who knows the writing world well--"envisions" a future for me in freelancing....well, that makes all the difference. When we were discussing the nagging questions about the field, I mentioned to him that I wasn't sure that "my fragile ego could handle all the rejections." He laughed and agreed that rejections are a big part of the experience. But, somehow knowing that he understands what the job takes and believes that I am up for the task makes me more willing to open up to the possibility of rejection in the first place.

Today, I left with a peaceful feeling; a feeling that I'm finally headed in the right direction. The past year has been a difficult refinement of myself, and I almost feel as if I am coming back full circle. I've explored a variety of career options, learned new skills and learned a whole lot more about myself in the process. But I've got to give credit where credit is due: my advisor has been an invaluable resource throughout this experience and I'm grateful for his help.

There's No Such Thing As Perfect

2008-10-22T15:15:00.000-07:00

Ever had a professor who doesn't seem to believe in perfect? I think I have one. Whenever I make an 'A' on a paper, it inevitably comes back as a 98 or 96 or something 90-ish but there are never any markings on the paper indicating the reason behind the grade.

It's quite confusing--if there are no mistakes, shouldn't I get 100%? If there are mistakes, shouldn't the red ink pen politely point them out so that I can learn and grow? Maybe it comes down to the simple fact that my professor believes that no one is capable of perfection...and I guess I would have to agree with her.

(But I'd still take a 100.)

To Facebook or Not to Facebook?

2008-10-21T12:25:00.000-07:00

That's the question...anyone have the answer?

The dilemma: how to keep up with fellow students after college.

Anyone in the working world knows that networking is very important. What if the guy that sits next to you in Biology finds a cure for cancer? What if a girl from your group project someday owns her own company...that you want to work for? How do you stay in touch with these people who are chock full of potential? On top of that, it might be nice just to stay in touch with people that have become your friends, right?

Facebook is the obvious answer. Every single college student in my class has a Facebook page. Everyone. I know MySpace is popular in other areas, but in my neck of the woods, Facebook reigns supreme.

The simple answer would seem to be: get a Facebook account. Actually, I have one, but have never set up a page (I did it once just to see what "Facebook" actually was). But, it's not so simple after all.

One, I don't know how I feel about 30-somethings and older being on social networking sites. I know...that sounds biased, but it all started when I overheard a 45-year-old mom of a teenager telling a friend that she was going to post some pictures of an event on her MySpace page. It just sounded...weird. Really? You have a MySpace page??

Two, do I really need another giant time waster? Blogs and email and texting and forums...these things eat my time already.

The only thing I can figure out is to ask for e-mail addresses the old fashioned way (nevermind that the "old fashioned way" when I was in school was to get someone's permanent address). But, e-mails often changed or don't get checked (especially if you're busy on Facebook--lol!).

I don't know....what's your plan to stay in touch? Or do you even plan to stay in touch with your classmates?

Video On Demand Rocks

2008-10-19T14:35:00.000-07:00

Homework. Oh yeah...that little thing.

Somehow, when I decided to extend my fall break for a week instead of two days, I managed to forget about a little thing called homework. This morning at 9 a.m. when I was blow-drying my hair when it dawned on me: I have about three projects to finish!

So here I am, blogging on my workstation while watching All the President's Men on my laptop for my Media Ethics class. (I know...it's a hard job watching a young Robert Redford in action, but somebody's got to do it.)

Amazon's Video On Demand service. Can I say, I love this video on demand stuff? First off, finding a movie from the 70s in my part of the world: not an easy task. There are no big chains like Blockbuster out here in "the boondocks" and my local video store has maybe forty new releases (a.k.a "nothing from the seventies"). I'm not a Netflix customer (yet) because I have a hard enough time keeping up with my favorite TV shows that I have recorded on my DVR. Maybe frequent movie nights will become a habit after graduation.

Needless to say, Video On Demand was a lifesaver (or, at least, a homework saver) for me.

You know what this means? I'll probably become an addict. Yep, I'll probably start searching the Video On Demand listings constantly, downloading and saving movies to watch on roadtrips or anywhere I'm likely to be stuck without television or internet (because you can download the movies and store them for up to 30 days before watching...and you don't have to be connected to the internet if you download free Amazon's Unbox software). But if nothing else, it will be great for "research" purposes (insert me flexing quotey fingers and a little "wink wink" on the side). :)

Extending Fall Break

2008-10-15T06:27:00.000-07:00

Somehow, my two day fall break has turned into an entire week off. It all started when one of my two professors told us that he wouldn't be here this week. I hated the idea of driving to class for half of my classes, but I didn't think I had any other options. After the weekend passed, I had so many things to do/people to see that I decided to take Monday off. My initial plan was to be in class on Wednesday and possibly even drive up on Tuesday to get some things done. Then I discovered that my kids were out of school on Wednesday for their fall break and their Daddy was busy at work, so I had to stay home with them. And I didn't bother to go to school on Tuesday, either. So, in the end, I will have had a week off from school.

I gotta say, it's been really nice. I'm getting caught up at work, I didn't even bother turning on my alarm clock this morning since the kids didn't have to get up for school and I've had time to go on extended lunches with old friends. When I was in the working world, I used to call time off like this "mental health days"--you know, calling in sick when you don't really have a physical illness per se, but just need some time to recoup and rest. They worked then and they are working now!

Commuters...Rejoice!

2008-10-13T02:30:00.000-07:00

Gas has now dropped under $3/gallon (at least in my part of the world). I'm so happy I could hug my Honda!

Index Card Update

2008-10-11T15:29:00.000-07:00

I had another test this week so I turned to old reliable--my trusty index cards--for studying once again. My young friend promptly made fun of me when she came to class...and then she asked to borrow a few.

Go figure. :)

TGIF

2008-10-10T15:34:00.001-07:00

I'm truly thankful that it's Friday and even more thankful that next week is Fall Break! It was especially hard to drag myself out of bed this morning. Yesterday, my family drove to our state's largest metro area (okay, so there are only two really official "metros" in our state...). We were attending the state fastpitch softball tournament that our school was a part of, and we went a little early to get some much needed fall shopping out of the way. It was a productive and fun trip, but it couldn't have come at a more difficult time for me. I loaded my laptop (TGFL--thank goodness for laptops!), my index cards, a pile of research I had printed off and a textbook into our already full SUV. On the drive up, I studied for a test. It was a very technical-oriented test, so it was difficult to focus between the blare of sports-talk radio, the whining from the backseat ("Are we there yet?") and the motion sickness (not to mention that I have almost zero interest in this particular subject). Luckily--or not so luckily, I'm not sure which--the ballgames were actually running almost two hours behind. While my family was sitting in bleachers with the rest of our small community, I was crammed into the passenger's seat of our vehicle with a laptop and papers scattered throughout finishing a rough draft of my research paper which was also due this morning.

We ended up getting home and in bed somewhere around 1 a.m. I reluctantly set my alarm knowing that I would have to get up early enough to get two children bathed and make sure the oldest finished her homework (she claimed motion sickness prevented her from travel study, too). I was also stressed about the amount of housework that I needed to complete especially considering that I have family visiting this weekend and visitors throughout the next week (immediately followed by out-of-state travel during fall break). Plus, it is busy season for me at work and I have lots of catching up to do.

I seriously contemplated skipping my first class (Fridays are slim class days anyway), but I didn't think I could really get much marked off of my to-do list in an hour and I really needed to be in my other classes. I did, however, arrive late only to find out later that the professor didn't even take roll (I could have missed class!!!).

Ugh--frustration and regret.

On the upside, I managed to make it through the day without falling asleep in class or at the wheel (I credit some of that to my friend, Red Bull energy drink), and now I'm off to finish my housework. And cook supper. And get started on my photography backlog.

Book Tag

2008-10-06T18:12:00.000-07:00

Just when you think they've run out of blog tags....they come up with a new one!

My pal, Bethany, has challenged me to the following:

*Grab the nearest book.Open the book to page 56.
*Find the fifth sentence.
*Post the text of the next two to five sentences in your blog along with these instructions.
*Don’t dig for your favorite book, the cool book, or the intellectual one: pick the CLOSEST.
*Tag five other people to do the same.

This will be oh-so-exciting because my book is a textbook: Adobe Illustrator CS3 Revealed! Here's the quote from page 56:

"Using the Character panel, click the up and down arrows in the Kerning text box to experiment with higher and lower kerning values, then change the kerning value to -40."

Gripping, edge-of-your-seat reading material, eh? Just think: you, too, could be reading such interesting stuff every day like me!

(Oh--I'm going to break the rules and not tag anyone else on the grounds that I have already tagged too many people this year and I don't want to annoy any of my cyber pals).

Bailouts & Breastmilk & Squirrels...Oh My!

2008-10-03T18:56:00.000-07:00

I mentioned earlier that in my Media Writing class, our latest project was to write scripts for a television broadcast. Our professor is pretty laid back, so she welcomed pretty much any kind of script including purely fake news which my group tackled. So, in light of the fact that it's Friday and this University Mama could use a laugh and a break from reality, here were the topics of our broadcast:

Lead Story: The presidential candidates and their VPs were killed in a tragic motorscooter accident. They were filming an ad dressed as clowns and riding a motorscooter together as a symbol of bipartisan cooperation. Biden--who was driving the scooter--swerved to avoid hitting a squirrel, causing the team to fall off the side of a cliff and crash to the earth below (no word on why they were filming on the edge of a cliff). The accident brought up serious issues about clown impersonation, even prompting professional clowns to release an ad saying, "Clowns are professionals, not a bunch of bozos wearing fake noses and big shoes." People are stunned about the tragedy and wondering where the country is headed only weeks until election day. Hillary Clinton, who was on-location for the filming with her pet squirrel, said that the accident "saddens her."

Other News: Today, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke announced a newly revised federal bail-out plan to help stimulate the fragile U.S. economy. The plan has been changed to include relief for any Americans who currently owe more than they make, which is almost 90 percent of the country. This is good news for homeowners who borrowed beyond their means and for the banks who loaned to them in the first place. People who suffer from chronic shopping disorder are ecstatic about the decision that will nullify their outstanding credit card debt, according to the N.A.S.S.—the national association of super shoppers. The revised bail-out plan is estimated to cost over 500 trillion dollars and will lead to the ultimate demise of the United States Treasury. However, recent polling shows that 85% of Americans believe the plan is a good solution for the current economic crisis.

The PETA organization recently requested that Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream stop using cow's milk for their product and start using human breastmilk instead. They claimed that milking cows is cruel and that milk supplies can often be hazardous. PETA suggested establishing human dairies which would provide plenty of breast milk for ice cream and provide employment for crack addicts, apparently solving the issues of mistreatment of animals and securing a safe milk supply.

Seperation Anxiety (From My Index Cards)

2008-10-02T09:01:00.000-07:00

I had an index card emergency the other day. Yes, you heard right: an index card emergency.

I was preparing to study for a test and realized that I was completely out of index cards. This posed a huge problem for me. How would I study?? I always use index cards to study. I can't just read notes. I can't write out questions and answers on a piece of paper. Know why? I'm weak. I would cheat! I would look at the answer while trying to answer...to myself. Pathetic. The only way I can curtail my wandering eyes is to put the answer on the back of an index card.

So, I begin my search. I started with the husband's office. No luck. He suggested the lumber yard, the grocery store or the drug store....as if there were many more businesses to choose from in our tiny town (Have I mentioned that our town is only 12 blocks wide? That should give you some perspective...). The lumber yard was already closed and I had luck at the grocery the last time I was in dire need of index cards. Unfortunately, I think I bought the last pack of cards there six months ago and they hadn't been replaced (guess they aren't a high-demand item around here). I make my final stop at the drug store hoping that in our local pharmacist can save the day for me because the other alternatives are: a) drive 34 miles to get a 70 cent package of cut card stock b) do without.

I nervously approach the counter: "Do you happen to have any index cards?" I ask. The pharmacist calls from behind, "Do you want five by seven, three and a half by two, hinged...." He makes his way over to the eye drop and nasal spray section and retrieves a handful of various index cards. Why didn't I think to look there instead of the school supply section? Silly me.

I was able to continue my test preparation in peace, thank goodness. Thanks to those little index cards, I think I did pretty fair in the end, but who knows how this saga would have ended without them?

(And how in the world do people study without index cards anyway??)

The Roller Coaster of Emotions

2008-09-30T07:03:00.001-07:00

Yes, I am a girl therefore I can be moody, but yesterday, I noticed my emotions were on a crazy roller coaster ride. It went something like this:

ANXIETY: We were discussing our upcoming test and even though I have always tested well, I was fretful because numerous students have told me that this particular professor's tests can be difficult.

ANGER/RESENTMENT: We played "Jeopardy" in class to review our test material (kudos to the professor for creativity). My partners and I soon found competitiveness taking over and rearing its ugly head. We were angry that our buzzer wasn't working, felt cheated on a few answers, resented the one girl in class who seemed to know every single question..... I'm thinking "Jeopardy" might not be a great idea after all if it is going to cause such high blood pressure.

EXCITEMENT: In my Public Relations class, we had a guest speaker. Right now, I'd really like to pursue a PR job, so I was naturally excited to have someone who could share his first-hand experience with the field.

REGRET: Said PR guy began to spout off his many internships held while in college. I have had one and hoped to have another this semester, but there was no time left to give at the end of the day. In short, my family obligations outweighed the need for another internship. Nevertheless, I still felt regret for all the potential networking and experience I lost out on. And, once again, it felt as if there was no hope for a "country girl" to land a PR position when the majority of PR jobs are in the big city.

HAPPINESS: I didn't have to listen to a lecture. That always makes my ADD-hard-to-pay-attention-for-an-hour self happy. Plus, we were recording our fake news segment and I laughed...a lot.

MORE HAPPINESS: Back-to-back joy as I learned that we are going to be watching a movie in Media Law this week. Awesome!! (To clarify: movie was for educational purposes and, sadly, no popcorn was involved.)

SATISFACTION: Our entire broadcast crew has figured out the rhythm and flow to producing segments. We are actually ahead of the entire class even though we have the fewest number of team members in our crew.

FRUSTRATION: Returning my glasses which actually make my vision worse. Frustrated that I paid almost $200 for plain ol' reading glasses (which you can pick up at any drug store in America) when, from what I can tell, I might not need any in the first place. Hoping I can get my money back in the end or frustration may turn to anger.

EXHAUSTION: I'm not sure why school is so draining, but by the time I get home, I'm pooped!

FEAR/UNCERTAINTY/WORRY/ETC: My consent companions who show up when I'm driving or going for a walk or whatever, usually related to "what will I do after graduation" or "what do you really want to do with your life?" I ask them to leave, but I'm certain they will try to show up again tomorrow.

See what I mean? It's a crazy roller coaster ride of emotions. Don't worry--I medicated with a package of peanut M&M's and felt better. :)

Don't Forget to Blink

2008-09-25T07:29:00.001-07:00

I've been having a bit of trouble focusing. Not focusing as in "I can't concentrate on one thing" (although one could argue...), but focusing with my eyes. I wore glasses my entire life until about four years ago when a optometrist told me that he could write me a slight perscription but I didn't have to have it. At that point, I ditched glasses for good.

Since that time, I took on a job that involved countless hours of computer time and then I decided to go back to college where I would be reading endless chapters from my textbooks, reading projected slides on the walls of my classroom and significantly adding to the hours I spend glaring into a computer screen. Things have started to get noticably fuzzy for me again, not to mention that I've been coming home with frequent headaches. So, off to the optometrist I went.

Turns out, my vision is actually pretty good, but I am getting a pair of reading glasses for reading & computer work. My eyes have gotten so used to having to constantly focus on something that they kind of get "stuck" in that position, so glasses should help my eyes not to work so hard.

One interesting tid-bit that I walked away with was that I'm probably not blinking enough. The doc said that a person normally blinks 16 times per minute, but when you are concentrating on a computer screen, it slows down to one or two times per minute! Yikes! Not only does that lead to eye strain and headaches, but it also creates dry eyes.

His solution: stick a note on my computer screen that says, "Blink." Simple enough.

So, the tip of the day: Don't forget to blink!

Out of My Element (Or In It?)

2008-09-23T12:49:00.001-07:00

Today I was a substitute teacher at our local school. I was actually kind of looking forward to the experience because I did a quick count and calculated that I had not subbed in close to 13 years. Yikes! It really only seems like yesterday!! I was interested in being in the school as a non-parent to see what things were like (perception is often different than reality). Also, I was considering part of a "trial run" on my part. I am so conflicted right now about whether to get my teacher certification after I graduate or actually work in the field of my degree.

Guess what? I left today feeling no more decisive.

I really like the community atmosphere of the school, but I also know that no school is without controversy at times and there's always difficult parents or students to throw into the mix.

I really like the feeling of helping a kid understand a concept. I had to help explain pronouns and antecedents to 7th graders today (despite the fact that I totally couldn't remember what an antecedent was and had to look it up!). I really liked how it felt when I could break it down so the kid could "get it."

However, I didn't like dealing with the kids who were constantly distracting others and not getting work done. I know part of this has to do with the fact that I am not really the authority as a sub, but it is frustrating nonetheless. I'm sure that there have to be some helpful classroom management skills out there that I could learn if I did decide to teach.

I really, really liked how quickly the day passed. There aren't too many jobs that are considered 8-3 (of course, few teachers actually leave at 3 and many end up working evenings and weekends), but no one would argue that it isn't a great job (time-wise) for a mom.

There are so many conflicting factors that both draw me to teaching and at the same time, make me want to run in the opposite direction. Plus, I've got to remember that I can't base the teaching profession on our small school--most schools aren't like ours.

I'm even more confused than ever before. Maybe I should move to a communist country where they can just assign me a job so I can get on with my life.

{just kiddin'}