I am currently taking 17 credits. I have Intermediate Algebra, English 101, Music Appreciation, Health and Wellness, and Fundamentals of Education and the Field Study class that goes with it. They are all online classes except the Field Study class (it's one hour on Monday and several hours a week in a classroom) so I'm still home with my kids but instead of blogging all day, I'm studying. I haven't worked my brain this hard in years and it's just the first week.
I'm not sure why I thought I could do this. I've only broken out in tears twice (each day) so far. It's just all so foreign to me. They didn't even have the internet when I was last in school. We had to go to class and stare at the white pull-down canvas at the front of the room that was covered in BoxElder bugs (I went to Utah State). The lecture was done on an overhead projector. I remember when Ken came home from school and talked about this new thing called email and the World Wide Web. It all blew my mind. I couldn't even get my mind around what he was talking about. Then we moved to BYU and bought a real computer, got hooked up to the Ethernet, and I watched over his shoulder as he did research online and made class presentations using Power Point.
Ken gave his yearly back-to-school father's blessings to the kids on Sunday. I told him I was starting school on Monday also. He just laughed at me. I'm not sure that he realized how serious I really was. I'm scared to death! I'm just asking my teachers lots and lots of questions and making lots and lots of mistakes. (I hope they are patient!) I had to turn in an English paper to confirm correct placement. I submitted it in the wrong format. I've never even heard of MLA but now I know all about it and I'll turn the next one in correctly. Ken, who is an English graduate, started to read my paper and after completely tearing apart my first two sentences, I left the room in tears and he kindly closed the paper and didn't finish reading it. (I haven't heard back yet if she thinks I'm in the right class yet so I'm still crossing my fingers.) I just keep telling myself that "I'm learning!" and it's good to "DO HARD THINGS!" I'll figure it out. I'm determined! Next week will be a better week.
For now, tomorrow is Friday and it's our county fair this weekend so I'm going to go to the rodeo, ride the carnival rides, eat lots of greasy fair food, look at all the craft entry's (my favorite), enter all the free give aways and fill my lungs with the sweet, clean air of animals, dirt, and this great community of Twin Falls, ID that I call home!
19 comments:
Girl, I love ya, but are you CRAZY? 17 credits!? Are you trying to die?
I am now even more in awe of you. Someday, I too, shall go back to school! (and isn't the option of the internet amazing?)
Laurie,
I love that you are going back to school! I am so proud of you! I wish that I was your math teacher. It would be so much fun! If you ever need help email me. Also my University offers a FREE online math tutoring lab. The address is:
http://www.uvsc.edu/mathlab/MathLab_Online/index.html
You can read about the services they offer. Then you can scroll down and the lower right hand side it will tell you how to log on as a guest. They help people from all over and they don't care if you don't go to UVU.
I know that you can do this! It isn't always the smartest people who graduate from college, it is those people who are the most determined! You will be glad that you did this. It will be hard but I know that no matter what happens you will be successful!
Good Luck!
Let me know if I can help you with anything!
Love, Aprel :)
Wow, wow, WOW!!!! Best of luck--what an awesome, but definitely challenging, thing you're doing! Good luck, and just keep asking the teachers all of those questions you have. That's what they're there for, and that's one of the best ways you'll get the info you need. And remember to keep being patient with and kind to yourself--17 credits is a big load--so you're gonna move mountains, kid!
That is so awesome...I am so proud of you!!! Hang in there, you are awesome!!! Love ya
I am so proud of you for going back to school. I promise that it will get easier and Heavenly Father will bless you and your family for your decision. It isn't easy but what a good example you are for your children to see how important education is to their mother!
Congratulations! You know I've been there too--I cried lots in the beginning, middle, and end! (I spent the last 7 YEARS getting my bachelors and masters degrees) It is a huge help to make friends with your classmates so that you can help each other get through those tough classes--or at least just be able to vent! I think I actually enjoyed the face to face classes better because of the other students.
I had a very cool professor who gave me some great advice--How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. So as you go through this semester, don't look at all the work you have to do and stress about it. Look at what you have to do for the week only and fit it into your schedule. There were times when I would look at all I had to do for the semester and I would seriously start to hyperventilate! Don't do that! And remember to take breaks and enjoy your family!
Mark is an expert on MLA and Turabian papers and I am an expert on APA papers, so call and ask for help anytime!
Good Luck!--You can do this!
Laurie! I am glad you found my blog. I tried to go back to school 2 times now and I have not had luck. I think I just jumped the gun too soon. I tried it when I had 8 kids, not including my three at the time, in my daycare. It was way too much for me. I am planning to go back in 2 years. Good for you that you are doing it. Do you know what you are going into? I tell my kids that I still don't know what I want to be when I grow up, because I am already doing the thing I have always wanted and that is just being a mom. Thanks for inviting me to your blog. It is great!!! Your kids are all soooo cute. I am excited to see your sisters as well. Heidi
That is so awesome!! I am so proud of you! I would love to go back to school- well, I would love to take a bunch of classes. I dont think I could handle the stress of turning in papers! :-) Good Luck! Enjoy the fair! You deserve it!
I'm sorry you've had a rough start. I'm looking forward to going back to school someday as well but I know it's going to be tough.
What a woman! You're awesome! 17 credits is a lot. You'll ease back into it, no worries. Ken is in charge of helping the kids with homework, right? : )
I think it is really awesome that you are doing this. 17 credits is a lot, you are going to be super busy. You can do it, you are goin to feel great in December when you see all you can accomplish!
Good for you for going back to school, but 17 credits? You are a brave woman! You can do this. You will figure it out and by the end of this first semester, you'll be comfortable with it all again.
I am soooo impressed!!! Beyond impressed, what a load of credits! I know you can do it!
If anyone can do it-- you can. Wow!!
WooHoo! You go girl! Good luck with your classes.
I'm sorry to repeat what others have said, but I am soooo happy/excited for you! Congrats!
WOW Lauri--YOU ROCK!!! I am wowed!!! gOOD FOR YOU! If you need any help with your kids, let me know! You seriously rock!
I am so impressed and so proud of you! Way to GO!!!
PS I hope you got a blessing too!
I am so proud of you, and I admire you, but your school STINKS because it is making me miss your blogging!!!! :( (Yes, I am that selfish)
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