Archive for December, 2008
Posted by Sharon Cece on December 3rd, 2008
For many years I had toyed with the idea of returning to school, so most of my friends and family were not surprised to learn that I had finally put my goals into gear and in fact were very excited for me. My husband and children, on the other hand, had a mixed reaction. Naturally, they were very proud that I was finally going back to school to finish my degree. Their initial excitement wore off, however, as soon as it was made clear that everyone would have to “pitch in” with housework and family matters now that Mom/Wife would be spending more time studying and testing. To say this statement brought cheers of delight would be stretching it a bit, yet when push came to shove the family did adapt well to dividing up a portion of the household duties that were displaced by my studies.
One reaction that I did not anticipate came from my kids. They LOVED that mom was now a student, with all of the concerns, moans, groans and cramming that come with student life. They thrilled over my new position as “one of them”, with my nose in a book, brows furrowed over a problem I had trouble solving. One night they helped quiz me for a very tough test–this particular course was like studying a second language (and in fact, we were studying music in other languages!). I was experiencing quite a bit of testing anxiety, and the kids immediately flew into action as taskmasters, right down to imitating my mantra to them, “Now, keep studying and you’ll get it eventually, and no dessert until you finish”! I made it a point to watch what I said to them regarding their own schoolwork from then on, knowing most likely it would be used on me.
Looking back, there was not one person in my life who wasn’t excited and proud that I had made the decision to return to school. I think most of my friends and family expected it to happen, but when it finally became a reality there was a sense of “wow, good for you!” from all.
My family of four loves computers and the online environment. My husband likes to play online games, and my son also plays games and constantly downloads files. When and if my son decides to do his homework, the computer is a necessity. My daughter craves music and burns CD’s with mixes of her favorites.
Then I come along with online classes. Needless to say, the classes suddenly created fierce competition to use the family computer. My household didn’t realize the added time I would need on the computer.
Let negotiations for computer time begin! My high school-aged son volunteered to use the computer late at night. Nope. That meant I would have to drag him out of bed the next day and throw him on the bus for school. We already broke his habit of staying up too late by installing a toggle switch on the phone line dedicated to the computer.
I outsmarted my young electronics wiz by putting the switch under the bathroom sink, behind the tampons, a place where he’d never look. He would go downstairs and try to trace the path of the phone lines from where the line entered the house. He would leaves the lines dangling…leaving evidence of his search.
Later at night wasn’t an option for me either. I was usually tired by 8:00 p.m. If I sat down to watch a little TV waiting to use the computer I would fall asleep before the end of the first half hour sitcom. This is how my son’s late night habit started in the first place; he knew I was sleeping and was generally oblivious to what he was doing.
Going with the rhythm of my body, I started setting the alarm for 5:00 a.m. With a Diet Pepsi to help wake me, I could get in two hours of work on my online classes. And, it was blissfully quiet at that hour
Deep down, I’m sure my family enjoyed it when I left the house to take classes; one less computer hog!
Posted by Nicole Acosta on December 1st, 2008
I decided to return to college this last august. Upon my decision I spoke to several friends/family who would know about what I was doing. One in particular friend decided to take a shot at going back to college as well when she had heard I was taking courses online rather then in class. She has a wonderful job she has been employed there for several years and a great career. The reasoning for her to go was to have a goal, compelete it and have an accomplishment she would be proud of, a degree.
Recently several things have begun to surface in her life that has cause her much grief and frustration. She has always been a strong individual in my eyes, but seeing her this way has made it difficult for me to understand how a person can let so many things destroy her as a independent person. She’s tried to stay caught up with her online courses, which has actually kept her life pretty simple. Communication between her and her professors is constant. She’s able to deal with her difficulties and continue on with class, because she’s not having to travel anywhere for them. I can relate to her as well as others who have struggles in life which doesn’t allow us to enter a classroom to learn.
She was so close in giving up and taking a failing grade that I about screamed on the phone to her. I told her that the drop date has passed and that if she took one assignment at a time, before she knew it she would be caught up and able to pass. Spring semester she is only taking one course online until the dust settles. I told her before letting her go on the phone after this conversation, to not give up and to just breath. I told her, ‘at least your not having to go into class and miss lecture notes on tests.’
Posted by Jen Zeman on December 1st, 2008
I was a late bloomer to college – I didn’t start my associate’s degree until I was 24. When I was half-way through my associate’s degree I made the decision that immediately after graduation I would continue on for my bachelor’s degree, even though it meant tacking on another two-years of school work. I would be 33 when I finally received my B.S. Working for a community college at the time, my employer was very enthusiastic about me obtaining higher education. Friends were supportive, as was family, including my husband. However, that’s not to say I didn’t suffer through some minor road bumps (i.e. stress) over the decision to pursue three classes a semester and work full time.
While friends were supportive, it took time for them to get used to the fact that I wouldn’t be available to socialize with them anymore or even have the time to gossip on the phone for hours on end. They were lucky if I could call them once a month. My husband expressed his support but would be visibly annoyed when I told him I didn’t have time to help him around the house or to socialize with our friends. I was determined to complete my bachelor’s degree in two and a half years and I expressed to everyone, husband included, that this was my goal. I knew going in I would be making sacrifices and I was comfortable with doing so. I also explained to my husband that this sacrifice was only temporary – it wasn’t as if I would be going to school for the next ten years. He finally empathized with me when he started his online bachelor’s degree this summer. After two five-week courses while working full-time he said: “I now know what you had to go through when you were in school. I’m sorry for being such a pain in the butt during those years!”
Tips to make the transition to school easier on everyone:
- Be upfront to everyone about your time constraints. You will have a few people who try to invade your time for school. Be consistent with your firmness and eventually they will understand your dedication.
- Schedule time with friends and loved ones. Look at the month ahead and when major projects are due. Decide to spend an evening out with friends or your significant other as a celebration once the project is completed.
- Stay connected. Even if you are not able to go out with friends, allow yourself time once a month to reconnect over the phone.
At the same time I was taking online classes, my husband and I were exploring financing for our two children’s college education. Both of us work full time in K-12 public education and wanted to pay at least half of the expenses for both children. My husband’s education was paid for by his father, and I was able to secure grants, loans and work study to pay for my four-year degree. My mother was a widow and I was able to tap into sources for low income students. Both of us obtained master’s degrees and paid for them ourselves, working full time and going to school at night.
We both thought our children would appreciate their education if they contributed towards their degree. We balanced this appreciation against having them pay for college entirely on their own, or perhaps graduating with a debt the size of a mortgage. The first FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid ) we filled out revealed that at our income level, we were “on our own.” We didn’t bother to fill out any more FAFSA forms.
As it turned out, my son spent four years in the Marines and is now able to attend college on the GI Bill. My daughter lived at home greatly decreasing her costs and we were able to fund her education using our savings and paying as she went. They are both seniors in college and soon the expenses will be over. My son wants to go to law school and estimates he will need $50,000 dollars to get this degree. He has asked us for help and points out that we did not have to contribute anything to his bachelor’s degree (siblings always keep score!) I’m mulling over how, so close to my own retirement I can appreciably help him.
I either paid cash for my online courses and took free courses paid for by a large urban school district. Many courses were underwritten by organizations who want to improve the education of inner-city children.
In the back of my mind, I would like to get an E-learning certificate from an online university based in Wisconsin. It would provide more knowledge to teach online. I can’t afford tuition if my son needs help with law school. Graduate tuition has skyrocketed in Wisconsin and is out of reach for me. Yet, my son’s dream of law school looms upon the horizon.
