Sharon Cece's Archive
Posted by Sharon Cece on December 8th, 2008
The first thing I did after I was accepted to the Distance Learning program in 2004 was celebrate with a huge hot fudge sundae. The second thing I did was to sit down and research financial aid programs. There were two programs I focused on: financial aid specific to my college (academic in nature) as well as FAFSA, or Free Application for Federal Student Aid (financial in nature).
My situation was the following: married, two children, one income. Since I had been away from FSU for a number of years (I had originally attended on campus from 1987-89), the FSU financial aid academic aid would not have been applicable to me until I received grades for my first semesters. Therefore, I directed my attention to the FAFSA, which I completed immediately and strongly encourage all students to do so. Since everything is done online, it is very easy to track your financial aid status once you complete all the required online forms and receive your PIN.
Based on the FAFSA report, I was eligible for the Undergraduate Stafford Loan. There are two kinds of Stafford Loans, Subsidized and Unsubsidized. Subsidized are based on financial need and interest does not accrue on the loan as long as you are in school at least half time until six months after graduation. Unsubsidized loans accrue interest from the time the loan is dispersed to the school.
Once I started to build a transcript of grades I was then able to pursue academic-based financial aid through my college. Thus, in addition to receiving the Federal Stafford Loan, I also received an academic grant through FSU. This helped quite a bit in paying for supplies and the added expenses germane to the distance learning student.
Though I did worry at first about paying for college, there are financing options available for most college students regardless of status. As well, there are scholarships available in addition to federal and state college assistance. Your academic advisors can point you in the right direction to get you started. More importantly, research is your best friend. Look into all financing options to make the best choices for you and your financial situation. It might also be prudent to consider one final piece of advice: always eat dessert before dealing with finances.
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.
Posted by Sharon Cece on November 28th, 2008
I had a number of fears prior to enrolling online, some relating specifically to online mechanisms and format, and others that dealt with the more with typical fears of a returning college student.
In regard to the first, though I had a general knowledge of computer applications, I certainly was no tech whiz. At first glance, being hit with the numerous course websites and academic pages as well as ”blackboard”, the online education platform, gave one the impression a new student might require a preliminary degree in “learning how to be an online student” before becoming an online student! Thankfully, this is not the case. There are numerous support vehicles in place to assist distance learning and online students, and after a few days of trial and error you soon become quite adept at maneuvering the various course sites, finding out where you need to be and gaining the information you need to have. Advisors, professors, mentors, and TA’s are very helpful; moreso, my fellow students were invaluable in pacifying e-course apprehensions.
I also was concerned that learning online would sequester me socially compared to attending a brick-and-mortar classes, where social interaction is a virtual inevitability (no pun intended). However, I found that online learning can offer similar social benefits, and soon “clicked” with a number of students with shared ideas and similar family circumstances. One student, who happens to be from Tallahassee where Florida State is located, was following the same course schedule as I and we became fast friends as well as study partners. When I drove from North Carolina to Tallahassee to walk for graduation, she was right there in the bleachers cheering me on. Our friendship continues, and I hope to do the same for her when she graduates.
Another fear I entertained was, quite frankly, that I would not be able to test well after so many years of being away from school, or find time to study with two small children to care for, or devote myself to coursework the way I did when I was the quintessential 18-21 year-old college student. My fears were unfounded. As an older student, I found I was more disciplined, more determined and–well–smarter than I used to be. My grades as a young, fresh-from-high-school student were varied, A’s to C’s (okay, a couple of D’s too). When I returned to FSU as an online student, I received straight A’s from my first class straight through to graduation. I mention this not as a bragging point or to minimize the scope of difficulty regarding online classes; on the contrary, some online courses were the most challenging I have ever had. Rather, I hope to highlight the possibility that our fears can in fact drive us to be more successful. That you have a fear at all means that you care, and to care makes you work harder to succeed.
Posted by Sharon Cece on November 11th, 2008
For many years after I left Florida State University, I bemoaned the fact that I had 96 credits and no degree. I took some time to work, get married and start a family, yet my desire to graduate college never left me. I knew that I could complete my degree here in North Carolina, where I had eventually settled, but worried over transferring credits and the differences in matriculated programs between the universities. I felt that I would be starting over, and wished more and more that I had finished at FSU when I had the chance.
One day I was skimming the Florida State Univeristy website and discovered their online program. At first I was not encouraged as I didn’t see my major, Business Administration, among the list of four possible degrees offered in the program. I decided to inquire a bit further by speaking to the distance learning advisors, and to my delight the advisors were encouraging; as well, the distance learning program was more flexible than I had originally believed. It was then that I made the decision to return to college, and in doing so fulfilled my goals twofold: finishing my degree at my college of choice. Here was the perfect antidote to my dilemma: the opportunity to study at FSU while sitting right here in Willow Spring, North Carolina! I was also delighted that the distance learning program accepted all of my 96 credits toward completing my degree.
I am very grateful that online options are available to students starting out fresh as well as returning students who are finishing degrees. More than likely, I would have enrolled as an online student even if I chose to return to a local college due to the sheer flexibility of the programs. Furthermore, my options were greatly expanded via online learning as I was able to attend my college of choice rather than a college of convenience. This was my greatest inspiration for going online. Frankly speaking, without online options I might not have my degree today.
Posted by Sharon Cece on October 28th, 2008
Discipline is the key to any success in life, but especially in regard to an online education. For those attending college on campus, degree seekers receive notices to arrive at campus locations where information is provided immediately by a campus representative. Books are purchased in line at the bookstore, student fees are paid at the Bursar’s office, and social activity takes place en route to any of these destinations in addition to the Student Union. Coursework is learned in classrooms according to the university’s and the professor’s schedule. Discipline of course is required; however, guidance and information are more easily obtained and identified on campus comparable to the online milieu.
Online learning is a wonderful and innovative way to obtain your degree, and certainly the primary benefit is flexibility. Yet, success occurs most often when flexibility on one end is pared closely with discipline on the other. Since specific schedules are not set by the professor, the student must set them and be diligent in keeping up with the coursework and classroom discussions and virtual class participations. Financial aid as well as billing is handled exclusively online, and while this is convenient it sometimes requires a bit of e-sleuthing to locate the information and websites you are seeking. Often there are no reminders of testing and projects ongoing as might happen in a campus classroom; for this reason the student’s best friend is a good planner.
The first semester online can be a bit daunting, as the student will discover that much of the information must be located online and with perhaps a bit more work than just walking into a building and asking questions. It takes time to learn to navigate “Blackboard”, the e-Education platform, as well as the threaded discussions and virtual classrooms. However, after the first semester or two, the student finds he or she becomes quite adapt at online navigation. The technology can be challenging but is also very exciting and opens the student to a new world of learning. One college graduate, Francesca, shares this experience:
“My college had more and more distance learning. Having had done it, I say that it is actually harder in some subjects. It is accelerated and a lot of the learning is your own understanding of the discipline. If the discipline is one you are interested in - like psychology - then you do well. If it is statistics, then some on campus or tutoring can help. My son does distance learning with MIT and now they have chat rooms and the teacher may have a web CAM and you can see her and if you have CAM they can see you. Sometimes the teacher has a white board and can draw diagrams for the class. It’s really neat. In any and all events, you have to have discipline, discipline, discipline”.
For the student who wants to attend college but needs more flexibility than the campus can offer, online learning is a wonderful alternative. Discipline in study and scheduling will ensure the success that is necessary to complete curriculum goals.
Posted by Sharon Cece on October 17th, 2008
Making the decision to return to college can be a complicated one. If you have an unfinished degree with college credits sitting in your academic bank not earning “interest” (forgive the economic pun), certainly the idea gnaws at you from time to time. You abhor the idea of wasting the credits you’ve spent time and money for with no degree to show for it.
This decision is complicated; however, there are factors to consider that may assist in helping you come to some conclusions and feel good about them. One factor is financial in nature (thankfully, there are many financial aid options available today). Another is time. Third might simply be whether you have the incentive or the desire to finish. There may be other factors that pertain specifically to you.
For many years I struggled with the decision to return to school. Having left FSU with 96 credits, you can imagine how I carried around my choice to leave before I graduated for years afterward. There were personal reasons for doing so which made perfect sense to me then and even now, and I never regretted leaving when I did sans degree.
Over the years I toyed with returned to college (I had since moved, so FSU was no longer an option), however, it never seemed to be quite the right time, or I didn’t have the funds, or there was always some life event or issue that was paramount to my education. The truth is, the desire simply wasn’t strong enough.
It strikes me as ironic that when the desire did finally hit me to finish college, I was married with two young children and a very busy life. But I had spent all the time and had 96 credits, and I said to myself, “You know you want this and have always wanted it, so Just Go for It”. I didn’t want to have the regret of an unfinished degree following me for the rest of my life, and my children were starting to ask about my college education. I knew if I was going to encourage them to finish college I needed to walk, literally, as well as talk.
When I decided to “go for it” then, after many many years of toying with the idea, everything seemed to just fall into place. I think that’s how it happens–if you have the desire it will happen and you will make it happen. I was very pleased that I could return to FSU through their online program, and they were able to apply many of my credits toward matriculation. Their online program made it easier, more convenient, and more time-friendly than physically going to classes. Financial aid forms are filled out online, also very convenient. The coursework was tough and challenging, but I wasn’t going back to college to catch a free ride to my degree. And thanks to online options, I arrived at my destination with diploma in hand.
Posted by Sharon Cece on October 9th, 2008
Many students take the traditional approach of attending college during their late teens and early twenties. Some of us, however, begin our college career (or return to finish a degree) at a later time. Often, this means studying and completing schoolwork while at the same time caring for a family. There are a few tips that can help you transition through this challenging time.
Inarguably, online classes afford the most flexibility when you have children to care for since the instruction is done from the computer and you can study and test from home. The great thing about online classes is that you don’t have to scramble to find someone to watch children or worry about being late for classes due to a sleeping child or conflicting school schedules. Usually you can pick an optimal time (during child’s nap for instance) to log on and complete your work or take your tests.
Another helpful tip is to engage the children in your study habits. I had a very difficult course when I first returned back to college after a fourteen year hiatus, and I was nervous about studying and taking tests again. My husband and children often quizzed me in the living room and the kids enjoyed watching mom do course work for a change. We also had “homework hour” for all of us which encouraged them to do their homework while I was doing mine.
I discovered that I was most effective at both parenting and completing my course work when I took on no more than two classes per semester. This is particularly true if you are working as well. Naturally, everyone is different and some students flourish under massive amounts of work, but in speaking with other online participants who were parents as well, it was clear that the two-course workload was optimal for success in all areas.
College is challenging enough, and when you add kids and perhaps work also, it can be a daunting. By pacing yourself, including the kids in your study and taking advantage of online options you can “do it all”. Of course, never expect perfection in any area and factor in the occasional moment when the kids are running around screaming while you’re trying to study or take a quiz, or even missing a quiz here or there due to a sick child. We’ve all been there. It’s okay, and you’ll get through it and soon have that degree. And, when you walk across the stage after waiting so long and working so hard, your kids will be there to witness your moment. The moment will be yours, but your family will feel a great sense of pride over your achievement. It will be a great inspiration for them to pursue their degree, more than any words can say.
Posted by Sharon Cece on September 29th, 2008
I first attended community college in 1984. Back then, we had to wait in line while registering for school, signing up for classes and making payments. I also had to submit financial aid paperwork in person (after waiting in line, again) and, here’s the kicker, had to physically get in my car and drive to school at predetermined times each week in order to attend classes.
Well, you can only imagine my surprise and delight when I re-emerged onto the collegiate scene via distance learning methods. The first advantage was continuing the degree I started at FSU, where I attended brick and mortar in 1990. I worried that I would lose all my the credits I worked so hard for by not returning to that particular school. Online instruction allowed me to “go back” to FSU even though I lived in North Carolina. Since I was a returning student, FSU was liberal when it came to applying credits toward my matriculation.
Clearly, the other advantage to online learning was time, time, time. Along with location, location, location. No more red-eye 8:15 in the morning classes–classwork is done according to your schedule and flexibility. Not able to take the quiz at 10 AM? No problem, you can take it at 5, or 7 or even 11:30 PM, since most quizzes and tests have a “window” within a 24- and sometimes even a 48-hour period. You can also take the quiz in a bathrobe or pajamas right there in your bedroom or living room, even outside, with a steaming cup of coffee by your side. Ah, life is good. Just don’t spill the coffee on your keyboard.
Registering for classes is a breeze, since it’s all done via your computer. Financial aid forms are also done online now through the individual colleges along with the FAFSA website. Payments can even be made electronically.
Of course, the price you pay for convenience is individual accountability and self-structure. In order to succeed online, you need to be organized and keep up to date on the classes and assignments. Structure is definitively self-imposed. In some ways, you also miss out on the face to face socialization; however, I found that the threaded discussions and virtual classrooms were very intellectually stimulating, and gave me a sense of social interfacing.
Posted by Sharon Cece on September 22nd, 2008
I first attended college back in 1984, fully expecting to have my degree within the customary four years. My goals at that time were typical: job, college, boyfriend which I expected to segue into career, degree, marriage. But as many of you know, “life” takes detours and that sometimes includes your education. Somehow, without planning it, I left college (with 96 credits under my belt!) and though my work experiences and marriage stayed on track, my education took a pit stop.
Though my life was pretty fulfilled, I continued to have this nagging sense of unfinished business. I often said how I wished I finished my degree at Florida State, but here I was almost 20 years later living in Raleigh, North Carolina. Talk about a long commute!
Fortunately, FSU had a good distance learning program and they were able to restructure the classes I had taken for Business Administration into a Social Science program. For the record, it is no easy ride with distance learning. It was very challenging at times with a little one tugging me while I finished a timed quiz in my bathrobe, or juggling my school cap among all the other hats I wore. But finishing my degree online enabled me to fit in my studies whenever I wanted, for the most part, and within my schedule rather than the other way around. I needed the sheer flexibility of eLearning or it wouldn’t have happened for me.
In April of 2006, I received my Bachelor of Science in Social Science. My degree is hanging directly over my laptop as I type, in a stunning frame that I splurged on in the FSU school colors (of course!) Garnet and Gold. Though I am proud of many things I have accomplished in my life, I cannot describe, even now, how amazed I am that after 21 years I finally have my degree.
Posted by Sharon Cece on July 11th, 2008
I first attended college back in 1984, fully expecting to have my degree within the customary four years. My goals at that time were typical: job, college, boyfriend turn into career, degree, marriage. But as many of you know, “life” takes detours and that sometimes includes your education. Somehow, without planning it, I left college (with 96 credits under my belt!) and though my work experiences and marriage stayed on track, my education took a pit stop.
Though my life was pretty fulfilled, I continued to have this nagging sense of unfinished business. I often said how I wished I finished my degree at Florida State, but here I was almost 20 years later living in Raleigh, North Carolina. Talk about a long commute!
Fortunately, FSU had a good distance learning program and they were able to restructure the classes I had taken for Business Administration into a Social Science program. For the record, it is no easy ride with distance learning. It was very challenging at times with a little one tugging me while I finished a timed quiz in my bathrobe, or juggling my school cap among all the other hats I wore. But finishing my degree online enabled me to fit in my studies whenever I wanted, for the most part, and within my schedule rather than the other way around. I needed the sheer flexibility of eLearning or it wouldn’t have happened for me.
In April of 2006, I received my Bachelor of Science in Social Science. My degree is hanging directly over my laptop as I type, in a stunning frame that I splurged on in the FSU school colors (of course!) Garnet and Gold. Though I am proud of many things I have accomplished in my life, I cannot describe, even now, how amazed I am that after 21 years I finally have my degree.
