Finals and Crashes and Colds, Oh My!

What a year it's been! This last semester really kicked my butt! I had to Audit Pre-Calculus and ended up withdrawing from Symbolic Logic. I fared well in my other classes of Women's Studies, Survey of Communication and Access Database, but I was getting a terrible case of the Sophomore Blues. Was college really for me? 

I buckled down and delved further into my studies and flourished in various activities with my Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society. As a member, I received no less than a dozen offers of scholarship from various four year institutions. Because of familial obligations, I like many Adult Learners, am unable to take advantage of these out of state opportunities.

from UNLV 

My acceptance email from UNLV cheered me though with "Congratulations, you're a Rebel now!" I laughed, because that's something my parents always knew. For those of you that don't know, the University of Nevada Las Vegas' mascot is a 'Runnin' Rebel'

The end of every semester always seems to bring its own Gremlins...

...and of course my Windows machine goes down right before my Access final. And no, I hadn't made a back up boot disk. Ah well, what's that they say about hindsight being 20/20? Oh, and a miserable cold had me down during study week. I even missed class, something I never do!

But I survived Yay! I finally decided on my Major - English. Yes, it's what I call a 'soft' major, but I'm good at it. Besides, it's a bridge to my ultimate goal, my Masters in Library Sciences. The only drawback is the required two years of a foreign language. That's OK - I'll give you one guess who's not too shabby at conversational German.

I have an appointment with my Academic Advisor at UNLV on the 3rd of January. I'll let you know how that went and what the Spring Semester entails after the meeting. I'll also put up the link to the photo tour and map of the campus - It is so BIG!

Until then I wish You and Yours the very, very best of the Holiday Season and a Wonderfully Prosperous New Year!

Christmas Card from Mom and Me Angels Baking Cookies

Christmas Card Happy Holidays from the 

Alpha Xi Beta Chapter of Phi Theta Kappa

Also


Things I Think About When I Should be Studying


Windows 7 Recovery Disk/Boot Disk


Transfer to a Four Year Institution

Learning: It's More Than the Courses You Take

Remember this?

And this: "So, does all this added information benefit me? I'll let you know after my first "A."" (FYI the "Y" denotes a retake.)

Was this class easier this time around? Well, sort of. I did a few things that I would recommend to anyone that is in a similar situation. First, don't just drop the class. Your school may or may not have this option, but I was able to "Audit" Astronomy the first time around.

It was after the official withdrawal date, and I did not want an "F" on my transcript; it seemed far too ominous and would seriously harm my GPA. I audited the class and continued to attend the class to learn and absorb as much as possible.

What I did next was and is very important to ANY college career. I researched my Professors. Having the right one can make all the difference. If the Professor does not explain the information to you in a way that you can make sense of, find another.

There are a few ways you can go about this. Rate My Professors is a good start, but don't stop there. Remember to take what is said about each Professor with a grain of salt. You should be able to get a good feel though.

You've found a Professor or two that you think you might like? Good, now go to his or her home page in the College Directory. This may take a little bit of digging and not every Professor will have a home page. You can search the college website by the his or her name, area or school of study, or department. Some will even come up in a Google search of their name.

Want to know more? Send an email. Keep in mind, Professors have hundreds of students, and believe it or not lives too. Ask pointed questions such as "I'm an audio-visual learner. Do you use media to help explain your concepts." Instead of "Hey Prof, what's your teaching style?" Don't be disappointed if you do not receive a reply right away, or at all, but do continue your research. Which brings me to my next suggestion.

Ask around! There are other students that you have come to know, like and whose opinions you trust. Most will be glad to tell you their experiences. Some good questions to ask: "How much time did you devote to this class?" "How many papers and tests?" And "Did you enjoy and/or "get" the information presented?"

The Professor is just one component. You, of course, are the most important one. How do you approach a class or subject? With fear and loathing or with eagerness and curiosity? Your attitude  makes a difference. Very important: Don't get discouraged! If you are having a problem with a particular course, make the time to speak with the Professor.

Included in your tuition you have a certain amount of office hours with each of your Professors and free or discounted tutoring. Take advantage of these valuable resources. A little bit of extra effort on your part can mean the difference between a so-so B or a fabulous A.

Lastly, know your limitations. Do you honestly think you can take six courses, in which you have to devote 2 to 3 hours of study per each course credit hour, hold down a full or part time job, contribute to your community or civic responsibilities, attend to familial obligations, run here and do that? Your brain needs downtime to process what you are inputing. Don't overextend.

Will your Degree be worth it? According to  JF Stewar at CNC.edu "On average, from age 19 to age 65, college graduates earn $16,426 PER YEAR more than high school graduates..." And according to the Wall Street Journal "College graduates in general earn at least 60% more than high-school grads on average, both annually and over their lifetimes..."

Hmm, make more money AND do something I love and was born to do? Sounds like a win/win to me.