Posts Tagged ‘School’
So this past Sunday I finished my U.S. History class, and those of you who know me just KNOW that I absolutely hate U.S. History. This course was early U.S. History up until the Civil War, and the final project was to create a timeline of events that led up to the war, and an essay that explained the timeline. I worked on it for several days right up until about 12:45am Monday morning, leaving only 15 minutes to submit the assignment for a grade. Again I told myself that it wasn’t good enough, but since I had no time left I had to submit it.
Anyway, the paper was worth 200 points and with having turned in a few assignments late while I was sick, I needed a good grade on this paper to be sure I was able to get a decent grade. What I turned in at 12:45pm was what I basically had done by 10:00 Sunday night, but thinking it wasn’t good enough I kept trying to add more to it, or changing this or that to make it better. Unfortunately, I found out today that I had submitted the copy I had saved at 10:00 so all the changes I made in the following hour and 45 minutes were not even seen by my instructor – I felt like such a dumb ass.
Then today I get my grade – 185 out of 200, and what I lost points on were NOT items addressed during that wasted time late Sunday night. So again I have been reminded that I am too critical of my work. I guess in the future I need to write enough to satisfy the requirements and not second guess, since EVERY single final I have done since starting school has been about the same. Each time I submit a final I think to myself “you should have taken more time and done a better job”. Then I get the grade and always seem surprised when I get a higher grade then I expected.
Oh, and for the record, the final grade for the class was an A-, the very FIRST time in my entire life I have earned higher than a C in any History class. To date, I have three A’s, two A-’s and 1 B- and my cumulative GPA stands at 3.67. Now I have the rest of this week off before starting my next block of classes, AED201: Teaching as a Profession and HUM205: World Culture and the Arts. I was supposed to take the Humanities class in my last block but withdrew from the class when I could not afford the $110 for the required textbook, which arrived today. Wish me luck!
Finally, after a week of waiting and dreading, my grades for the first block of courses are in, and I have to say I did better then I expected. As you know, we take two courses at a time and each block lasts nine weeks. My first block consisted of GEN105, Skills for Learning in an Information Age, and ENG101, Effective Essay Writing.
The GEN105 class was basically a “how do you use the computer for online classes” type of course. Basically we read online materials in Word document or PDF form, then use a discussion forum to submit assignments and answer questions. We also use this system to discuss topics with other students. Imagine that, me having to take a class to learn how to use a computer. Of course, I aced that class!
The ENG101 course was a bit more complicated, and basically taught us how to write essays, not a skill everyone has. This course required us to write what is known as an expository essay, where you simply write about the facts and use no opinion and do not try to influence the reader in any way. Those who know me KNOW that I am an oppinionated ass and always ready to argue about any topic you can think of. Writing this essay was a lot harder then I thought, and I was certain that I would receive a poor grade. I had already missed an assignment and turned one in late because I just did not plan well. Since the final essay was one quarter of the grade, I tried my best to do well. I was surprised to see my grade was an 82%, which helped my final grade, even if it was only a B-.
With the possiblity of moving I had taken a week off from school so I did not start again until today. My next classes include CIS105, Survey of Computer Systems, and ENG102, Research Writing. So one more bird course and one more tough course. Once I get through these I start on courses geared towards education, including history and social studies, my two worst subjects. I will try to keep you updated on my progress, but just know that I am dedicated to earning my degree in Elementary Education, so will likely be here in Kansas City for the next four years.
I am now in my fourth week of classes and so far I am doing very well with grades around 95% still. So now you have some proof that I am not perfect!
I really enjoy the work and doing the assignments online. Saves a lot of writing and paper that way. Basically I log in to the school’s web site and submit questions and answers via the threaded discussion board. I earn participation points for commenting on other classmates posts, and have a private area to turn in my assignments. It’s pretty easy to do and I have learned a lot so far.
Yesterday I finally received the information I was waiting for regarding financial aid. I qualified for enough on a loan to pay for all the classes, with some to spare. I also received a $2,366 Pell grant to use towards educational expenses. The grant is money I never have to pay back, though I will likely use the bulk of it to pay down the loan. This was great news since know I don’t have to worry about how I will be paying for school this year. It’s only guaranteed for one year, if I complete and pass all my classes. So I will need to reapply for next year but I don’t think it will be much of an issue.
I am really happy that I have finally made the decision to do this. I know that teaching will be a lot more enjoyable to me than writing computer and web software. I’ve done that for so long it is time for me to finally give it a rest. I still do some stuff and I talk about that on my other blog, GrandSlambert, but it’s mostly stuff for WordPress, the software we use on this web site.
I have a few people that want me to develop web sites for them, and I might just to make a little extra money, but eventually that will no longer be my business, so I am not working to build that business. Once I earn my degree and start teaching I don’t want to have to work on a computer. It can become my hobby again.
I learned a valuable lesson today about quality time. Allyssa wanted to spend some time with daddy after dinner and I had every intention of doing this. We started watching the Bee Movie together when I stupidly got on the computer and read an email which got me working on something that certainly could have waited. Guess I wasn’t thinking, because when I was done:
Allyssa feel asleep waiting for daddy to do something that could have waited until tomorrow.
I guess I need to really pay attention to what I do with my time. I start school on Monday so time will become even more precious than it used to be. I have a schedule planned for Monday through Friday:
- 7:00am – Wake Up
- 8:00am – 1:00pm – Work
- 1:00pm – 2:00pm – Lunch and exercise
- 2:00pm – 4:00pm – School Work
- 4:00pm – 5:30pm – Work
- 5:30pm – Make dinner and spend time with the family before I go to bed.
No planning work or school on Weekends – those days are for family time. This looks like it should be good right? Hopefully I can stick to it, but I will need Laura’s and Allyssa’s help in several ways:
- While I am at work, they need to avoid distracting me.
- Have lunch ready around 1:00 so I can eat and exercise before school work.
- While I am at school, they need to avoid distracting me.
- At 5:30, they have to tell me to stop and be with the family.
I am sure if we both work at it, I will get on the schedule and be able to stick to it. It’s gonna be a long, hard 2 years with work and school, but I know it will be worth it. After this, we shall see if I continue for my Bachelor’s degree. You ready for this, Laura?
P.S. I should add that I did spend a few hours with her playing with a ball, potatoe heads, blocks and things before we started watching the movie. But it probably wasn’t enough.
OK, I know, it’s April, and most kids are thinking they’ve been in school long enough and it’s time for summer break. But I am not a kid, and no, this isn’t about Allyssa. It’s about me. You heard me. “Back To School” is about me.
For a long time I have been contemplating going back to school and get a degree in something. I know that a degree will help me get a better job and provide a better life for my family. I just never had the time (or the guts) to do it.
Then, earlier this month, I filled out a form online about going back to school. I got a call from a recruiter a few days later and the ball was rolling. I will be attending the University of Phoenix Online starting on Monday (April 20th) and will be taking classes for around 20 months.
So now it’s time for this old man who hasn’t been inside a classroom in 20 years to get back to studying and doing homework. Well, I guess it’s all homework, since it’s online and I will be doing most of it from home.
Oh, yeah, you want to know WHAT degree I am after with this. I will be going for my Associates of Elementary Education. With that, I can become a teacher’s aide while I continue for my Bachelors Degree in a couple of years. With THAT, I can be a full time teacher, which is the ultimate goal.
So, if you thought I never had time to update this blog before, just wait! I get to work full time, go to school full time, cook dinner and spend time with Laura and Allyssa, EVERY DAY. So, if you really want to know what I am up to, get a Twitter account and follow me. I update that more often. 
