Reading, Studying and Finals Oh My! This first term has just flown by and I can’t believe we are wrapping it all up. This journey has had so many ups and downs, but we made it.

Online Learning

When it comes to online learning my natural strength is my motivation to be successful and being a self starter. This class has helped me to become even more organized that aides in my success as an online student at OSU.  Along with staying organized, this class has taught me so many things and given me so many useful tools to use as I move on to winter term. I really enjoyed the webinar of the online library, it was great getting a walk through on how to use the library. I refer back to my notes all the time as I get more comfortable using the system. This class has definitely set my up to be more successful in the future terms.

Specific Tools

 As a visual learner I have found that taking notes in different colors helps me to retain information better. The reading that goes along with being an online student can be very time consuming. In the beginning of the term, I would read everything right away and I would fall asleep with my face in my books. As the term moved on I started breaking up the reading and adding it to my schedule. By doing this I was able to retain more and save time; not having to go back and reread everything.

OSU Resources

As I mentioned earlier, the OSU Library is such a great resource to utilize. This will be my go to for my future research projects. However, my greatest resources this far have come from my instructors and my councilor. All have been understanding and quick to respond. I’m looking forward to getting involved in KidSpirit in the future. There were also several other organizations I’m planning on looking into more, thanks to my classmates presentations. OSU has so many great organizations, its great to be a part of it all.

Goals

This class has taught me not only to set clear goals but that it’s ok to be flexible with my goals. My goals for the upcoming term are to have a 84% or higher in all my classes and to plan ahead for my assignments so that I won’t miss any or turn any in late. I created these goals as a way to be even more successful than I was this term. I looked at my mistakes from this term and made a plan to not make the same mistakes. Going into the next term I’m not as nervous, since I know what to expect now.

It has been a pleasure learning and growing with all of you. Best of Luck and Happy Holidays.

Finals Week? Already?! What?! Winter Term?! What?! December?! Christmas?! New years?! How did this time of year get here so quick? I swear it was just last week we were having 100 degree summer days and now finals are here and were getting ready for winter term. This has been one heck of a term!

I guess it took me a full term of being online to figure out what some of my natural strengths are when it comes to online learning, but that’s okay. I never really thought about it; because it comes so naturally anymore but my typing skills have really improved over the years, I think when it comes to typing i’m pretty quick and that I feel is something that will come in pretty dang handy being an online student where now I am typing up literally everything; where as in my past years of college the only thing that ever really got typed was an essay that was due here and there, because being an Ag. major there’s more labs to conduct that papers to write. A strength that I have always carried and know that it will get me through at OSU is my determination! Over the years iv always had something to work toward that has kept me going (kinda like sticking an apple on the end of a stick in front of a horse so it keeps moving, except with me you could stick a piece of chocolate cake in front of me and you’d have me running for it!) Whether i’m determined to finish an assignment early, or just determined to get through the dang term, it always has me pushing myself to do the best I can. I am so extremely determined to make this my last year of college, and because of that I have passed every class this term; which honestly is a struggle for me some terms. Of course I feel like there’s always something I could improve on, if I could have it all then why not? Right? And my reading skills could definitely use some improving. Iv mentioned this before but when it comes to having to sit and read through a textbook, it is extremely hard for me to accomplish, I often find myself quickly scanning through the required reading materials or loosing interest or focus too quickly, either way I feel I don’t retain the information like I should which means I am having to go back a re read the sections that my brain didn’t connect with. This is something I have yet to figure out how to improve, but once I do, boy that will be the money maker right there!

Over the past years of school, note taking has always been my friend, like best friend! Not just so I have something to look back over and study before an exam but also because writing things down helps me retain that information so much better. It also helps me feel little bit more organized with my thoughts. Being online this term, I don’t think I ever took a single stinking note once over the past 10 weeks. Now for some of my classes, its okay, note taking wasn’t really a must for those ones, but for others I can say that looking back now I definitely could have gained a little from taking some handy dandy notes. So for the upcoming winter term, I think I will start out taking notes for all classes then as the weeks go by I can see which classes my notes are helping from and which ones I don’t really need to worry about notes with. And if I can, even try and makes some flash cards too! Those I can always benefit from!

My academic advisor has always been the one I can go to with all my academic troubles and they seem to always have an answer for everything. I have talked with her multiple times and she seems to always been so encouraging and supportive, and heck iv only ever met her over the phone. She is always open to setting up a phone call appointment with me and responds to her emails so quickly, she is someone that I really feel I can trust.

My goal for the next term is the same that it was for this term, pass all my courses! That goal will then carry over to Spring term. This is just a short term goal, but it helps to lead up to my long term goal, which is to finish school by then end of this academic year. By completing the smaller goals I have, to pass all my classes each term, that will then result in me completing my bigger goal of finishing school up this year. I know that if I pass each required class in the next two terms, like I was able to do this term (Yay!) I will have completed all of my college education and can, finally, graduate! Figuring out what my goals were have always been clear, it was trying to figure out how I would accomplish those goals. Let me say that it has been a long, long term, but all the late nights of studying, crammed hours of homework, payed off. Now I just got to do it for two more terms, and i’m done!

It has been so great to work will you all this term and I hope finals are nice to you this week! Good luck to you. Merry Christmas to all, and to all a goodnight!!

I remember the week before I began classes well. I was terrified.

I thought I was setting myself up for failure. I mean, I’d been out of school for three years. Could I really do this? Despite my respectable GPA, I struggled with a lot of subjects in school. Science and math never made sense to me, and I found history confusing and frustrating. I began wondering if my acceptance to OSU was a mistake. I wondered how they chose me. How did I make the cut? I though to myself, “I’m not smart enough for this. I’m going to flunk out”.

I was wrong.

Here I am, at the end of my first term at Oregon State University. Not only did I not fail, but I truly succeeded, and exceeded my expectations. I have surprised myself: I’ve been successful.

I feel so happy to be a part of this community, and I am excelling in my classes. (Okay, okay. I have a B in history, but that’s better than I ever could’ve expected).

When it comes to online learning, I have encountered some challenges. First, I am extremely disorganized. I am not a person that can follow a schedule or calendar, and my file folders that started off color coded on the first day of classes have become a disaster. Naturally, I am also someone that struggles with time management. I think I could better place first in an Olympic decathlon than properly plan a day, let alone a week (and I am anything but athletic).

However, as much as I struggle to admit it, I do have natural strengths. Despite the anxiety I face, I am an incredibly open person. It was a struggle, but I was able to explain my setbacks to my professors, and discuss options that would give me a better chance of getting the most out of my classes. In addition, I am a perfectionist, and incredibly hard on myself. Though this doesn’t appear to go well with being a procrastinator, it’s all that keeps me afloat academically. I put a lot of pressure on myself to do my best, so although it may take me a long time to get something done, I almost always produce work I’m proud of. Lastly, I care so deeply about my education, that I approach everything with sincere desire to not only score well, but to learn all that I can. This has helped me greatly in being successful in my classes.

The main tool I use to keep myself on track is the Canvas app. I am able to keep track of my weekly to do list, broken down by due date. In addition, I can easily access Canvas from anywhere- I most often check it in bed when I first wake up, to be able to get a glimpse of my day (and my grades).

The main strategy I will use is to be patient with myself. Rather than being overly critical, I need to give myself time to really immerse myself in assignments, to provide better understanding. Also, by giving myself more time, I will be able to give myself breaks when I feel too overwhelmed. It’s important to leave time for self care in between stressful assignments, as I’ve learned through experience.

The library, Canvas app, OSU Open Campus, and psychological services are the resources I plan to utilize most. The library, of course, is practically essential in conducting effective research, and has great tools in order to provide better understanding of the research process. The Canvas app is an extremely valuable resource, as I mentioned. It makes schoolwork highly accessible, and provides a feeling of connection to your classes throughout the day.

Open Campus is what I discussed in my “One Thing” presentation, and provides short, free courses that will lead to so much more learning opportunities and broaden my horizons. Lastly, the psychological services for students are beyond helpful, and I am so thankful even ecampus students have access. OSU does an amazing job at caring for students’ mental heath and safety, and I’m proud to go to a university that cares so much for its students.

My goal for the next term is to gain a better understanding of what I want to do with my life. Though I know my calling is to help animals (and hopefully people, too), I hope to be able to identify the career and degree choice that will best fit who I am as an individual, and what I am meant to do in this lifetime.

This term, I was able to identify my goals through the natural process of learning about myself, and also using SMART goals. Developing a SMART goal helped me to identify my values, and also what is possible in the short vs. long term.

Throughout this class, I have gained a much deeper understanding of myself, and how I will further pursue my education. I know for sure through what I have seen in discussion posts that all or most of you have had a similar experience, and I am thankful that we have all had the opportunity to participate and engage in this class.

I am fortunate to have had this experience, and to have gotten to know all of you in some way. Good luck next term, everyone!

My strengths with online learning include being able to express my thoughts and feelings. It has taken some time to realize that they are both valid and that I should feel comfortable sharing them in the online learning environment. I know that my time management needs to be improved, and this class has provided a lot of resources to do that. Having identified the type of learner I am and what normally works best was helpful and I will continue to strive for improvement. I kept the term at a glance and weekly schedules pretty useful and I think a planner reminder would also come in useful.

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For academic support I feel comfortable with communicating with the instructors and facility via e-mail or phone if need be. I haven’t utilized any of the other OSU resources that I know of at this time but as I get familiar with how things go I’ll reach out further.

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I had a clear goal in mind for this upcoming term a few weeks ago, but now I am not so sure. I would love for this term to wrap up real nice and feel confident about next term but I don’t know how I feel now. I had a financial hold on my account all term and now that, that got figured out I have some other type of hold on my account so I am unable to register at this point. I’m trying to stay as positive as possible, but I’m not sure what my short term goals are academically right now. It’s not really a great way to end the last blog of this class but I thought I would be honest.

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I am naturally a people person and a talker. I have always made friends easily and related to others quickly. I enjoy meeting new people and trying to see things from their point of view.  I believe that these skills will help me to be successful at OSU even though I am not face to face with my teachers or peer’s I believe my desire to connect with others will fuel my desire to content with my classmates and Faculty.  Two skills that I know I need to improve on or my reading skills and my typing. I am slow at both. I do plan on using my break to check out some of the typing resources that have been suggested to me. As for the reading I think that with time and practice this will improve and I know that with some good time management I will do just fine. I believe that I will use everything that I have learned in this class towards being successful in the future at OSU. I have already used so many of the skills and resources that we have learned about and this is only my first term! As I mentioned before this class has really helped me go from talking myself into being great online student to the confidence that I am a great online student and that I will be successful!  I started a list so to say of resources or “things” that I wanted to remember in the future, I know I am terribly forgetful about new resources and skills until I have used them several times so I started this with the idea that I will have it in the future. It started as a nice neat 3×5 card, it is now full of website links, arrows, Randy Pauch video, personal mantras, little reminders (Use TED Talks for research) etc.


Specific tools tips and strategies that I will use keeping my learning style in mind are numerous. I would say that first to take good notes that are complete. I have found that I need note card vs note books, I also write small even if I don’t think I need all the room because I almost find more to add to the card as time goes on. It maybe that I add to the card something to help me remember the definition or theory that the card discusses.  Further talking to people about what I am learning is very helpful, participating in the discussion boards has been more helpful then what I initially thought it would be, I think this is also because I was very intimated by the discussion boards at the start of the term and now have much more experience with them. After all I am even a Blogger now! The term at a glance calendar is also something that I will use, I may not use that exact paper as I already have a planner that is full but to continue to use that planner for all my commitments.


An OSU resource that I will use is my academic advisor, Josie. I have met with her a couple times already and she has really helped me to feel welcomed and empowered to take a lead in my education. If or when the time comes that I am struggling with my classes or with success in general I will reach out to the Ecampus success counseling.  Student involvement will be with the Discovery garden and a Food Preservation Club that I also found through my local extension office.  I’m looking forward to exploring the garden and the options for a minor during break.


As for right now I am thrilled to be rapidly approaching Winter Break! I already have so many things that I hope to accomplish during break. I keep reminding myself that it is a break and their is no reason to have a list a page long before the break has even started. I’m thinking that should throw it away! Take a vacation from organization and feel the crisp breeze in my hair. Ha ha. Thank You each of for participation in my journey to better myself! I wish you the best of luck in the future and a very Merry Holiday Season!

To be honest I really can’t believe that this term is pretty much over now, can you?! It really feels like time has flown by for me, but I’m sure part of that is because I will be moving back to Texas next month now so I’ve been looking forward to that as well! Hopping right into my first term of college and my first serious experience as an online learner, my strengths which I brought to the table with me mainly focuses on my motivation. I always told myself that if I took a year off of  school after I graduated, I had to start back up within a year no matter what or else I might want to keep taking time off. This allowed me to really push myself into going back to school and not only that but also to do well in school. And of course my daughter has been my motivator as well. This self-motivation did come with the ability to keep myself on track most of time. “Most of the time” is where I feel like I need to improve and eventually turn that into “I keep myself on track all of the time”.  My time management has always been a slight issue for me just trying to revolve it around my daughter’s schedule as well as mine and housework and so on. I am planning on using what I learned from this class in my pursuit of success by really taking away what it means to be a successful online student.

In order to allow myself to be working at a level that suites my learning style, I plan on using a variety of different tools, tips and strategies. Over the course of this class I have been able to assure myself that I am very visual learner who prefers working where there are not many distractions or if there are distractions that they are not being directed at me. This applies when my daughter is still awake and I need to provide her with my full attention versus when she is sleeping and my husband might have the Xbox on doing his own thing. As long as the distraction taking place doesn’t bother my concentration then I’m good. To address my visual learning style, I will make sure to always have access to colorful sticky notes as well as an assortment of highlighters to keep track of all my information.

The OSU resource that I plan on using for academic support in the future would be the Academic Success Center’s “Learning Corner”. Ever since this was brought to my attention, I have loved going back to it to discover the variety of resources it provides. I particularly enjoy looking through the time management sections as well as the procrastination sections because those are both things that I tend to struggle with at times. There is also information regarding tools for reading and taking notes as well as just an overall broad range of knowledge for becoming a better student.

One goal that I currently have towards the next term I will be taking is the same goal that I had for this term, which is to maintain grades at or above a 95% in each class. A few ways I can achieve this goal again is to keep up with each class closely and really understand when my assignments are due so that nothing is deducted points for being late. Another way I plan on reaching this goal is by making the most out of what time I can and rather than being drawn into distractions like looking through my phone, I’d just leave my phone off or in another room and only focus on what needs to get done. When it comes to my longer-term goal though I do have a couple in mind. The first being to gain hands-on experience in the career path that I am interested in and I can do this by researching and contacting local institutes in my area. Another goal I have is to graduate from OSU as fast as I can while also staying realistic with how long that might take. Unfortunately I don’t think I will be able to graduate within the 4 year “norm” and that was something I was really worried about coming into this first term. As the weeks went on though, I have been able to realize that taking 5 or maybe even 6 years to earn my degree won’t be the end of it all and ruin my life plan so I just want to do the best I can to cut down on time in the future!

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My little Fall helper!

When it comes to online learning, I have to say that being able to communicate with others in the class is a great source of information. Not only do I get the opportunity to communicate with other students while doing completing assignments with feedback by form of discussion replies; however, I am fortunate to be able to access shared knowledge that is passed along. What a wonderful support system online education provides over in class. Online learning allows me to use my strengths such as organization, time management, and ability to adjust my schedule around emergencies or other family obligations and still get my studying and assignments completed. I would like to improve in my notetaking so that I take more efficient notes from textbooks that keep the facts and topics covered to the point without all the unnecessary added points that aren’t important. I spend way too much time taking notes that I could be using elsewhere but trying to figure out what an instructor will be looking for in the beginning of a course is challenging. Now that I have taken this class and understand the oregonstate.edu website and many of the resources better, I am sure that I will find some notetaking help that will open doors for me along my journey at OSU and beyond.

Some of the specific tools, tips and strategies that I will use to help my learning style will be the Prezi for future presentations since it seems so visual as my usual learning style must be for me to comprehend and memorize better. I plan on using some of the subject specific tools, such as the tips for studying psychology to get me through the many different psychology courses I will be required to complete. I want to use flashcards, mapping and especially the calendar at a glance to keep on task for each class. SMART goal setting techniques learned in the course will enable me to stay focused and set specific goals along the way that are more manageable and realistic for me.

I plan on using OSU resources such as the Disabilities Access Services again next term so that I can complete my courses with confidence while I am healing from my surgery. I will use the library interloan services more, NetTutor for my statistics and success counseling if it feels as though things are becoming overwhelming due to my restriction with use of right hand. I would like to become involved more in some of the community resources that were discussed in class such as helping with community gardens and food programs for those less fortunate because it has always been so important to me to give back since I was once in the position that others reached out to help me. I would like to become more involved in community volunteering that would benefit cancer patients and Domestic Violence victims and families due to my own pasts experiences. Becoming a member of the Psi Chi Honor Society for my Psychology major is important so that I have access to more information and more contacts that will allow me to become more involved along the way at OSU.

My short-term goal for the upcoming term is to plan ahead before the term starts by putting family obligations and other appointments into my term at a glance calendar 2 weeks before the term starts. I will follow up by sending emails to my instructors to request copies of the syllabus’ 2 weeks before the term starts to enter into my term at a glance calendar and buy my books as soon as they are verified for the correct versions by the instructors.  My long term goal will be to finish my Statistics courses by end of Summer 2017 while continuing to work and manage other family responsibilities. I used the SMART goal training we learned this term to make sure that my goals were specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and timely and plan on continuing to use it in the future. Using the SMART goal steps helped me to pinpoint exactly what I need to do to reach each goal without overreaching and being more successful with each goal in the long run.

When it comes to online learning…

I naturally possess the skills of written communication, ability to learn new tools and technologies quickly, strong work ethic, ability to handle pressure, and organization.

The areas I have identified as ones that I’d like to improve on are time management, maintaining my drive, and planning ahead when personal commitments interfere with my typical school schedule.

I plan on using my learning in this class to support my success by writing up a 10-week-calendar with all of my school due dates and personal commitments at the beginning of week 0 for each semester. I will post it and add to it as I make new appointments, travel plans, plans for outings during usual school hours, etc. I also plan to print all of my syllabi, highlight important info, and post them by my school work area so that I see them on a regular basis. I learned to use a syllabus as an important tool throughout the term instead of an overview at the beginning of the term. I will also be using the research tools we learned about on a regular basis. I learned to embrace making goals instead of being annoyed by them (lol), because I am the one who is making them be whatever I want them to be. Previously I saw goals as tossing a want up into the air as something to reach toward that I may or may not accomplish. Setting SMART goals helps me to look ahead and maintain my drive to get the outcome that I want. Goals were vaguely in my thoughts, but weren’t thoroughly thought out. I was still disappointed when I didn’t meet a vague goal I had in mind, and not planning it out was allowing me to slack off and lower my standards in some situations.

The specific tools, tips, and strategies I will use…

With my learning style in mind, I will use audio books when available to appeal to my auditory learning style and take stress off of my eyes from reading on the computer so much. I will avoid procrastination that doesn’t appeal to my interpersonal skills because I am rushing near the due date to interact with other students on discussion boards, instead of having time to interact. I will listen to quiet lyric-free music to help keep me free of distraction and appeal to my musical learning style. I will use the Prezi presentation tool suggested this week in other classes down the road. I love the look of the presentations and how easy it is to use. I will also use the SMART goal writing strategies to keep myself on track.

The OSU resources I plan to use are…

I want to get involved with Psi Chi Honor Society for my student involvement. It seems like the perfect organization for me because I can gain online psychology resources, network online with others interested in psychology, and have occasional opportunities for in-person contact with the other students in the organization. For academic support, the resources I plan to use at OSU are home-delivered library books, NetTutor, and Success Counseling.

My goal for the upcoming term and longer-term outlook…

My short-term goal is to improve upon my first semester and get all of my assignments turned in next semester. I missed some due dates while traveling, and that snowballed quickly into me trying to recover and still do my missed assignments so I knew the material for exams while doing the next week’s workload. As a full-time student with 4 young children, I don’t have much flexibility in the amount of time I have to complete my work, and accumulating more work than I can complete in a week left my head spinning and added a lot of stress. (Not to mention that I’m worried what my GPA will look like.) I have written up a SMART goal that helped me to see how I will accomplish staying on task, because when I do, I get good points on assignments. I just need to get them done on time!

I traveled to Seattle for a week with my family to see my brother and his family. It was more difficult to fit in necessary studying time to complete my course assignments than I anticipated.
I traveled to Seattle for a week with my family to see my brother and his family. It was more difficult to fit in necessary studying time to complete my course assignments than I anticipated.
We also drove to Montana during this term to visit my husband's family for Thanksgiving. On the 2nd trip, I got my assignments done before we left.
We also drove to Montana during this term to visit my husband’s family for Thanksgiving. On the 2nd trip, I got my assignments done before we left.

My longer-term outlook is specific in that it is to become a member of The Psi Chi Honor Society for students who have a psychology major or minor, but because the membership requires a certain grade-point average and number of psychology credits before you can join, it aids in my overall goal of keeping on task during each semester to meet those subgoals.

Specific steps I took this term to be able to identify my goals were…

Reflection prompted by this class really helped me identify what I could work on to improve and encouraged me to meet accomplishment goals that I can be proud of while at OSU. Making the SMART goals helped me make my goals and then think about how I will actually accomplish them. Also, reflection on why I was struggling helped me identify my goals, because I was then able to pinpoint areas that I could improve upon.

Online learning has truly been a blessing in my life. Before I became an online student, I was struggling to get good grades, make it to class, and focus in lecture. The second I decided to switch to online classes, was the second I decided to take my education into my own hands. In the past it was easy for me to blame my surroundings for my lack of success. But now, I am aware that I am fully responsible for my own future, happiness and success. This leads to me to a few strengths that I possess. Knowing that I am in control of my future is one of the biggest strengths I can think of. I am in control of my time, which helps me become better at time managing. Like I’ve learned and mentioned throughout this course, time management is something I have always been relatively good at. I’m very organized, and task-oriented. Lastly, I am very motivated to graduate and do well, which helps me successfully complete assignments, ask for help when I need it and strive for success. These few things really help me with my online learning and will continue to help me later in life. I would still like to improve my studying habits. I think a lot of times I learn information for a test or exam, and then afterwards I put it out of my mind and don’t truly retain the information. I can do this by making flashcards, lists, and reviewing information in visual ways (since this is my chosen learning style). By seeing how I best learn, I can figure out ways to better my education experience.
Aside from using my learning style to help me study for tests, I can use it in my daily life as well. Since organization is important to me, and also important to my success in the future, I can continue to make detailed lists, mark up my calendar, and set goals. From this class I re-learned the importance of setting SMART goals. Before I would set goals that were unattainable, because it’s easy to want to achieve something, but it’s difficult to actually put in the effort to do so (as I’m sure you all know). Now I know how to best set goals that are reachable and measurable so I feel productive and successful on a regular basis- I think this is important to overall happiness.
The resource I chose to use for my further academic involvement is Young Life. I think this organization will help expand my faith, network, and group of life-long friends. I have an interest in this organization because I have been a part of it for 3 years, and I would like to become more involved with the hope that it will make me enjoy Oregon State even more. I think another great resource at Oregon State is the clubs available for each major. I have been a member of the Human Development and Family Science club since the beginning of my sophomore year. It has allowed me to meet people both online and in-person, that take the same classes as me and are interested in and someday doing something similar career wise.
My goal for the upcoming term is to get a 4.0 GPA. I think this is very attainable because I am only taking 12 credits, and I have been able to maintain good grades for over a year now. I’m going to do this by keeping good study habits, working ahead, and always doing my best on quizzes and assignments. I identified this goal with the interest of raising my entire GPA at Oregon State. For my Master’s program I need to have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0, which I do, but I would like to strive for a higher one. It also is important to me because college is so expensive, and I want to make sure I am getting the most out of my education. Overall, I’m really excited about everything I have learned in this course, and I think it is applicable to my future education, but also succeeding in daily life as well!

 

My strengths are a great places to start. The picture is an illustration of my home life and inspiration to keep going. I find strength in my goals and belief in myself. I believe I’ve made the right choices that led me to where I am and now I have to stick to it and get the most out of this experience as possible. I find strength in knowing right from wrong and doing the next right thing, paying it forward and striving for growth. I find strength in my support system of family and friends and am open about what I’m up to and how everything is. Being accountable to people and class helps keep me focused gives me motivation and momentum.

 

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School has been a long road already and I just started at Oregon State. I went back to school in September 2011. My son was 9 months old and I was a single mother on state assistance, and working part time. I had dropped out of high school when I was 16 and had never really applied myself in an academic setting so it was interesting at first. I had to get honest about how I was going to learn and do my best-so I did what had never done before and sat in the front of the class and hung on every word the instructor said. I took notes and went to tutoring centers and worked with classmates on homework. I slowly began to understand what it meant to try my best and I started learning the value of education. I also was on the deans list X amount of times and that encouraged me to continue trying. Meanwhile my personal life was a bit of an issue, drinking became more of a priority and it was harder to juggle things and do well. So since going back to school in 2011 there were short periods of time that I took a break to save myself wreckage at school. But it has still been something I never planned on dropping completely, and over that time it became clear to me that I should go to school for something I can put my passions into. In 2014 I spent a term with DeVry University online and then decided to go back to the Community College for a transfer degree. I started looking into online universities and state universities that had online programs. (Meanwhile my sister graduates OSU with a BA in Anthropology) SURPRISE

I want to help people!..and Oregon State has a Human Development and Family Sciences Degree, that I could use in many different scenerios and career paths. So here I am. Over the last 2 and a half years it has been a rollercoaster, no longer a single mother, self/family supporting, available to help and learn and grow, clear headed and focus and goals I know I can attain. Life is very surprising and what we can acheive is amazing.