As some of you might recall from the first few weeks of class, this is my last year at Oregon State. Time seriously goes by so quickly, and I’m both thankful and surprised how far I’ve come throughout college. Online learning is truly a blessing to me and just recently my family as well. A few days ago I found out my mom has been diagnosed with cancer. One of the biggest strengths that I’ve realized about online learning this week is the amount of flexibility- it will allow me to drive her to any and every appointment and be home to help her while she is sick. As for personal strengths I am a very organized person and I’m generally good with time-management. This is perfect for an online learning setting because I can sit down in the beginning of the week and write out what is expected of me, and make sure I have time to do it all on top of keeping up with my social life, and hobbies outside of school. I can’t stress enough how much I love online classes. I didn’t think “going” to school could be so fitting in my life and become something that I truly enjoy.

I believe I am pretty familiar with online courses and what they have to offer. I am surprised however at the difference it makes when you’re taking a full 15 credit schedule, versus just one online class. I have spent so much time on my computer and I actually am going laptop shopping today- super excited! I’m also surprised how well the rest of my life is falling into place around my online schooling. I can’t imagine what things would be like if I was still living in Corvallis right not, unable to travel and be home for my family.

As a freshman unaware of what I wanted to do with my life, I was in the Exercise Sports Science major program. I took anatomy, biology and chemistry only to find out that it wasn’t what I wanted to do… yes that’s right I went through sleepless nights of studying for exams in classes I no longer need to graduate. I struggled quite a bit these first few years, but as soon as I switched my major everything clicked and I started preforming very well in my classes. I now strive to get A’s in my classes, versus just making sure I pass with a C. I’m surprised how far I’ve come over the years, but also just in these past few weeks. I’m extremely motivated to graduate with a good GPA and with memorable experiences of my senior year. I’m surprised mostly that during week one of Fall term, I decided I loved online learning so much that I might even get my masters online. I always thought once I was done with my undergrad that I would say “see-ya” to school and start my life. I now cannot wait to further my education even more. A lot can change throughout college courses-in ways you can’t imagine-they open your mind to things you’ve never thought of before. Obviously the course information is interesting and most of it is new to learners, but throughout college courses you actually gain so much more understanding about yourself- and because of that, I am surprised.

Not to say I don’t have struggles, but compared to my previous college years, my struggles seem non-existent. First, you should understand that I struggled so much my last three years to physically go to class. I had a really bad habit of knowing I wouldn’t be able to learn in lecture, so I would teach myself what I needed to know and not show up to class at all. You can imagine that this impacted my results in the classes I was taking, because most of the time attendance is part of your grade. Now that my classes are online- the problem is resolved! I guess one thing I struggle with at times is not wanting to sit down and do my work. I know this sounds petty, but it’s true. Sometimes I just have “better” things to do. This is when the self-talk comes in and I remind myself that school is my job, and my work needs to be done whether I want to or not. Overall, I’m not struggling with online classes and I’m very thankful for that.

Hello everyone everyone!

All I can say is what the heck happened for three weeks to have already gone by? Well like my life there’s so much going on it just flies by, as the single mother of three super amazing and very active kids I hit the ground running as soon as I get up into the morning. I don’t stop until very late in the evening.  Some of you may have noticed I submit most of my assignments and discussions around 11:30 pm or even later. So to get things back on track my struggles, strengths, and surprises thus far…….

Sruggles

Well let’s start with the struggles. My biggest struggle has been finding enough time to get everything accomplished. From getting kids to and from practice, to games, to work, to coaching, to listening to my 8 year old read for 20 min. Oh crap they have to eat so I make dinner. Then it’s showers and bed time. After they go to bed I tuck them in, say good night and I love them. This is when I finally have a few moments to breath and collect my thoughts before jumping on my computer and  knock out my school work. To be honest I’ve fallen asleep on my laptop. What do you do? You push forward.  I’m still trying to find that healthy balance and use my time wisely but it seems like each week gets a little bit easier.

Strength 

As each week passes I find new ways to make things work for me. My greatest strength is that I’ve always been a self starter and learner. Knowing how to find what I need to get the information I need as well. My favorite part is that have the freedom to work on my assignments when it’s convenient for me. I love that flexibility.  When I’m doing research I take a picture of the assignment details on my phone. As I gather my information I can continue to refer back to make sure I’m getting the information I need. It’s been a great help and a time saver as well.

Surprises

My biggest surprise has been how interactive this experience has been. I actually feel like online may be better then actually being in a classroom. Our discussion boards give students strength to comment and express their opinions. Simply because there’s nobody to judge you. Sure we are all being judged in some way but the odds of us meeting face to face is just not likely. Personally, I feel more comfortable saying whatever comes to mind and sharing information on what works for me without feeling stupid or embarrassed.  Which brings me to the next thing that surprised me was how many people feel the way I do or have experienced difficulty in learning. Many of our students have inspired me to try and do new things or look at a topic in a different light; to just open my eyes and give me new perspective.

I really just want to say thank you to everyone out there for all of your engagement and experience.  I love hearing how life just happens and how everyone finds a way to push forward. Sorry I think I’m talking and just rambling on, it’s my first blog and I’m excited, scared and well  as little sleep deprived. It’s a great day to be a Beaver!

 

Hello, everyone!

It’s hard to believe it’s already been three weeks. I’m amazed I’ve made it this far in one piece. School isn’t something that’s necessarily come easy to me throughout my life. I’d like to think I’m a (relatively) smart person, and I certainly try hard, but like everyone I have my own limitations. We are all presented with challenges in life, and it’s all part of the human experience to overcome them. I am definitely no exception.

When it comes to school, I got delayed a couple years. I partly blame it on being a pig on the Chinese zodiac, as we’re known to be late bloomers, but it’s probably mostly due to anxiety (but that just doesn’t sound as nice). The thing is, I’m painfully shy. Like, have-my-mom-make-my-doctor’s-appointments shy. Because of this, and a few other setbacks, I never thought I’d be able to make it in college. Or a career. Or even life at some points.

But, my passion for animals has helped me to overcome that. I knew in my heart my life’s purpose was to help wild animals, and I couldn’t do that without a degree. That was the push I needed. So, I spent a few months researching schools and reviewing my options, and I came across OSU. I was instantly impressed by the Fisheries and Wildlife program, and really liked the idea of distance learning. I wasn’t sure I have the discipline for it (I don’t), but I decided to apply. And here I am.

Something that’s come as a huge surprise to me these first couple of weeks, is that I can do this. I learn differently, but I can learn. I can succeed.

A few weeks before school started, I had an absolute meltdown. I was constantly panicking, wondering if I’d made the wrong choice. I wasn’t sure I could do this. Would the work be too much? Would online school be too isolating? What if I needed help? Would I be able to utilize all the resources? Am I smart enough?

But I’m here, and I’m not only alright, but I already feel like I’m thriving here.

Despite being anxious and overly critical, I do have strengths, even if it’s hard to remember that sometimes.

One of my strengths is the amount of passion I have. I have such a drive to succeed, and such a desire to do what I love, that I can overcome all of my weaknesses.

As far as weaknesses go, I’m very disorganized, I have an awful memory, very little discipline, and I just seem to process information differently than others. Back in school, I was awful at math. Painfully awful. I had teachers who passed me because they knew how hard I tried and felt bad (yes, they really told me that). But, I had one teacher, Mr. Hawkins, who spent a lot of time working with me individually. He showed me how to do each problem a million ways. And while it usually took me a week or two to grasp, I always got it. Strangely enough, I’d always have an easier time understanding the longer/more tedious equations than the shortcut versions he taught everyone else. What that taught me is if I don’t “get” something the first time, there is always an alternate way. There are so many ways to learn.

I’ve used that lesson to help me here at OSU. When I do my work, I always do it on the couch because I feel trapped at a desk. It greatly increases my productivity by reducing the time I spend fidgeting and wishing I was anywhere (literally anywhere) but sitting at a desk for hours. Another thing I do is when I’m doing a reading, I always read it once slowly, taking my time, then again to take notes. Not only to I better absorb the information, but I don’t waste time or paper on things that aren’t key facts because I’ve already finished and understood the reading as a whole, so I know what matters.

What I’m saying is I can adapt to anything, which is a quality I’m very lucky to have, and didn’t even know I had outside of sophomore year geometry. It was a big shock when the first time I felt discouraged when attempting an assignment, that I was able to identify a different way to look at it, think about it, and complete it.

Essentially, the biggest surprise I’ve learned at OSU so far is also my biggest strength: I’m capable. Despite my setbacks, struggles, illnesses, and whatnot, I’m so capable. I have some days where I feel less so than others, but I know that I can do this, and I’m where I’m meant to be.

Hi everyone!

I find it so hard to believe that we’re already 3 weeks into this term and its even more hard to believe that I’m actually pursing my goal of going back to school! These first few weeks as an online student have been quite interesting but also a great experience to better prepare me for what is coming next in the remainder of this term. I have never been involved in a blog, nor have I hardly ever read too many other people’s blogs so this whole thing is a completely new experience that I willing to embrace!

I would like to start off by talking about my struggles that I have gone through in order to be where I am today. As many of you already know, I am a mother to my beautiful daughter, Gracelyn, and an Army-wife to my amazing husband, Brendyn. Becoming a mother at the age of 18 definitely gave me that extra push towards being the best that I possibly could, and following my husband 1,700 miles across the country caused me to struggle for a while and figure out how I could go back to school this Fall. Thankfully I discovered Oregon State University one night in my frantic search for online degrees and since I got accepted, I have never felt more sure of what I am doing to not only better my daughter’s future, but to better mine as well.  My biggest struggle is finding time to balance my school work with my daughter. I am a stay-at-home mom so that right there seems like I should have all the time in the day to sit down and complete my school work, but the first thing that I learned was I cannot focus at all if my daughter is awake and playing in front of me. This means I do my work while she is sleeping in the morning before she wakes up, during her daily nap, and after she goes to bed. Another struggle with that is the limit on how much I can do during those short periods, which caused me to reduce how many credits I am taking at a time and that has been a struggle to accept still because there’s always this feeling of standards that if you don’t graduate within 4 years then you are slacking. I am slowly getting more used to the idea that I won’t finish my degree in those 4 years. One thing that I do to give my break a mind from the daily routine is take my daughter for car rides to the surrounding playgrounds around town or on my day “off” from school when I am ahead of schedule, we’ll pack up the car and drive 2 hours to Lake Michigan! If any of you are ever in Michigan by some chance visiting relatives or just on vacation, I would definitely recommend you take a visit to the Sleeping Bear Sand Dunes! It’s like a piece of heaven on Earth in my eyes!

With the presence of struggles in life comes the ability to gain strengths to help you get through that tough part! Online learning has really opened my eyes to how simple things can make a huge difference in the long run. In high school, I always stayed on schedule and I never really ventured too far ahead in getting work done days before the work was due. Online learning has been my motivator to getting as much work done as early before it is due in order to have more time to spend with my daughter without always having assignments or due dates stuck in the back of my mind. Also, I have been able tot take advantage of my white board calendar that has sat bare in my closet for years because I have never really had use for it before I started up classes this year. Aside from my self-motivation that has been slowly becoming more profound, I also have grown to appreciate the flexibility that online learning offers its students. Having that flexibility really takes a weight off my shoulders and I don’t need to worry about putting my daughter in a daycare while I go to campus classes or worry about what credits will transfer where when my husband and I move back to Michigan after he gets out of the Army.

 

And last but certainly not least, I have had my share of plenty of surprises when classes started up 3 weeks ago. Actually my first surprise was when I got my acceptance letter in the mail saying I will be starting college this Fall because I was really doubting my ability to get accepted after taking a year off after high school. I’m sure at least some of you can relate on that feeling of relief when you opened that letter and read the news of acceptance! I had taken various online classes in high school, but I had no idea what to expect that first week of classes. I was very surprised how after feeling pretty intimidated the first few weeks prior to classes starting, I did not feel intimidated at all once I saw how things worked in the classrooms. Another huge surprise to myself is how well I have been doing so far. Especially after taking a year off after high school I thought I would be set back some by doing that but I have not struggled academically yet which is one of the best feelings for me.

These past 3 weeks have been going by so great so lets keep up the good work through the remainder of this term! I know I tend to write a lot so thanks for bearing with me through that!

Throughout my long path to complete my educational goals I have faced many difficult challenges; however, I have found the resilience to get through them so this term will be no different even if it sometimes feels as though the world is crashing down on me I know I will survive another term as in the past. I can look past the old challenges because this year I am closer to my path and am lucky enough to be starting my education at OSU as a Junior knowing that I have been fortunate to have been given such an opportunity and know that there is a new horizon ahead.

I am sure that I mentioned somewhere in my introduction post on the discussion board that this term I had a complete shoulder replacement over the summer on my right (dominant arm). My Struggles are having to accept that it was okay to have to cut back on the number of credits this term was okay and that my best this term may not be quite equal to my best thus far with getting things done and turned in early, being able to spend as much time on each assignment without pushing past my pain threshold, taking detailed notes and typing as fast as I usually can due to having only one hand to do so. I have struggled to take utilize technology and disability resources at OSU to get additional assistance that I normally would be more independent on. I have always been someone who loved a challenge; however, this term has been much more challenging for me as I struggle to keep up with assignments, manage family time, physical therapy appointments, financial challenges related to having fewer resources due to my temporary disability (time off from work) and my husband being laid off from his job within two months of my surgery (another income gone). I know that things will get better because they always seem to work out and I get to look back and say it was just a temporary setback in life that will make my life better in the long run.

My Surprises are that I am doing my first blog without totally freaking out. I have heard about blogging and read my share of blogs while doing research during my educational journey; however, I actually get to be a part of it. I am surprised to see how some of my classmates in this course have been able to just jump right in as though they have done blogging every single day of their adult lives. I have taken many different online courses due to my work and family schedule in the past; however, I have learned so much more from this class which will help me get through my primarily ecampus course schedule throughout my journey with OSU. Being a part of online classes enables me to take all of the input from so many other students and utilize it to help me become a more efficient online student. In a classroom setting, I primarily get to listen to the instructor talk but in the online courses everyone seems to be able to have their input heard and communicate as though we are all working together in the moment and they are all so supportive and encouraging. I am so proud of how all of my classmates are able to overcome many different challenges so that they too can continue their own education for themselves and as examples for their children and anyone else in the world. All of the input, etc. helps me to learn better how to manage my time because I can see that there are many challenging reasons why we all take online courses. Blogging seems to be another way for us to continue to communicate and learn together.

As far as Strengths go, I am finally beginning to get set into a bit of a schedule this week that I can manage. I feel a lot less stressed and not so limited on time to do my assignments now that some additional time restricting challenges have been resolved for now and I can actually set a more manageable schedule. My strength of having taken a few prior online courses with a community college and having this course to help ease me into OSU’s online setup will enable. I have a great deal of determination and resilience which has enabled me to overcome many challenges and I know that the ecampus is a great fit for me. Preparing ahead and organizing tasks into manageable chunks has always been effective and online courses allow me to do this on my time once the first two weeks of the quarter are out of the way and I have better understanding of how the course will be laid out. I am a very visual learner so these online courses are a strength of mine also because I can see tasks that need to be done one thing at a time and when they are due.

 

Okay, my title may be misleading…. its not always true folks… Though it is a motto I live by, I always remember that I have a 100% track record for getting through hard times. And, I am not going to lie! The last three weeks have not been easy but, I am blessed to be an Oregon State Beaver and know that every little thing… Is gonna be alright!

My three S’s… Well, I gotta start with my struggles, because they are ever so apparent around me…

I have stated before I am my mothers caretaker, a mother to five, a wife to be, and a college student. Each of my kiddos has an activity, I homeschool one of them, and one of them is only close to five months old. We like to call it batcrap craziness around here. That is my struggle, it seems hard to me to actually block out that time to work on MY homework because it always seems as though someone needs me. For example, today! I was going to spend most of the stormy day in the house cuddled with my honey (hes home for a couple of weeks) and read my texts and watch Twilight Zone. No such luck, my mom ended up developing a serious ear infection and I found myself waiting at an urgent care, getting medications, and the whole shebang… Five hours later we were home, only to pick kids up from school and move on to the next set of insanity. So, here I sit… 12:01 am wanting to be up in bed with my honey and baby, but committing to my homework because I’m already further out than I wanted to be. One of these days I will get it… And set it on fire!

Alas though! I love the flexibility of online learning, that could definitely go into my Strengths. I continue to learn what an absolutely amazing human I truly am. Even though through every moment today I survived and I am here doing it! I have learned that I am capable of reading pages and pages and pages of boring political science text and meeting the deadline to get an assignment done in time. I’ve been successful at loving on my kiddos even when I’m stressed to the gills. I’ve also recognized where I need to make some major changes. Baby steps to success.. baby stepping through the office, baby stepping through the office! I am a degree seeking student working her tail off. In my eyes, at this point, that alone is a strength. So, guess what all y’all? Y’all are strong too!

And my success… Well, I get excited when I turn in assignments on time… So in that regard I have had a few. Besides my own successes, I have been watching my daughter flourish in her math program at home. Which is a big deal for our family. She has struggled SO much and a big part of me going to school was so that her and I could do school together. She sees mommy working hard and in turn, she herself, is working hard too. I couldn’t be prouder. I consider that a huge deal. Like I stated in my last paragraph, just being here is a strength and most definitely can be considered a success. I’ve always wanted to be a Beaver. And here I am, in a way that works for my family.

 

 

Thank you each for being an encouragement to me! I’m a fortunate gal!

And PS… I was never able to tell everyone… I am a die hard Seattle SuperSonics fan therefore my favorite team is not the Golden State Warriors. In fact, until this last basketball season I hadn’t watched a basketball game since the Seattle Supersonics were sold to Oklahoma City… and random fact, they were sold by the owner of Starbucks… So, I also have not drank a Starbucks drink in the same amount of time. Bring my Sonics back!!!!!

 

Hello everyone!

Can you believe it’s already week three?! I forget how these weeks during the term just fly by! This is my fifth year in college (i’m taking things slow) and my first time blogging, I don’t exactly know what i’m doing so this should be fun!

Lets start with my struggles and get that out of the way! Though I am a fifth year, this is my first year online, the past four years I was on campus with an online class here and there, so I am completely trying to re-accommodate my learning strategies to work with all my online courses. I am a very hands on, visual learner. Being an Ag Science major that works great because I have had a lot of classes that had labs or even field trips, but with online learning there are no soil labs or field trips to elk feeding grounds. I feel like it consist of a lot a reading, and that’s something that is hard for me to sit and do (unless its a novel by Jeannette Walls!), I tend to go from reading to quickly scanning the pages and then sometimes even dozing off. I know I can do it, its just going to take a little more motivation and maybe an extra cup of coffee.

Onward with my surprises. It was hard trying to think of something that had surprised me, thinking over the past couple weeks nothing came to mind until I thought about how well I have been able to manage my time with my classes. In the past I have been quite the procrastinator, an assignment was never late but I did have a few close calls, staying late in the library finishing up a paper that was due the next day. But this time I was worried it would be worse with online course, no classes at a certain time to get my butt out the door, no study group meetings between classes and work, for a bit I thought everything would be one big messy wad of school. Though I am writing this blog at midnight, the house is quiet with not distractions, my husband is working late, I have a handful peanut butter m&m’s and the dog is asleep at my feet, this is the perfect time to let my words flow! Not only and I surprised at how well I have been able to manage my time with classes, I am very proud of myself for it, something I thought would actual be a struggle but I am totally rocking it!

Upward with my strengths! For some reason its always easier to think of your struggles rather than your strengths. I think my greatest strength is my determination. Like I said, this is my fifth year in school, i’m so ready to be done after this year! Because of my determination, I think that is why I have been able to manage my time so well and work on overcoming my struggles.I know that in order to get my degree this spring I have to pass all my classes, and to pass my classes I need good grades; I am very determined to get good grades, to pass my classes to finally get that 30 thousand dollar piece of paper in the spring!

Hello Classmates!

Three weeks into my first term and I am a blogger!! Not really this is my first time blogging. To be honest I have I was feeling intimidated until I read Amber’s blog! THANKS Amber!! (I like the way the lines looked on your blog, sooo thanks for the idea to dress it up!)  Read on to learn of my person Surprises, Strengths and Struggles as a Junior at OSU,  the third week of my first term ( please don’t remind me how far I have to go I’m taking it week by week)!

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I think that I will start with SURPRISES. I am so surprised that I am actually working towards my bachelors degree, I have talked about this time so many times with each time ending with “well next September”. Well next September has arrived!! I love that I am actually a junior at a University. I have made it though three weeks and have good no great grades, that is not the surprise, what surprises me is how comfortable I am using the discussion boards , CANVAS and My OSU. I am very intimidated by computers, I don’t even have a face book account and am surprised at my ability to navigate the needed tools thus far in second journey as a student. I was telling my husband how much fun I was having on the computer on the discussion boards and he said that he is surprised by this knowing how I feel about computers!! For me each time I finish an assignment I feels so proud of myself and thsi also surprises me. I am surprised by how proud of myself I am still three week into the term!

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My STRENGTHS go right along with my surprises I feel like. For me, wanting to “do” this for so long, I really want that bachelors degree, I know that there will be tears, sweat, surprises, struggles and triumphs!  I know that I will try hard and get good grades and slack off at times and pay for it on exams. I know that some classes will be easy for me and that some will be a struggle every day. I have a great support system and I know that I will can am doing this and sixths is my strength!

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Finally my STRUGGLES. Well I struggle with typing fast and accurate, which these skills together would be a great asset to me, Ive already been thinking about ways to improve this..any suggestions? As I nod off while reading in the late evenings I think about how challenging reading at night is for me and that I should try to get up early and do my reading.  But morning comes and I’m tired from being up late reading  so I snuggle with my little man in bed till he wakes up after our Super Hero goes to work. Last week I did wait to long into the week to review my Modules and found myself feeling slightly rushed, knowing that I did this to myself I looked at modules on Sunday evening this week, this will be my plan in the future weeks too.  This reminded me that I will have to be ever flexible and committed to online learing!  Another thing that I am really struggling with and this may be the most painful challenge of all currently, especially as I write this blog, this very uncomfortable chair that I have designated as the computer chair, my neck to my toes ache!! This thing has got to go!!

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Thanks Everyone for reading and Good Luck with all your classes, remember we are Lucky to be here and have Chosen to be students, we are Lucky to have this Choice,  make the most of it!

Hello fellow Online Learning Success bloggers!

The first couple weeks of online learning has been wonderful, tiring, engaging, and sometimes a race to get everything finished. I feel like I’ve learned so much in such little time, which is amazing, and also speaks to the amount of information my brain has (hopefully) sponged up in the last 2 weeks. I’m very happy that I’ve chosen to attend OSU, and I’m really impressed with the online courses overall.

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Strengths:

The strengths that I’ve noticed are my determination to do well, my organization, my ability to break big assignments into smaller, doable steps, and my dedication to fitting in schoolwork where I need to as a stay-at-home-mom. Choosing to take the kids to the park on a sunny day and move studying to later is a nice flexibility that allows me to attend college, but I have to follow through and study that evening instead of relaxing or getting something else done.

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Surprises:

As far as surprises, I’ve been pleasantly surprised at how similar to on-ground classes the online learning program is at OSU. I’ve also been surprised at how well my four classes seem to touch on similar topics, creating a beautiful tapestry of learning that spans from statistics, to psychology, to my world religions class. It almost seems more than coincidental how well they all line up, like this is an intended part of the learning experience. Have you noticed a flow of topics within your own classes? Do you think that OSU makes it a point to have topics they like the professors to touch upon each week to encourage flow in the learning?

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Struggles:

The struggles that keep me mindful of the challenges of online learning are those moments in my statistics class where I’m just not getting it and I can’t ask the teacher to explain it another way or have her look over my shoulder to quickly see what I’m doing, as they would in a classroom setting. I appreciate discussion board Q&A, but usually I’m hoping for a more immediate answer while doing these assignments. I’ve thought about trying NetTutor. Have any of you given it a try?

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Blog Post #1: Successful Online Learning: Strengths, Surprises, and Struggles!

In this class we have begun exploring what makes for successful online learning, how your readiness as an online learner prepares you for success and where potential challenges lie, and you have spent in-depth time investigating your learning styles this week. Reflect on all that has happened to you during your first couple of weeks of becoming an online learner.

In your first blog, please address the strengths you have identified in yourself, the surprises you’ve already encountered during your first two weeks, and the struggles that keep you mindful of the challenges of online learning. Read and respond to your classmates’ thoughts. Aim for commenting on at least 5 of the blog entries this week and replying to every comment you receive to your own entry.

To guide your writing for this assignment, review the Blog Rubric, which outlines the criteria that will be used to evaluate your blog post.

For help getting started, revisit the Canvas course Week 3 Module to review instructions and a video tutorial.