Wheelerswife Posted January 20, 2016 Share Posted January 20, 2016 Well, January is here and that means another semester is starting. I'm working on a Master of Science in Education (MSE) in Higher Education Student Affairs. I have one year to go. This semester, I continue as a graduate assistant in our Student Accessibility Services office. This office works on making sure that students with documented disabilities get the access to facilities, course materials, and testing that they need to mitigate their disabilities. I am also doing a practicum in our residential high school completion program for high-achieving high school juniors and seniors who excel in math and science. I will be advising and counseling these students and introducing animal visits with my dog Rosie. Then I have two more graduate classes...Governance and Finance, and Technology in Higher Education. I will be busy this semester! Who else is in school? What are you studying? Maureen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trying Posted January 20, 2016 Share Posted January 20, 2016 I am in massage therapy school doing an accelerated course and will be done in May and be ready to sit for my license. I am also doing an online certificate program through University of Arizona in Integrative Medicine, I will be done with that program in April if I can get my graduation project done. I will be spending the next few months studying, getting my massage hours in, researching, and trying to figure out how I am going to combine these 2 new credentials with my physical therapy degree to make a career change. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
widowat33 Posted January 20, 2016 Share Posted January 20, 2016 I am taking mental health and addictions. I am in my last semester, we are in class for 7 weeks and then placement for 8 weeks. So only 5 more weeks of classes! I'm not sure what will happen next, but I know I'm not done with school yet! Thinking psychology maybe? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daysofelijah Posted January 20, 2016 Share Posted January 20, 2016 I just finished my practicum for adding media specialist on to my Pre-K-6 teaching license. I had started working on it before dh got sick and stopped with just the practicum left to do in 2012. It was good to get it out of the way finally. I originally was going to get my master's, but I don't have the time or money to finish that anymore. Plus I'm afraid of the thesis/starred paper aspect. I don't currently work full-time, I teacher sub in our local district. Plan to get a full time teaching job again once the youngest is in kindergarten, hopefully. I'm finding I don't like elementary age anymore and prefer middle school, so we'll see what I end up doing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karin Posted January 21, 2016 Share Posted January 21, 2016 I'll be re-starting my third semester of coursework toward earning a Masters of Library & Information Science degree. I'm not really looking forward to it, wondering if I'm going back too soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jen Posted January 21, 2016 Share Posted January 21, 2016 Meeeeee!! IN six weeks I'll be finished with my bachelor's of science in nursing. Hopefully that will be the end of it, cos I'm tired of school! This will make... um... five degrees in two fields. That should be sufficient, right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest TooSoon Posted January 21, 2016 Share Posted January 21, 2016 I'll be re-starting my third semester of coursework toward earning a Masters of Library & Information Science degree. I'm not really looking forward to it, wondering if I'm going back too soon. Don't be shy asking your professors to work with you. I teach at a University with an extremely diverse population and have worked with students through all manner of situations to get them through the semester, including the deaths of parents and spouses. Here's hoping the diversion will be good for you. I'm rooting for you --- well, for all of you, of course! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wheelerswife Posted January 22, 2016 Author Share Posted January 22, 2016 I'll be re-starting my third semester of coursework toward earning a Masters of Library & Information Science degree. I'm not really looking forward to it, wondering if I'm going back too soon. I went back to school...new semester...11 days after my husband died. I knew that I needed something to keep me going. As distracted as I was, having deadlines gave me something on which to focus. I hope you can find some structure to your time and success in your studies. Maureen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
widowat33 Posted January 22, 2016 Share Posted January 22, 2016 I agree with Maureen. I started less than two months after he died. It was probably the best thing I could've done for myself. It made me get out of bed and work towards something positive for my future! Even though he was never far from my thoughts it gave me something to focus on. Of course it's not the same for everyone, so I'm hoping that it all works out for you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gabzmom Posted January 23, 2016 Share Posted January 23, 2016 I'm not in school but am considering going back for my masters. I've been involved with the local CC as I believe that higher ed, whether in CC or the 4 year institutions, provide opportunity for jobs. I found that I'm not so in love with what I'm currently doing and want to return to my passion: HR/human improvement and performance. This business that I'm in may have been more a dream for the family. But now it's suffocating me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
biscuit Posted January 24, 2016 Share Posted January 24, 2016 I'm in my last semester of my Master's program for structural engineering. Being a grad student is hard enough, add being a widow on top, extremely difficult. The one good thing about my school is they have good counseling resources. The bad thing is my department does not understand anything about grief and continues to put pressures on me to be as academically successful as my other classmates. Wishing all of you in school luck as well. I think we deserve a badge of honor for even attempting school. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wheelerswife Posted January 24, 2016 Author Share Posted January 24, 2016 We can pull this off, biscuit! I'm facing my most challenging semester yet. But we are going to do this! One week down, 15 to go. Hugs, Maureen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bumbleb Posted January 24, 2016 Share Posted January 24, 2016 Here! I graduate in May with my BBA-Accounting and Both my courses are online this semester. I am loving the freedom of this online only semester. I started back to school 6 months after he died. It kept me focused. I'm still working as a student worker in the grants/donor office, but I really like the work and environment so I might try to find a job @other local universities/cc. I'd like to get my grad degree immediately, but I need a brain break. I just wanna work and enjoy my kids and my weekends. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karin Posted February 7, 2016 Share Posted February 7, 2016 I'm feeling a little better about this semester after an e-mail exchange with my professor yesterday. I realized that signing up for the previously dropped class with the same professor, who knows my situation, was a smart move. I assumed that I would have to complete all previous assignments over again, 6 weeks of work before I dropped the class, restarting rather than resuming the course. I asked her to confirm, reminding her of why I dropped the course last semester, and she told me that she's perfectly okay with me resubmitting last semester's work for those assignments. Yippee!! That's a huge relief, since I'm still not feeling 100% focused yet, and I really didn't relish the idea of writing new papers on the same assigned topics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lcoxwell Posted February 8, 2016 Share Posted February 8, 2016 I am currently taking an online course to get an authorization in Autism added to my current Education Instruction Specialist teaching credential. I am also giving some consideration to starting courses in the near future towards getting a Master's Degree in Instructional Technology. At one point in time, my Kenneth had been pushing me to get a Master's Degree in either Special Education or Administration. I was even on the fast track toward becoming an administrator; however, I came to the decision that I loved being in the classroom far too much to give up teaching and to move into a principal or other district office position. Then, Kenneth's health got so bad, that I had to give up any thoughts of continuing my education. Even if I had wanted to, there was no money and no time for it. Nearly two years after his death, I am finally in a position where I can actually give serious consideration to going back to work on my Master's Degree, and I can pursue something that I am truly interested in. Since I moved from NC to CA, I would have to go back and take entry level classes to get my Master's Degree in Special Education from a CA college. Now that I am in my 16th year of teaching, that seems a bit ridiculous. Since I know I have no interest in administration, that doesn't seem fitting, either. With the influx of technology and the drive toward including technology in our instruction, it seems like getting a Master's in Instructional Technology would be the way to go. I would be learning something new, so I would not be bored to tears; and I could take what I learned and actually use it in the classroom. The whole idea of becoming a student again really excites me, but I worry about the time commitment and the stress of having to add another thing to my busy schedule. In the end, I think it would be worth it, though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
widowat33 Posted February 29, 2016 Share Posted February 29, 2016 So my program is done as of last Thursday, well except for the twelve page essay we got assigned in one of our last classes, due this week of course. So that's what I spent my weekend doing and I am now officially done school work. Tomorrow I start my eight week placement. I kind of deviated from the norm on my placement choice, I took mental health and addictions, but chose a nursing home as my placement. The mental health of seniors is definitely overlooked, so I am excited to start tomorrow, nervous too, but mostly excited! When I went back to school after being out of high school for over 15 years, and two short months after my dh died, I thought that I would never get through two years. Here I am, I can see the finish line and I can't believe how fast it went by! I don't think I'm done yet, I would like to continue on with education, but for now I may take a break! Hope everyone else is doing well with their educational paths! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wheelerswife Posted February 29, 2016 Author Share Posted February 29, 2016 Good for you! I still have until December, when I will graduate. I hope you find the nursing home placement a good experience. I worked in this setting for over a decade...and you are right, these residents have a lot of mental health needs. You might be surprised at the breadth of issues you might end up addressing, including addictions. You might also see a number of people you wouldn't think you would find in a nursing home...young people, often with chronic illness and mental health diagnoses. I hope you can get some good experience in your placement! Maureen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trying Posted February 29, 2016 Share Posted February 29, 2016 Congratulations widowat33 and good luck with your placement. I have spent a lot of time in te geriatric field also, I think you will find it to be challenging and rewarding! Last Wednesday I took my final exam for my online program and am only waiting to hear about revisions for my graduation project. That program was taking 10-15 hours a week, what will I do with all of that time now?? In May I will be finished with Massage Therapy school and then can sit for my license. Happy to be in the final stretch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhotoJunkie Posted February 29, 2016 Share Posted February 29, 2016 I start my program a week from today! I finally settled down and picked a school to get my BSN. They partnered with my last school so they accepted more credits than most. That means I only have 12 classes to take and its a go at your own pace. My max deadline is 18 months, when the girl graduates from high school, but I wouldn't mind it being less Congrats to those finishing their programs!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
widowat33 Posted March 1, 2016 Share Posted March 1, 2016 It was a long day, orientation! Thanks everyone! Maureen- so true, there are some younger people there, and quite a few with mental health issues. I had a great chat with one of the seniors today, but didn't get a lot of opportunity to spend time with the residents. December isn't too far away Trying- massage therapy sounds like a great field to get into! It does feel nice to almost be done, doesn't it? I am wondering what I will do now that I don't have homework, but my boys are still in hockey every night, so that's keeping my evenings busy. But once that's over I am going to have so much more time on my hands! Good luck with everything Photojunkie- yay!mi remember in chat you mentioned going back for the BSN, that's awesome that they are willing to accept more credits! Good luck next week Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jen Posted March 2, 2016 Share Posted March 2, 2016 I finished last week! I can add BSN to my alphabet soup. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iloveyoualways Posted April 4, 2016 Share Posted April 4, 2016 I forgot my password and wasn't able to join. Congratulations Jen! I'm in my final week of my preceptorship for a BScN. I can't wait to be done my second degree. But I'm not that young anymore. Photojunky good for you too. I know that you're tired of doing nights. I'm proud for all of us for persevering despite the hardships. I even won a Soroptimist Award that I receive in two weeks. It will pay for my tuition so my school will give me my Degree. It's been a long journey. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wheelerswife Posted April 24, 2016 Author Share Posted April 24, 2016 Well, the semester is winding down in the next couple of weeks. How is everyone doing? I have finished all of my assignments for my dreaded technology class. Quite honestly, it could have been much more rigorous and I could have learned a lot more. But I have finished the work! Yay! I have one other class (Governance and Finance in Higher Education) and a long paper and a presentation to do before the semester is out. I also need to wind up my practicum and write a long reflection on that, too. But...there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Check in, everyone! We can get through the last weeks! Maureen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trying Posted April 24, 2016 Share Posted April 24, 2016 I will be finishing up Massage Therapy school on May 12th and sitting for my license exam on May 25th. Woo hoo! I'm starting to do some leg work to open up my own business. I will start with just massage and then figure out the insurance part of adding my physical therapy also. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
widowat33 Posted April 25, 2016 Share Posted April 25, 2016 I have one week off, and then next week I will finish up with my last week at placement. I love my placement, I wish there was a job available there As for what's next...who knows... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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