Class Cancelled

After a few days corraborating to keep the "Intro to Broadcasting" course alive, it was inevitably a grim day when the dean arrived to take inventory of "live" bodies in the campus newsroom. Sadly, due to low enrollment, the class dismissed - literally and definitely. Just when I was beginning to get niched right in there, too.

So, I've had some time to reflect on my first week of school. Though busy, I absolutely love it! I even like my math class and my math teacher! Imagine that! Me, the "I-hate-math-I-could-spit" person. I especially like how my professor shows us "shortcuts" to long drawn out processes. He does show us the "long" way first, then after several exercises on one concept, he shows us the shortened version.

I am still awaiting a reply back from my prospective professor of photography in hopes that I will be able to meet with him soon prior to officially adding his class, simply because the Monday class has already been to El Dorado Park to take pictures, I imagine of all things nature! How cool but how sad for me, I missed it! Since this is a Monday class, as of today, I missed two classes and next Monday is Labor Day so the school is closed. That will make it three consecutive classes missed. This is why it is vital I meet with him this week so as to get "caught up!" Additionally, I will have to purchase all of the class material (I think) myself, although I wonder what the $20 registration fee then covers? I was told by Mr. Mercer (my journalism professor) that the department provides students with "cameras and things." I only wish I knew if that were true or not. That would help me out tremendously, financially.

Then there is determining the class days and times that work best for me. Since I am already on campus on Mondays and Wednesdays from 11:00A-12:50P, I thought it would be best to take Photography in the morning from 9:00A - 10:50P. This way I will already be there and not lose out on the three units I had to drop. But then again, do I want to take it later in the week, say Tuesday in the morning? Since I don't have my permanent car yet (not until after Sept 11th...and counting!), I can't determine if I can be on campus during the day on Tuesdays. I have a class in the evenings already on Tuesdays - "Mass Media Survey" - a Journalism class.

What to do, what to do. I guess I'll know more tomorrow. Mercer said I would still be able to work (a type of internship) at CNC-Live! In fact, he's recommending me for the TV producer. He paid me a very high compliment in that he said this position requires someone with great organizational skills; someone who could delegate jobs if necessary to others; and to oversee the layout and content for each live show; and he feels I possess these specific skills! This is very encouraging indeed.

Greater Respect

All I can say is that I have a greater respect for broadcast journalists, news reporters, anchor man/woman, and color commentators. While their careers appear to be an illustrious one, the many behind-the-scene details involved, are far less than my own expectations. That is to say, "I had no idea the magnitude reporters have on their audience, and I especially did not expect it to be THIS way at all."

It hasn't cracked my spirits yet, and I probably haven't even touched the tip of the iceberg yet, either!

Journalism - Mass Media Survey

Tonight was an interesting class. There was a good number of people enrolled in the Journalism: Mass Media Survey course which is a good thing. Surprisingly, there were a few Radiology majors or certificate achievers and a few other miscellaneous majors all looking to pic up an elective to complete their GE's, but the majority of the people registered were indeed Communications majors. I met a gal name Evelyn who works at PacifiCare, my former employer of 13 years.

We went around the room to introduce ourselves and give Mercer some sort of idea where we plan to transfer and what we want to be when we grow up. I told him that I loved every aspect of Communications and wanted to be well-rounded in all emphasis. He said I "would have no trouble finding a job!" That's very encouraging!

After we took a tour (for me, this is twice in two days) of the newsroom, I spoke to Mercer about becoming an editor for the school paper. He highly recommended that I take his Journalism 101: Reporting and Writing which meets Mondays and Wednesday from 11:00 AM - 12:50 PM. By enrolling in this course, we would have an online account to CyChron.com and be solely responsible for submitting content information that feeds the school newspaper. Also, we would be assigned beats which includes three face-to-face interviews. This should be interesting! We also are allowed to check-out the state-of-the-art camera equipment necessary to enhance our reporting and journalism. Very cool!

I suppose if I expect to make the class ontime tomorrow, I should, at some point, get to bed. After all, I'll actually need to leave a little earlier so that I can go to Cypress College's Foundation to request a book voucher for the new set of books I now have to purchase for this class. I was originally going to take this course in the Spring of 2007, but quite frankly, since I am still job-less and have the time in the morning, I thought "Why not?" I haven't heard any feedback from the companies I've interviewed with in the past week, so I think this is a wise decision. I just truly hope I won't have to drop a class mid-term as this will become problematic with another "W" on my transcripts. It would jeopardize my scholarship and financial aid status! We don't want that to occur!

Off to bed...more later!

Doing Your Homework Before Class

One thing students should do to prepare for the first day of class is to do some research about the course. I see it many times where students come to class unprepared. At the very most they'll have is a couple pieces of paper and a pen and that's it.

If you really want to impress your professors, you'll do research about the class and the professor. Students can visit the school's website and navigate to the course division or department. If there is a link to the professor, usually there is a syllabus or at the very least a course description. If this is not available, students should check the book information online. Textbooks are listed for each course. Unless you are petitioning a class as a late add or money becomes an issue, there is no reason you should not have the textbook prior to the first day of class.

Other options are used texbook stores. Do a Google search for used texbooks and several listings will return. One of the most popular is Half.com. Here you can enter ISBN numbers, title of the book or search by author. You can add a book selection to your WISH LIST. Books listed on Half.com are exactly that: half off the normal cost of the book or more. You can opt for faster shipping if needed. Overall, your experience on Half.com will be a good one. Actually, any online used textbook store you search for have comparable prices and your success rate with them should be equally as good.

You will earn kudos from your professor if you come prepared with a printed syllabus. This will indicate to your professor that you are not only computer savvy, but that you are eager to learn and taking his/her class seriously. You gain the respect of your professor and the envy of the class.

Another tip: depending on where you prefer to sit in class, I find the best location is towards the front, if not the front row. By sitting towards the front, there is very little distraction. If you are taking a class by yourself (meaning with no friends or family members), pay special attention to your classmates. If you gather outside the classroom awaiting for the doors to open, take a few minutes to survey your classmates. Stay clear from the "chatters" and the "gossipers." If they're chatting up a storm outside of class, they'll chat up a storm in class.

Also, while the professor is reading through the syllabus, highlight any important dates, assignments and other pertinent information you need as you go along. Take note of any incidentals he/she mentions that are not already listed on the syllabus. Use a different color (like red ink) to write in any information not already on the syllabus. Be sure to obtain the professor's email address, office hours (if applicable) and phone number just in case. You never know if while driving into class, you get a flat tire and you never get to school. On that note, you'll want to take at least one or two names, email and phone numbers of fellow classmates for the same purpose. Usually, professors don't check their voice mail or email messages until sometime later in the week, so it is vital to have a "class buddy" to help relay messages to your professor and to obtain material from class. I personally will keep my cell phone on up to five minutes before class just in case a fellow-student tries to call in cases of emergenices. I would want my classmate to do the same for me.

Lastly, when a professor dismisses the class for the day, I make it a point to introduce myself so that my professor will associate a name with a face. This is important especially while leaving a voice/email message. I also identify myself with the days and the times the class meets and especially where I sit adjacent from where he/she instructs (i.e., a podium, front or back of the classroom, right or left of where he/she stands, etc).

Do all that you can to stay one step ahead of the rest of the class and at least stay in sync with the professor's syllabus. Take a look at the first week of class and if there are any reading assignments, start those immediately. I usually make it a point to be one week ahead of the syllabus so as not to get too far behind, especially if you have several classes, this comes in handy. If you are able to email your professor a week before school, do so, and ask for a syllabus or a link to his/her web site to better acquaint yourself with the course subject.

Bottom line, come to class prepared! Treat the first day of class as though you are going on a job interview. Your syllabus acts as your resume. Your research on the class is what you would do normally in researching a potential employer. Dress appropriately. I usually start the first day of school business-casual and depending on the culture of the classroom or the teaching styles of the professors, will determine how I dress in the future. Yes, comfort is important and there's nothing wrong with coming to class in sweats or jeans, but don't come to class in your skivvies! This sends a bad message to your professors and it just speaks volumes of how disinterested you are with his/her class.

By starting these good work habits, provides you with powerful tools to become more marketable!

Geology 100

Tonight's class was pretty interesting. We read through the syllabus and went over some housekeeping details. We began through a slideshow presentaton of some important terminology. Turns out, we have a reading assignment and a research paper due weekly. The research paper is due weekly to keep students on their toes. So if you didn't read the material, I suppose you'd know once grades were posted.

My professor allows audio recordings so this may come in handy. I only hope it doesn't accumulate into a wasted stack of unwanted and unreusable CD's after the semester end as in my Biology and History classes. Plus, I don't know if I can find the software for the digital recorder I have. I suppose I can look for it online, I hope. But the only problem is converting it from a WMA format to MP3 format. I would imagine it will be faster on my new laptop than that of the old one, but I hate to use up so much memory just for that. I'll have to figure out what to do about storage as I don't want to keep it on my hard drive for too long.

So, I have two chapters to read and a research paper to submit by next Monday, Aug 27th. I should get to my reading material by Thursday since I have no classes that day or night. In fact, I have no classes on Thursday or Friday (cool!), but I do have an all-morning Math class on Saturdays! It was either that (Saturday) or nothing. I couldn't rearrange my M or T classes so Sat was the only feasible solution.

More later!

Journalism

Today was interesting! Upon arriving at Journalism 118 class, I met "Raymond" and "Jennifer" who are fellow-classmates. They seemed really nice. Then Mr. Mercer arrives and we begin to get acquainted with the classroom, etc.

There was also a former Cypress College student and recently graduated student from CSUF visiting Mr. Mercer. He much insight on broadcasting, journalism, and Communications as a whole. We found out that live broadcasting from our CNC-Live studios will begin the week of Sept 5, two weeks away! We'll be able to creat a project of our own or with a group. The details are still a little unclear at this point but we'll learn more on Wednesday. Also, on Wednesday, we'll be able to take our Press Pass pictures! Sounds like fun!

Mr. Mercer, seems pretty knowledgeable in his resources, however he lacks (as he admists it himself) some updates on technology. I'm curious to see what Wednesday's class will be like. I hope more people sign up. There was, and still is, a potential threat this class may be canceled due to low enrollment. Mr. Mercer made copies of a flyer on his computer for me and I walked to the student center to have stamped in order for me to post them all throughout the school. I ran into a little snag in getting them photocopied, but I suppose I'll get it done soon.

Okay, more later.

The Big Day

And so it is! The big day has arrived at last. I know it sounds really corny but I was anticipating this day. Philosophically, today marks the beginning of a new chapter of my life. I'm really excited to see what is in store for me in all of my classes. I have two classes today:

Journalism 118 - Broadcasting
Geology 100

Well, I'm off to have breakfast and get ready to leave. Stay tuned. I'll be writing later today or tonight to follow-up.

Blog you later!

Dear Diary...

I have this friend, "Jessica," who I absolutely adore and we share so much in common, in terms of school, that is. We are both overachievers, strive to be "the best" in class, and get along well with our professors. Okay, so I lied about having alot in common. Actually, the only thing we have in common IS school and the desire to finish here at the JC level and move on to bigger and better things at the university level.

While although I get along well with "Jessica," I have to say I am happy not to have a class with her this semester. I'm probably going to shoot myself in the foot for saying (well, writing) this, but it's true. You see I had this friend in high school who was the same way: overachiever, always wanted to be the best in class, talented, etc., that I absolutely hated! Even though we shared so much in common and we had the same group of friends and we were in the same dance squad (I guess you could call it a dance squad...Bannergirls...not your typical banner girls in a marching band. We were an elite group of 12 girls who were in the front of all parades, and danced in the middle of the football field like we were the Lakers girls...but a little less wild). Ahem.

My point? I felt as though last semester I had to compete with "Jessica." It was getting on my nerves! It was causing me to hate going to class becuase of her. We even had to do experiments together as we were lab partners. I think after I tailored-off towards the end and went along at my own pace, it got much better. I had to stop competing with her. I felt I could do it on my own especially being a mother of four kids, and an adult re-entry student, geting good grades in school (and at the time) working full-time while going to school. I had to stop beating myself up!

So you see, Dear Diary, this semester is going to be GREAT! I am taking just two classes to finish up my GE's and two elective classes to count towards my major courses! While I plan on keeping in touch with "Jessica," I am very happy to have my sense of independence back!

Bring it on!

Countdown...

Eeek! Just two more days until school starts and I feel so unaccomplished this summer. I don't feel as though I haven't done much at all. I've got to make the most of this weekend definitely.

Four More Days and Counting...

As I anticipate the start of the Fall 2006 semester, I have literally four (4) days left of my summer vacation, and looking back, I can't tell you whether I've actually enjoyed my summer or not.

My summer began when my company downsized and yours truly was on the chopping block. That was June 16, 2006. That's exactly two (2) months to date! Other than staying home for a good portion of my vacation, an occassional bike-ride to the local store and post-office, a handful of job interviews, and the highlight of my summer - Christopher's travel ball CCYB World Series, I can honestly say "I'm looking forward to going back to school!" I think there will be much more excitement at school than staying at home.

Granted, I took two (2) courses during the summer to help finish up my GE's, but still...it was somewhat a restless time off.

In preparation for school, I was able to locate the syllabus for my Journalism class, well, for one of them, at least. I looked through some of the other divisions' web site and could not locate any information. So, I'll have to wait until the first day of school. No worries.

You know I was bored because tonight I went through my "homework central" (which is an area in my house dedicated to eveything school from binders, folders, papers, pens, pencils, erasers, white board, etc...a regular office/school supply store!) and cleaned it out and organized a little better so as to get ready for next week! Sad, I know. And if that isn't true boredom, my daughter, Ariana, cleaned out the four-tiered INBOX/OUTBOX trays to get ready for their elementary school to start: exactly 3 weeks from now! That's dedication!

The good thing is I was able to get a jumpstart on my reading for Journalism class as according to the syllabus, the first reading assignment is Chapter 1. It's a long read but informative nonetheless.

Tomorrow, the kids and I are going to watch the first of a double-header Yankees vs. Red Sox (GO YANKEES!!!) after which we'll jump in the pool. Saturday, Steve and Christopher have baseball practice and won't be joining me and the twins as we head down to Carlsbad for my niece and god-daughter's 1st birthday party! I can't wait. I haven't seen her in over a month! I'm sure she's grown. Some of my family (aunts, uncles and parents) will be making a trip to a casino in San Diego so the kids and I will be staying overnight at my brother's house. My parents will swing by and pick us up on their way home the following morning. Steve and Christopher will be bachelors for a night! Sunday, other than church (if we're back in time, that is) I plan to take it easy and relax. I will need as much rest as possible before school begins the following Monday.

Since this is the first day of school and undoubtedly there will be quite a few newbies to the campus, I will plan to leave earlier than normal. Class doesn't begin until 1:00 PM but I plan to be there around 12:40/12:45 PM to get parking and a good seat in class. On second thought, I'll plan to be on campus at 12:30 PM just in case I end up driving around a little while looking for parking! Ah, the joys of the first week of school. At least parking is free for the first 2 weeks! Thank God!

Car Wanted

I've posted this in CraigsList and I'm posting this here in hopes that someone out there might be able to help me out! See the ad below:

Wanted: College Student in Need of a Car - $1500
Reply to: sale-195111366@craigslist.org
Date: 2006-08-16, 6:15PM PDT


Starving college (mom) student in need of a car to get to and from school (literally 0.5 mi away).

Preferences:

Year: 1996 - 2002
Make/Model: ANY

RELIABLE
INEXPENSIVE (price range as low as $1,000 and no higher than $2,000)
IN GOOD CONDITION
AUTOMATIC
A/C - OK
STEREO/CD PLAYER - OK (but not necessary)
MINIMAL OR NO BODY DAMAGE
TITLE OWNERS ONLY
GREAT COMMUTER CAR
NO REPAIRS PLEASE!

Will be able to purchase for CASH after Sept 11, 2006.

* This item has been posted by-owner.
* this is in or around Cypress, CA
* no -- it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests




195111366

An AudioBlogger Welcome

Technology today brings us the many possibilities for communicating at our very fingertips. Audioblogging is one of those ways. Audioblogging is similar to callers leaving a voice mail message only the recipient is a broad vast audience.

With this new technology, I hope to be able to bring to you late, breaking, interesting and exciting news during my Fall 2006 semester, and it doesn't have to be school-related either. In fact, it doesn't have to stop there, no not at all. This could be a new wave of communication, a new trend, a new fad. Here's hoping at least.

This tool will come in handy in the event I am caught off guard without a pen and paper, the next best thing is my cell phone. You'll hear real-time audio as it occurs.

Stay tuned!

Book Cover

As the beginning of school is just literally ONE WEEK away, I was beginning to think I would be book-less the first week of school. I hate this because some professors immediately list reading assignments or even homework on their syllabus the first week. This becomes especially bothersome when you attend a class once-a-week instead of twice-a-week (like I'm used to). This is the case for most of my classes this semester, oddly enough.

• Mondays/Wednesdays - Journalism 118 from 1:00 PM - 2:20 PM
• Mondays - Geology 100 from 6:00 PM - 8:50 PM
• Tuesdays - Journalism 110 from 6:00 PM - 8:50 PM
• Saturdays - Math 015 from 8:00 AM - 11:50 AM

I asked my husband to help me pay for my books and admission fees, but as most men/husbands do, he gave me an attitude. No matter how much I told him it would be way cheaper to go through Half.com to buy my books (even with shipping and handling charges) than to go through the campus bookstore or the used texbook store across the street. But he really wasn't in the mood to hear about my woes.

After my job interview this morning (which really wasn't a job interview but rather an assessment test), I drove to Cypress College to check on my scholarship, financial aid and other details. I knew I had to write a "Thank You" letter for my scholarship but I didn't know I had to make an appointment for Financial Aid, even though I am a renewal. Well, because I was literally FLAT BROKE (with only $1.00 in change in my wallet), I made my way over to the Transfer Center to use their computer, print out my "Thank You" letters, print out my registration, and print my books information. I spoke with Rhonda in the Foundation office regarding my scholarship. She told me that I would simply need to show my student ID, bring the "Thank You" letters and print-outs, and I would be issued a "book voucher." After some calculations, we determined my books would total up to be $391.00. Ouch! Well, the Foundation completed the Books Requisiton Form not to exceed $400.00. Fair enough.

I took the book voucher downstairs to the bookstore (never having done this before) I bought all of my books right then and there. I was able to get three out of four books USED and only my Math book was NEW. The total came out to be $344.96. PERFECT! You don't know how HAPPY I am to get my books a week in advance. I feel accomplished!

Afterwards, I made my way over to the Financial Aid office to schedule my Loan Orientation for September 1, 2006 at 12:00 Noon. Despite my accomplishments today, I can't help but to think about how much money I COULD HAVE spent if my husband would have been nice enough to support me. We're talking about a $2675.44 savings if he would have only bit the bullet and paid for my books! I'm telling you! I could have received the full scholarship in September but now I'll only receive partial scholarship. Oh well, at least it went towards something school-related, right? Just in case they (the Feds) need proof of what I spent the money on, they'll have it recorded on file at the Foundation office. C'est la vie!

Nonetheless, I will pay for my admin fees this week (which includes mandatory health fee, student services fee, A.S. benefit fee and parking) and that will mark my completion of all the prelims necessary prior to school's start. The only thing I'll need to buy is a few school supplies. That won't be hard to do! I LOVE SCHOOL SUPPLIES!!!!

Broadcasting Course

I received an email from my Journalism professor soliciting his Journalism 118 class, Intro to Broadcasting, which due to low enrollment, if it doesn't meet the required registration quota may be cancelled. So I took the liberty of researching the course and attempting to view the video samples of live CNC-Live broadcasts on cable (to no avail, mind you) and enrolled in the course. One minor problem: the class is conducted during the day M/W from 1:00 - 2:20 PM. I went ahead and enrolled for two reasons:

1. If I am offered any one of the positions for which I am interviewing, I hope to work around the class time.
2. If I land the job at Cypress College, maybe, just maybe I can take those two days lunch hour (providing my lunch is an HOUR) to take this class.
3. If I get offered the other position with this insurance company, which happens to be in Cypress (convenient, huh?) then maybe, just maybe, I can work around M/W during class time as my lunch hour (again, providing I get an HOUR for lunch)
4. If I don't get either of the two jobs, I'll have that class time secured and I'm good to go!
5. If it takes a really long time to get through the interview process and then another long delay in making the offers and process paperwork as a new employee (that's being optimistic, right?), I can still take this course.

My only nightmare would be if I do get offered a position and my new employer can't work around my school schedule, I would be up-the-creek-without-a-paddle. I WITHDREW from two courses last semester and was placed on "probation one" and "probation two" which is a red-flag to the financial aid loan company. My counselor basically told me not to withdraw in the middle of the school season and I should be okay. In fact, if I need to drop the course, I will need to do so before the deadline to "DROP WITHOUT A 'W' ". Makes sense.

So, I'll leave my schedule for now. More later.

Fee, (Fi, Fo) Books

One roadblock after another. Can someone help me pay for school??? I only have parking fees ($14) and books (I only have the following items to buy...and they're cheap through Half.com):

	Prealgebra: K. Elayn Martin-Gay Paperback, 2004 - Buy it for $20.00 (Save 82%) Options: Max. Price: $30.00
	The Media in Your Life: Jean Folkerts, Stephen Lacy Paperback, 2003 - Buy it for $14.50 (Save 84%) Options: Max. Price: $13.00
	Physical Geology: Charles Plummer, David McGeary, Diane H. Carlson Hardcover, 2004 - Buy it for $14.50 (Save 88%) Options: Max. Price: $15.00

A mere $63.00 plus tax!!!! Arrghhh!!!

I'm having difficulty understanding how our Financial Aid office is backwards. I have to register first, then prove that I am enrolled and an active student in school, by way of an electronic registration print-out and a letter, in order to receive my scholarship and student loan. I, apparently, did not qualify for a PELL Grant, which ultimately hurts the wallet since I am no longer employed. I have to wait until after September 9th to get any financial assistance. Ouch!

Accomplish & Prepare

It's been a long summer, and through it all, I completed both the last portion of the required English courses for lower division, AND fed-two-birds-with-one-grain and completed Political Science tonight with a semester-end final exam. I'll know my results sometime next week. This Poli Sci class was purposeful in that it fulfilled:

1. Area D: SOC/POL/ECON Institutions and Historical Background - for a total 9 unit minimum
2. CSU Graduation Requirement in U.S. History, Constitution & American Ideals. By completing both POSC 100 and HIST 170, total units counted toward the nine-unit minimum in Area D.

With that said, the only course I have mapped-out for the Fall 2006 semester, in Area D, is Journalism 110, which is NOT necessary to complete the 9-unit minimum, however, is an essential pre-requisite and component for the Communications major.

In terms of Journalism 110, I read through a review in Rate My Professors, that one student indicated the professor is a:

"...Good guy. Really helped me out and gave me a chance to accomplish a lot in the broadcasting field. You gotta try though, can't just fly through the classes without working..."

On the other hand, another student said of the professor, who by the way, received mediocre and somewhat unfavorable reviews:

"...Don't let the course name fool you, you're really just on the school paper..."

Despite it's half-and-half reviews (I suddenly feel like coffee!), I am looking forward to this course. I'm especially excited to FINALLY take courses related to my major (now that I've finalized my major - I think, I hope, I believe, I'm sure).

After Geology 100, the final component to Area B: The Physical Universe and Its Life Forms, I will only have Math to complete. This area is taking a little longer because it was THE area I neglected to pay close attention to when I re-enrolled back to college. I shuffled from counselor to counselor and quite frankly, neither one of them instructed the importance of completing the Math component early enough so as not to get too far behind. I found out the hard way! But, rather than make a total donkey of myself and fail miserably in a subject I have been completely far removed from in (oh, say...) fifteen or so years, would be quite the embarrassment, not to mention devastating! So, realizing I needed to complete an assessment test for placement, I decided to make an appearance in the Assessment Office. Come to think of it, my intention was not to prove that I KNOW Math, but to SHOW UP and have them tell me that it would be best to start from GROUND ZERO (a humbling experience, undoubtedly). To make a long story even longer, I took the darn test, and STARED at it for a good ten minutes before I mustered enough strength in my right hand holding the writing utensil they call the pencil. My brain told it to "write something, dork!" while my hand checked-out and went on a break! It just wasn't happening.

Needless to say, Math will be the lagger of subjects, detaining me longer than I would like to be at Cypress. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE Cypress College because I've literally made it my second stomping ground (next to Disneyland/Disney's California Adventure of course!!!), but it's really time to hit the big-leagues! I've got to get transferred to CSUF soon!

Speaking of which, I browsed the many ad-bombarded bulletin boards at school tonight after my final, and found several flyers up with "THINK TRANSFER" written all over the place! I think they are pushing TRANSFER...I could be wrong, but I'm getting that impression!

On a serious note, to enter into CSU by Fall 2007, the dates are between Oct 1 through Nov 30, 2006. So I've marked my calendar already to get my behind into the Transfer Center, make and appointment to meet with one of my five counselors (one can never have too many!) to discuss all the aspects of applying for a transfer. Just a few steps closer to reaching my goal!!! How exciting!

Final

Tonight, I have a Political Science final for which I am studying right now. I'm having a little bit of anxiety because exams and tests make me nervous. I could do well in all the assignments, essays or research projects, but for some reason, I go in taking the exam with confidence, and often times I leave the exams feeling a little less-confident. Strange, I know.

Wish me luck!!!

Anxiety, Frustration, Fear...

I can't help but to get a little anxious with school just around the corner. I start on the 21st of August and I feel very unprepared. I will probably keep singing this same tune for a while longer, or until I can get my account paid up and buy my books.

I still have to go school supply shopping, not only for myself, but for my kids. I think this is what has been haunting me for the past few days/weeks. The underlying thought is I know I have Financial Aid coming to me by middle of September, but until then, I am really flat broke. How pathetic is that? A married mother of four children and I can't seem to get things together.

I feel somewhat in a rut at home. I feel stranded and lonely. Actually, the lonely part isn't too bad because I really like being by myself. I can get so much more accomplished this way. However, I do feel as though I don't have many outlets other than my blogs - and that can get kind of old quick. I know I will be happier (and yes, busier) once school starts because for one the kids will be in school, and secondly, I will have my independence back - my time! School is my vacation away from my home life. Sad, but true. I have so much pressure and anxiety at home. I often times feel as though I am weighed down by these responsibilities. Sometimes, I feel as though it "smothers" me. But I don't want to fall prey to stereotypes. Just because I am an "at-home" Mom (for the time-being at least) doesn't mean I'm a loser. I want bigger and better things for myself and my education is what will provide me the opportunities. I never used to believe that an education will get you places but it's very true. You can't get a decent job in this town without an education. I keep up with the job postings and nowadays, most positions require a degree of some kind.

I think I'll start to feel better once my parking and student fees are taken care of and I can finally buy my books! But I can't seem to do that. I hate being unemployed. Even though unemployment checks are far greater an amount than what a part-time job would be, I still am not able to pay for the necessities! I can't stand it. I only want to buy my parking and student fees....that's it! I don't need much else. Other than that, I need to buy my books. I found the books I need on Half.com. I want to ask my brother to help me with these fees, but I know him. He'll give me some poor excuse why he can't and then that'll be the end of that. Last semester, thankfully he took care of my book purchases prior to the start of school last semester and when my Financial Aid money arrived, I was able to pay him back. That's what I intend to do this year, but I haven't brought myself to do that just yet!

I need help financially!!!!

I Should Be Worrying, Right?

Shouldn't I be concerned? I have registered for my classes for school but I haven't paid for my portion for the Fall. I have to pay parking, student health fees and other student fees. I just can't do that right now. I am POOR! I have NO money! How pathetic is that? Being unemployed really sucks! My financial aid doesn't kick in until after September 9th, after my mandatory Finanical Aid orientation. I have to submit a THANK YOU card/letter and proof of registration to the Financial Aid office prior to receiving my scholarship money. Who knows how long it will be before I receive my student loan money.

On top of that, and to make matters worse, I haven't bought my books yet either! Arrrghhh!!!! School starts in less than 16 days and I am so unprepared. It's upsetting me because I am usually an organized and structured kind of a person and this is beyond my control. Being POOR has its set-backs, that's for sure.

Lastly, I am still debating about my major. I was at church all weekend as this was my weekend to sing on the praise team. I know in my heart this is my calling - to serve in praise teams! So, my question is whether or not to major in Music, as this is my passion, or should I go the most sensible, most lucrative route and major in Communications? Whichever career I decide, I will tack on English as my minor. It's not too late to change (or keep) my major because I am completing two components of my GE's before I take any speciality or course-specific classes. Actually, that's not true. Yes, I do have a few components to complete for my GE's, but in terms of course-specific classes, because currently my major is Communications, I am taking a Journalism class this fall. The only reason I wouldn't want to go the Music route is because it's so extensive a program! I have to complete many more units for Music Education than say, Communications. I would complete faster as a Communications major than any other subject. Then there's always that desire to teach. Should I go through a credentialing program upon graduation from CSUF? What to do, what to do?

How frustrating!!!!

Minor Setback

Oddly enough, today Chapter 17 & 18 exam was suppose to have been posted on the Course Compass site. I set my alarm to get up early this morning to briefly review the test material and then shortly afterwards take the exam. As luck would have it, I navigated to the test site and attempted to open the exam. It's password protected. I couldn't believe it. The bad part is my professor is on vacation through August 9th. In her announcement section it noted she will have limited access to email so if there are any questions, we will need to wait until after she returns.

The exam is available over the course of two days (today and tomorrow). If she doesn't return and address this issue before the end of tomorrow, we are ALL S.O.L! Will this reflect poorly on our grade? It's obviously not our fault the exam wasn't available. I've emailed my entire class, and copied our professor. It turns out there is at least one other student who is experiencing the same issue as am I.

This is aggravating!

Just a few more days left...

My Poltical Science class is coming to a close. We have only two more chapters to read; one online exam to take; and a final next week August 9th. Woo hoo! However, I will only have eleven days of vacation left before the Fall 2006 semester begins! Bummer.