Law School in the future?

For as long as I have known Shannon, he has always wanted to go to law school.  When he finally went back to school and graduated to earn his Bachelor’s Degree, I wanted him to pursue law school.  It seemed he was putting it off. 

I knew he was not actually putting it off.  I know that we cannot afford it, but I kept urging him to apply.  He said that law school does not allow you to work the first year of school, which means we would not work for our family.  I told him to try other schools.  I also told him they don’t expect new students to hand over a $40,000 check just to attend.  Law schools do have financial aid offices, I am sure they help students figure out how they are going to pay for school. 

The other night, I just finally told him how frustrating it is that he has his Bachelor’s Degree.  He should really look into law schools or at least apply to a few schools.  He took our talk to heart and the next morning, he told me he found an online law school that would cost roughly $4000 a year to attend.  The only downside is that they do not offer financial aid or loans, it would all be out of pocket. 

Last night, he found out that Concord Law School offers an online option through Kaplan University.  The law school is entirely online.  They also offer financial aid and loans.  To make a long story short, if everything works out, he could be a law student starting in September! 

The only downside to studying through Concord Law School/Kaplan is that if he were to become a lawyer, he would have to practice law in California.  His law license would be legit, he just could not practice in any other state.  However, that doesn’t mean he could apply for other jobs with his law degree.  He could always go back into management, training or even Human Resources. 

Changed Major Twice

I am looking at returning to college to earn my Bachelor's Degree.  This week, I changed my major twice!  Although, I won't be able to start until June.  I need to print out some forms, sign them and then scan/email them to the school or fax them.  We won't have our printer hooked up until after we move and even then, that depends on when Shannon will get around to setting up the printer. 

My original major was Sociology.  Earlier this week, I changed it to Social Science but then I read the description and courses for the Psychology Degree and that seems more interesting to me even more so. 

I am still against "loans," however I have been wanting to earn my degree for some time now.

Taking a break from school

I decided to take a break from Ashford University for a bit. It was getting to be too time consuming and overwhelming for me.

I am enjoying being a blogger and blogging is taking up most of my time.  My blog is much more important to me than school, which may not make sense.  However, my blog is my main focus.

I am considering re-enrolling at Ashworth College since it is self-paced and less pressure to stay on a schedule. 

One week of overlap

This week I have two classes that are overlapping.  I started a new class today (Tuesday) but I am on my last week of my current class!  It's a little stressful as I am trying to juggle the school work and making sure I don't miss a deadline!  My current class is pretty much done.  I have a few discussion posts to post and respond to and then I have to turn in my final paper (which is done). 

I've been keeping up with my workouts and doing pretty well!  I am proud of myself for sticking with the schedule.  I am trying to get into better shape since I want to take Kyle to our apartment complex pool this summer!  Kyle loves the water.  He loves taking a bath and I am pretty sure he would love the pool.  Although, I am going to have to get in the pool with him.  I may want to get arm floats for him to wear in the water, just in case.  He even loves putting on his swim trunks when he takes a bath. 

This morning, I gathered as much trash as I could.  I wanted to get rid of knick knacks, scraps of paper, old toys and junk that has been piling up.  I hope to do more trash gathering tomorrow.  I have to throw away things when Kyle is away from home, otherwise, he'll want to put everything back! 

We've been talking about canceling cable and switching over to Netflix.  However, I believe we need a special remote to use with the PS3.  We can still use and watch Netflix but having the remote would be much easier.  So we've been stalling on actually ordering Netflix.  I would also love to switch over to Magic Jack to save money on our phone service.  I'll have to discuss it with my husband and see what he thinks. 

Staying ahead

I've been doing good with staying on track with my workouts!  Yesterday I added a pilates workout to my day!  I am going to try to add pilates in the evenings. 

I look forward to the weekdays because Kyle is at school.  It seems it's the best time for me to work on my school work.  This weekend, I started my discussion questions for this week and finished them today.  I also did my reading and completed my quiz!  I got a 9 out of 10! 

I have found that when I stay at least 4 or 5 days ahead of my college schedule, it helps me feel organized and gives me enough time to do my school work.  I am done with everything for next week except my rough draft essay!  Next week, we have to write a rough draft essay and the final is due in a few weeks! 

Essays make me nervous since I haven't really had much practice in over a decade. 

The one thing I do miss about online college is lectures and being around other students and teachers. 

Spring Break is over!

Kyle returns to school tomorrow!! I am really looking forward to him going back. It will give me time to work on my school assignments. I like to stay a few days to a week ahead. This week, I have a paper to work on and an assignment to finish up. I still need to re-read the chapters and then take a quiz!

I've been keeping up with my workouts as well. I did have to take a few extra rest days here and there due to muscle soreness but still trying to stay motivated.

Sitting down to take her quiz...

After finally getting Kyle to bed, I woke up with the intent on getting some quiet time.  I decided to take my quiz for class since I don't have much time during the day with Kyle home this week.  Spring Break needs to be over!  I usually do my college work when Kyle is at school.  My only time is at night, at least for this week. 

I told Shannon that I was going to take my quiz.  Soon after I sit down and open the window to take my quiz, he comes in to the room and starts talking to me.  I quickly had to remind him that I'm taking a quiz.  Once I open the window, I have 12 hours to take it.  I also have to be in that "frame of mind" to take the quiz.  I can't be answering a question and then getting up to do something and then sit back down, etc.  I need to take my quiz in one straight shot!  Soon after Shannon leaves the room, he decides to turn on the A/C!  I start to get cold so I have to get up to turn it off because he can't hear me ask him to turn it off.  Then the damn phone rings.  We have a phone in our room where Kyle sleeps so I am sure that helped to wake him up. 

Then Shannon starts listening to music on his computer and I have to shut my door just so I can concentrate.  Lo and behold, soon after, Kyle wakes up!  He is awaken by the music and the phone. 

Thankfully, I finished my quiz and received a 9 out of 10 correct!

Flu = one week of school

We are pretty sure Kyle has the flu, based on his symptoms. Plus, he's been feeling sick since Sunday! He missed this entire week of school and next week he is off on Spring Break.

Having him home has thrown my schedule off as well. Normally, I would work on my school work while Kyle is at school. I've done the best I can to get my workouts in and do my school work. I did have to skip a few days of exercise because I was feeling so sore!

I also bought some protein powder to make shakes after my workouts. I did a search looking for help with boosting my energy. I looked on Dr. Oz's website and found an article that listed things I could try. So I bought a natural herbal supplement to try. I wanted something to help me get through a long day and be able to do school at night after Kyle has gone to bed.

I just hope I can continue school in the summer when Kyle is home all day.

Last week of first class

I'm in my last week of my first class in college.  It's a psychology course.  Ashford University wants to ease students back in to college so this class is about learning about yourself and the college rules. 

I am pretty much done with this class as I have done my discussion requirements for the week and I turned in my final paper today.  Right now, I have a 93.17% which equals an A according to the grading scale.

However, my grade could change to an A- after the last week's grades are in.  Either way, I will be happy with an A! 

Changed again

I just noticed that my graduation date has changed again! A few days ago, my graduation date was stating May 2014 and now it's February 2014!!! That's even better! About two years from the month I first started college!

It's been a good Friday

This morning I found out that my graduation date is about two years sooner than they had originally had me scheduled for because my transcripts have been applied.  I can see the light at the end of the tunnel now and it's not too far!

I also received my rough draft of my paper back from the Teacher's Assistant and he gave me great feedback on my paper to make it better.  He also complimented me on my writing and said I had a well structured paper.  Looks like my Honors English class back in high school really played a huge part, even though it's been over a decade since I've been in high school!  My final paper is due next week and today I changed my paper based on his feedback.

I am all caught up for school for this week so I have the rest of the weekend to relax and not worry about school.  Next week is the last week of the class and it doesn't look too difficult!  

This afternoon, my Corelle dinnerware set arrived!  They are so pretty and lightweight which is a huge difference from our current set.

Aside from everything above, we ended up keeping Kyle home from school today.  He was looking like he wasn't feeling well the last few days and this early this morning (around 3:30am) he threw up!  He then threw up this morning and this evening!

2 years sooner

What a relief!  I just logged in to my online college and saw that they updated my expected graduation date!  It is now 2 years sooner than before!  I have 2 years and 2 months to go until I earn my Bachelor's Degree! 

A few days ago, I asked my admissions counselor about my transcripts to make sure they will be applied and it was just updated today. 

2:30am Sunday

Well, I learned my lesson! While at the dinner party, I drank about two glasses of Pepsi! I don't normally drink soda or even Pepsi, but I was thirsty. Now, I can't sleep! I did some reading for fun and reading for college though. I am trying to stay a bit ahead in college by working on assignments a week early. So far, so good! My first class is Psychology and it is mainly about learning about yourself and getting the hang of college. There are times that I get discouraged, but I remind myself why I want my Bachelor's degree.

First Day of College

Today is the first day of college for me.  This weekend, I logged in early and did my required discussion questions and response, as did other students.  I also read the first chapter and took notes over the weekend. I took the quiz this morning and it made me realize what type of notes I need to take.  I did score a 9 out of 10 though!

Kyle is back at school after a three day weekend.  With him being at school, it gave me a chance to do  my college work. 

 

Back in college

I literally spent the last 3-4 weeks researching every other online college/university that I could find that offered a Bachelor's Degree Program in Sociology.  When I compared them to Ashford University, none of them even came close.  All of them wanted me to obtain my own school transcripts (Ashford University did that for me).  The other colleges said that books were not included with tuition, while Ashford University's tuition includes books. 

This weekend, I was able to chat online with an admissions counselor and I asked her if I would be able to be reinstated as a student at Ashford University.  After looking at my account, she said that I could and referred me to my former counselor.  I emailed my counselor last night and she emailed me back today.  After a few emails, I decided to start school next Tuesday!

She sent me my login info as well.  I am so ready to start college.  I'm nervous, but excited.  I was able to look at my schedule and it looks like my graduation date is in mid-2014!!  I am very pleased with that as it was originally stating December 2015 when I first decided to attend Ashford University in January.  I only have 16 General Eduation classes to take before I can start my major courses. 

There are many reasons why I want to pursue my Bachelor's Degree and I am really looking forward to being back in college.

Math. At my age?

Shannon is still in the middle of his Math class.  Last night, he was doing his homework for the week.  As he got up to take a little break, he made a comment about trying to solve the problems.  After he left, I got up and sat at his desk to try to solve the problem.  I admit, I wasn't able to solve it without help from an example problem.  The homework gives an option to ask for an example, to walk you through on how to solve an example problem.  With the example, I was able to solve at least 6 math problems.  While this class is College Algebra, I am proud of myself for doing math again -- at my age!

I am still without a college.  I found an online college that I like, but we'll see.  

Feeling Lost

Once again, I have decided not to attend Ashworth College.  I am unable to find a proctor for when I need to take the final exams. 

The last few days, I've been searching for online colleges and universities.  When I click on a college website, I first check to see if they are regionally accredited and then I look at their programs.  I have found a few that I really like.  I may pursue an Associate of Arts degree and then pursue my Bachelor's Degree.  I am still interested in pursuing a Bachelor's Degree in  Sociology as the subject really interests me. 

Lately I am feeling lost.  If/when Shannon attends law school, I would love to be the one working to help support us.  I feel like I should be doing something, such as college! 

Enrolled

Last week, I've emailed the former college trying to let them know that I no longer want to attend their college.  I've been receiving conflicting emails from the Financial Aid department, and other departments about my start date, etc.  It's all very confusing and I keep replying back telling them the same thing.  I received another email from the Financial Aid department stating that I am unable to start because of some forms I didn't fill out, which is my whole point.  I do not want to attend their school and they just don't want to deal with it.  It's annoying. 

Today, I called Ashworth College to enroll.  She set me all up and gave me the URL to set up an account.  Hopefully I will be able to start my first class tomorrow!  I am pursuing my Bachelor of Arts in General Studies.  I am looking forward to starting college again! 

Shannon is currently taking a college match class.  He had a practice test to take and we were trying to figure out the math problems together.  The math problem was multiplying fractions.  I told him how I thought you solve it and he agreed and got an answer.  Before submitting his answer, I told him to look it up on how to solve it, just in case!  It turns out, we were wrong!  LOL  He found out how to solve it on youtube.  I wish we had youtube when I was in school!  Shannon had other match problems, such as dividing fractions too!  He was able to solve them with the help of youtube showing him how to solve them. 

Turning Point

Yesterday we received some really great news which will really help us!  Shannon went to take care of that today.

This week, I have been reconsidering college and ultimately decided the college I was going to start this month is not for me.  I am going to pursue my Bachelor's Degree from the same college I received my Associate's Degree.  In doing so, all of my classes transfer over to the Bachelor's program.  I found out today that I only need four semesters to earn my Bachelor's Degree!  Ashworth College has also updated/revised their courses to include an Associate of Arts degree, which includes the core courses.  A Bachelor's Degree is what I really want and I am so glad I found one.  Ashworth College offers a Bachelor's in General Studies and you can customize your degree to your preference. 

I chose not to attend the other college because I wasn't ready to take out yet another a loan and go into debt for college, especially in our economy.  Not only that, it doesn't help that Shannon and I are both not working.  It's just not worth it to me to add another debt to my name. 

The other college courses are on a schedule and I just wasn't sure if I could do that, especially with Kyle.  Would I be able to turn in assignments on time?  I'm a mom now!  I'd rather stick with Ashworth College since I can study at my OWN pace!  It's perfect for me. 

Starting college

I'm starting college later this month.  I am nervous and excited.  Last week, I wanted to put it off but I was having second thoughts.  The economy is unstable and if Shannon and I both have higher college degrees, it would make us more valuable to employers. 

I am excited because I am still surprised I found a degree program that really caught my eye.  It sounds like an interesting subject and something that fits my personality.  When I was growing up, I wanted to be a teacher, then I thought about being a psychologist.  But to study cultures and people and how they interact is fascinating to me.  I always wonder why people do what they do, why they say what they say, etc. 

I'm nervous because I will need to learn to manage my time between being a mom and wife and add school to the mix!  Plus, the essays are a little scary to think about.  I remember how to write an essay, but to actually sit down and do it, it's scary! 

Nowadays, I am thankful that there are online colleges out there that allow busy parents to go back to college.  When it was time for me to attend college, they didn't have online college.