Back to blogging

Apparently going back to school makes me feel like blogging regularly. I have somehow started blogging each week after my Wednesday evening class.

So week three of class was today. It kind of hit me that I'm in school and will have to start studying eventually. Needless to say, I was not as excited this week about showing up for class as I was the previous two weeks. However, nothing boosts your confidence like getting called on by the professor and knowing the answer to the question she just asked. Score! (Kids, reading your textbook and taking notes DOES help you in class sometimes. Fascinating.) Unfortunately, I often forget to take my own good advice and am already finding myself slacking.

Something I have realized is that while I was in school working on my degrees, I liked to space out in class. I'd write my friends random letters. Or I'd doodle. Apparently this is why I would sometimes not do well in class? Tonight I spaced for like five minutes and was like, "Oh wait. I guess I should listen to this useful information..." Funny how taking a year break from school reminds you how to be a student again.

There's also nothing like group projects. Today we were assigned our groups. There was one person in particular where I just knew God was telling me, "Jennifer, she's going to be in your group." Sure enough, she was. It should make for an interesting quarter. I've had some good experiences with group projects. I've also had some lame ones. Let's hope this is a good one.

On an entirely different note, I'm currently reading Look Me In the Eye and I love it. I forgot how much I love memoirs.

Reflections after Class #2

When I was working on getting my Associates Degree I had a friend who would have to occasionally stop taking classes at the college. So often when I was in school and she wasn't she would exclaim how much she yearned to be in school. I thought she was crazy. She kept saying how she missed college and taking classes and having homework and I'd gawk and say, "Hey, you want homework? Do some of mine, ya weirdo."

Three years later I finally understand what she means. As you know, I have now returned for one night class at my local community college to keep my brain growing. I haven't been in school in over a year and hadn't been to the community college since I graduated from there in 2006.

The night immediately following my first class, I had a dream that I forgot to turn in my homework. Not 24 hours go by and I'm already having this dream? Seriously?

On Sunday, the pastor at my church mentioned a quote by the President of a nearby Christian college. He said, "Learning is a holy activity." That got me thinking a lot...

God designed us to learn. He wants us to continually grow. So learning and bettering ourselves is indeed a way we glorify Him and thank Him for the brains He has given us. This kind of explains why, like my friend, I was starting to yearn to want to be in school again.

Also, I know a few of my friends who are currently in a state of not wanting to be in school. And they probably gawk at me (just like I did to my friend years ago) and say, "Gosh, Jen, you wanna learn? Do my homework!" From a Christian standpoint however, I have to say that being in college is one of our greatest outlets of sharing the joy of Christ. We can do that anywhere, yes, but college is a very unique atmosphere...especially a community college. You have every age under the sun to talk to on a regular basis and share some of that joy. You don't even have to talk about your faith; it should be enough that while everyone is going through the day to day grudge of classes, they'll notice something is different with the joy Christ brings you. You have so many opportunities to listen and hear different life situations that you can learn from as well offer wisdom. And you can always find new ways to network - whether with other people in the work force who are taking classes or with professors or even full time students.

Yeah, mosthomework sucks and some professors are ridiculous - I know that. But sometimes I think we all need to look outside the box and realize the various opportunities we have in a college atmosphere.

Funny how life works

As I walked into the parking garage with my friend I remember thinking, "This is it. I'll never come back here again. I'm done with community college forever."

So I graduated from the school and went on to receive my Bachelors at a nearby University. I honestly hated the University. I would return to that community college to see friends during my first year at the University, but of course it was never the same. I knew that part of my life was over, no matter how much I tried to return to it.

Yet fast forward to today... here I was three years later walking down the halls of the community college with a course list in hand. I had registered for a class this fall because I wanted to grow and learn more. How sick is that? The funny part was, I was still nervous. Even after all the schooling I had taken and the real life world I had experienced, going back into the classroom is a frightful thing.

The first class jitters are always a high. What's this teacher gonna be like? Are my classmates gonna be lame or eager to learn like me? Am I gonna be able to stay awake in an evening class?

Those were all thoughts that raced through my mind as I waited outside the classroom. That's another hilarious thing to observe...the students who all awkwardly wait outside the classroom before class begins. You all KNOW you're waiting for the same class, but no one really wants to talk. (Except my friend Victor, who immediately started up a conversation before our dreadful Jane Austen class a few years ago.) Anyways. There was no "Victor" tonight.

So I walked into my two hour and 45 minute class and immediately (because it was a Communications class) got to start talking with other students and remembered why I love school. Plus, within one hour, I spotted one student asleep at her desk. Classic. Then, within one and a half hours, I wanted a nap myself. Luckily, we got a break and after I walked around I was fine.

I'm excited, though. I forgot how much I LOVE community college students. They're all so...clueless. Haha. And I'm honestly in the same place. We're all there taking classes saying, "Is this something I wanna do with my life?" I mean, I know what I want to do primarily. But I want to see what other directions I can take with my talents. Another great thing about meeting students at a community college level versus at a university is that the students all have incredibly different lives to live (like the Mom I met tonight with 5 kids - four of whom she adopted. Awesome.) You wouldn't find that at a University.

So all in all, in case you were wondering, it's nice to go back for a class. I don't know if a Masters is something I'm up for yet. We'll just see how I handle these next 12 weeks....