One down, nine to go

I think I am really going to like the pace of this accelerated program. One class is done (Nursing Transitions) with a grade report due in a week or so. This was the class I had Jan 12 and 26 from 6 to 9 p.m. and Jan 13 and 27 from 8:30 to 4:30. Yesterday afternoon we spent listening to each other's group presentations and got done by 3 p.m. Yes, I did have three papers to write, but one was a self-development plan for 2 pages, my philosophy of nursing for 2-3 pages and the nursing theory paper for 8-10 pages. Not bad, except I am trying to remember my math from 30 years ago to keep up in College Algebra. I just need a memory jog from time to time or a push from my private tutor and I'm back on the road again.

Two more Wednesday nights to finish Health and Aging. I have submitted one paper (an interview with someone over 65). Tuesday I go to an adult day care center to interview them. Then I need to watch "The Notebook" and answer some critical thinking questions about how the people in the movie handled aging, etc. These last two are due Feb. 7, so a little time to work on that. Then I'll have the next 6 weeks off from the nursing classes because Statistics is next and I finally got them to accept my Statistics class from North Central when I obtained my Accounting degree. So. . .

I need to get moving on my Ethics class. It is an online semi self-paced class. We do have deadlines--probably so the instructor isn't bombarded with papers to grade at the last minute. So the first assignment is due in there by Feb. 7. He is looking for assignments every 2 weeks, but I'm hoping to be able to get a section done each week while I don't have the Statistics class as well. If I could get this finished by March 28, which is when I start my Nursing Research class, I will be very happy.

Then there's Algebra. Not only am I at a disadvantage over the teenagers in this class because it's been so long since I've had math, we are heavily using the TI-83 graphing calculator. I have never used a graphing calculator, so I am learning that as well. However, it seems that I am in at least the top 25% of my class, because I do seem able to keep up right now and the calculator is not that hard to learn. I am glad I chose to take the class on a M-W-F basis, going one hour per day. It's not a lot of new material at once, and I have a chance to go home and work on the homework without being exceptionally stressed. I am a little behind in the homework right now--we were to have section 2 done for Friday, but didn't really get into it. The instructor had planned to have a quiz over sections 1, 2 and 3 on Wednesday, but she's already a day behind in her lesson plan, so it will probably be on Friday or next Monday. I also have not had any Trig functions, which I will probably need towards the end of the semester, but Tim says he can quickly teach me anything I need to learn. I hope so. I need at least a "C" in the class, so unless I totally bomb something, I think I should do better than that.

Wish me luck. Some days I don't know why I'm doing all of this and others that I know this will be good for me so I can move ahead in my career. I will need my Master's to become a clinical specialist/educator, but first things first.

Until next time. . .

From my mom-in-law: What's the biggest advantage of going back to school as an adult?

Answer: If you cut classes, no one calls your parents!