My Ashford University Experience

My first week in contemporary leadership...a look back...a look foreward...a moment of silence

2008-05-16T06:36:00Z

Tonight I did my discussion questions for contemporary leadership. I can tell already that I’m going to really dig this class. What’s odd though is that there are so few students in this course as compared to my core courses. Seriously, there are only 6 of us or so. In all of my previous classes there were at least 20 people with my first couple of classes probably approaching 30 or so. We’ve had a few fall by the wayside, I don’t know if they were scheduled differently, failed or dropped out but I suspect probably a combination of the 3 options. Let’s have a moment of silence for those who failed out (crickets)...Okay that’s long enough.

Seriously though I find it positively laughable that there are people out there who think that an online MBA is somehow not rigorous enough….(where is my “pshaw” button?) Looking back over the last year I am amazed that I’ve made it so far and time has really just shot by like a bullet train on too much caffeine. If someone had told me everything I was going to have to go through to get this far there is no way I would have taken on this MBA, but now that I’m here I can’t stop smiling. Oh sure, I have bags under my eyes, I have coffee breath, I have developed a facial tick and I have little black print on my cheeks where I feel asleep on my books and had the page stick to my face when I woke up but it’s all starting to come together. This particular subject is terribly interesting, I even enjoy reading about this stuff. I didn’t think you were supposed to enjoy an MBA program and I’m still not sure it’s supposed to be fun so don’t narc me out okay? Otherwise someone might show up at my door and force me to go back through Managerial Finance again at gun point. If they do it had better be loaded because they’ll just have to shoot me instead.

Next blog post I will present a class by class assessment of everything thus far. The good, the bad, the ugly.

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Tonight I have applied to LSU

2008-05-15T04:36:00Z

I’ve been talking about it for a while now and tonight I finally put my money where my mouth is. I paid the $50 application fee and applied to the LSU post graduate Certificate of Accounting program offered through the distance learning portion of the Ourso College of Business in Baton Rogue, Louisiana. I will be working on this as I complete these last 3 classes of my MBA program. The thing that makes this possible is the fact that these courses are completely self paced. One downer is that I will have to take the mids and finals at a proctored testing center, the kind that you have to pay between $25 and $50 per test at but other than that it looks almost perfect for me.

The certificate requires a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college…check. It also requires at least 6 intermediate accounting classes…um…check…sort of. I took Managerial Finance and Managerial Accounting in my MBA program so I’m hoping that this will do. Otherwise I may have to remediate by taking 3 to 6 hours of intermediate accounting which would really stink, but at least I wouldn’t be getting in over my head.

I really haven’t decided to go into finance or accounting as a profession, but I do have a significant hole in my managerial skill set and I think this will fix that and give me something to show for my efforts. That plus the certificate program is dirt cheap and gets me half way to a CPA in Texas if I ever decide to go that route.

Lastly there is the nostalgia. As a kid I was a hard core, dyed in the wool Tiger fan, still am. I was raised in and near Baton Rogue, a town that bleeds purple and gold. Every kid from that area wants to grow up to go to LSU and my grandmother always wanted that for me and my brothers so this kind of fulfills that desire. Every member of my family on my dad’s side with the exception of the few who attended Tulane, attended LSU. So there you have it, how could I ask for anything else right?

Geaux Tigers!!!

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Cajun has a learning disability...a confession

2008-05-14T06:25:00Z

I don’t think I’ve ever really said much about it before but I figured that since I blogged about 2 guys who were diagnosed as having learning disabilities and being “notable failures” in history I would go ahead and make tonight about my own personal learning disability. My learning disability has been officially labeled as Adult Attention Deficit Disorder. I know, I know, everyone thinks they have this to some extent or another but imagine what life would be like if for example you simply could not focus upon any one thing more than 2 minutes without concerted and absolute deliberate willpower and even then it can be a struggle. This has affected every aspect of my life from personal relationships to professional work.

A little history on it first. I was first made aware of my problem when I used to play guitar in a band. My drummer or someone would be talking to me and I would be looking right at them, like I was there with them but mentally I was a million miles away. They’d get done talking and I say something to the effect of “I’m sorry but what did you say?” As you can imagine people became very frustrated with me very quickly. It got so bad that I would have to ask the same person to repeat themselves over and over again. In the classroom I made D’s at best and usually pulled a C off if the class didn’t entail a lot of lectures. A 3 hour lecture class was a complete waste of time for me. Instead I’d simply read the textbook from cover to cover and tried to rely on my ability to retain the information that I’ve read. I am still very strong in this area but not because I’m any smarter than anyone else, I’ve just had a lot more practice than most people.

Towards the end of my first year of college I began to learn how to study in what works for me personally. My method of study is very regimented but seemingly chaotic at the same time. For example I set aside an hour to study a chapter and will do so in 2 minute intervals on complicated material and 5 minute intervals on stuff that I am actually into. I would normally never recommend someone check their email or shop online for a minute or so between reading an assignment but I have found that through multitasking I am able to focus so much better. If I have 7 irons in the fire I do much better than if I am simply focused upon one task at a time. I have found this to be true at work as well. The good thing is I’ve developed an ability to do a surprising amount of work at an alarmingly fast rate. The bad thing is not every situation, training or classroom is geared towards my unique learning needs and there are times that I just simply cannot concentrate.

Distance learning has been a boon for me as traditional classrooms simply do not work for someone like me. It’s not an excuse and I don’t consider my “disability” to necessarily be a weakness, instead it is just part of what makes me unique as an individual. My ability to concentrate on boring people saying boring things is diminished but most people have no way to keep up with me in multitasking. Because of my disability I have learned to be able to retain a surprising amount of information through reading however in conversations people need to make it quick. I have learned to use my “disability” as a tool when it comes to tracking overtime, scheduling personnel, writing this blog post, checking my email, answering forum questions and talking to my wife on the phone all at once. I have learned what it takes for me to be successful as a student and a professional and I understand that I have limitations that others do not have as they have limitations that I do not have. It’s a tradeoff.

Some of you may be asking then how come I know so much about effective study habits and such. Well, let me tell you. Before I fully understood my condition I subjected myself to a small library of self help books on being an effective student, I sought counseling, I saw a medical doctor but was reluctant to get on pills and lastly I sought professional learning advisors. I tried every known method I could find to learn only to learn that I need to simply do what works for me so I learned to work with and around my disorder. Maybe one day I’ll write a study guide on learning strategies with Adult ADD but for now, to anyone who has ADD I’d like to say this to you.

1.) It’s not your fault, you didn’t ask for this and it’s not something you choose to do. Sure it can piss people off but honestly they have no more business being pissed off at you for having ADD then they should be at a guy in a wheelchair moving too slow in the grocery store.

2.) Recognize that having ADD is not a one size fits all condition. Some people have it far worse than you, some experience lighter symptoms. Some people need medication; some people (like me) don’t really have it bad enough to warrant drugs. At least I don’t in my opinion.

3.) This condition can become a strength if you learn your learning style and learn to use it to your advantage. AADD people often are able to multitask better than other IF you can learn to control it or at least work with it well enough to stay on task. Try to keep a big picture and schedule accordingly, for instance if that report is due at the end of the day, break it up and work on it in short bursts.

4.) Don’t let it affect your self image. I was a marginally passing student in high school. I mean I barely made it. My first year in college was positively dismal and I dismissed the idea of going to school altogether. But once I learned my learning style and developed a method that works for me, well, let’s just say graduating with a 4.0 GPA in a very challenging MBA program is very possible for me at this point. And I was the guy that the high school counselor told “college isn’t for everyone” and “have you considered just getting a trade instead?” I was the kid nobody thought would be college material and now I am strongly considering earning my doctorate degree. I’m not a genius, I’m not even terribly smart (just ask my wife) but I am tenacious and I do know what I am capable of despite years of people telling me the contrary. If you haven’t found what works for you yet, seek professional advice from those who understand your condition and don’t be ashamed.

The ADA recognizes AADD as a disability and as such have made certain benefits available to people who have been medically diagnosed with AADD. Personally I’m not nearly bad enough that I want a handout and personally I do not feel that it is anyone’s business at work but my own. However if you have it worse than me and are still looking for ways to control it, be aware that you have certain rights.

That’s about it for now.

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Fear Failure? Here’s a list of some notable failures in history

2008-05-11T04:29:00Z

When I first started my MBA program I was terrified of the mathematics portion. In fact on my very first quantitative methods exam I made a 30%. That’s a 30% out of a 100%. I felt so crappy and so much like a failure I actually discussed dropping out of the program with my wife in lieu of simply settling for an MSM degree which didn’t include any sort of mathematics at all. As it turns out that would have been a huge mistake as I am almost complete with my program and as of this writing still maintaining a 4.0 GPA. I simply knuckled down, studied hard and did my best which as it turns out, was good enough in this case. But just in case you are like I was and fear failure I’ve compiled a list of some people who have experienced some decisive failures in life but who eventually pulled through to do something worth while.

So as promised in the forums I present Cajun’s list of notable failures in history:

1.) Thomas Edison. One of the world’s greatest inventors has seen plenty of failure as he pretty much experimented by having an idea, failing at that idea until he succeeded once. We don’t know anything about the 1000’s of times he was wrong, except for what is reported perhaps on wikipedia about him being fired for spilling acid on the desk of his boss but he eventually succeeded in many of his goals.

2.) Abraham Lincoln. One of the greatest Presidents and leaders the United States has ever known, was not too talented on picking quality generals during the Civil War. Not only that but when he was elected multiple states seceded from the United States of America. Talk about a rough crowd. Though Lincoln was probably one of the least popular Presidents in history during the time of his tenure in office, history remembers him fondly.

3.) Albert Einstein. That’s right, one of the smartest men who ever lived failed when he tested to enter the Federal Polytechnic School in Zurich, Switzerland. He couldn’t make it past the entrance exam due to poor language skills, etc. I sincerely doubt this was his only failure however this was the only academic failure that I know of. Eventually however he was lauded as one of the greatest minds of all time.

4.) Saint Peter. One of my favorite Apostles in the Bible had a bit of a problem in running off at the mouth, losing his temper and a surge of faith followed quickly by a lack of faith. I can relate. However Saint Peter was eventually called the rock upon which the church would be built by Jesus himself, despite his notable and repeated failures. Not bad, eh?

5.) Mickey Mantle. For those of you who are sports fans, you may already know that Mickey Mantle struck out more than any batter in baseball until another notable failure, Reggie Jackson. However as we all know, things turned out well for him (and Reggie) eventually.

So are you still afraid of failure? If you are then look at it like this, if you fail at least you’re in good company.

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So What Next?...a soon to be grad ponders the future

2008-05-10T04:51:00Z

My last blog post was all about how I have 19 weeks left in my MBA program before I’m done. Truth be told, as of Tuesday next week, I have 18 weeks. I am looking to go into the job market full time in the search for new employment as soon as I graduate but as far as academically I’m just not sure what is coming next. I don’t feel like I’m done. I don’t feel ready to stop working academically and I am certainly going to miss writing in my humble little blog but I don’t know what else to do.

I looked at a link that Pepper sent me with the University of London and truth be told I have always been highly interested in earning a degree from there, particularly in information security. I’ve also been very intrigued by Liberty University’s Master of Arts in Human Services with an Emphasis in Executive Leadership or Master of Arts in Christian Leadership.

I have also given a strong look at Harrison Middleton University’s Doctor of Education degree and they now have an even more tempting offer of a Doctor of Arts http://www.chumsci.edu/pages/degree/doctorarts-overview.asp. I’m not sure what one does with a Doctor of Arts degree but the great books teaching ideal combined with a doctoral liberal arts degree emphasizing almost anything of the student’s choosing is just too much goodness to pass up, if I only had the money to do so. The capstone could be anything from a portfolio of paintings to the recording of a composition or even an album (possibly) which I would LOVE to pursue and will do so whether earning credit for doing so or not. OR the student could write a book, something else I have intended to do. That would keep me busy until I’m about 33 years old.

Another program I have given some serious consideration to is the Southwestern College (my alma mater) Master of Science in Leadership. Probably one of the more well rounded leadership degrees I have ever seen if not the best. But again, what exactly would I do with this credential other than simply enjoy the process of getting it? Maybe if I were already established in an executive position or something. Grand Canyon University’s MSL looks good too, but what a price tag, yeesh!

Lastly I looked at Fort Hays State University’s Master of Liberal Studies. I seem to have a thing for liberal arts and leadership studies don’t I? And hey, as a program this is about as inexpensive as they come.

I will definitely pursue the certificate of completion in accounting from LSU, but not necessarily because I’m passionate about accounting or finance but simply because there is a hole in my skill set there. I would hate to get a managerial position only to screw up the financial aspects of the job, that would be unforgivable especially for someone who has been minted an “MBA”, at least in my eyes. It’s the hard skills that separate the MBA from something like an MSM. So I suppose there is that, right?

Who knows, maybe I’ll just hang up the cap and gown for a while and just write my book. Any suggestions anyone?

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