My Ashford University Experience : student life

Routines and Rhythms: The keys to your success

Cajun — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 01:50:00 GMT

I’ve said it before I’ll say it again, two things you need to be successful as an online student, especially one who is also professionally employed, is good scheduling and time management skills. The thing that I use to meet the rigors of...(read more)

Combating the fear of starting a degree program

Cajun — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 01:58:00 GMT

No doubt about it, starting a degree program can be scary. We’re talking about committing to something that is very time consuming and that can cost more than a new car. The stress involved in researching and choosing a specific school and degree...(read more)

Long Days, Longer Nights

Cajun — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 01:07:00 GMT

“I guess it’s easier to get an online degree” she said to me shortly after congratulating me on finishing the requirements for my MBA.

“Whaaaaattttt?!?!?” was the reply that screamed in my mind. I suddenly had fuzzy vision as my blood pressure shot up with a white hot rage. Suddenly I hated her with the passion that only an office worker who has suddenly found his sandwich that he dreamed about all day is missing from the community refrigerator at work could possibly understand. But I calmly replied “not really” while my left eye twitched uncontrollably. How utterly dismissive was that right?

So for those looking into the “easy” online path, here is a little bit of what you can expect.

Expect:

1.) Reading assignments on the scale of between a mere 20 pages upwards to 180 pages within about a week’s time. Sorry, not too many pictures and this is single spaced in dry academic books.

2.) Writing assignments as small as 3 pages to as big as 30, depending upon the week and all. Good news though, at least you can double space these but yeah, you’ll still have to finish it within the same week as the reading assignment.

3.) To have to actually understand not only what you are reading but why exactly it was written and how it fits into the course objectives. This can slow reading considerably.

4.) Cold coffee.

5.) Tired eyes.

6.) Stress and frustration that only a sheep herder allergic to wool could relate to.

7.) An irritated spouse who is frustrated at having to spend so much time alone because you have to figure out how to perform the dreaded regression analysis over a seemingly inadequately supplied amount of information.

8.) To form a seemingly unhealthy bond with your laptop or PC.

9.) To gain weight, lose weight or both though not likely at the same time. Possibly neither but given the amount of time you spend at work then at school workouts are definitely going to become a luxury if you are married and/or have kids.

10.) To learn how to have a meal while driving, reading or even typing.

11.) To learn the joys of having slick textbook pages stuck to your face when you wakeup suddenly realizing you wasted precious time on something as trivial as sleep.

12.) To suddenly realize that while you were studying or typing away the sun came up and you haven’t been to bed yet. Oh yeah and you have to be at work in 2 hours.

13.) Long days at work and longer nights at home.

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10 Questions, Apprehensions, Worries and Wonders of Becoming a New Student

Cajun — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 04:51:00 GMT

Adult learners will often go through some realizations and some fears when enrolling in a new degree program. At least I did and most of the people I know have. So if you enroll in a new school or undergo a new degree program here are some common feelings and thoughts.

1.) “Did I make the right choice?” Believe it or not this thought pounded through my head a hundred times over when I was at Southwestern College during my first class or two. The same thing happened when I enrolled at Ashford. Second thoughts is your subconscious mind telling you that you have just made a big, major decision. This is a totally natural question and feeling so if you get this don’t worry about it. It is very likely you are experiencing a natural apprehension.

2.) “What if…” fill in the blank. You spent so much time looking for this degree program, researching and playing scenarios over and over in your head that you are likely to still be in the habit of running “what if” scenarios even after you commit to a school. You may find yourself reconsidering and thinking of enrolling in school B vs. school A. Again, this is natural as you have made researching the best degree and school for you something of a past time. Hobbies can be hard to let go of and obsessions even harder still.

3.) Euphoria that exudes from you like a nervous energy. There is the high of enrolling and making a decision.

4.) There is also the low, the somewhat cold depression that a decision has been reached and you are passing into a new phase in life.

5.) There is the excitement at being a student again.

6.) There is the worry that you may not make it.

7.) There is the wonder at some of your peer’s work, much of which may not seem up to par by your standards for your given level of education. (Fret not however as I guarantee you that people fail when not meeting standards at most if not all colleges).

8.) There is the discovering of your new role as student, something modifying your identity.

9.) There is the resentment at being accountable to yet something else and often you may find yourself resenting anyone who dares shoulder you with even more responsibilities.

10.) Lastly there is the pain of learning new things, new systems and new changes. Like all growth, some discomfort is natural.

I hope that helps

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I’m Thankful…No Really I Mean It

Cajun — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 04:59:00 GMT

A lot of online students write and talk about all the work we have to do, all the sacrifices to be made and the rigor that is forced upon us and sometimes it can sound a little like complaining. But the truth is many of us really love this stuff and all of us see value in it. I’m glad for all of you that read my blog posts and to those who take the time to write me about it I just want you all to know that I really, really appreciate it. Recently I was shocked with a “stick with it, you’re almost done” kind of email which got me to wondering “wow, do I really make things sound that bad?” and I suppose it can be taken that way at times. So here is a brief list of things that I am thankful for being an online student.

I am thankful for

1.) eLearners and the wonderful people who run this site. Being able to write about my experience in this blog has been therapeutic for me at times and has been one of the true joys I have had in my long tenure as a student. Being a moderator on the forums and blogging has enabled me to help others and has only compounded the sincere gratitude I have for eLearners and I just wanted to thank Victoria, Helen, Steve and the whole eLearners team for giving me a chance to do this. It’s wonderful!

2.) Ashford University for an unbending rigor combined with people who truly care about my success. I feel fortunate to have found such a wonderful school filled with wonderful people and I simply cannot wait to meet some of them in December.

3.) Those of you who read my blog. Really there is nothing like the thrill of getting an email from a reader telling me how much I’ve helped them or inspired them. It is truly a humbling experience and it fills me with joy to know I’ve made a difference in my own small way. When I was first starting out I remember being helped along by a guy that I consider a saint and here I am helping others in my own turn.

4.) My family for being so supportive. My wife who supports me unendingly, my sister in law who is soon to be an Excelsior College student (go Jodi) and my brother who is a graduate of Colorado Tech and soon to be a graduate student at Southwestern College in their Master of Science in Leadership (which I have no problem being on record as declaring to be the best pure leadership program in the country). These are the people who currently live with me and although we are like a noisy version of the Brady Bunch it has been an experience I will always remember and cherish. I’m even thankful for my wonderful and very cute nieces who live with me, Reagan and Riley. Riley is the loud one for those of you who must know…kind of like a 50 pound 2 ½ foot tall air raid siren, but I digress.

5.) I am thankful to God for all that he has provided for me and for all the opportunities that have been made available to me.

6.) I am thankful to Southwestern College for adequately preparing me for the rigors of graduate school. I cannot imagine jumping from a lesser school into a program as demanding as the Ashford MBA. If I do graduate with a 4.0GPA it is in no small part due to what I learned about work ethic from Southwestern.

7.) My dog and cat. No matter how stressed I get they are always a willing friend, my dog on my terms and my cat…well…more on his own terms.

8.) My job. It’s a love, hate relationship but there are a lot of people out there with far less supportive employers so I am thankful for what they have done for me.

9.) I am thankful for my new house. It still feels new…but thanks to my nieces it has a nice, casual, lived in feel now. Kind of like my favorite jeans.

10.) Last but not least I am thankful that I couldn’t fit all that I am thankful for in a 10 point list.

How’s that for upbeat?

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