Wow, what a journey through this 1st semester returning back to college. I can't imagine having attempted this journey as a full-time or even part-time employee. Employment and full-time college places the student at a serious studying disadvantage. I have been in the presence of so many working students that suffered throughout the semester. Parents, I realize that you want your children to be self-sufficient, but college is not the time for such a training program. Take it from someone that endured the high school to college transition back in the late 70's, then returned to college as a happy grandmother.
My granddaughters are Gabrielle (4 years) and Alexis (5 months old), and they help fuel my inspiration for pushing through this return to college. My daughter, Thalassia Harris is their mother so if you hear me refer to my girls it includes all three. Below is a picture of my granddaughters.
Final grades are posted and I am happy to announce that I earned two A's, two B's and a C the Fall 2009. My goal was to earn a 4.0 GPA, but for a first semester a 3.45 GPA is not bad. I found out that C-class did not count against my GPA when final grades posted. Sweet...
My birthday is Saturday, and I become 50 years old. Happy Birthday to me.
Last weekend my niece, Erin Prince, participated in the high school cheerleading competition held in Columbus GA. Erin cheers for Grayson High School (5-A). Congratulations for placing 2nd in a heavily competitive sport.
Let me also give a shout-out to their undefeated Grayson Rams football team. There is a possibility that they will be crowned State Champions. Go Rams...
Looking forward to this 2009 Thanksgiving break. Today, is the last day of full classes and my 6:00 pm class instructor has a scheduled quiz. Terrible way to begin the break, but it is in line with the holiday studying and end of semester papers that are to be written over this break.
College keeps moving and shaking despite the day-to-day happenings locally, nationally or in sports. Over the holidays my plans are to spend time:
Wednesday - cooking with my mom (aunt that raised me) and sister in Grayson and enjoying granddaughters, niece and nephews
Thursday - eating and doing great things with family and friends,
Friday - writing a term paper and studying for a Monday Economics test ,
Saturday - relaxing with my daughter and her family (did I mention studying for ECON test).
Balancing life is a crucial element and is always in good timing.
Everyone enjoy the 2009 Thanksgiving Holiday. Be Blessed and Give Thanks...
My return to college experience has been interesting. The campus environment is virtually the same as when I first entered college back in 1977. The difference is my focus has intensified, and I am goal-oriented as well as less accepting of poor performance. Unfortunately, there are still a few instructors that are more motivated about their ability to show off their talents instead of teaching students into their talents.
The servant leadership program has definitely been an eye opener for me. As one ages wisdom is gained through life application, and some of the phrases spoken to you as a kid eventually sink into your spirit as life progresses. Ultimately, those words come into fruition in recognition of the prophecy ignored by spoken parents with good intentions.
I am struggling in my pre-algebra class, because my instructor chooses to teach the problems in the most difficult format. As a result, I am in the math lab an average of 8 to 12 hours per week. Three of the tutors know me by name, and they all consistently echo that math problems can be done in many different ways and there is no reason our class should be taught the most difficult and lengthy process. They all tutor through practical application. However, on quiz day my instructor chooses to teach new material prior to handing out the test. Psychologically, that is cruelty to the students because so many processes are running through out mind and confusion sets in. When we receive the results of the quizzes, the instructor talks about over ½ the class fails the test. Obviously, that will be the case if you are more concern about speeding through mathematic processes by the day instead of your success (pass/failure) rate.
It is unfortunate that this Pre-Algebra class is currently ruining my average. I have a 90+ average in Microeconomics, History, Psychology and Servant Leadership. As you can tell this is really bothering me. So I am asking that you all pray for me. My goal of a perfect 4.0 average has diminished. Hopefully, I will achieve a grade of C in my Pre-Algebra class.
The culture of the college campus has become not only diverse in terms of ethnicity, but in terms of age dynamics. As a 49-1/2 year old it doesn't feel odd to walk around a college campus with a book bag, lunch bag and attend classes with the peers of my daughter's former high school students. There are elements of returning to college as a non-traditional student that are beneficial. Namely, the life balance, work experience, priorities, focus and maturity of the nontraditional student are a given. This article will focus on the life balance of the nontraditional student.
In the timeline of one’s life there are numerous events (good and bad) that take’s root and become growing factors. There are events such as a death of a child that puts the brakes on life as you know it, and causes one to think outside of their self-imposed box.
The non-traditional student has established a balance system in life. That system would consist of preconceived factors in life that helps to keep an adult grounded. That balance could consist of a mix of such factors as:
• Companionship, • Eating Healthy/Exercise, • Emotional Health, • Family, • Love, • Social Life, and • Spirituality.
This article will reflect on just a few aspects of maintaining balance in one’s life. A new component in my mix factor is transportation. It is clearly affecting my balance. My mode of transportation is through the public transit system called METRA in Columbus, Georgia. My scheduled route’s last run is at 6:30 pm, but the dilemma is my last class doesn’t end on Tuesday and Thursday until 7:10 pm. That scenario presents a transportation issue. Unfortunately, the campus shuttle service does not travel to the off-campus apartment complex I reside in, which is only 2.7 miles away from campus.
I discovered that my complex is not a university-owned apartment complex. The apartment complex I live in bears the name of the university’s mascot. Students seeking housing from out-of-town would be mislead by such a name for an apartment complex as was I. The building and signage even pictures the mascot shown on campus literature. Fortunately for me I am physically fit, but the lack of sidewalks and lighting in the State of Georgia is a cause of concern.
Emotional aspect was touched on in an earlier blog entitled “A Mother’s Lost.” I believe there is a need to perform a self-check of one’s emotions. Your emotion is a factor associated with draining one of much needed energy. Keeping your emotions in check helps control an important aspect of life balance. See blog’s URL links to emotional intelligence.
Eating healthy and exercising speaks for itself. The topic has become a major concern in television talk shows, magazines (news, sports and health), news shows, etc. When your exercise and begin to eat healthier, there is a direct association with feeling better and a boost in one’s energy level. Oprah has an entire section on her website that is dedicated to health, wellness, exercise and so forth on her webpage: http://www.oprah.com/topics/health
On the www.Georgia.gov website there is an article entitled: “Nontraditional Students Enrich U.S. College Campuses: Older students value challenging courses with real-world applications” that are uniquely resourceful to nontraditional students. Also, there are numerous other resourceful and enlightening articles that are beneficial if you are considering a return to college after so many years of merely living life. A few of those links are available through this blog article.
When one focuses on maintaining life balance, harmony in virtually every aspect of one’s life is within reach.
Do good people fall into bad times? Can you see yourself becoming a hardship case? Ever visualized living with your children and depending upon them for support? If faced with such obstacles, those bridges formed during the course of your life need not be burnt.
Merriam-Webster defines:
• Underemployed – having less than full-time, regular, or adequate employment
• Unemployed – not employed: a: not being used b: not engaged in a gainful occupation c: not invested
KeiserEDU.org states: “With nearly 45 million Americans without health insurance, expanding coverage to the uninsured is a major, national health policy issue. There is a large body of research that documents the relationship between health insurance coverage, access to health care, and ultimately health outcomes. Furthermore, those lacking coverage are disproportionately low-income and thus more financially vulnerable to the high cost of care, exposed to higher out-of-pocket costs compared to the insured, and more often burdened by medical bills.”
When an individual go from full-time employment to underemployment or become unemployed their means of living is diminished. Also, the ability to maintain their lifestyle is depleted. One goes through a tremendous transformation via psyche and finances, then their family and friends are affected directly and/or indirectly. The first battle is developing a control mechanism for reality to settle. Life’s financial obligations still need to be met; so house/rent payments, automobile payments, automobile insurance, medical insurance, prescription costs, automobile fuel, utility bills, grocery… the list goes on and compiles monthly.
There is a psychological challenge to deal with those financial nuisances, but then come the spouse, the kids and the bill collectors. What is an individual to do when confronted with life’s crash dummy, called you? It is as if someone had the power to turn off your switch, and place you in internal darkness. You are forced to deal with imaginary and life demons.
Your first instinct is to analyze your savings and investments to see how long you can either maintain your lifestyle or prune your lifestyle plant down to the bare necessities. This decision ultimately affects your family and friend relationships, because the social aspect of life forces you to pump the brakes. However, in most cases you can apply for and receive Unemployment Compensation (UC). Please keep in mind that the worst thing you could do is quit a job, because that decision will eliminate your ability to collect UC benefits. Even if terminated (fired) from a job, there are still chances through the appeals process that allows you an opportunity to collect UC benefits. Although UC benefits are only a portion of the pay received through full-time employment, and the amount caps out in the State of Georgia at $320 per month, it will not maintain your financial float. During the summer of 2009, an additional $25.00 was added to the State Extended Benefits amount.
The ceiling is beginning to hit the fan as your world begins to cave in on you. At this point, you instinctively begin to borrow money from family and friends in an effort to save your automobile, residence and other financially obligated possessions. This process only brings your love ones into your poverty zone. In such an economy of 2009, it is wishful thinking to believe that you will become employed within a couple of months. There are people that have been unemployed for over a year, which was primarily the reason for so many forms of UC benefit extensions. There was a First Extension available: First-Tier Emergency Unemployment Compensation (1st-Tier EUC), then Second Extension available: Second-Tier Emergency Unemployment Compensation (2nd-Tier EUC), and Third Extension available: State Extended Benefits (SEB). The 2nd and Tier came as a result of President Bush’s stimulus package, then 3rd Tier came as part of President Obama’s stimulus package that some Governors declined to accept. Your Department of Labor website clarifies the unemployment process. There is further talk of the need for an additional stimulus to add a 4th Tier, but it is doubtful that Congress will render its approval.
Now that you are starting to get a clearer financial picture, there is the uninsured issue that has emerged because you have noticed that your prescription has expired. This brings on a new dilemma, because if you run out of your blood pressure or diabetes medication it is real. Fortunately, there are a few doctors (mostly in urban areas) that discount medical care based on income. The State funded hospital also performs the same service for free depending on income and your residential location. WalMart and other retail stores began to sell generic prescriptions at $4 for a 30-day supply or $10 for a 90-day supply. Also, Herbalist has become big business with their Natural Therapies. It is highly recommended that you visit your local health food or herbal shop to help improve your health in those cases when the prescription is too expensive. The herbal shops offer unlimited natural remedies for whatever hinders your health. It is not clear if those products are effective, but it may be worth a try because something is better than nothing even if it turns out to be a placebo.
Items found in an herb shop:
• Organic Total Body Cleanse (14-day body detox system)
• B. P. Balance (blood pressure)
• Life-Step (www.renewlife.com)
• Cell Power (body’s cell nourishing supplement)
• Etherium Gold, natural monatomic minerals (brain function)
• Parasite Cleanse (Worm-Free, Liver/Gallbladder/Antiparasite tonic, ICF 1 and 2) - found on http://www.drnathanrabb.com/bio.html product list
Think of an issue and you quite possibly will find a natural solution in either a health related store or on the herbalist’s website. However, a morning filled with good old fashion exercise is a fantastic way to begin your day.
When life places you in triple U (Unemployed/Underemployed/Uninsured) scenario, adapt to your circumstances without bringing others down to your level. If you bring others down with you, resentment enters those relationships and your debt factors into your personal family/friend connections. Home foreclosures, automobile repossessions, banks collapsing and historical job losses -- you are not alone just read the paper or watch the news. Despite your circumstances there will always be someone in worse condition. So what if you lose the house or car -- keep it moving...
Good people do go through bad situations even when trying to live life positively. Your direction may shift, and you may find yourself in uncharted territory, but this is your new area of focus. A higher power may very well have flipped your switch so adapt, adjust and redefine YOU through your options. Don't think of yourself as being a user or victim, but think of yourself as transitioning. This is not the time for depression or self-pity, keep it moving… Life continues to evolve and so should you.
President Obama recommends that you go back to school so fill out a FAFSA form on the http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/index.htm website, and apply to your local community college or university. Ride the economy out acquiring a degree or two. While online read the Education Recovery Act on http://www.ed.gov/index.jhtml. Take advantage of the opportunities that this economy has made available to each of us. Research available opportunities, because living in a triple U scenario you have nothing but time anyway -- do you. If you think you have the skills, know-how, focus and determination, start your own business. The local Department of Labor Career Center has brochures, flyers, contact lists, and is an excellent source to research your business idea. DJH Connections, LLC specializes in assisting aspiring entrepreneurs with virtually every aspect of developing a successful business from incorporation and leasing office space to staffing. DJHC website is http://djhconnections.com/default.aspx.
Upon graduation day from high school the mind thinks of parties to attend, possible future plans of college or armed forces and so forth. My choice was college and through those dreams were an envisioned college graduation, a successful career, and marriage to form a family to do what families do. Parents plan to purchase a house with a back yard for their kid's gym set, possible pool and a guest room in the house for visitors. Parents plan to place their kids in the best schools starting with Preschool kindergarten through college with financial planning for their high school graduates, in hopes of their children blessing them with grandchildren to help nurture and to live happily ever after
I, Faye Russell, birthed two children: Thalassia (1979), and Devin (1985), and it was a blessing to watch and nurture the growth of a daughter and son through the years. I was married in the summer of 1981 to Leroy Hamilton in Miami, Florida. My husband and I purchased our 1st home when I was 21 years old and he was 25. For us life was moving and popping in our careers, family and socially. At that time we were missing the spiritual aspect of life, and it should have been the most important. For through spirituality a family and marriage has the best opportunity to remain cohesive, for without that spiritual element to balance the family, attacks come from all directions to seek, kill and destroy. Leroy and I divorced the summer of 1986 after some wonderful years of family and marriage. For those whom have gone through Divorce know that the process isn't easy for anyone involved.
In the spring of 2001, Thalassia graduated from college and was married in September 2004. Through that union our 1st grandchild was born at the end of 2005, and our 2nd grandchild is to be born the summer of 2009. These dates are remembered, cherished and are historical in our family tree in a positive way. Unfortunately, there are obstacles in life that set up emotional roadblocks and barriers that are severe and the recovery process appears to be an unrealistic timeline.
On December 26, 2004, Leroy, Thalassia and I lost Devin James Hamilton in a car accident as a passenger. I am referring to the same Devin that my niece Erin wrote about in her post to this blog. Devin was a son, brother, grandchild, cousin and in death became an uncle to his sister's and brother's children. On Christmas day Devin and I were together visiting my parent's and sister's house. My uncle, aunt and cousin were in Atlanta from Miami, Florida visiting at that time. We had a wonderful time on Christmas day as my mom cooked Collard Greens and other wonderful dishes, but those greens were Devin's favorite vegetable and it was cooked specifically for him. He ate so much that he was uncomfortable.
Devin grew to be 6'-4" tall at the age of 19. My father was 6'-5", and Devin's father (Leroy) was 6'-3" in height. That afternoon I took Devin back to his father's house, because he had planned to go out that night a family friend which had become a good friend to him. Despite being sick with a sinus cold, he still wanted to go out with his friend. Thalassia spoke to him Christmas day on the phone and they planned to see each other on another day to exchange gifts.
The family friend while on his way to bring Devin home from the club was driving erratic, lost control of his Integra and wrapped that car around a telephone pole in Decatur, Georgia on Glenwood Drive at Holly Hock Road. Devin lost his life instantly, and the family friend ended up in the hospital for a few weeks but survived. Devin's coroner report was interesting and depressing. My mom had pleasure in knowing that his stomach was full of her famous Collard Greens, but the report let us know that the death may have been avoided.
It is speculated that the family friend had bumped into a lady's car. He supposedly got out the car and assessed the damage, and for whatever reason determined that there was no damage of concern. He supposedly brushed off the lady, got in his car and took off but the lady supposedly trailed to get the license plate number. The family friend supposedly speed off from the lady and she continued to pursue up Glenwood Road, The family friend lost control of the car and the lady supposedly witnessed an unnecessary tragic accident. I say supposedly, because there was never an arrest so we don't know the entire truth.
Our Pastor, Bishop Eddie L Long, had preached that God sets up particular obstacles such as Stop Signs, Red Lights and little fender bender accidents to keep you from something down the road that you can not recover from. We learned that it is not just the individual recovery in question, but it is the recovery of so many other people. For during Devin's funeral we witnessed just how much Devin's personality, charisma and his life's journey had affected so many others. We discovered that Devin was an encourager of people, loved life, and was charming and an all-around good guy to not only family, but friends and neighbors. Devin lived to be 19 years old, and is still missed today by countless others. My friends know him by his slender yet tall frame, his chocolate skin tone, his white beautiful teeth, his quiet persona, his neatness and meticulously stature.
It is my experience that a mother never fully recovers from the loss of their child. There is a part of you that is lost with that child. More importantly you learn that you are not along in your loss as there are others affected, as you can see from the blog posted by his cousin, Erin. The emotional pain remains, but the spirit lives on in a positive way.
Keep dreaming, be active in your pursuits, be vigilant and continue to elevate your goals and live life with passion for life is only a hyphen. Devin lived from 12/14/1985 - 12/26/2004, and that hyphen were what he represented through his accomplishments and who he impacted during his 19 years. We as human beings are merely Hyphens on earth - Live Life positively.
Throughout life we do not realize the important things until they are gone. Then when we least except it they are gone in the blink of an eye. One day your life will flash before your eyes. Make sure its worth watching. This is a great quote for me from an experience that happened in my life.
December 25, Christmas night my life was changed. It was my cousin, my best friend he was like a brother to me. I remember waking up and coming downstairs to my family sitting around the couch. They were all crying and I had to figure out what was wrong. They broke the news to me after standing there for awhile. They said my cousin had died late last night in a car accident. My heart dropped to the floor and my knees buckled. Before I knew it I was crying as hard as they were. I did not know what to do, be brave for my family or be strong for myself. After awhile I could do neither. This was the only person that listened to me, understood me when no one else could; this was the one that I could talk too. The only one was taken away from me.
This was Devin. A tall, athletic, handsome young man. He was 19 and my best friend. He played basketball, football, baseball; you name it Devin did it. He was Awesome. Whatever you needed he would do it for you even if he had to go out of his way. He loved skittles; my mom and I would always play around with him: ‘‘if you keep eating skittles you will turn into one”. We loved the same things; people would often compare us to each other and tell us we were just alike. He would constantly make fun of me of how short I was even though he was about a good six foot tall.
My life today is still the same, but a part of me is missing. Sometimes it is hard to believe that he is actually gone. There is no more of him to make me laugh when I had a bad day, or to scoop me up when I have fallen. Seems like it was just yesterday he was sitting next to me, and tickling me with a bag of skittles in his hand. I will miss my big brother and no one can ever tell me differently.
In life you should always cherish the good things in your life. You never know when it will be taken away from you. Even though at the time it may not seem like something special to you, when it is gone you will realize it.
The Village is considered a close network of family and trusted friends. Is it appropriate to use the Village to help raise your children?
Let's compare clichés from the perspective of the married couple, whom are encouraged to befriend and socialize with other married couples. They are encouraged by other married couples for whatever reason to distance them from single or divorce friends.
Single parents are encouraged to use their Village to help raise their children. Why do married people conveniently insert themselves into the Village equation and become villagers in the raising of your children? There are components in the makeup of your Village that should possibly be taken into consideration. In the relationship with the villagers there are advisors, babysitters, the church and so forth.
Today, let's address the advisor component of the Village. The Village Advisor should at least fall within the guidelines of mirroring your family situation so he/she is speaking from experience.
Be sure that the Village Advisor at least has children, the children are around the same age range as your children, and they maintain a respectful and loving relationship with their children.
Be careful that your Village Advisor's objective is not to live their parental relationship vicariously through your relationship with your children.
Safeguard who is allowed to speak to you in an advisory capacity for they are also speaking into your spirit. Those words take root and grow.
The Village Advisor must be qualified to hold the position in your life, particularly if he/she is to assist with the raising of your children. Please weigh every word that you hear, especially in relation to your children.
There will be people that come into your life labeled as a friend, live vicariously through you, and insert themselves into your children's life as a parental role model knowing that in their mind he/she has failed in their relationship with their own children. You may need to be their Village Advisor.
Just as you prune your house plant of leaves that are hindering the progress and health of your plant’s growth, so should you prune your Village Advisors. Although the Village (if used properly) can be therapeutic, rarely are there therapists, psychologists or doctors in your camp. Wisdom, not hidden agendas must flow in your Village in order for it to be effective or appropriate to assist you with raising your children. Keep in mind that Jesus Christ walked with the Disciples for 7 years prior to labeling them his friends. Know the friend...
Once graduated from high school many students ponder their future. Some enter the armed services, some the work force and others dream of acquiring a college degree or two. At some point in life there will be instances when life moves through obstacle courses such as a pregnancy or the death of a close relative.
Scenario 1: My sophomore year I became pregnant with my daughter, and I took time off from college due to the birth of my child. Scenario 2: My junior year I lost my grandmother and that was extremely traumatic. That death was a very low point in my life's journey that turned me mentally upside down. Needless to say I left college and moved back home to Miami, Florida. At the age of 21 I married, and my husband and I purchased a single family home. Yes, life starting moving very fast and those were happy times. After two children and 6 wonder years that marriage ended and I moved to Atlanta, Georgia after a job layoff.
My 1st college experience earned me 102 credit hours in the quarter system. My 2nd college experience, I transferred my transcript to a junior college (JC) in hopes of acquiring an Associate Degree, but that was the beginning of losing college credits. Only 43 credit hours were accepted of the earned 102, but I earned 28 new credits at the JC institution. My employer at the time was involved in projects that caused an increase in my work hours to include weekend scheduling. As a result, I had to withdraw from classes and eventually stop attending that institution. Due to my inability to physically sit in classes I later began attending classes online through a 3rd institution. In my 3rd college experience, 51.98 credits were accepted from 1st institution and 24.64 credits were accepted from 2nd institution. There I earned 9 credit hours. Unfortunately, those 9 hours earned at the 3rd institution were not accepted at the 4th institution. The 4th and hopefully final institution accepted a total transfer of 88.264 credit hours from those colleges.
Although I am currently accepted to two 4-year institutions, the joke is really on me now. Due to my repeated attempts to acquire a degree I have accumulated credit hours that have taken me over the limit to quality for a Federal Pell Grant or any other Federal funding. I had to file an Appeal for Financial Aid Appeal, and I am waiting for a final determination. In the meantime I am endlessly applying for college scholarships based on my previous 3.33 GPA, but I am running into age cutoffs on scholarship applications. Those scholarships that are available to me are being applied.
