Ed-U-Macation
And you thought I'd never come back to la escuela eh... Shocking as it may be, I made my way back to the atmospheric world of text books (e-books now), loads of note-taking and APA assignments. Looking back it feels surreal how I got through those education doors. From an on site tour visit, to numerous correspondents with the counselor, through the application process, transcript requests, and recommendations. What usually takes weeks of planning, is truncated into about two. Seriously... I go in to speak with an advisor regarding the career road map, and next thing I’m attending my first class that evening. Now, you might be saying ‘that's awesome, glad you're back in school to finish your degree'. But the challenge is actually getting into the rhythm. Several other pupils in my class came fresh out of high school with that mindset already. Here I am transitioning from an Electronic Engineering degree to a more liberal social works program. Granted I wasn't the only adult there whose objective was similar to mine. My initial reaction after stepping inside the classroom was fearsome. Discussion began with the syllabus (contract) followed by informal writing procedures—APA; then the covered materials for the next 16 weeks with homework expectancy. This followed by deadlines and grading system that gets everyones attention. Being 10+ years since in a classroom, you can see why anxiety kick in like a huge maverick.
About 8 weeks in, I'm looking forward to discussion meetings on Monday evenings. I was very skeptical with a narrow minded perception going in. Figured this would be the best armor of choice against overwhelming feelings should I not thrive in my papers/exams. But one important factor learned, is not so much about the exterior materials, but the underneath layer where community & relationships are constructed. No doubt we are here to accomplish our goals (some more quicker than others); but relationships established during our time at the education facility is another avenue to self rediscovery. I can't speak directly for those that take online classes or are limited on transportation, however we live in a world of social media that keeps us at bay with each other. Question is… are we building strong communities regardless of our circumstances? I don’t hope so.