This is really it. I'm graduating in a month from college. I'm excited and scared at the same time--excited because I've finally achieved my goal of not only going back to school, but also graduating. But I'm scared because I don't know what's next; I've always been used to a routine of going to work, caring for personal matters, and then doing my coursework. But I'm sure it's just anticipation of what's to come that has my stomach in butterflies, not any sense of dread or fear of failure.
So this is a topic of conversation on Twitter, as well--who's graduating this quarter. Well, a few months--and many tweets ago--I lamented ab0ut what I would do now that I was graduating. Mike tweeted back that I should stay on as an alumni blogger. So, this is what I intend to do. I will continue to blog about the things that are going on in my life post-graduation, as well as continue to offer my own personal experiences as guidelines for everyone from first-year students to those graduating in the near future.
I'll also continue to check Blackboard for any upcoming events that Berkeley has planned and see if, as an alumnus, I would be able to FINALLY partake of any of those activities. ;)
Monday, March 29, 2010
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
The end of my journey here at Berkeley....
Yes, I've taken my final test and submitted my final assignments for both my Finance class and my internship. And now, I look forward to taking my place among my fellow graduates at the Izod Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey on April 30, 2010.
While I'm glad to be graduating, I wished I had done better in my finance class; however, I did pass it this time around. A little more time and attention given to the chapters would've helped me tremendously, but I didn't go below a "C", I can say that much. But I don't intend to let this be the last of my educational journey. I still have every finance book that I have ever purchased and I will continue to use these as references for when I enter the financial field. I also want to continue to be an inspiration to you all to never give up, and really, really study--even if you think you "got it" the first time; perhaps there were some things that you missed when you merely skimmed over the material. But alas, I won't put a negative spin on a positive situation. I PASSED!!!! And I'm GRADUATING!!! That deserves some applause in itself. Not to sound self-aggrandizing or anything, but I'm really happy. And relieved, to be honest. Although I don't intend to put away everything I've learned for good, I do intend to take what I feel is a well-deserved break. Perhaps I'll go back to school and get my Master's in the future. But for now, my upcoming graduation is enough for me. I did it, and I lived to tell about the experience.
And a big, hearty congratulations to ALL of our seniors who are walking in April; we did it!!!
While I'm glad to be graduating, I wished I had done better in my finance class; however, I did pass it this time around. A little more time and attention given to the chapters would've helped me tremendously, but I didn't go below a "C", I can say that much. But I don't intend to let this be the last of my educational journey. I still have every finance book that I have ever purchased and I will continue to use these as references for when I enter the financial field. I also want to continue to be an inspiration to you all to never give up, and really, really study--even if you think you "got it" the first time; perhaps there were some things that you missed when you merely skimmed over the material. But alas, I won't put a negative spin on a positive situation. I PASSED!!!! And I'm GRADUATING!!! That deserves some applause in itself. Not to sound self-aggrandizing or anything, but I'm really happy. And relieved, to be honest. Although I don't intend to put away everything I've learned for good, I do intend to take what I feel is a well-deserved break. Perhaps I'll go back to school and get my Master's in the future. But for now, my upcoming graduation is enough for me. I did it, and I lived to tell about the experience.
And a big, hearty congratulations to ALL of our seniors who are walking in April; we did it!!!
Friday, March 19, 2010
One more week, and I'm finished....
As I said previously, I feel relieved and happy, yet a little sad. I can't believe it's almost over--both in a good and a bad way. However, as I had mentioned in a previous blog entry, I can always come back for my Master's degree. And if I decide to any time in the near future, I know that Berkeley College is the college for me. With all respect for other learning institutions, I have to say that I have never been challenged in a way that benefited me the way that I have at Berkeley College. Also, even though I haven't been able to connect face-to-face with other students, I still feel that I've been able to connect with them via my classes (discussion boards), online clubs, and this blog.
It's amazing that when I first decided to re-enroll in school, I had serious misgivings (I thought I was too old, I wouldn't remember anything, etc.). I prayed, I stuck to my guns, and I changed my "study" habits (barely studying sometimes); and when I saw that I was slipping back into an old, familiar, destructive pattern, I made some adjustments. It was a little hard, particularly since I was doing everything online this time, but I convinced myself that it would be for the best in the long run.
Already, it's paid off in regard to where I work, and I feel that it will continue to open up opportunities for me in the future. Also, I've been invited to be a peer mentor, which makes me feel honored. I've often thought about being a tutor and a peer for some students, but that I was actually invited suggests a lot of confidence in my abilities. No matter what happens in the future, I will not regret the decision I made to re-enroll in school. And I will always hold a place in my heart for Berkeley College as the school that helped me to reach my fullest potential--not just as a student, but as an individual.
It's amazing that when I first decided to re-enroll in school, I had serious misgivings (I thought I was too old, I wouldn't remember anything, etc.). I prayed, I stuck to my guns, and I changed my "study" habits (barely studying sometimes); and when I saw that I was slipping back into an old, familiar, destructive pattern, I made some adjustments. It was a little hard, particularly since I was doing everything online this time, but I convinced myself that it would be for the best in the long run.
Already, it's paid off in regard to where I work, and I feel that it will continue to open up opportunities for me in the future. Also, I've been invited to be a peer mentor, which makes me feel honored. I've often thought about being a tutor and a peer for some students, but that I was actually invited suggests a lot of confidence in my abilities. No matter what happens in the future, I will not regret the decision I made to re-enroll in school. And I will always hold a place in my heart for Berkeley College as the school that helped me to reach my fullest potential--not just as a student, but as an individual.
Saturday, March 13, 2010
As the quarter nears its finish....
I get more and more excited. Soon, April 30 will be here, and I'll be with my fellow students at the Izod Center in Rutherford, New Jersey, getting my Bachelor's in Finance. I cannot stress enough what this means to me; it leaves me with a great feeling. And it lets me know now that anything I put my mind to, I can actually follow through on it and achieve it. There are no more excuses or "shoulda, coulda, wouldas" for this young woman; I will face all of my major decisions and situations head on. This is what Berkeley College has taught me and prepared me for.
Turns out I'm not the only one, either; the graduation speeches that we had to type up for our internship gave me some insight into my fellow students' personalities and how they all struggled to get where they were. Some were teenage parents, some had to travel distant lands, some came from less-than-desirable family circumstances--and they all persevered. Now the payoff for all of our hard work will be that piece of paper in hand, and we will carry that self-determined spirit with us not only into the workplace, but throughout our lives. Because if Berkeley College has taught me anything besides academics, it has taught me perseverance. When I think of what I went through to stay afloat financially and continue with my education (determined not to throw in the towel), I have to really give thanks to God for guiding me and not allowing me to give up. I made arrangments with Student Accounts and made every effort to keep up my end of those arrangements. I knew that there was a good chance that if I dropped out of school for the semester until I got my finances together, I stood a good chance of not returning at all to continue to pursue my educational goals.
To those students and faculty who are reading this, I hope you all continue to encourage each other and reach your educational goals together. And never stop learning, for I don't intend to; I will continue to learn beyond the halls (or computer) of Berkeley College.
Turns out I'm not the only one, either; the graduation speeches that we had to type up for our internship gave me some insight into my fellow students' personalities and how they all struggled to get where they were. Some were teenage parents, some had to travel distant lands, some came from less-than-desirable family circumstances--and they all persevered. Now the payoff for all of our hard work will be that piece of paper in hand, and we will carry that self-determined spirit with us not only into the workplace, but throughout our lives. Because if Berkeley College has taught me anything besides academics, it has taught me perseverance. When I think of what I went through to stay afloat financially and continue with my education (determined not to throw in the towel), I have to really give thanks to God for guiding me and not allowing me to give up. I made arrangments with Student Accounts and made every effort to keep up my end of those arrangements. I knew that there was a good chance that if I dropped out of school for the semester until I got my finances together, I stood a good chance of not returning at all to continue to pursue my educational goals.
To those students and faculty who are reading this, I hope you all continue to encourage each other and reach your educational goals together. And never stop learning, for I don't intend to; I will continue to learn beyond the halls (or computer) of Berkeley College.
Friday, March 5, 2010
My graduation speech....
Is it really that time already? This is our assignment in Business 482 this week. We have to write about what inspired us to go back to college and what kept us going when we may have wanted to quit. Who were the main inspirations in our lives? How do we feel now about accomplishing our goals?
For me, so many people--professors, friends, family, and co-workers--contributed to my decision to go back to school and get my degree. Even my supervisor (who allowed me to work with our financial system for my internship) said to me that she wanted to see me get my degree. I just knew that I needed to go back to school to brush up on my skills, so part of the motivation was my own. I feel a sense of accomplishment in that this time, I didn't stop in the middle of my schooling to care for other matters; I simply worked around my schedule and made the necessary arrangements to be able to accomplish everything I needed to.
The professor also mentioned having a spiritual base and whether this contributed to us deciding to go back to school. For me, the answer is yes. I prayed that I would be able to go back to school and finish without getting sidetracked in my daily life (spiritual, family, work).
So if I were to sum it up, there were many deciding factors in my going back to school and sticking to it, despite various obstacles. My mother, who is a single mom, is probably my greatest inspiration; she raised three of us while working full-and-part-time and still managed to graduate from college (she also had a wonderful family support system). I find this to be the case now that I'm helping to raise my 13-year-old niece. There are young ones looking at and depending on you; you have to be and set the example.
For me, so many people--professors, friends, family, and co-workers--contributed to my decision to go back to school and get my degree. Even my supervisor (who allowed me to work with our financial system for my internship) said to me that she wanted to see me get my degree. I just knew that I needed to go back to school to brush up on my skills, so part of the motivation was my own. I feel a sense of accomplishment in that this time, I didn't stop in the middle of my schooling to care for other matters; I simply worked around my schedule and made the necessary arrangements to be able to accomplish everything I needed to.
The professor also mentioned having a spiritual base and whether this contributed to us deciding to go back to school. For me, the answer is yes. I prayed that I would be able to go back to school and finish without getting sidetracked in my daily life (spiritual, family, work).
So if I were to sum it up, there were many deciding factors in my going back to school and sticking to it, despite various obstacles. My mother, who is a single mom, is probably my greatest inspiration; she raised three of us while working full-and-part-time and still managed to graduate from college (she also had a wonderful family support system). I find this to be the case now that I'm helping to raise my 13-year-old niece. There are young ones looking at and depending on you; you have to be and set the example.
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