The day of reckoning

Everything is a bustle here today. The notices will be posted after lunch stating who will be working with whom. Everyone is talking about it at lunch. Several are having a hard time breathing. At 2:00 we got together into our new study groups. I love mine. I do have charlotte as a group facilitator and we seem to fit quite nicely. My new friend Helen is in the group, which has more meaning than I could ever journal right here. Each of us is so creative and I look forward to working with them. Though we actually don’t see each other until October.

The graduation was this evening. My taxi mate graduated. I heard it would be a moving ceremony and it certainly was. Each student had their diploma handed to them by a person of their choice, mom, dad husband etc.

I was excited to see everyone up there and curious to see myself there as well.

Tuesday- clarification and auction

Tuesday (I’m writing this after the fact) it is actually Saturday and I am packed to leave. But I have been so busy I have not been able to do much.

Though there have been returning group meetings today I have not been to them. Instead I have scheduled a meeting with the dean to discuss with him that I would like to be an ambassador for the school. Now this really just entails writing articles and maybe dropping off catalogues in the appropriate places. I would speak to groups about the school if I could. I mean it is just such a wonderful thing they have going here. The process of learning is incredible.

My last study exploration meeting was with Blythe Richfield. It was a little unsettling. Though I feel I know what I want to study it is hard to portray everything in total. I also want to study three things rather than one. Each faculty has basically said for me to focus on one. I really like Blythe and would like to work with her. I think I need to clarify some things for my stud-y mostly internally.

In the afternoon they had a faculty open house. Here is where I can clarify things with those that I might be interested in working with. I spoke with Charlotte and she said it was o.k. to do all three studies.

In the evening it is tradition to have an auction. Many students bring things to auction off. I have brought a sculpture but it is scripturally based and I am not sure how that will go over in this setting. I started to feel really bad about putting it in the auction. It was not until dinner that I realized what I should do with it. I ran up to my room and brought it back down to Helen. The scripture was on sympathy and compassion. And frankly when I picked it out to bring I thought, “ Why would I bring this sculpture of all of them. “ But the one I wanted to bring was not there, and this one was small, so I brought it.”

Helen was so excited. I have letters that go with each little sculpture in the series and this one just happened to be about healing and death. It was very appropriate for her. Then she told me that her mom was a quilter, there was a quilt in this piece and that she was a Christian. This piece was where it was suppose to go.

The auction was a riot. Things are brought in from places like Rwanda and other places. Apparently Dick tries to raise money for these different causes. We did a good job. I think we raised $1,400 for Dick Hathaway’s causes. There were some things I was interested in bidding on. Some wooden coasters from Africa, there were a beautiful bowl as well, but that was beyond my means. I settled my eyes on a tiny little basket, a memory of my first stay here. It was $5.00.

Another busy day

I loved Charlotte Hastings presentation. She is the art department chair. It was a lot of fun. We watched a video listened to her talk about the photographer Carrie Mae Weems and did our own, writings.

Psychologist and writer Blythe Richfield’s presentation came next. It was on “This thing we call Love.” I have really enjoyed attending these presentations and taking down notes of what the quotes and possible reading material. My third exploration meeting was with Dick Hathaway. Dick works more with history, economics etc. He is a fascinating man and I wanted to go to at least get to meet him and makes sure that he met me. I think it is important to have a presence to this faculty

I went to charlottes returning group meeting. I had several reasons, Of course both presenters were artists and I really wanted to see how charlottes group worked, since that is whom I most likely will be working with.

At dinner I met another wonderful person with a wonderful story. She said she was culminating so I was especially interested in knowing how this journey went for her. She was my age. She explained that when she came to VCU she expected she would learn to b e a student. That she would learn how to drink wine, like coffee and be a professional. But the exact opposite happened. She was told to follow her bliss. She did. She began a study in, of all things, sea turtles. While doing this study she begged a research center to let her volunteer as part of her study for college. Because it was a college study, they allowed her. Not only is she graduation from VCUI but also she has a paid position as part of the staff of this research center. As I understand it Vermont College helped her to get back to a place that she wanted to be. She really didn’t want to be businesswomen, and by being given the opportunity to follow her bliss, so to speak, she was able to do just that.


This evening there were two culminating presentations that I really wanted to attend and unfortunately they were scheduled at the same time. My taxi mate Catherine had hers on “our inner and outer landscape” and another classmates Frank had his on “teaching astronomy”. It was a hard choice but I felt bound to Catherine, and I must say the presentation was wonderful.

Afterwards I began to work on my bibliography for my semester. I have to read 20 books and I have to come up with this bibliography by Friday. I am hoping I can check out books at this library, I’ll have to mail them back in 45 days. If I can get few books, I can read on the airplane.

The rest of the evening was spent in my room, in pj’s and a glass of wine. Hmmm very relaxing. I did have my first invite to go out and have a drink with some classmates, but I had already gotten in my pj’s when they poked their head in my open dormitory door. I would have liked to spend time with them, but I did notice that I am getting very burnt out on the people 24/7.

Slowing down a bit

I feel things slowing down a bit, I am not sure if that is everything around me or just me. I finally had a meeting with Doris about what will transfer, what will not, how to work things into my schedule and what I need to focus on. Now that my meeting with Doris is done I feel I can breath.

I attended a presentation by faculty Laura Knott Twine. Her specialty is really more business, but it was a good opportunity to get to know her. Her talk was entitled “Time/Life Balance: an Issue Facing the workers and Management in working America.” Funny, I arrived a few minutes late and had to leave early. Don’t know what that says about me in the topic. But once again things were scheduled over one another and if I wanted to hear her I had to do the best I could.

I also attended another faculty presentation by Dick Hathaway. His talk was about “Class in America: Myth and realities (A guide to the American Class and Status System)” He is a funny man and as in all of these lectures I have a bunch of books and quotes that intrigued me. It was my first exposure to Paul Fussel’ interpretation of the X class- we creative ones. I’ll have to look up more about that.

Lunch is over and I am off to my II study exploration meeting with this time Bernice Mennis (I spoke of her before). It is a large group of potential students 9 are going to that. I actually took my name off of the list thinking there would not be enough time for all of us to talk but then I put it back on, I am glad I did because everyone on the list did not come and it was a small group.


I”LL WRITE MORE LATER

After dinner
There is another faculty presentation at 6:45 I am just not sure I want to go to it. It is not someone that I had wanted to work with or signed up to meet, so I just may skip it. I hope I won’t be sorry. The topic is ‘Psychology of Fear /Politics of Fear. Of course I may change my mind. I skipped the returning group meeting presentation this morning and instead I walked myself downtown. It is quite a long walk down the hill, which is not so bad, but going up hill is another story. I wanted to get some post cards, and some souvenirs, and I had entertained the idea of getting other things including a bottle of wine to share with the girls on my end of the wing. I was not sure I could schlep that up the hill (mountain) but I wanted to try. Oh yes, don’t forget the corkscrew.

I also wanted to go up the mountain about the same distance and visit the place that makes maple syrup. I just wrote an article about how I would go to Vermont and visit the maple syrup manufacturer every Easter. Dad would let us go to the gift shop and get anything that we wanted. I always got the same thing a small box of maple sugar candy, 4 little people, a mom, dad, and two children. I loved them so much I could not bear to eat them!

I met another classmate Helen. She was a little teary eyed because She just buried her mother a week ago today. She did not want to miss the residency and she knew her mom would not want her to miss it either. When I told her about the direction that my study was going it of course, focused on the death of loved ones. When describing what I go through with sculpting posthumous portraiture and trying to capture the spirit of an individual I have never known I posed the question. “Is something happening? Is there some sort of connection? Does the sprit of the deceased try to connect with me and help with this? It will be something I will be forced to look at in my study. And along with that I will have to evaluate how that falls into my faith and Christianity. So Helen told me this great story about how her last study had something to do with Native American Indian’s and how she gave her mom a feather before she died. Then when Helen was getting ready to come she found a feather on the top of her suitcase. She thought “o.k. Maybe the cat killed a bird, and then dropped it there, “ but my class mates and I conferred that it didn’t matter who the messenger was, the feather was important to her and so that is all that mattered.

After dinner I tried the long walk up to the maple syrup manufacturer. It was a very difficult walk up the mountain and I could tell I wouldn’t have time when I got 3/4 ‘s the way there so I turned back. Upon arriving back at the dorm right in front of Dewey it happened. I almost walked by it. There on the ground right in front of me was a feather!

At first I thought hmm there is a feather. And then it struck me and I said Oh my word there is a feather. I even turned around and picked it up. Later I found Helen and I told her tat maybe they were communicating with me, and here is a message from mom.

It was so strange. Maybe it is just a fluke. I am having inner turmoil thinking about this study and have put several books on my bibliography about God and parapsychology etc.

This process is getting more and more interesting!

April 16th.
Last night I came back from the stone science building walked across the campus to Dewey hall. Several people were outside- some talking, others playing guitars and still others smoking. I smiled inside and said, “ I am in college.” The doors to Dewey were in perpetual motion. Dewey is the residency for both men and women. And everyone is coming and going somewhere.

Frankly I could use a little less coming and going.

There are sign up sheet in the Hall at Dewey. We are to pick 3 faculty that we would like to meet with. I have chosen Charlotte Hastings the head of the art department. It is a natural for me. I also chose Bernice Mennis- a writer, and naturalist. She has worked with many different students for different things. I don’t know whom else to pick.

We had our group photo taken; this is the equivalent to a yearbook.

EXCEL
I then proceeded to an excel meeting. Excel is receiving life credit for your experience. You can receive up to 30 credits and I am hoping to get all 30. The difficulty is that you can’t just say I have done a lot of things and give me credit. You need to show how what you have learned transfers into what you need to fulfill your degree program. So in other words you can’t just say. “ Ran a day care. “ You must show how running a day care works into what you would learn through psychology or business or other things that pertain to you degree program.

I am not allowed to apply for excel until I have been here for 1 semester. It does require 60 pages of writing, and a presentation along with some other things. So I know it will be a lot of work.


I went to the meeting first to understand for myself and then to gather information in hopes of writing an article about the subject.
MY FIRST MEETING

I went to my first Study Exploration Meetings ( session 1). I have to do at least 3 of these. So I met with Charlottes group this morning there were 7 of us. All of us were asked what we wanted to do our study in. Each person discussed what he or she wants to do. One is going to do outfits of India, culture meaning etc, another on the mind and memory and art. Another person who is into theater wants to put on a production directing a mid summer nights dream. I was surprised at how receptive Charlotte was, she guided and was very encouraging. I know I have said it before, but all learning should be this way.

Another person is working on paintings. Some people wanted to get away from academics because they worked so hard on literature last semester. Others want something totally different. I can see how in the next 4 meetings as I tell what I would like to do to different groups, with different leaders, in different backgrounds it could all formulate with different twists. I know you are wondering what I chose to do?

I mentioned a couple of different things but I think I will focus on my new sculpture of Patsy and everything pertaining to Patsy. HMMMMMM?????/ The study will be on how this process of how I find the spirit of someone who is no longer living with us and how I bring it into life into clay. I will blog the process of sculpting Patsy, interview others etc. My bibliography? Good question. I think I may study some of the affects of other sculptors working with the dead and art- maybe Egyptians, day of the dead? The possibilities are endless and are being formed as I speak with these groups and hear what other ideas people have. I am beginning to see how rewarding this entire progressive process can be.

I also went to a lecture given by Bernice. This was fascinating, we wrote, we talked, and the intellectual feedback of many of the 27 people present was incredible. After that meeting I sat in on a culminating presenters presentation on what she is learned. I chose it because it was on creativity. It was good.

Tonight is the art show opening.

VERY LONG DAY!

BEFORE BREAKFAST
Received my schedule last night and I can’t help but wonder how they expect me to keep the schedule? There looks like there is not even a bathroom break unless of course you are counting the 1 for lunch and the hour for dinner. Some things are even double booked. I can see that for the new person it could be quite stressful. Probably upon my return I won’t feel as compelled to attend every lecture.

We did come in for dinner last night. The culinary institute does the meals here. It was salmon and rice, salad, and of course there are lots of sweets to pick from.

I really wish I would have confiscated a coffee cup last night so that I could make tea in the A. M. that is my goal today confiscate coffee cup.

Catherine and I, along with another women I met who has yet another semester to go, all walked down town. They said a few hills. Well this is no hill country in Texas. While flying in Vermont you could see the mountains to the west. I believe they were the Appalachians. And another set of mountains to the north. The green something mountains. There was snow on the peaks and in some valleys and a little snow on the ground but there is not a lot. So walking down to the town was not bad, walking up was a walk. I am wondering how I can do that carrying distilled water? I’d really like to pick up that and a few other things in town.

I slept with the window open last night. The heat is so high in the building. I put wet towels on the radiator; it had to be paper towels because I don’t even have enough towels and no washcloth for myself, put that on my list for next semester.

I did not sleep well last night, maybe it was the excitement, or the new room, or the uncomfortable bed. Or the thought that I did not set the clock correctly and I would miss out on breakfast. I hope I do better this evening. Well it is 7:30 and time to get that breakfast and then hit the ground running.

I’ll check back later.

Came back to the room to drop off the checkbook and the coffee cup. YIPPEEE I can have my tea first thing. I feel kind of foggy, I think it might be a combination of lack of sleep and allergies. Catherine was feeling icky as well. She said these dorms always bother her. I plan on taking tons of vitamin c. But I will most likely have to go to town and get more. I wish I had brought my entire bottle.

Catherine and Judy told me the best times to try and get some time to go to town or for myself. Apparently we have a lot of time wed morning. I’ll have to check the schedules. That is when the faculty talks about us students.

This morning we had orientation that was for the new students. It was a lot of information about the program and some about the history of the school. The idea of the 20-40-20 seems a bit overwhelming. It stands for 20 hours a week, 40 pages of writing a semester and 20 books to read.

After a quick lunch we went to another workshop that was very good! The director of academic support Anne Connor presented it. Anne had a lot of great things to share on learning styles and tricks to get through the program. I was surprised with her enthusiasm for helping the students. I thought about my friend Sunny, and how this woman could really support her in her learning styles and her ADD. She made me think that anyone could do this program. What a wonderful thing to have someone hold your hand and walk you through, if you are having difficulty of course.

After this meeting there was yet another lecture about using the library, and then it was back to the dorm room. I got to rest for all of 25 minutes. It was a needed rest as my allergies are horrible in these old buildings.

I get so distracted while at these lectures. It is so strange to look out of the tall old windows in the buildings and see mountains. I LOVE IT!

After dinner- another interesting combination from the culinary institute, we went to what is called the Round Robin. This is really the only time all of the learners, no matter where they are in the program get together. We all stood up and said our names and where we are from, one at a time of course. There were many from the Vermont area, but then there were some from California, Alaska, Oregon and one man stood up I thought he said he was from Belize. We just said our names and where we were from, except those who were culminating. They got to say “ I am culminating” and everyone hooted and hollered. I think there are 11 graduating. It is a different type of ceremony, would you expect anything less from Vermont College? I hear that those graduating can have someone of their choice, family member hand them their diploma. So cool! Ii could cry thinking of it.

After the introductions then several faculty got up and told about who they were and how they work with the students.

This is very important because I have to decide what I want to study and who will be my mentor for the next 6 months. It is fascinating to hear about the different individual studies. One woman did hers on death and dying, another on her family and the civil war, another on fiction writing. Each learner has to decide this. IT is the talk of the dinning hall.

The only thing left to do this evening is to drop off my artwork for the art show. Then I can go to bed, or come back to the computer lab and finish my article. I can’t seem to get dialup to work on my computer so I am glad that I have the lab and this little doohickey that my husband bought me that transfers info from computer to computer.

I want to walk. Everything is so beautiful I would really like to walk before going to bed. Maybe I can sleep this evening.

Well, enough of this I’ll post more tomorrow.

Oh yes…. I almost forgot

The marketing director here said she took a few of my quotes from my article and is using them in an ad. I am flattered.

On the airplane

Here I am in the airplane traveling to my dorm room at my college as a full time student. Not something so unusual for someone who is 18, 19, or 20, but what about at 44 years of age? Last night I talked with my daughter at her college in Tulsa. “ I am so afraid my roommate will hate me because of my snoring. “ My daughter had a snorer as a roommate in her freshman year. Not until we got her a humidifier for her room, partly for the noise mostly for the moisture, did she find any rest. But she assured me she didn’t have a difficult time with her roommate just because she snored. This is a week residency and packing a large humidifier seemed out of the question, though I did find a small one that goes for a couple of hours. Maybe if I run it for a couple of hours before I sleep and then refill it the room will have enough moisture to help out. . My daughter said, “ tell your roommate you have brought a pillow cover and breath right strips and a fan to drowned out the noise and apologies, you might offer her some ear plugs as well.“ “check, check and check”, I said. I have all of those things. Everything was crammed into the suitcase, and I was hoping I would have room for my winter coat. “Don’t worry everything will be o.k.” She assured me. Playing with this reversal of roles and remembering the many times I had helped her through difficult first days at school I pretended. “Will they play with me on the playground. “ “Just be yourself and everything will be fine,” She said.

Here is my first tip in making this trip for residency for college
* Pack an extra flexible bag in your luggage, something that in itself can be packed, if need be.

I was 7 pounds over weight and they would not let it pass. Rather than paying the $25.00, the women at the counter said the shop in the terminal had a _ of price on luggage bags. So off I trucked off to spend 18 dollars on a small suitcase to carry whatever would make my suitcase weigh less. It was then that I found out that my winter coat weighs 4 pounds, no wonder I didn’t want to haul that thing through my layovers. So I took out one boot and a sculpture I am bringing for the school auction. I was able to get the large suitcase down to the 7 pounds, and now I have a fancy new tapestry bag with a horse scene.

I was lucky; on the way up to Vermont (1 layover) I was able to find an extra open seat so I could stretch out on both flights. On the second flight I was originally seated next to a young lady about 18, traveling up to Vermont to check out the colleges. She said she had been very sick, and she looked horrible. So I offered to move into a vacant seat, if there was one and let her nap. I even gave up my pillow and blanket- it must be the mother in me.


What am I feeling?
I think the biggest thing is concern. I want to do this in 18 months but I am short the credits, even if I get the 30 credits for life experience. So that means I have to either do more work for extra credits, or have it take longer. More work? I would opt for that but it is hard to tell what is “more work” when you have never done this type of program before. I am anxious to talk to administration to see what can be done, and to talk to past students to see how they handled it.


My cab mate, Catherine, is very nice. We shared the $60. taxicab ride from the airport. She is graduating on Wednesday. New learners must be in for Friday orientation at 9:30 am but others do not have to come in until Friday dinner. She said that because she is from California it is hard to come in at a good time and coming in a day early will give her the opportunity to rest. She has to work on her final presentation in the morning. Each senior does their presentation and new students can pick which ones to go to. There are two at a time. I will definitely make hers. She informs me that there are 11 students graduating this wed. However there are only few of us new ones coming in.

After graduation there is a small reception in the art gallery.

I can’t help but wonder if any of my family living in Buffalo NY will come over to Vermont for my graduation. It would be o.k. If they couldn’t’ but it isn’t really all that far.

If we can get to the school in time the dinning hall will still be open. We have to pay for dinner this evening and breakfast in the morning. But then the meal plan kicks in.

Must put away portable devises for landing. I’ll check back later.

Well I am off!

Well I am off!

My flight leaves in a few hours and I have a bunch of feelings about this entire thing, mostly excitement, but other feelings as well. I’ll post more when I get up to Vermont. Right now I am just focused on being able to maneuver my very, very heavy suitcase and carry on.

3 Days and Counting

3 DAYS AND COUNTING
I can’t believe I am leaving to be a full time student in just 3 days. I am thrilled to have this opportunity. At least I think I am… Is that doubt or insecurity talking? I just hope I can do the school and the workload.

I feel like a runner who has a good pace, run quite a while and is not tired. I’m crossing off all the things from my list and seem to be on schedule.

I FINISHED MY HCC CLASS!!! Yippee. I finished the class 4 weeks early. I can actually go into the new school free and clear

THE BUILDING
The builder came, we have cut down limbs, I have put in some calls to find an electrical engineer, and everything is finalized. I just need to come home and get to work on the details. The actual building will take me some time away from the studio. I want to be here to supervise, but I can always go to the studio at night.

NEW PROJECT
I have a new life size piece that I will be starting upon my return. I took photos for it a couple of days ago. It is of a life size woman named Patsy. She will be sitting a park bench. I’ll be blogging it on another blog and be sure to let you know how to find it.

NEWSBOY
The life size newsboy is almost complete. I am headed over to the foundry right now to check on things. Then I have to get some work done on the small sculptures before I leave. One long day or night should do it for that. Hmmm I hope I can fit that in before I leave.

everything is about to change!

I have had no correspondence from Vermont College at all in the last few days. I went from having a ton of papers and correspondence to nothing. It feels strange, but I’ll be there in less than a week, so now it is just a matter of living it.

My eyes are blurry from homework. I have just finished the last 4 weeks of school from my other school in the last 4 days. My final research project is off being proofed. What a load off of my shoulders.

I am plugging away on the items on my to do list. I found out today that a master electrician and an electrical engineer are not the same. I have to meet with the latter to get the blueprints approved. I am excited about talking with someone who knows his or her stuff about this electricity thing. So often, at my last studio, I would pop the breaker. Here I would be, the concrete mixer going, the compressor humming the vibrator clamped to the mold and then click- everything would go dark and quite. What is even worse is when you are trying to heat wax to the correct temp, you have 2 crock pots going, and one double boiler, your about to pour very hot wax, it is late at night and you are exhausted and then pop goes the breaker and you are in the dark. So yes I am excited about electrical engineers.

Tomorrow I meet with the builder. He just better come. I have tried to get him here twice, and I am running out of time. I so want to get the revised blueprints back from him and get them to the electrical engineer, before I leave.

We close on the 2nd. I can hardly believe that I will have a brand new studio in my own backyard. This is really cool!

My yard… I went out there today and sat on the island on the other side of the pond. It was so wonderful. Cool breeze blowing and my black cat jumping at anything that moved. I will love working here. The energy is good.

everything is about to change!

I have had no correspondence from Vermont College at all in the last few days. I went from having a ton of papers and correspondence to nothing. It feels strange, but I’ll be there in less than a week, so now it is just a matter of living it.

My eyes are blurry from homework. I have just finished the last 4 weeks of school from my other school in the last 4 days. My final research project is off being proofed. What a load off of my shoulders.

I am plugging away on the items on my to do list. I found out today that a master electrician and an electrical engineer are not the same. I have to meet with the latter to get the blueprints approved. I am excited about talking with someone who knows his or her stuff about this electricity thing. So often, at my last studio, I would pop the breaker. Here I would be, the concrete mixer going, the compressor humming the vibrator clamped to the mold and then click- everything would go dark and quite. What is even worse is when you are trying to heat wax to the correct temp, you have 2 crock pots going, and one double boiler, your about to pour very hot wax, it is late at night and you are exhausted and then pop goes the breaker and you are in the dark. So yes I am excited about electrical engineers.

Tomorrow I meet with the builder. He just better come. I have tried to get him here twice, and I am running out of time. I so want to get the revised blueprints back from him and get them to the electrical engineer, before I leave.

We close on the 2nd. I can hardly believe that I will have a brand new studio in my own backyard. This is really cool!

My yard… I went out there today and sat on the island on the other side of the pond. It was so wonderful. Cool breeze blowing and my black cat jumping at anything that moved. I will love working here. The energy is good.

8 days and counting and procrastination.

Sometimes you will do anything to avoid writing. Not this blog of course but my final essay for English class. See, here I am writing this blog instead of doing the essay. Luckily I can take the subject of the essay and work it into a future article for the Newspaper that I write for. But in the meantime I procrastinate. Funny thing is if I just focused on it I could probably whip it out in a few hours.

Just 8 more days until I leave for my first residency at Vermont College
I have several goals in those eight days.

* Finish my class at the community college. My instructor has given me everything I need. I did it all accept this last research essay. I will finish it before I leave.
* Begin an article about my trip to Vermont and the relationship that Vermont has to my childhood (we went there every Easter as a child), my history (the American genealogy of my family name ends in Winooski Vermont) and my future (Vermont College and my degree.) I will finish this article while in Vermont. I received an extension on my deadline so that I can add some “in the dorm experience” to the article.
* Meet with the builder of my new studio and finalize the blueprints.
* Get those blueprints back and take them to the electrical engineer. Then I will be all ready for the city and the permits.
* Dig up those flower beds that are in the way of construction and either move or give away all of the plants.
* I have a sitting on the 9th with my newest project “Patsy” Patsy died a year ago and her friend is posing for the sculpture. Patsy is a life size bronze seated on a park bench. I am thrilled to get this sitting done before I leave.
* I have a few presentations to get done before I leave as well. One is for a life size sculpture of St. John. The others are for my trip to college.
* Secure a date with the bank to finalize the loan fro the building.
* Pick up my winter coat from the cleaners (oh I am not looking forward to the cold)

Seeing all of this in writing is quite overwhelming. But most of it has already begun.

Is there someone to talk to?

I wish Vermont College would give you some sort of way to talk with other students before arriving. A forum, or e-mail…. Something. I suppose I want to be inspired, ask question, and find things out.

Today I said good-bye to my online class at Houston Community College. I hope to work through the next few days and finish all that I can for the course. I don’t want it to overlap too much with the Vermont College experience.

I found this new resource on returning to College and it has a forum. Maybe I’ll talk there.

Credit for Life Experience?

This is something I have been waiting a long time for. I have been told to sign up for a meeting to discuss this upon my arrival at Vermont College on the 14th. It is the first thing on my agenda. As I understand it you are allowed up to 30 credits for life experience. I want all 30. I need all 30. I think I have enough to receive all 30. This number seems to be pretty consistent throughout most colleges that I have talked with.

I am very interested in knowing more about this process of receiving credit for life experience, not just from Vermont College but from other colleges as well. If you are reading this blog and have gone through the process please let me know. I can see a future article about this.

My husband just received an e-mail from our local community college and they are going to give him 21 credits for his life experience. His story is interesting. He has been teaching computer graphics at Kingwood College as an adjunct. To keep his position they required that he at least obtain his associates. Mike is quite a bit like myself in that we are highly motivated and have accomplished a lot through our lives. He is a medical illustrator and writer. If you would like to see some of his work you can at his web site www.delaflor.com

It was actually Mike’s English teacher who was astounded at his abilities and put him in meeting with the head of the department and leaving some information about himself, including his 2 books that he has written it then took about 3 months for them to get back to him. The college has ulterior motives in having him get his degree because they too want him to teach there as well. Touch with others at the school to accelerate the process of getting his degree. After

Of course the credits are not free, it will cost him a couple hundred dollars to obtain these credits and as I understand the process they will determine together how these credits relate to the degree program that he is in, and he will then know what is left to take. But a few hundred dollars and a couple of hours worth of work is better than a semester and a half and thousands of dollars.

I believe that each college treats prior learning assessment (PLA) differently. As soon as I can I will do some more digging on the subject and let you know what I find out. And in two weeks I’ll know more about my own PLA.

What a way for your life work to be honored.