Packing list 1 week residency

My packing list will be different than yours, I'm sure. I also pack things that make me feel comfortable. But here is something to go by. I'll add more as I get closer to residency.

Bathroom stuff

• Toiletries
• Shower shoes
• Bathrobe- to get from shower to dorm room
• I bring a separate satchel for my bathroom things

Dorm room stuff

• I'm a nerd, I have allergies and I will do anything to stay healthy at residency. I bring a hypoallergenic mattress pad and pillowcase cover.
  

• Flash light- The campus is pretty well lit, but I use my flashlight at night as I'm going to bed as a night light.
• More nerdy stuff- a travel humidifier and travel iron as well as a small fan ( they do have fans, and irons at the help desk)
• Last semester I brought a small amount of duct tape and taped my flashlight to my headboard. So I'm adding that to my nerd list.
• room does not have mirror but bathrooms do. I bring a hand mirror.
  
• I believe towel is provided, but I bring an extra one of those.
  
• Coffee cup- I like to have a cup of tea in the morning in my dorm. I hate Styrofoam and the cup is also my musical instrument in the music room.
• I bring a power strip and also a grey plug adapter thing.
  

Study stuff

• A pen drive to transfer files, if you need to use their computer or yours and print something out and you don't want to lug your computer to the computer lab or library.
• Lap top computer. There is plenty of room at the computer lab, but some people prefer to work in their rooms.
• A notebook or paper or something to organize all of the notes or papers you will be getting.
  

Other Stuff

• I bring powder laundry detergent. Just enough for two loads, and some quarters.
• Clothes
• Vitamins and meds- I have never been at a residency where someone wasn't sick I bring stuff I don't think I need. The store is a ways away.
  
• hand sanitizer that I can carry.
  
• tissues
• 
  

I'll add more to this list as I think of it.

OTHER Cool places

You will find that there are lots of cool places On and around the Goddard Campus.


Winter or summer, there is something to do and see.
here we are looking at the back of the community building. Note this building on your right has washer and dryers.

Other areas of interest on campus. The music building

THE MUSIC BUILDING


Behind the Music building. The fire. It doesn't matter how cold it is in the winter session. We are out there. In the summer the music is also out there. In the winter it is inside.


If you have an instrument, please bring it. Don't hesitate. Of course anything can be an instrument. Including a drawer or in my case. I play my dorm room key on my coffee cup!

Goddard Dorms up the hill

These are the dorms up the hill.

I can't tell you much about them but my friends that stay up there love it.

Each has a community area, or the party area. Note alcohol is allowed in this lounge.

O.K. I walked into the guys dorm and took a picture of the bathroom. I know if I am picking a dorm I want to see the bathroom. I think this is Pratt.
Every dorm has a desk. I however like doing my work on my bed.

Photographs of Dorms for Goddard College Campus- Kilpatrick

I can't believe I don't have a close up picture of Kilpatrick. But this is looking at the dorm as you are coming down the steps. The building on my right here is the Haybarn and Community building. The main part of campus.


I'm a Kilpatrick girl. If you need anything, or just want to talk you can find me in my dorm at residency. I'm happy to help or can point you in the direction of someone who can. We also have a welcoming committee at residency. Their to give you a hand and make your experience seem less daunting.

This is the quiet dorm. This is the downstairs lounge looking toward the back of the building.

This is the upstairs balcony. The building that we are looking at is teh music room. The party place and the place of the fire pit.

Probably why it is a quiet dorm.

The upstairs lounge. This dorm is also coed. FYI!



This is the space between Kilpatrick and the Community building along side the Clock tower. Busy with foot traffic in the summer.

Goddard College Campus and Dorms- For new students

As promised, here is some information about the campus and dorms. CLICK ON THE PICTURE AND IT WILL GET BIGGER!

Looking at the map you will see a bunch of dorms up the hill. The top pictures shows a photograph as if I was standing on the number 26 and looking up to the top of my screen. There is Stokes, Pratt Aiken, Dewey etc. The one photograph shows how these are grouped. It is a bit of a walk from the main area of campus which some people don't like to take in the winter to get to their dorms, others love being tucked away up the hill. However the advantage to these dorms is the "home" experience you get. There are several rooms in each dorm house along with a bathroom and a main living room. I'll post more pictures on the next blog post to show you what these look like. Note that the library is up that road from those dorms and a long walk. As one person said my first residency, "Walk on this road until you have gone too far and feel lost, go a little further and you will find the library." There is wireless throughout the entire campus. so you don't really need to go to the library, unless you want to. I love going there at least a couple of times. The picture in the middle of the map is as if you were walking down from all of those dorms and headed to the community building. and finally the last photograph on the left shows the walkway along the Haybarn- the community center. This is the heart of campus and where many of the activities and the cafeteria along with the computer lab is. The building in the distance is another dorm called Kilpatrick. Kilpatrick might be known as the study dorm or the quiet dorm. See more pictures of it in another post.

Other places of interest are-
* The Manor( bottom right corner) this is where teh gathering is the first night and several activities.

* Behind Studies at number 8 lower left corner is the laundry room.

* Music building. ohhh if you like a night time fire or to jam you must go here at night. Sooo much fun!

jumping off point for clarity

Here is my clarity or maybe the beginning of it. In my course equivalents or traditional transcripts that I apply for I divide them up into the 12 credits that you get each semester. As stated in previous posts my goal is to obtain 18-20 credits in two different areas- sculpting and writing. This is a requirement for me to be able to teach either of these. I think I may use this for my course equivalents for this semester. At least it is a jumping off point. I must point out this is my practicum semester at Goddard. As I understand it my packets are different than my study but as one student said, if I am smart I will coordinate them.

G3 Practicum- Studio Art
Exploration and introspection without dictation. Creation of personal identity through observance , interaction and creation. A focus on creating representational works exploring a combination of medium. 6 credits

G3 Practicum- Writing
Voice. An exploration and introspection Creation of personal identity through observance , interaction and and creation. A study exploring various forms of writing. This is an interdisciplinary individual study that corresponds with this G3 topic in studio art. 6 credits

WOW! I just noticed I have been doing this blog for 5 years!

That is 5 years of education and perpetual Learning. Yes, of course there were some breaks in between undergraduate and graduate school. I went back to read some of my posts. Tried to look over typos. Hey it is kind of interesting.

How do I obtain clarity about the up-and-coming study?

O.k. Not everyone does traditional course equivalents or traditional transcripts. I have chosen to do so, which I have mentioned my reasons why in previous posts.

How do I do this? I search online for other graduate programs and the areas that i am studying to find the wording for my course equivalents. What I have found is that by doing this it really helps me to better define what my study is going to be for the semester. It helps me obtain verbiage to use in my study plan, which I am required to hand in at residency. It helps me to focus and obtain clarity in direction. My goal in writing my study plan is to see how I can align these items with the Degree criteria.

The roll of the dice for the next adviser

I have found that with my own personal experience at Goddard MFAIA it is extremely difficult to know the advisers. The schedule at residency is jam packed with little time for resting, never-the-less finding time to meet someone you don't know who also has a busy schedule.

I liked my undergraduate study at Vermont College Union Institute because you had to have sessions with the advisers. Little jam sessions with other students where you could get to know the advisers and talk about your perspective study. You really got to know them.

At Goddard the only way I have found to get to know the advisers are:

1. Go to graduation (Each adviser talks about their student. you get a better sense of who they are)

2. Ask other students ( be careful of this one. Someone might think a person is great another might not jell with that adviser at all.)

3. Go to presentations that the advisers put on during residency.

4. Contact an adviser prior to residency and see if they can talk.

With that in mind about this time in the semester, approximately a few weeks before school. Students are sent an email saying to pick your adviser. You get to pick your top three. It is not announced until residency.

CHECK THAT OFF MY LIST and say a little adviser prayer that we are indeed a good fit.

Done? Practicum, and Evaluations.

We all wait patiently for our adviser evaluations. I guess each instructor does it a bit differently. Last semester my G1 instructor let me look at it before she posted it. I liked that. I felt I could add things that she may have forgotten. This semester that did not happen. If I didn't have the traditional transcripts as well as the narrative, I might be a bit concerned.

At the end of the evaluation my previous adviser suggested I continue with my original plan of practicum. And so I move away from a peer group study to this practicum of creating art. I know that sounds a bit strange but a practicum is supposed to be something that stretches you. I don't write or create art unless it is for $. I move from commission to commission and taking time out to just write or create art for the purpose of creating is very very difficult for me. And so that is my practicum. I have to write a practicum proposal according to the guidelines. I'm trying to work that out now. I think I have the title "Exploration and Introspection Without Dictation." There is a part of me that is a bit concerned about the practicum. I have questions that I ask myself. Do I want to create stuff? is this a waste of time? Shouldn't I be working toward making money instead of just making art? I know to designate so many hours to create without a purpose is fun for some, I'm having a little bit of angst over it. I'll let you know how that goes.

I have so many questions about this practicum. Yes, there is a meeting that you can go to at residency about the practicum. I went last year, when i was a G1. It was helpful, but now I have more questions.

One person said her adviser told her that her packets were too similar to her practicum? Do they have to be different? I'm not sure how that will work with my practicum, because it is ongoing through the semester and not one "community event." Everyone's practicum is different, as the guidelines state. So I need a little guidance before going into residency.

New student Information

I will soon begin posting information for new students. But if you find this blog and are interested please look back over the old posts. You will find a great deal of information on this blog about coming to Goddard. I'll post more soon. We are getting into gear for welcoming our new G1's.

Bridgette

Until new information comes up you might want to check out the posts from the previous residency. That would be January 2010

No break for me?

Next semester is my practicum. I had proposed a certain practicum and sort of gotten a pre approval on that. But, this semesters advisor has thrown a wrench into my plan. Not that I am disturbed. It is a good thought an exciting practicum, but there is a ton of work to prepare for it. So I have sent her a practicum outline and asked her to look at it. I will also be sending it to the Program director to look over. Please note: Practicums are usually not decided until you are in your G3 residency, but if yours takes more planning it is good to know in advance, get it approved so you can work on it before hand.


I'm still waiting to hear back. I'll have more information on that later.

Am I done with G2?

I have handed in all of my packets, and created my semesters end evaluation online. My teacher now will be preparing hers. I have also requested my traditional transcripts along with my narrative transcripts.

I don't know if I am supposed to revise the G2 progress report that was due this semester and send it back to my advisor. I hear this is reviewed by more than just your advisor.

More about financial aid

While doing all of the items in the last post I am intrigued, and think,

• I wish I was teaching a low income school for 5 + years and could get my loans forgiven.
  

• A fireman down the street received his education and paid next to nothing- it is a public service thing.
• Good to know if I die my loans are forgiven.
• My daughter jokes that if she loses an arm or leg or has some disablitity her loans will be forgiven.

• I wonder how old I will be when my loans are paid off.

I would highly recommend talking to your loan provider. They can be very helpful and let you know if there are options for consolidating. The school will give you several to choose from I use VSAC

Winding down and gearing up

As this semester at Goddard College MFAIA ends, the calendar shows there is a little over a month until the new semester begins. Here is an update.

FINANCIAL AID ETC.
I did fill out my FAFSA in time my paper work was sent to Goddard. They send an award letter saying how much tuition is for the next two semesters and how much I am awarded. Most all of my tuition is covered by subsidized and unsubsidized loans, matter of fact there is more than enough, however, I know better than to take out unsubsidized loans that I don't really need. They begin to collect interest now. So I sent my paperwork back to the school saying to only borrow exact fees for these two semesters. I wonder how many other people in my class are going into debt to get this degree?

A new slip comes with the financial aid papers and tells me "due to recent legislation, all student loans will now be processed through the department of educations' Direct Loan program." I need to complete a promissory Note and Entrance counseling www.studentLoans.gov ( FYI safari and Chrome browsers do not work at this page. Each of these takes about 30 minutes and you will need you pin that you got to fill out your FAFSA online. Save this pin and know this pin you will need it quite a bit through the entire college Financial Aid experience. While doing these They did offer some helpful pages for example this page has a budget calculator . If you want to see just how much you will be paying a month check this out. To find out about all your loans the National Student Loan Data System. (NSLDS)

So all of this is done and I'm sending the financial aid letter back.

I would highly recommend that you have as much of your financial information taken care of before going to residency. That makes the registration day much easier, especially new students as you have so much extra stuff to do, getting ID etc.