I didn't realize it going into this second foray into schooling, but apparently there is a little controversy behind extra credit. I've read quite a few articles from the perspectives of professors and students alike that voice a negative opinion of the practice of extra credit: from the student's perspectives, we are already busy with life and work, and having to take time to do yet one more project is just too much (it never is too much from my experience), and from the perspective of professors, they dislike having to grade extra stuff and coming up with ways to boost students' grades.

Many professors see extra credit as enabling students who are too lazy to work hard for regular credit. I, however, am a student who puts 100% of my effort into school. I mean, why bother going to school if you are not going to be committed? It is a waste of time and money, and I would not get either of those back by lack of effort. However, sometimes my 100% of hard work and effort does not give me 100% of return. There is where students get frustrated and stop working so hard. No one likes to be reminded that their best just isn't good enough.

That is why I like extra credit and I treat extra credit opportunities like regular assignments. I have to do them. They are related to the curriculum (I've yet to run into EC that isn't) and they help boost your grade. Yet, even when my grade does not need boosting, I still do them. Here's why:

Extra credit allows you to explore outside of the syllabus.

One of my favorite extra credit assignments was going to a Buddhist temple for Philosophy: Intro to Religion. A school buddy and I went to a temple and took a cassette tape tour of a lovely temple and monastery, and got to discover philosophical and religious practices that we were not familiar with. I spoke with a few monks, and actually learned a philosophical lesson that was preached that day. We spent a few hours there, and wrote up a paper for about 10 points.

If we had not done that extra credit, we would have been restricted to the content of the class as far as learning opportunities go. I mean, we could have always went, but I doubt many students would if a professor did not suggest it. In fact, we were some of the few people who did take part in this EC.

Many students, especially those fresh out of high school, don't realize that education does not just occur in a classroom. We are trained to accept that what the teacher tells us is truth, and to follow the syllabus as if it were law. But there's more to the world than just what the teacher presents. EC sometimes can be freeing...after all, there's a whole big world out there waiting to be discovered.

Extra credit allows you to tailor your education to your own interests.

Lets face it: if material isn't relevant to you in some way, it isn't as interesting. This is a big concept that most teachers kind of lose sight of...if they consider it at all. You're going to get more results from a student when they're engaged and can relate the info taught to their personal lives. Its just how it works, but unfortunately we are trained that the students should come to the teacher, not the other way around.

Extra credit may give you, as a student, the opportunity to find a way to make the class subject relevant to you. For example, a professor gave us the opportunity to write a report about children's issues, and I wrote about how schools, for the most part, do not consider the developmental needs of adolescent girls when designing schools and curriculum. I was able to explore things that mattered to me, things that have always bothered me (i.e. there being no pad/tampon dispensers in the high school I went to, bathrooms not being designed for use of menstrual cups, etc.) and my instructor was so impressed he had me talk about it during class discussion.

Extra credit can let you have a bit of fun.

My astronomy teacher offered two extra credit opportunities. One was to take part in a Star Party at an observatory, and the other was to try our hand at photographing the moon through a telescope. Both opportunities were fun, allowed us to get out of the classroom, and exposed us to the wonder of what we were learning. Everyone was happy to talk about their experience, and we compared our moon photos.

I know of professors whose extra credit included trips to see movies, hiking trips, and more. These sorts of opportunities help break up the monotony of school, and help you see school as more than a chore you have to get through.

Extra credit helps you connect with your community.

Oftentimes, extra credit requires you to get involved within the community, meaning, getting involved with a charity or event that helps people. One professor organized a food drive across all his classes, which was then donated to a food bank. I've seen opportunities that require students to explore the inner workings of charities, work face to face with people who need help the most, and come up with ways to make the world a better place.

You can use VolunteerMatch.com to find volunteer opportunities near you.

This is beneficial because many students want to do this sort of thing anyway but don't know where to start. And sometimes they may be intimidated. It helps when someone is leading them into their first tries at helping people, especially if a person has never experienced situations that require them to work to the benefit of others with little reward. Hopefully the experience will be one that will empower students to continue with these sorts of efforts, even when not required for a grade.

Extra credit can seriously save your grade...and can often be a great tool in the learning process.

Before I get into this no-brainer, I want to dispel that extra credit is a freebie given to students who otherwise wouldn't work as hard for regular credit. From what I've seen, students who don't work as hard for regular credit most likely will not take advantage of extra credit anyway. The extra reward of points won't mean much to a student who doesn't value points in the first place. I've seen these students get excited for the prospect of EC...but then always fall through in actually delivering.

For students like me who actually care, extra credit can help us achieve the goal that we are already working towards. I consider myself an A student, and I like to think I give A student effort. But sometimes my A student effort gets me a B, or even a C. Maybe I misunderstood the parameters of an assignment. Maybe I just didn't understand parabolas as much as I thought I did. Maybe something came up...like a kid got sick or I got sick, someone died, or technology failed me. It happens. We are only human after all. Some things are beyond our control.

So when extra credit is offered, it is like a stepping stool to a goal we are so close to reaching, and capable of reaching, but the technicality of points keeps us from reaching. We know we're good enough, and the professor usually does too. Numbers, sometimes, doesn't take our dedication and hard work into account, and we shouldn't necessarily be punished for it. If you're thinking points aren't about punishment or reward, you grossly misunderstand how some students motivate themselves.

Learning from your mistakes is kind of the whole point of learning, and learning is the whole point of school sooo...

I take advantage of all extra credit because I know that despite my best efforts, sometimes I make mistakes. I plan to learn from those mistakes, but the mistakes are what gets recorded in the grade book because they are quantifiable. Extra credit helps me to learn beyond those mistakes and recoup those points, and not be forever punished because of a natural process of learning.

For example, my Statistics for Social Sciences teacher allowed us to come up, in groups, with statistical scenarios to prove that we more or less understood the material when most students made a mistake on a test. He realized that if most students made this mistake, then there was a disconnect between his teaching and his students learning, which does not denote fault on either party. Instead of just going, "Oh well, if you had been better students I wouldn't have to put up with this," he said, "Hey, here's how we can drive home this concept and get back those points, especially since it seems like everyone seems to have missed this important concept that is part of the curriculum."

I also had made that mistake, and was able to recoup 10 points I missed on the test because of it. My grade is no longer suffering because of a simple mistake, and I have also learned this concept in a way that I don't think I will forget in the final.

So the next time you are faced with Extra Credit, think of it as an opportunity beyond the value of points. You are in college for you, and these opportunities can only make your experience better! If you think you do not have time for EC, be sure to check out my posts about making an Assignment List, Planning Assignments, and Project Timelines. Also check out how to plan a semester when you work full time, too! It can be done!

What are some memorable extra credit assignments you took part in? How has extra credit helped you?

The light at the end of tunnel can be seen! I am nearing what is to be the last semester I will spend here at the Junior College level, meaning that I can apply for graduation in March 2018 and participate in commencement with my degree in tow as long as I pass all the remaining classes in Spring 2018.

I am very keen in participating in commencement, mainly because I have worked so hard to get to this point. Having to change majors twice during my time here at Chaffey has only driven me to want to succeed more. I know I am worth more than that degree, and yet, the signpost of my achievement is necessary to show future me that I have come this far despite my struggles, and I can go even further.

That being said, when it came time for registration, I found myself facing two more dilemmas. The first was a lack of registration priority, which I have written about here (as well as how to get around it). The second came from needing to take Psych-80-Research Methods...and every single class offered for Spring 2018 was only offered during the day.

Here's a brief background in case you are new to my blog: I am a 35 year old non-traditional student who works full time from 7 to 4 weekdays, who also goes to school full time, and who now commutes 1 hour to and from home and work/school daily. My options for school are limited to online, evening, and weekend classes. So Psych-80 wasn't going to work for me.

This problem did have a solution, however. Actually, it had more than one. I want to share them with you because what worked for me is probably not the solution that is best for you if you find yourself in this position. But let me break it down for you so you can successfully navigate this sticky situation and not lose hope in graduating on time:

First, contact your counseling department about it.

Chances are, if they are anything like Chaffey, they can't help you much BUT you want to start the line of communication here and have record of it, so email them if you can. They will most likely refer you to someone else (which I will tell you about below), or even say they don't know the answer to your problem. If they refer you to someone else, call/email those people. If they give you a non-answer in the form of an "I don't know," reply to them asking for communication information of the people I will talk about below. This process is going to take a lot of follow-up and you need to decide if the hassle is worth it. No one else is going to make that decision for you or do the work for you.

Ask your employer if you can rearrange your schedule for this class.

My employer knows I also go to school full time, so me asking this sort of question doesn't come as a shock. I keep my work and school life pretty well managed, so they don't "rob time" from each other, which also helps when I make requests like this. And it doesn't hurt! They can say yes or they can say no, and if they say no you're just back where you started, so you haven't lost anything.

I did ask but I could not change my schedule. And that is ok. Like the commitment I made to school, I also made a commitment to work. My employer counts on me to be here, much like how I count on them to pay me. So it is only fair. My solution would have to come from somewhere else, but for you, it may be a different story.

Before you go any further, ask around if any of your fellow classmates are also having this problem.

You will most likely find a few. Ask them to ask their friends too. Get as many people as you can, but you don't need to go full-on political campaign to be successful. Exchange emails and keep each other apprised of the steps you take. Why? Because one person complaining about not having a class available is not going to motivate administration to take care of your needs, important as they are. A group of people complaining about the same issue? Administration will start to listen.

Now, look to other colleges to see if they have a class that is comparable.

This was a suggestion of my counselor. I used this website to see if the colleges around me had comparable courses to Chaffey's Psych-80. If you are not in California, as your counselor for a link to a website like this if they tell you to search for a comparable course (my counselor told me to go find a comparable course but did not give me a link...don't be afraid to reply and ask them to do a little more legwork!).  I was able to find a few courses, and applied to the respective colleges. I then took these courses and emailed my counselor about them...

Only to find they were not comparable. Why? Chaffey requires a lab with Psych-80, and other community colleges do not. That isn't to say that this step won't work for you! It just means that I had to take my search for a solution a step further.

Next, contact the Program Coordinators, Department Heads, Faculty Advisors, or even the Dean of the Departments if you have to.

Yeah. I'm pulling out the big guns with this one. So when your counselor goes, "I don't know" or "you need to come in so we can discuss this" or "those classes won't work (and doesn't give you another step to follow up with) reply with this: "Could you please get me into contact with a person who can assist me with this information? I.e. the Program Coordinator (the person who helps coordinate classes for the semester for your major), Department Head (the person who sort of directs the faculty in some schools), the Faculty Advisor (this may be a special "counselor" type person who also mentors students who have ins with the other people on this list...if your counselor can't or won't give you the email to the Program Coordinator, maybe the Faculty Advisor will), Dean, etc.?"

This is what had happened to me. After I had emailed my counselor and searched for classes, and had talked to a few students who had the exact same problem, I asked my counselor for the email of someone who could assist me. She said she would email the Program Coordinator...and then I heard nothing back.

This is where talking to other students paid off for me. Another student had somehow managed to wrangle the email of the Program Coordinator from her counselor, and shared that email with me and all the other students with the same problem. We all contacted this Program Coordinator...who then said that after the influx of emails that she would talk to the dean to see about getting a new class added.

While you wait for all these people to get back to you, or while you are emailing back and forth, contact the admissions departments of the places you are transferring to.

Why? Because you don't need to graduate with an Associate's to transfer to get a Bachelor's. In California, you just need passing grades with the Magic Four and have 60 transferable credits. These credits usually mean your general education and lower division classes for your major, but if you don't have one or two classes (as long as they are not prerequisites) you can still transfer (if the major is impacted, however, you will want to try to get as many lower division classes done as you can manage before you transfer...with the best grades you can get).

I emailed all four Cal State colleges that I had applied to, and the one UC I had applied to, asking them if my chances at being admitted would be hindered by my not having Psych-80 in the off-chance that I would not be able to find a comparable course or Chaffey would not add another course. I let them know my situation, the steps I had taken (so they wouldn't tell me to contact my counselor at Chaffey, which I had already done), my application date, and I also included a copy of my unofficial transcripts. Every college replied stating that I had the Magic 4 and that I had 60 transferable units, so not having Psych-80 would not be a problem.

To top it off, one of the Cal States replied that if I did transfer in without Psych-80, I could take it later at Chaffey and transfer it in while also attending a Cal State. No one else had told me this info, and this advisor gave me this info without me asking. Now I know, and guess what...now you do too, all because I took the extra steps to solve this issue. Remember, closed mouths don't get fed!

Weigh which solution works for you.

For me, asking my employer for time off for the class that took place during the weekday didn't work, and neither did finding a comparable course. Transferring and forgoing graduation was the next best solution and it was a compromise I was willing to accept. Sometimes that is the best you can do.

However...last week I got an email from the Program Coordinator who replied that she had gone to the Dean with her influx of emails from all the other students...and added a Psych-80 for Monday nights.

Yeah. That's right. The students successfully got the administration to add the class for us, and now I will be able to graduate in Spring. I registered for that class the second it went live and am now sitting pretty with a very full schedule.

What does this all mean?

It means that there are options to getting your education done, and graduating with the classes you need. But it also means that you have the ability to make it happen. I believe that in situations like these, "I don't know" and "You can't" and "No" are not answers. They just mean that whoever you are talking to doesn't want to give anymore effort to the situation, which is sad because that is their job, not yours. But hey...there's always another person higher up to bug. And bug until you get the answer you want. Be pesky. Be annoying! This isn't high school where you kind of have to obey without objection to what someone gives you, and take it for face value. You can make things happen.

That isn't to say that this will always work. This post sums up about three months of effort, off and on. I was ready to accept that I wouldn't graduate, but that I could still transfer, which wasn't my ideal but was good enough. Thankfully our persistence worked because now I can graduate.

I hope you feel a little more empowered by this post. Sometimes it feels like we are navigating the Junior/Community College on our own, and it can be frustrating when barriers like this pop up. But know that there is always a solution, and the path to that solution may not be a straight line! But there's always a way around (or over) every brick wall put in your path. You can do it!

Have you ever faced a situation like this? How did you get around it?

I came back to Chaffey with a lot of credits, and for some reason they decided to transfer in all of them even though I was only going to use the general education credits. This meant I was over a 100 credit limit, a limit imposed by a Student Success Initiative that was part of the California Student Success Act of 2012. I lost my registration priority status (how far down the line of students I was in the line to register for classes each semester) almost immediately.

This is a frustration for many non-traditional students who return to California junior colleges, especially those who are transitioning careers or returning to school. Like myself, they may have credits or degrees they are no longer using. Most of the credits that caused a problem for me were from FIDM, a fashion design school, and I was not using any of them for Psychology or Child Development.

I spent most of the past 3 years being waitlisted for classes, which meant I had to arrive on the first day of class in hopes that someone didn't show up so that I could take their spot (which usually happened). It was rare that I got on the list for a registered spot, and a few semesters ended up having all my classes being waitlisted. Some I couldn't get into at all, and thus why I changed my major from Child Development to Psychology this year.

Womp! That 154 sure did mess up my registration priority!

While I understand the need to impose a limit, as some people are out there to collect degrees, or may not be serious about finishing school at all, for us non-traditional students, these unit limits can be a hamper to our success. Luckily, most schools allow you to petition against this limit, especially if you are close to completing your AA.

Make sure your college has a unit limit, and if it does, that it allows petitions.

Make sure you meet the requirements for a petition if they do have one.

Sign, date, complete, and turn in the petition.

"I understand that approval of this petition allows me to retain my current registration standing for two semesters, beginning with the semester indicated above. I also understand that this is a one-time exception. There is no guarantee that this petition will be approved and, if approved, does not guarantee enrollment in any class. I acknowledge that all committee decisions are final and are not subject to further appeal. I also understand that by submitting this petition all transfer units will be posted to my Chaffey transcripts, which may affect my eligibility for financial aid."

If you find a paragraph like the above on your petition, know that this is one and done. If you get denied, you can't go back and petition again!

Or can you?

I actually did petition before, about a year and a half ago, when I was not close to finishing Child Development at all. I was denied, and when I wanted to petition again in October 2017, my counselor told me that I could possibly be disqualified because I had already petitioned. I sent in another one anyway, because if the answer is already no, what have I got to lose?

Thankfully I did, because this second petition was approved, and they moved my registration date from the 17th to the 8th!

So be sure to complete all the steps and turn the petition into the right office with all the attachments stapled to it. You deserve success, and if you are committed, getting those good grades, and dedicated to moving onto the next step, your high credit status should not hold you back!

Have you ever petitioned for registration priority? How did it work out for you?

I am a true child of the internet. I remember when the internet was still not a thing and was more like a novelty that some people accessed sometimes, and I will forever have my first foray onto the internet etched into my memory. It was when Prodigy was still around (look it up) and we waited about 15 minutes for a Babysitter's Club story page to load from the web. When Windows 98 was made available on my first very own computer, I discovered AIM and Yahoo, and my world would never be the same.

As technology evolved, so did the internet. Socializing on the web gave way to social media, with specific platforms that shared specific content. AIM and Yahoo had no clue how big these things would be, as evident by their demise. And I don't need to tell you all about what social media is; if you have a pulse, chances are you have an account with at lease one social media service (which includes LinkedIn). I mean, even my mom has an account with every major platform, and she still types with her index fingers.

Things have evolved since this wonderful phase of our reality.

However, there's a difference between growing up on the internet and using the internet as an adult, student, and professional. I got my first glimpse of this when a professor at FIDM (very publicly) berated me for having a portfolio on a public and very unprofessional (and now defunct) artist's platform. I did not understand what was wrong with having an account there then, but now I can see that I was unwittingly associating myself with art and artists that could be seen as unprofessional just by being on that site, and thus, could be giving the impression that I was condoning artwork I did not agree with or even like. But more on that later. Here's what's important though:

The world is run on perception, and if you cannot control the perception of others (which you can't), you need to be careful of the image you craft.

That isn't to say that I don't respect the rights of artists to do whatever they want. I truly believe in the freedom of art, and to each their own, etc. and so forth. And some of you reading this may be in the mindset of, "F--- it, it's my life and I don't care! I am not going to walk on eggshells to the 'what if'!" To that specific aim, and to the specific audience receptive of that attitude, that is perfectly OK. But most of the world does not, and if you want to dip your toe in the rest of the world, then caution is needed when utilizing the social media platforms available to you.

Here's some things to consider when engaging on these public platforms:

Private does not mean private.

Many social media platforms have private settings so that you can make your account invisible to those who don't follow you, like Instagram and Facebook. However, never mistake that what you put on a private account will stay private. Others can always take a screenshot and share it. You cannot control who will do what, and chances are you have a "friend" who would love nothing more for you to post something that can be used against you. It is wonderful to believe that you are surrounded by nothing but love and support, and no one would ever betray you in such a way, but don't give anyone that chance.

Remember, the internet is not like Las Vegas. What happens on the net doesn't stay on the net.

I believed that there was a boundary between The Internet and Real Life, and I think many believed this as well. The term IRL (in real life) refers to the two lives you led: one life was full of the everyday things of jobs and school and feeding your cat. The other was full of video games, art, memes, outspoken opinions, and more. You could put one life away to enjoy the other. However, this boundary is no longer real. Who you are on the net is who you are IRL. You created this presence. It is of you! You cannot be a respectable member of the community during the day and a raging Nazi troll at night, and not expect for this behavior to remain separate. This is a very extreme example, using behavior that I feel needs to be found out anyway.

Which brings me to the point: if I were a hiring manager, admissions counselor, recruiter, or anything like that, I'd want to know if my future associate or student was a raging Nazi troll! I'd probably Google you to see what comes up (and if you are a Nazi anyway, please stop reading this post...you need to be found out!).

Now let's pretend. I'm a hiring manager or admissions counselor and I am looking at you as a prospective new hire or new student to my campus. Think about your social media presence. Is there anything you would not want me to see?

How do you ensure you are putting out an image of yourself that matters? Think about boundaries and the concentric circle diagram. At the center is you, your personal self. Not everything about you needs to be shared with the world, and keeping that boundary does not mean you are not being true to yourself. It means you respect yourself enough to know that there are some parts of yourself that need to be held sacred, thus entitled to reverence and respect. Some of these things that you would never share or give power away to someone else is personal respect, body autonomy, personal responsibility, and things like safety and security.

Via here.

Beyond the circle of Self is your immediate surroundings. If you have a spouse, this circle is probably shared between just you and them. After that circle is your immediate family, and what you share just with them. Now, if you notice, what you share may appear more limited as your circles expand. Don't think about it as limiting yourself. Think of it as each circle is a gate, and what is allowed to pass in to each circle. Who you allow to see that side of yourself is respecting yourself.

At the very last circle is the public self. This is what you allow others to see. This is where your social media presence lies and your sacred self ends.  

If there is anything in your social media that you feel someone could possibly use against you, to fire you, or to pass you up opportunity wise, it belongs within your boundaries, and not on social media.

Who you are on the internet today matters, not who you will be on the internet tomorrow.

When recruiters look you up, they are getting a picture of who you are. Your resume only does so much for you. Recruiters want to see what you do in your spare time, what your life looks like, and can glean from what you post a sliver of what represents you. They want someone whose image is something that is compatible to their own, and whose behavior they will feel is a good fit as a representative of their brand. That isn't to say that if you want to be a car designer in the future that your social media needs to be nothing but cars cars cars cars cars! What I means is, your social media should reflect who you are as a respectful and professional person.

This is where the "growing up" part comes into play.

Before I really came to this realization, my social media was a hodgepodge of whatever I thought was relevant to me. I treated every platform the same, and used each one as a storage of my thoughts and whims, which is fine, but not professional. Memes, cute dog videos, characters of shows and books I liked, pictures of family members, opinions, random weird stuff like bottlecaps with sayings on them...it had no cohesion and didn't tell a story of who I was in a way that others could understand.

I was expecting a random audience to be able to read between the lines. And when you leave yourself up to interpretation, you are giving up the power of who you are to be determined by someone else, and that should only be done by you. And you should never leave a recruiter to figure out who you are.

Use each social media platform strategically.

Many people use every account they have the same way, which does no justice to the specific nature of each platform. There is a marked difference to each platform! Instagram is not Twitter, Facebook is not Tumblr, and Snapchat is not LinkedIn! Social media marketers will use the nuances of each platform to hook a specific audience, but that's not what we're going for here. Here we're trying to manage your personal presence in a very interpersonal way.

• Instagram: This is a photo album where the photo tells the story. Yes, you can add words into it, but for the most part, the audience is trained to take the image posted for face value. Not everyone is going to click into a picture to read just why you posted a cartoon of a certain political candidate in a demeaning situation. They are just going to see that you posted it. If your audience clicks into your account and sees a lot of stuff that they could perceive as unsavory, they're going to click right out and not come back. How to use: Use it as a blogging tool about your life as you would like others to see it but in the moment. This is why you see so many food bloggers using Instagram. Food is temporary, and so are fun memories, moments, locales, vacations, etc. People love to see the interesting parts of the mundane. Use Instagram as a tool to appreciate the life you live by documenting it like a time capsule. 
• Facebook: This started out as a place for college students to network with each other, but turned out to be a slightly more sophisticated Myspace. This can be a hodgepodge of things, but I like to think of it as the space between your life and television. Its where you go to live your life when you aren't consuming media or giving it out. That's why advertisers are so keen to insert their presence into it. They know this is the magic in-between. How to use: You know those circles I talked about? This is for the Friends and Family circles. Do not post anything you wouldn't want your momma to see! And do not invite coworkers or fellow students to this space. Why? Because they can take whatever you post, twist the context, and share it. Facebook is notorious for changing its privacy settings on you without you knowing. You may think you are posting in private, then come to find out your friend saw you complaining about her, and suddenly you're in the middle of a Mean Girls plotline. Or worse. Besides, you deserve a space for Friends and Family. And, you can crosspost mostly anything from other accounts there anyway, so it is not like you are limited very much.
• Pinterest: Pinterest is not a social media platform. Many people think it is, because you find stuff you like and pin it, and others repin what you pin, etc. However, the pin or saving feature is minuscule to what it really is: a visual search engine! That's the whole appeal to it anyway. You can use it to search for images of your OTP, and save them to a private board, but it is actually a very handy tool for yourself, and crafting yourself as an image to others. How to use: Use it to search about how to do more. How to be a better college student, mom, professional, you name it. Have visual placeholders (boards) for what inspires you. Here is where you can use what others post to craft the "read between the lines" that you want others to see. And what is great about Pinterest is that others who see your pins can use them to help themselves. Now, this isn't to say that you can't use Pinterest to create the perfect princess birthday party for your toddler. Go right ahead. But the boards about fandoms and games and how to make the perfect cocktail should probably between you, yourself, and your private boards.
• Tumblr/Deviantart/message boards/other "shared" or community spaces: Oh boy. I have a love/hate relationship with Tumblr. I think that once you hit a certain age, the days of Tumblr should be behind you only because you are who you hang out with and that includes maturity level. There's a certain stigma around Tumblr and Deviantart users, and while I don't care about stigmas anyway, there will be people who care very much (and that isn't to say that there aren't some important messages and incredible art on these sites, not at all) and be turned off by the mere mention of these platforms. How to use: I only go to these sites for drawing references, stock photos, tips, and tutorials. After that, I don't use them much. I do have a Tumblr for this blog but honestly, do not use it. Why? You cannot control what others will post or comment. Remember about what you post to these sites: just because you don't post it doesn't mean you won't be associated with it. Yes, I understand that technically this isn't true. But there are people out there who cannot make this discernment and here is why: you are directing them to an URL that is not yours, a site you did not design, and to content and comments that can be easily construed outside of a context with a very narrow understanding. Then, the user friendliness of these sites are often directed towards those who actively use them, not one-off visitors. The content and layout may be confusing, and the first thing a person does when they are confused on a website is click Home, which takes them to content that is not yours. Is that a chance you want to take? And even if you are not directing people to these sites, the content is easy to Google and never goes away. I have a personal website for my portfolio, and will use Instagram for outreach of my art. How you use these sites is up to you, but I'd do so with caution.
• Twitter: Someone once said to me that Twitter is like a room full of people who are all hawking their own wares to each other. No one else is interested in what other people are doing, just in the chance to badmouth them and direct attention to themselves. From a marketing standpoint that can be true, but for yourself, think of Twitter as a place to quickly insert your opinion...and be prepared that no one will care unless you can be more outrageous than the next person (hence why Trump is so popular there). Twitter was created for quick microblogging, and has evolved over time. How to use: Use it to connect with other people in your "community." I don't mean this as in your neighborhood or anything like that. I'm saying that if you are a non-traditional student, use it to connect with other non-traditional students. Twitter is used by communities like writers, artists, students, political affiliations, and cliques to quickly connect with each other when they are not face to face. And like Facebook, you can post stuff from other platforms to Twitter. And verbosity is not your friend here; you need to get your message across quickly and succinctly, because the audience will be onto the next outrageous attention grabber by the time they can figure out what you're trying to say.
• Youtube/video streaming: Youtube is to us what cable TV was to the people of the 80s. Its just another way to get to the content you want while making public TV channels worry that you're not watching their programs. But it is also a video storage place, like photobucket was for photos (or flickr for photographers). And video streaming sites are used to live stream visual "podcasts" if you will. How to use: Be careful about what you post to this site. No one will ever forget your face saying something hateful. I remember an instance where a kid in school posted something about why women aren't being objectified in video games, and my opinion of an otherwise bright young man with leadership qualities went way down. I actually stopped following him on any platform. And some people use these channels to stream art. Use these platforms to post stuff relevant to school and work, like tutorials, art streaming, and assignments. If you think no one can record what you say and do off a private video, think again. I have two programs for clip grabbing on my computer, and one for recording my screen, turning a video playing into a video saved. If I can do it, think of who else could do it.
• LinkedIn: LinkedIn is a wannabe Facebook for professionals, and is also a job search engine for some choice jobs. I only mention this place because this is where your future recruiter is going to look first when they see your name cross their desk. How to use: Use it to further explain your professional self where your resume cannot. It is the in-between of your personal website/portfolio and your resume/CV. Do not share or post anything you wouldn't want your supervisor to see! Despite the levels of privacy settings, people can get around them and see what you post and share. Use it to show off who you are and what you can do, but also to learn more about navigating the workforce of today. For example, I follow Liz Ryan, who has been invaluable to me just in her articles alone on how to keep boundaries in the workplace, and how to be an advocate for myself. Use it to network, job search, connect with colleagues and professors (yes, really), and to plan your career. I could make a whole post about how to use LinkedIn, but remember that nothing personal goes here ever.

Remember, the key to making social media work in your favor is in your hands alone.

Of course, what I have posted here only touches on the surface of each platform. The point of all this, again, is to mature with social media without neglecting it as a very important tool that is a part of our society and culture. That maturity comes when you see the boundaries needed not as restrictions but again, as gates. You don't see it so much as protection from the big bad but as levels of respect that are built to honor yourself. Your image is a tool for yourself to get ahead, not something to consider as a conformity. When crafted carefully, it is a business card that goes beyond the capabilities of a resume, application, or cover letter.  

How have you used social media to get ahead? Was there ever an instance where you realized your social media was not as personal or private as you thought? 

October 21st - the date of the WriteGirl October weekend session - was a date that came up in a blink of an eye from when I first heard about it at the WriteGirl Mentor Orientation, and yet, so much had happened in the interim. I had moved, which sounds so simple but wasn't. I was now 40 minutes away from where I had been living before, which meant I was now 2 hours away from Los Angeles. This made me iffy about participating in WriteGirl, but I remembered some things I had told myself, and thus had accepted as My Truth:

1. You can't expect "someone" to take care of something, i.e. "Someone should do something about that!" That someone is you (or in this case, me). It would be easy of me to think, "Oh, WriteGirl has tons of mentors to choose from, they won't miss me." And they possibly wouldn't. But the commitment I made is not only to WriteGirl or the girls at WriteGirl. It is to myself, and to my own integrity, and the example I set to others by following through with my word.
2. If something is important, you'll make it important. I can always say, "Oh, I don't have time/it is too far away." But those excuses just reveal that you don't really want to do something. And I really want to mentor! I thought, "Is WriteGirl 'a tank of gas, 2 hours, and paid parking' important?" Only I could decide that for me, and I decided it was.

I used up that tank of gas, traveled those 2 hours, and paid for that parking, and made it to the "Eyeboogie Studios" in Echo Park/Westlake, which turned out to be a really cool place that you'd totally miss if you blinked. The entrance opened up to a cool astro-turfed courtyard with a picnic table laden with free journals. The building entrance was lined with doodled-upon chalboards, and rooms with octopus wallpaper. The kitchen featured old books and a lighting fixture crafted from a canoe and Christmas lights. My favorite part, of course, was the bathroom, which featured a "Mac Counter" with an old Apple computer resting on a bench and targeting practice wallpaper.

Eyeboogie Studios via Figure 8 Realty

We, the mentors, sat in the courtyard to receive our assignment. Girls started to arrive, and I was paired with a lovely girl who was interested in journalism and non-fiction writing. I could tell that she was concerned with the humanity of current events, and she even taught me a few things in that regard! After she completed her intake interview, we made our way through the different "stations" that had been set up.

Each station had a specific theme, i.e. Rebel Girls/Women, Campfire Stories, Blogging, Poetry, Sound Immersion/Discovery, Wreck Your Journal, etc. We spent some time at the blogging and Rebel stations, where I found that Tweeting is something I need to work on.

The Campfire Station via WriteGirl

At lunch I said goodbye to my girl, then ate lunch before receiving another assignment. This girl was a talented fiction writer who had a knack for characterization. We spent time at the Campfire, Rebel, and Wreck Your Journal stations, but also visited the Blogging station. This wasn't something she was particularly interested in, but I mentioned to her that as an author, sometimes you will have to market your own Author Brand and works, because publishers seldom do that for you.

After each half day session, girls were invited up to the microphone for "Rants and Raves," where they shared issues that were relevant to their lives, usually to hilarious results. Some girls then also shared a few pieces they wrote that day.

Reading the day's pieces via WriteGirl

My favorite station was the Campfire station, which allowed you to pick up ingredients for s'mores (chocolate, crackers, and marshmallows) which had parts of a prompt on them, and together they made a whole story idea. We then sat around a "campfire" which had paper cutouts of lit logs surrounded by flickering faux flame candles and blankets. 

At the end of the day, I helped to clean up as part of Wrap-Up and then skeedaddled on home, rounding out an 8 hour day with 4 hours of a commute. Even though it had been a whole day's worth of an event, it felt as if the time had passed too quickly.I felt energized and inspired by the events, and wished there had been more. The next WriteGirl event isn't for another month, so I will take that inspiration with me to continue my own writing, and eagerly await the next fun filled day of writing.

When was the last time you said, "Someone should do something about that?" If you were that someone, what would you do?

After saying sayonara to the disaster that was Friday night Biology-1, I decided that I wasn't going to waste my newfound freedom. An invite to train with WriteGirl had been sitting, starred, in my inbox for a few weeks, so I opened it and RSVP'd immediately.

I had first heard of WriteGirl while marching along somewhere in Downtown LA during Women's March way-back-when. I had just been plodding along with my, "We Deserve Better <3" sign when someone asked me if I was a writer. I said yes, occasionally, and they handed me a flyer and lured me to one of the white tented booths that lined one of the march's paths (the march was so huge it leaked into several streets, not just the one that was planned for the march). I was intrigued!

Women's March, right before the speeches.

I had just about given up hope that there was some kind of organization that rolled my love for writing in with my want to help others. On the east coast, where I had lived for 3 years, there had been plenty of opportunities with conferences, critique groups, workshops, etc. and so forth. I had tried to establish a Meetup Group in SoCal when I returned, but it fell through. So when I heard of WriteGirl, I definitely wanted to get involved. A coworker brought it up during a meeting, asking for volunteers, so I sent in my info.

I attended the training last Saturday, which was from 10 AM to 4 PM at the Armory Center of the Arts in my old stomping grounds, Pasadena, CA. I sat there with many other women who were interested in being involved as well, and participated in a training/presentation about what it meant to be a writing mentor. It is different than being a tutor, which is what I had pictured being a mentor was like. We're there to guide the girl's writing: to help them become a better developed version of the writer they are.

Our training session, with me in the front row (center of the photo). I met some awesome, inspirational writers, each one diverse in their experience and ready to help young girls become better writers! Photo via WriteGirl's Instagram.

WriteGirl's program targets at-risk girls in the Los Angeles area, most of whom are Latina/Hispanic and Black. We were told stories of how school counselors have told these girls that they aren't college material. Yet WriteGirl has a 100% success rate in getting their girls to college.

If I am chosen to help (which I hope I am), I will either be paired with a girl for One-on-One sessions where we meet once a week for about an hour to write, or I would participate in the monthly workshops where I may be paired with one girl or with a group of girls to do writing experiments. I am unable to participate in the In-Schools program, which goes to the schools to work with girls during the day, due to work commitments.

We were given this book featuring writing from the WriteGirl girls themselves. It was an impressive tome!

During the end of the day, we were given mini-interviews to determine our availability, and given the yearly published compilation filled with the girl's poems and freeform writing. I thumbed through the book as I waited for my interview, finding myself impressed with what I read. Some of the poems spoke to me directly, especially one that drew comparisons to sewing and societal expectations. These books are available for sale, so I strongly recommend you (my dear reader) picking up a few to show support.

I let my interviewer know the genres I am great with, but I also let her know that I do illustration and graphic design work as well, in case they need these skills for any upcoming projects. I volunteered for the Education and Communication teams, hoping to get a spot to help girls pursue their college dreams (just like I am doing now with myself!).

I was so inspired when I left that I returned home (after a trip to Whole Foods, of course, to stock up on yummy gluten free treats) to continue working on the short story I will be submitting to Brave New Girls Vol. 3.

If you would like to volunteer for WriteGirl, head over to their page!

In what ways do you use your experiences to help others? What volunteering experiences have you had while in school? How have they shaped you as a person?

As someone who works full time and also attends school full time (or tries to), I take every opportunity I can find to get the classes I need. My schedule allows for evenings and weekends, so I usually register for weekend classes if I can.

Most of the classes available during these times are the basics: Psych 1, Sociology 1, English 1A, etc. Unfortunately, many classes I need are not available during weekends as they are more "Sophomore" level classes. This leaves me to fight the rest of the Chaffey non-traditional student population for a place in these classes during the evenings, which more often than not leaves me waitlisted.

Sometimes, however, classes are available on Friday evenings. I can see why. No one wants to be in class on a Friday night, especially those like me who work 40 hours a week and really just want to relax. However, often I am left with no choice but to take these classes because they are the only ones not waitlisted.

Usually, when I register, the classes don't even have a teacher assigned. The faculty section just says STAFF and I can't employ ratemyprofessor.com to know what to expect until the week before the class starts. By then, it's too late to change classes and you are kind of stuck.

I have twice registered for Friday night classes, and twice have had to drop. This semester's casualty? Biology 1 with Lab. I found myself dreading this class, and not enjoying it as much as I have enjoyed pretty much everything else. This time, unlike Math-425, I didn't wait until the midterm to drop. I knew by understanding my own way of learning and being true to myself that I would just not thrive in the class.

However, the decision to drop didn't come lightly. I struggled with it for about a week, as dropping the class meant I'd have to take it next semester, and it went against my goals of having Statistics and Biology done by the end of this semester. Dropping the class would leave a considerable hole in my school schedule, leaving me with only taking one class. But the truth was, I wasn't going to be successful in this class.

Here is how I knew this class wasn't going to work out for me:

The professor and I were not a good fit.

In case this is the first time you've read my blog, I'll give you a quick insight into who I am and how I learn. I am introverted, but in the class, I like a good discussion and debate. I like hands on, engaged learning but can tolerate traditional "here's my detailed Powerpoint" lecture-based classroom settings (otherwise I would not have passed most of my classes, and with As to boot). I am also 35 years old, respectful, but understanding of my freedom as an adult (I haven't been in High School since year 2000). I will copy down Powerpoints word for word if I can, and I utilize all material for studying. I appreciate a good study guide from the teacher but I can make do without one as long as can work with these materials. I can tolerate a few group projects a semester, but honestly do better on my own to better results (but I do know that group work is how the world turns, so I am not completely against it, nor do I think it is realistic to expect to have a class without at least one group project).

That being said, the professor for Friday night Biology did not provide any study guides, moved through Powerpoints way too fast, did not elaborate on anything within the Powerpoints (which were an outline of concepts at best, and did not delve into material, relied on small group projects multiple times each class session, and had a lot of rules for governing the class that made me feel like I was in 9th grade again. She also played a lot of Youtube videos that were hard to understand, in place of lecture. Moreso, I felt as if we were "talked at" for the duration of the class period, which is different than "teaching to."

The professor did not utilize the entire class period and we were often let out early.

If you're thinking, wow, that's awesome! It's...really not. I don't want to be there late on a Friday night, or spend 3 hours of my Saturday in school, but I had already resigned myself to these sacrifices. When we are let out an hour ahead of time and I still feel like I have more questions than answers about the material, I don't think it's a good thing. I do ask questions, too, but still felt as if I left with more questions than answers.

The class was taking too much energy on my part that was detracting from my other class.

I found myself not only falling behind in Biology in trying to guess everything that was required since there was so little guidance that I was starting to suffer in Statistics. Both are higher unit courses, so I expected them to have an equal amount of work. This was the ultimate deciding factor in dropping Biology. I decided to cut off the dead weight and move on with Statistics, with a professor that everyone fought to have, who engaged the class, utilized the entire class period, and allowed us to ask questions and participate in discussion.

Freeing myself from Biology allowed me to do stuff I wanted to do, like a volunteer opportunity and take on other classes during Track 2 Fast Track.

When the semester started, I was invited to take part in a volunteer opportunity that I really really really wanted to participate in. But since Biology took out a chunk of my Saturday, I had to pass. By dropping Biology, I was able to re-enlist. This excited me so much! I actually have my first meeting this Saturday, which I would not have been able to do if I kept Biology. I felt immediately better, and as if the decision was more in line with my purpose (why I want to be a teacher in the first place). Plus, this opportunity will get me some hands-on experience with teaching.

But since I did drop the class, I had a huge gap in my school schedule. I decided that I was going to take two Track 2 Fast Track classes which start up in October. These classes are faster paced, like Summer classes, with one being online and one being in class. I may only keep one, but I am hoping by then I will have regained my footing in Statistics (I spend the whole past weekend getting caught up and feel so much better), and can focus on these classes.

If you aren't learning in a class, it is probably not the right class structure for you.

And lastly, Friday night classes are just not a good thing for me.

I've decided that two strikes is out for me. No need to try a third time! I figured I could just suck it up and take a Friday night class and just deal with it, but the truth is, I can't. I've given it a good try. But Friday nights, I just want to curl up with my cat, some Netflix, and a glass of wine. I need to let go of the notion that if I am not doing something that I am not being productive, and thus, it is not good. This is not my idea. It is a product of my upbringing that I have struggled with all my life. I basically need to force myself to relax, and I think this whole experience just means that I really need to do just that. And I'm OK with it.

What's the takeaway?

I've said it before and I am saying it again: Not all professors will be the right fit and sometimes you have to bite the bullet and drop (if feasible, sometimes you cannot because of credits needed for financial aid or the class is a prerequisite). I do know there are a handful of people in that class who thrived of this type of class structure, and I wish them all the best of luck. But what works for one person won't necessarily work for me (or you). And that is OK!

In the end, I need to be true to myself. I've already been through one frustrating college journey in the early 2000s, and I want to emerge from this experience knowing that I actually learned something, and am proud of myself for this effort. But the end message is: if you aren't learning, the class has no point. You are in college to learn, and that that is the ultimate goal for your future success.

Did you ever struggle with dropping a class? What did you do and why did you do it?

This week I had the amazing opportunity to return to CDE-3, Observation & Assessment for Child Development, as a guest speaker to students taking the class this semester. My professor was impressed by the Child Study Paper, as well as the observation records that I completed during my time in the class enough to invite me back, and it was an opportunity I jumped on!

Honestly, being asked to speak to other students about such a complex assignment was an honor, and I looked forward to this opportunity all Summer. Upon the start of the semester, I emailed my professor to make sure we were still on, and when she replied, I set to crafting a Powerpoint to meet her requirements for the talk.

The first thing I wanted to focus on before ever talking about the assignment was Time Management. For many people in Junior or Community College, Time Management may be an unheard-of concept. I, for one, was unaware of this term until I entered what was to be my last job in Halloween costume design, when a supervisor angrily asked me, "Don't you understand Time Management?" (protip: if a boss is willing to yell at you about something but not help you understand something, start searching for jobs elsewhere). That means that all throughout my first college experiences (at 3 different colleges) and through 9 years of a career, it was not a concept I was aware of. The point is, many High Schools and many colleges do not teach Time Management. They teach kids to do as they are told, which provides them a serious handicap when they go out into the real world.

I provided the students with tools to help better manage their time, like this schedule that breaks up different aspects of their lives into "jobs".

Discovering Time Management, and the importance of setting up certain tools to help with Time Management seriously got me through the semester of CDE-3. Without it, I don't know how I could have passed with such a good grade (A+, btw).

First, I told them to treat every aspect of their life like a separate "job." When you're at work, ideally, you are only supposed to be working. You can't use work time to hang out with your friends. You can't use school time, when you're supposed to be in class, to do work stuff (if you are, time to establish some Time Management boundaries!). Even if each "job" of their lives - work, school, homework, chores, family time, etc. - may not have a boundary set by someone else, like clocking in and clocking out, their boundaries need to be treated as if they are as important. Otherwise, they will be "robbing time" that they can't get back.

I showed them the Assignment List, which was something even my professor had never seen before!

I next showed them the Assignment List, which is a tool I use instead of a planner. Many of the students were blown away by this concept, and even the professor had not seen this tool before! I explained to them that many students rely on the syllabus alone, but often, a big step in taking the frustration away from knowing what to do is to see everything due in one place. I explained to them that when it came to managing not only CDE-3, which is very hand-out and assignment heavy, with other classes that come with their own levels of stress or difficulty, knowing the next step ahead of time not only keeps them focused and out of a state of fear, but may also help them to work ahead of deadlines.

I told them that they don't have to allow their lives to be dictated by deadlines. They can see deadlines as goals, and they can work ahead of those goals. They don't have to wait until the deadlines are in view to start working on assignments!

I showed them how to break down each assignment into mini deadlines or "goals", a major tip in staying ahead of the game!

Next, I showed them how to break down each assignment into mini goals (or deadlines) so that they aren't scrambling to get everything done the day before an assignment is due. The example I showed them was their real-life deadline of selecting a preschool for observation. One of their requirements to be able to observe in a preschool is to have a TB test done. I explained to them that this was part of their assignment, and they can break down this mini goal into even more mini goals. That way, they aren't trying to get a TB test scheduled and done before they visit a school, and they aren't scrambling to visit a school before the selection form is due!

I then went into detail about the child observation process itself, and how important it is to keep track of details. I explained to them these key points:

• Don't wait to get started.
• Keep a separate notebook and binder just for CDE-3 to stay organized.
• When doing observations, make a habit to look at the clock every once in a while and note the time...you may never know when you need that time stamp.
• After making observations, try to immediately go and transcribe the notes into digital format.
• Keep all digital files in a central location like Dropbox so that they are easily accessible, and you don't have to worry if you lose a flash drive.

I was able to answer questions and talk more in detail about the paper itself, and explained to them how important each part of the paper is. I was there for almost 2 hours, and I have been asked back in September to go through my paper in detail. I can't wait to help these students discover how easy it is to craft a truly exceptional term paper!

How have you helped other students? What part of this post helped you to understand how to manage time better?

Before Fall of 2014, SAHM Jennifer Felton of Southern California was most concerned with coordinating homeschool for her five kids, which was more than a full-time job that, while beneficial to her family, did not contribute to the family's income. However, Felton, at the time 32 years old, understood the importance of education for her kids, and had opted for homeschooling so that they could reap the most benefits from their educational experience. When the importance of education and the desire to increase the family income collided, she knew that there was one thing she had to do: return to school as a non-traditional student.

Felton on a Geology trip to Joshua tree in December 2016.

When she first enrolled at Riverside City College, she did so with the end goal being that she would become a teacher for charter schools, where she would work with independent study students from home. She faced the prospect of obtaining a liberal arts degree, which is what many in the teaching profession obtain, but she wanted something a little more specific, like an English, Science, or History degree. "I really felt strongly that if I was going to spend all that time and money going to school, I didn't want a liberal arts degree," she said.

She took an Introduction to Teaching class and volunteered in a few classrooms, only to find that there were certain aspects of teaching that she did not like. And, she did not want to risk a future endeavor when the future of homeschooling and charter schools could always change. She faced a dilemma; she wanted to stay in school and solve her original problem of trying to improve the family's finances while also providing a good example for her children. She found the solution in a Geology class.

Exploring lava tubes in October 2016. Going back to school helped Felton discover her passion for Geology.

"I have always loved Geology," she said. "There was a professor who, at the start of the lab, told us of all the different jobs you could do with a Geology degree. I was amazed. I had thought that Geology jobs were only for looking at earthquakes and that there were no job opportunities. She changed my mind and led me to change my major." These opportunities are not always well known, including environmental clean-up, working with engineering firms, cities, and states, working to help solve water problems (like the drought in California), as well as working for energy companies.

However, even though her Geology professor was a catalyst in helping Felton find her passion, returning to school brought many changes and challenges. "My mom and dad were really happy that I went back. My friends are all happy that I went back, and have been really helpful and encouraging. My kids are proud of me, even though my youngest (who was turning 4 years old at the time) always says he wishes I just stayed at home with him. He knows how to work that mom guilt, but when I'm gone I know he really doesn't notice much."

Her children, however, are not considered separate from her own educational endeavors. Felton includes them in many of her homework activities. "They go to the college campus for...the observatory that I wouldn't have probably known about if I didn't go," she said. "I also ask my professors about suggestions and ideas in homeschooling my kids. My geology teacher told me about a lot of local field trip spots, my math teacher told me about the curriculum they use to help kids entering college who are struggling. We do schoolwork together a lot."

"I am able to prepare them for college," she continued. "Plus I can stress to them the importance of an education or tradeschool. I try to let them explore and meet different people who do different jobs so they can decide what they want to go to school for, or what they are going to do if they don't (go to college."

There are times when school and home don't always agree. For most of those times, Felton hires a friend to come and tutor her children when she will be away from home for long periods of time. Even then, the responsibilities of being a mom take priority, especially when some school events are not scheduled with non-traditional students in mind.

"I can't do a lot of things that I would do at school if I didn't have kids," Felton continued. "But I am at least moving towards a job and decent money of my own." She stated that she'd love to participate in clubs and organizations, work-study, and tutoring, where child-care is not provided by the school. "There's a week-long Spring Break geology trip that I would love to do, but I would be so anxious about my kids that it would probably be hard to do good learning."

There are other obstacles that non-traditional students like Felton face, which usually come in the form of finding and keeping financial aid. Most returning students, or those who go to college to change careers face the issue of having too many credits - most of which are not useful to their current major - to qualify for financial aid. "They won't give me a Pell grant (anymore)," Felton said. "I appealed."

Felton states that the key to success in school as a mother is knowing how to divide her time between the different needs in her life. "It's (about) balancing relationships and my own sense of self," she says.

Graduation!

Felton has graduated RCC with her AA and AS. "I did it!" she exclaimed. "I was mostly proud that I went back and finished it. I was proud for every night that I stayed up and worked on homework. I was proud that I studied and I asked for tutoring. I was proud (that) I tried and did even when I thought I couldn't. I was proud that even with certain...roadblocks in my way, I still kept at it."


The next steps for Felton include transferring to Cal State University Fullerton where she plans to get her Bachelor's of Science in Geology. While she is a bit concerned with scheduling her time in order to get to campus and back, she has decided on CSUF because of their Geology program's reputation. She sees no limits to her education, and plans to get a MS in geology at UC Riverside with a minor in hydrology or environmental studies, and maybe even a doctorate.

How does your experience in college differ from that of the traditional college student? What about Jennifer's story has helped you to understand your own educational goals?