This morning I woke to a sky full of thunder and lightning at 4 AM, and for the first time since last school started this Summer, I felt calm.

Summer school this year was, for me, a continuous adrenaline run with very little reprieve. I prepared myself for a tough semester, biting the bullet because I want to transfer and I needed this class to transfer. Doing a Math class was already something I wasn't looking forward to, but compressing a semester's worth into the period of 2 months was another challenge I was heaping upon myself.

This alert and I became fast frenemies over the Summer!

The semester started with me feeling unprepared for the pace of the class. The professor moved at a speed I wasn't used to in order to fit an entire semester's worth of material into 2 months. And then there was the ConnectMath website we used to enter our homework and on test, which provided me with hours of frustration. I went into the first test - with a test every 2 weeks - feeling somewhat prepared but good enough. I left feeling I could have done better, and that I was not as prepared as I needed to be. I got an 88% on that test, but made a lot of mistakes because anxiety got to me. I decided then that I was going to prepare better for the next test.

During this time, my Uncle Gilbert began to show that chemo was no longer working for him. He had been battling Stage IV cancer for over a year by then, and for the most part never "looked sick." He was tired all the time, and sometimes would leave family events to nap, but when Summer hit, he lost a lot of weight and stopped responding to treatment.

Also during this time, my parents decided to put the family house up for sale and move. This required us, as a family, to go through near 20 years of accumulated "stuff" to help them downsize, and then actually helping them move from one house to another. Trying to budget time between school and family obligations became a struggle.

I did much better on the 2nd test than the 1st, despite staying up all night to finish it.

The next test was a take-home test, however, the circumstances of it being a take-home test did not make it easier. I had underestimated how much homework was due and pulled an all-nighter in order to get all the homework - and take home test - done before the next day. I did much better on this test, even though pushing past my limits to get everything done had me paying for it the next day.

After those two tests, we moved into conic sections, logarithms, sequences and series, which was rather easy for me as I remembered it much better from Math 425. This homework and the subsequent test were no issue for me, and I basically solidified my A for the class...not counting the Final, of course.

The week before the Final, my Uncle died of Stage IV cancer and we held the funeral. I ended up taking two days off from school - ouch - but the math was easier for me, so I didn't have a hard time catching up (Pascal's Triangle & Binomial Expansions). At this point my parents were all moved out, but we had three rooms, a garage, shed, and attic's worth of stuff left over that we had to organize and sell.

All homework was done the Sunday before Finals, and I spent Monday and Tuesday reviewing. I took Wednesday - the day of Finals - off in order to study. I realized how much work I had missed since I went back to school in 2015, and thus, how much money I have lost. This may be a reality for many non-traditional students, which is something many school counselors don't mention.

The Final came, and I was...completely and utterly prepared. I finished every question, and knew what to do. I found myself...having fun during the Final! Now that the obstacle of frustration was gone, it was like 20 puzzles waiting for me to solve them! I mean, they were worth 10 points each, but hey...what's a little fun when you're fighting for that A?

I left Finals and went on home...and promptly fell asleep. But rest wasn't in me, not yet. We still had two rooms of solid walnut furniture to move downstairs (by we, I mean just my dad and I). The next two days had us clearing way too many books (I need a Kindle, y'all) from shelves, organizing random stuff, and hauling the heaviest furniture ever down a flight of stairs (protip: place furniture on it's flattest side and control slide down). Then, Saturday morning, we were up at 4 AM to greet the many, many people who had camped outside our house for a yard sale.

We sold everything but my childhood desk. Everything.

Sunday didn't bring much reprieve, and neither did Monday really. I was waiting for grades. I am that type of person who checks for grades every day after a Final, even if I know what I am going to get because I keep track of my grades. There's something about seeing them posted that gets me excited. I don't have anxiety about it. I just was waiting with anticipation.



I checked the website to see that I had a 65% in the class, with the Final coming in at 0%. A part of me felt a little fear, but I knew I had done well, so I emailed the professor about the mistake. She adjusted the website and my real grade of a 99% in the class, an A+, appeared.

I feel a sense of relief, not in that the grade was posted but in that Math for me is done unless I want to take more advanced Math. I might, maybe one day, but for now my goal is to transfer and move onto the next step in my college path. Statistics for Social Science is the last math related class I have to take for my major, but with Math 25 done, I can transfer.

All in all, I think this class - and the goings-on of my life during this class period - brought me to the edge of my boundaries for self-care. I pushed myself a little too hard on this one, and not because I know I deserve that A and the investment this class gives to my future self. The pace and the online system created more elements to schedule and process than I think was necessary for me. I will do Summer classes if I have to in the future, but I will be restricting this experience to classes that I know don't already hold a challenge for me, as Math 25 did.

How was your Summer class experience? What did you learn from it? What would you do differently in the future?

I am almost halfway through the Math 25 College Algebra Summer Fast Track class here at Chaffey. I don't mind it, and so far I've been able to keep up with it. It turns out it's a hybrid class, with some of the class being online (mostly the homework system of ConnectMath with a digital textbook), and class meetings being held in person.

I've taken one online class before, Intro to Philosophy, and while it was easy to navigate (we used Moodle, which is similar to Blackboard) and I never saw the instructor, I was a little put off in that there was no face-to-face interaction (with Philosophy classes I like the debate and discussion aspect of the class). I didn't feel like I was actually going to school. But that's a different problem than what I am facing with ConnectMath.

Usually I do my homework on the weekends, and with math I do take a little more time than others might. I give myself time to process the material, and this class is no exception. However, I find myself frustrated as I do the problems, enter them into the "palette" on ConnectMath's website, and it gets marked wrong, despite me being right.

Seeing this when I know the answer is right is very frustrating.

Aside from questions that ask for set builder or interval notation, most of the time no format required is given, so when I get a problem wrong just based on the format, it makes me not want to do my homework. I've spent hours, unnecessarily, on a set of 15 problems, mostly because if you get it "wrong" more than two or three times, it resets the problem for you and you have to start all over again. Then I get frustrated because if I could turn in homework traditionally (a fat stack of paper), I'd be done and out sitting by the pool.

In class yesterday, the instructor tried to show us some examples by projecting the "palette" on the screen, and she came up with the same issues. In frustration, she said, "Is this what you guys have to deal with?" and received a unanimous, "Yes!"

These videos are nice to watch to review the material on my spare time.

But that is just a review of the "palette" tool of the ConnectMath website. Other than that, the website does have tutorial videos I watch on my lunch breaks, practice questions for review, and a link to the textbook, which is always handy. Most problems even have examples to learn from. And if you do get it wrong, not just from formatting issues but you legit got the answer wrong, you can do guided solutions and ask the computer to solve the problem.

So far I seem to be doing OK in the class. It's hard to tell when you're frustrated, because that can actually hinder your ability to learn. I got an 88/100 on the first test, which is a lot better than I thought I would get (I thought I got a low C). I am doing my best to study all the time and not just before the test. It's a little hard to do so when the class is so compressed and we have a test every other week. In a normal schedule, I would have more time to study and that period of 2 weeks would be a given for cramming anyway (at least, what I call cramming).

One thing I am doing is re-writing my notes. In class I have a notebook that I scribble everything into, then I got a second notebook to re-write in a neater and more comprehensive manner when I get home. I'm not going to be going into study aesthetics, however. There's just no time, and if you know me, you know my handwriting is an impatient, loopy catastrophe (that only I seem to be able to read which is fine by me).

This week is our second test which seems to be a take-home test or online test. I hope it is take-home, only because I fear what would happen if I don't put the answer in the right format for the "palette." I'll be quick with my screengrabs, then.

If  you are taking summer classes, how are they going? What are some challenges you are facing?

Oh boy. This is a new and interesting experience for sure.

The first day had me trying to find a parking pass, like always, since the parking passes never seem to arrive on time. That's okay though, because school gives out temp ones on the first day. I did take my own advice and get to school early - a half hour early - to get the parking pass and find class, which was in the Vocational Services building. It was a large classroom, the largest one I've been in, and even though only half the seats were taken, it was still a large amount of people.

My teacher comes from Cal Poly Pomona, and it can be typical for professors who teach during the Summer to come from different colleges. Last Summer I had Jon Russell (from Cold War Kids, for reals), who isn't a classroom professor during the regular school year. The Math 25 professor's teaching style thus far seems to be different from the teachers I've had before at Chaffey, and she's decided to use an online book and grading system for the class.

The online system for Math 25 that also comes with the ebook.

I brought my laptop with me just for this purpose, but the class is so condensed that trying to follow along with the textbook is can be tricky. Instead, I correspond my notes from Math 425 with the notes I take for this class, since it seems Math 25 just expands on what I learned in Math 425.

First, we need to do an assessment so that the online system can tailor our learning experience to what we need to learn, i.e. what are our strengths and weaknesses are. It took me a while to do this assessment, and I was surprised at how much I had forgotten (mostly the later chapters of Match 425) in the last two weeks. I am glad I am taking this class now, because I don't want to lose all the hard work I did in Spring!

I didn't quite understand the report, but if I am not mistaken, I am a bit shaky on the last few chapters of 425 that will also be a part of 25 and are considered College Algebra (hence the need to take this class). These chapters were condensed into a month in 425 so I am not too worried about the results of this assessment.

The teacher moves rather fast through the material, but it isn't hard to understand. She doesn't sacrifice comprehensive teaching for speed, which is great. There were a few things I was iffy on, but I wrote notes in the margins of my notebooks about where the lesson corresponded to the book so that I could review later during study time. That way I am not floundering to correspond the lecture with homework.

The only real con I can see to this experience is the amount of time I spend sitting. I work full time so I mostly sit for 8 hours, then for four days a week I sit 2 more hours. By the end of the second day, my legs and butt ached! By the end of the fourth, my ankles were swelling like I had been sitting on a 15 hour flight to China in coach (protip: spring for the business class, trust me)! In fact, sitting here typing this, I feel like I need to get up and jog.


This weekend I will be tackling the homework, which I hope doesn't take up all of my weekend. It is a condensed, high credit class, so that may just be wishful thinking. There are due dates and all the homework is submitted online, so I don't have to worry about not getting credit or feedback like my first Math 425 professor.


How was your first week of Summer classes? Where did you excel, and where did you struggle? How do you plan to adapt?

I hate being bored. I'm one of those people who likes to be doing something constructive. Plus, as a non-traditional student who is returning to school, I work, so I don't have time for epic adventures but I also know how to, and want to, make the best use of my time.

Summer excitement!

That being said, there are things I want to do this summer, most of it being prep for next semester and the June 5th start date of summer classes. Here's my plan for the Summer:

Take a summer class. 
I've already talked about why this is important to do, but I feel like I need to make sure I am utilizing my time to the best of my ability. Sitting around the house or just going to work isn't fulfilling that purpose for me. Since school has ended, I've watched all of Sherlock...all of Call the Midwife..all of Riverdale...all of Anne with an E...you get the point. I could easily waste my summer on Netflix, but that time can also be used to get me ahead for next semester. Sure, Math 25 isn't what I'd call the most exciting plan for summer (although I am excited), but the time is going to pass anyway. Why not pass it doing something useful?

Earl Nightingale has the right idea.

Check out and fill out as many scholarships as I can.
I am on the Board of Governor's Fee Waiver, but I still incur costs for school. I spend money on books, fees, parking passes, and I also lose money when I take days off from work to do school related stuff. Plus, when I transfer, I will not be under the BOG. I am going to fill out as many scholarships as I can, because anything can help with the cost of college.
 
Plan to start a Non-Traditional Students Club/Union at my school.
I've already emailed the Associated Students Union at my school about wanting to start this up at my college. There is currently no club or union for non-traditional students there, and most, if not all, clubs there meet during the day, so non-traditional students cannot participate if they work full time. 

I hope that if I do get this started, that we are able to meet after 5 PM on weekdays, and that it can be a place where non-traditional students can get involved in school, work on being well-rounded students, and can be supported in the unique challenges they face as non-traditional students in a system built for Fresh Ex-High Schoolers.
 
Get involved. 
I definitely want to get more involved in the community and start preparing to be a teacher. I've applied to be a tutor in quite a few places, but I also volunteer with Helping Hands Pantry. I want to do more, and visit more often. I did tutor my cousin during the semester (2nd grade) and enjoyed being able to work one-on-one with a kid. I was able to get her to focus, and she was able to do a really good job on her project. She got an A, and delivered a great Powerpoint on Queen Elizabeth II (with works cited, I'm so proud). She learned quite a bit about integrity in school, how to be a good person, and how respect works. She picked the Queen because she liked that, "everyone does what she says." At the end, she said she learned that being respected like the Queen comes with respecting others, and serving others tirelessly and selflessly. I'm sure there's more to being Queen, but for a 2nd grader, it was a good learning experience.

I know there are plenty of kids out there who don't get the chance to work one-on-one with a tutor. Many parents don't get tutors for their kids because they believe they are expensive, and that a teacher should be able to do everything themselves anyway. That couldn't be further from the truth! In today's crowded classrooms, every kid - even the "gifted" ones - can get overlooked and left behind. I also know there's more to a child's success than aptitude for test-taking and following directions alone. It can be an emotional experience...and a child who believes they can't do something won't do something. It's up to the people around them to tap into the power of "yet."

I can't do that...yet.
I don't know that...yet.
...etc. 

A growth mindset not only benefits children in the classroom but us as college students!

Have some fun
There are a lot of people I've met who probably think that I don't know "how to have fun." The truth is, I find school and learning very fun. I love writing papers, studying, research, and challenging my brain. It's just who I am. Unfortunately a lot of these things are made synonymous with being a stick in the mud, perfectionism, and generally not being a fun person. I think that's sad, because a lot of people do really find this stuff enjoyable and that's ok.

That being said, I understand that too much of a good thing can really hurt. Brain farts, burnout, and of course, dealing with an autoimmune disease plus real life means you have to pull your head into reality every once in a while. Sometimes, you really do need some mindless fun to relax your big, beautiful brain. So I've made a list of all the things I want to do this summer, as modest as it may be:

• Go to the beach, maybe train it to San Diego
• Throw a Goodbye House Party (we're moving!)
• Hang out with my nephews more (we went to the zoo and had a party last weekend, but I also want to visit the Discovery Cube too, and see Cars 3)
• Squeeze in a visit or two to the Griffith Observatory and The Getty, as I haven't been in yeeaaars
•  Mani, pedi, hair, all that biz

 How are you spending the summer? What are you doing during the summer that is preparing you for what comes next in your college journey?