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?

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?

One thing I forgot about when I enrolled in college again (well, there's more than one thing, but this is one big one) was the cost of textbooks and materials. I feel that, unlike forgetting about how to write essays and having to adhere to almost high school like rules, the shock of having to buy textbooks is bigger because this time the cost is not rolled into a student loan and thus I am paying out of pocket for them every semester.

Since I have the Board of Governor's fee waiver here in California (seriously, without this I would not be able to afford school), there's no need for student loans. I've had to come up with creative ways to obtain the cheapest price for textbooks:

First check to see if you actually even need the textbook.

Sometimes a teacher will list a textbook but you don't even really need it. I had two classes like this, a Philosophy class and then a Nutrition class. In the philosophy class, the teacher never even used the book, and in nutrition, there was no need for the book since the teacher's Powerpoints spelled everything out! 

Luckily, my college website shows textbooks with "Required", "Suggested", and "Recommended" labels next to the books. It would suck to pay for a book and never even use it. Unless the book is hard to find, wait until the start of the semester and ask the professor how much you really need that book. If you don't use it at all, don't worry about it. If you only need a part of it, ask someone if you can borrow it, or check it out of the school library (they will often have reference copies of certain textbooks that you can check out for a day or hour). Then you can photocopy those pages. If for some reason the professor says you do need it but you end up not using it, send it back for a refund.

Never order from the campus bookstore if you can avoid it (excepting special circumstances).

Usually, the campus/school bookstore will be very expensive. The reason for this is that there's added cost that goes to a student scholarship fund, or something similar (or they're just trying to gain a profit, in some private school's cases). I avoid buying books from there unless:

• The books can only be purchased at the campus bookstore (teacher specific materials, class workbooks, laminated cards, etc.)
• The book happens to (miraculously) be cheaper there. This hasn't happened yet for me but it might!

Check Facebook for a textbook swap or used book sales group.

Some students at my school set this up, and students post there regularly with used books to sell or trade. Usually you can get a good bargain, but if your class requires online access codes, it may not be the best option, as those are usually one use only. I keep an eye on mine because when people transfer they usually want to dump a whole cache of books and are willing to haggle.

After that, start with Amazon.

Note that most places do not guarantee access codes. If I did buy this book used, I'd probably have to buy the access code separately for another $25.

Amazon seems to have fair prices for book rentals, and for buying used books. I've found some textbooks for $0.01. But for the most part the prices for rentals are a lot cheaper than other websites. That being said, be sure to return the rentals on time. If not, you will get charged one extension, and then when that expires, they will automatically charge you for the full cost of the book (which I learned the hard way once when $300 was suddenly missing from my account).

When Amazon fails you or turns up nothing (for an old book), try a textbook search service.

Chegg.com is one people regularly turn to, but there are others that provide some of the same services. You type the ISBN number (usually the 10 or 13 digit code your teacher provides on the syllabus) into the search bar and the website will search the net for you and come back with where to find the book, usually with the cheaper prices listed first:

• www.textbookrentals.com
• bookrenter.com
• half.com
• campusbookrentals.com

Sometimes it will be cheaper to buy the book used, but sometimes it will be cheaper to rent. Keep in mind these prices may not include shipping, and may include books that don't come with access codes. You'll have to decide who is best to go through, but there are a few places I don't trust...

Be wise on who you spend money with.

If a website looks sketchy, go with your gut. On the search I ran (above), the first link is an ebay link. The link doesn't show the book...it shows a study guide for the book. Be sure to read everything about the listing and cross compare the product offered with the same product offered on other sites. Some ebay listings will be sneaky and stick the word "study guide" or "cover only" in the product description or fine print, and you'll receive a box or print-out instead of a book! Check the reviews of customer service for the site, and I feel any legit site will also be listed on the Amazon.com "Other Sellers" tab.

That being said, you can find some textbooks for free!

There's these little Life Hacks memes floating around with websites that offer free books. I personally have not used these apps, but if you want, go ahead and check some of them out. You may be able to score a free textbook!

And lastly, don't be afraid to use an older version of a book if it is cheaper.

Sometimes a professor will require you to use Such and Such Book, Vol. 10. But there may not be much of a difference between Vol. 10 and Vol. 9. And those books may be cheaper because now students want to buy Vol. 10 and people need to unload Vol. 9! I've nabbed a textbook from the 1980s that was $0.01, where the only difference between that version and the new version was the title had changed to be more politically correct. While I do agree with the change, I also agree with paying a penny for the book.

Ask on the first day of class if the old version of the book will be OK for the class. So far, every time someone has asked, the professor has said that yes, it is OK to use an older version of a book as long as it was an immediate predecessor. That means if Vol. 10 is on the syllabus, don't use Vol. 4. The info may be way too outdated. But always be prepared for the professor to say that you must get the updated version.


What creative ways have you used to find textbooks? What's the cheapest textbook you've found?