Yea, I'm throwing that whole rule about not using my English papers for my blog out the window. Who thought up that rule any way? I think that I can safely promise that I won't post ALL of my papers. But this one is important to me as it talks about some of my reasons and goals for being in school. Read on. The journal I have chosen for my English 102 project is the Journal of Holistic Nursing.  The journal’s mission statement is as follows:   Journal of Holistic Nursing ( JHN ) is a peer-reviewed quarterly journal with a focus on integrating holistic health concepts with traditional Western medicine. JHN provides a forum for caring and innovative nurses in clinical practice, research, individual wellness practice, and academia to exchange critical information, share clinical and personal experiences, and communicate research pertaining to nursing practice, health care, wellness, healing, and human potential. On March 17, 2015 I will have worked as a ...

This is a pod.  This thing fascinates me.  One the first day of English I was the first one to walk into class and saw a room full of these things.  I was mystified and confused.  Are we supposed to sit in them?  And why are they on rollers?  What were we going to do with them?  In them?  I was a little scared so I slowed my pace and let other students overtake and pass me.  I watched to see what they would do.  Yes, you sit in them.  OK, I already sorta had that figured out.  But see that little basket underneath?  Not just a weird design flaw - you put your back pack in there.  And yes, the wheels are used, at least in this class they are.  We are always moving into small discussion groups.  But wait, it's not like in the olden days when you had to get up and and push a heavy chair/table combination around with it scrapping and scratching along the way...sometimes with the nails down the chalkboard...

I made a friend today.  Life seems a little brighter.

Overdue shout out to Allyanna in Admissions.  She is the sole reason I was able to get enrolled in less than a week.  She was infinitely calm and knowledgeable, not to mention encouraging.  I spent countless time with her last week on email, phone and face to face.  Bless you. And did I mention I got a job on Monday?  Mind you this is after A YEAR of job hunting with no success.  Well, not true.  This year has been a huge success in figuring out where I am and who I am at this stage of life.  I wasn't to find a career job as my path is being in school.  So when I shifted gears and looked for a part time job to support my school efforts, it fell in my lap in less than a week.  BTW, I'll be working as a nurse....while I'm learning to be a nurse.  Ah, the ironies of life.

Well, there it is.  The Temple of Doom.  Some call it the Mathematics building, but I know better.  Aside from having dyslexia, this is the biggest reason I have not previously returned to college.  Math was the center of all my hellish memories of school.  If those squirly numbers would just sit still and give a girl a fighting chance.  But I am a firm believer that we create our own reality.  Think of the book, "The Secret" by Rhonda Byrne (but with more depth and complexity).  And also the book, "Super Brain" by Deepak Chopra and Rudolph Tanzi.  From this moment on, all of this "math equals trauma" shit is a thing of the past.  I mean it.  From now on, every time I pass this building, I smile and send out the thought that I can't wait until next term when I get to take my first math class.  I thank Math for all the wonderful things it does and how it helps me in my life.  I'm not aware of those things just yet,...

OK, I wasn't going to do this. I wasn't going to post my school papers. I mean how boring is that (and it feels like cheating too). But my very first paper assignment in English 102 College Writing and Research is, "In at least 250 words tell how you did library-based research in high school/previously". Well, I figure this lends its self to my blog intention so I'm going to break the rule now...and when ever else I want to break it. So here is Susan's very first college paper in 36 years. Prepare to be wowed. And I'm kinda liking the font. Very card catalogish. (and if you weren't there, you're not going to get it) The last library-based research I did was when I was in high school thirty six years ago.  To say that things have changed since then would be an understatement.  For example, no one had heard of computers in those days.  I don’t have a clear recollection of the research process but I do remember coming up with an idea...

ouch

For the first day of school I marched onto campus with all the essentials:  map of the school, class schedule, laptop and lined notebook paper (just in case).  Turns out they do still use paper.  Lots of it. So what was my first day like?  Have you ever had the experience where you are anticipating something that you think you might know what it's like, and you've read all about it and you've asked people who have experienced it, but you never tried it before? You can't be sure what it's really like.  Sort of like child birth.  Believe me, no one can adequately prepare you for that one.  Even so, my brain has tried to configure every possible scenario of what school in 2015 would be like.  I'm exhausted from it all.  Welllll, it was good.  So much better than I thought it would be.  Surreal and off balancing, but good.  Oh, and I have homework!  How sweet does that sound.  I know it's naive and we are in the honeymo...

How nerdy is this.  Pic in front of the BSU sign.  She's rockin' it!

Feeling a little shaky but mostly ready for my first day of school tomorrow.  I say BRING IT!

OK, I did it.  I scheduled my spring term at BSU...which starts in less than 48 hours!  I've totally been freaking out for two days about this since they sent me the official notification that I am a student and can now enroll.  Between trying to figure out how to work the computer system to actually enroll myself in the classes, wanting classes that are mostly already filled, and trying to take classes that they say I don't need because I took them 35 years ago, has been a traumatic experience for me.  Though perhaps I should pat myself on the back because I ONLY derailed for two days.  I even made myself physically ill last night - a major crash and burn.  But it was nothing that taking a nap, listening to Clockwork Prince (down loadable library book on OverDrive), and playing Candy Crush couldn't cure.  All effective avoidance techniques that I highly recommend. But I'm still too freaked out to tell you what I actually signed up for.  It's al...

I am so pissed!  I got the notification this afternoon that I'm enrolled as a student.  OK, that's the good news and yippie for that.  I only started this process on Monday (1/5/15) given the fact that I decided to go to school over the holidays so Monday was really the first day I could start the process of enrollment.  And I had no clue how to do any of that.  It's been countless hours of hunt and peck and many phone calls trying to figure out each step.  But I'm good at that sort of thing and I'm figuring it out.  But I digress. I've been trying to sign up for classes.  The one class I really want is English 101.  I figure it's the foundation for many other classes.  I've got to know how to write a college paper among other things.  Oh, I stumble through a blog alright I suppose and I get close to being correct on the grammatical front, I think.  (Ha, not sure I quite made it with that sentence - but I'm leaving it in to p...

Still not sleeping much.  I finally did a reading.  I have several forms of divination that I like to use but one of my favorites is the oracle cards called The Enchanted Map by Colette Baron-Reid.  I so wanted this to be about someone or something else.  But as is so often the case, it has nothing to do with anything outside my own skin.  But then again, that means I have complete control over what to do about it. I drew the Bone Collector - Reversed.  This card reminds me that I am whole and have everything I need within, which I believe but forget and need to be reminded from time to time.  In it's reversed position this card says that the past has a way of repeating itself when I haven't learned the lesson inherent in the original situation.  I am to see myself as a whole being and not one who is perpetually trying to heal an old wound.  I will repeat the past if I don't reclaim the things I believe were lost.  The information I se...

Such an anxious night.  (See prior post)  My partner is a healer and he worked on me in the wee hours of the morning releasing much of the tension and angst.  He has been my rock through this and all of my challenges.  I was able to sleep some and now feel tired, but calm.  I was just standing at my kitchen window and a magnificent kestrel landed just in front of me.  If it hadn't been for the glass I could have reached out and touched him.  I have always felt a deep connection to birds of prey.  I was breathless as I feasted on this up close view.  I could see the individual feathers, beak, talons and oh, his eyes.  He was looking at me and I felt him say the words, “I want to do something for you.  Is that alright?”.  I felt hesitant but jumped at the invitation and thought back to him, “Yes!”.  With my permission he came into my heart and the magic that he brought feels like Courage.  It emanates from me.  Fro...

I learned today that there are several stations situated around campus called The Zone.  It's the greatest idea ever!  It's for technology assistance.  The official website states that they will help with a ton of things and is - get this - a "personalized concierge service for all of your Boise State technology needs".  It even says it will help me get rid of pop-ups on my personal laptop.  Who does that and where have they been my whole life?  I do believe I am in love.  And they have equipment to checkout from computers to cameras and items I've never heard of. But they are there should I ever happen to take a class that would teach me what they are and why I would have a need to check one out.   I walked by one of The Zones today and sure enough, there it was.  A quiet area with computer stations and a couple of very nice looking young men standing there ready to be helpful.  OK, I'm going to say this once and only once.  I ...

Don't you love my profile picture?  In truth I posted it temporarily because it's all I have right now (taken last fall at the Thrill the World 2014 Boise zombie dance - Google it if you haven't heard of it - it's international).  But then I realized it goes well with my blog title - The Mature Student.  Though looking at the picture perhaps one would think "old, decaying, dug up - and then started school" student.  Current thought - keep the pic. Ah, but let me clarify.  The word "mature" can mean so many things.  Old, yes.  But I don't use that word when referring to myself.  I don't buy into societies concept of Old.  It seems so limiting and useless.  But at 54 years old and starting school in a week after 33 years of not being in school, I am feeling... lost.  And of course so many things have changed since I graduated as a licensed practical nurse in 1982.  Does anyone even remembers the early 80s?  I was goin...