The 40-Year-Old Student

The second week of classes is coming to a close and I am quickly learning that the word of the day is: ORGANIZATION. It amazes me with a load of fulltime classes and trying to balance coursework, homework and family life, that I have not learned this word earlier.

I thought I was a well organized person before I came here. Now that I am here, I find that need to better organize what I do during my day and wonder how to fit everything neatly into a 24 hour day. I have taken the time to look and say to myself that I need to do this and I can do this. But I never look at myself and said, “Now do this”.

It all comes down to schedule and how we progress through the day. How much time for this and how much time for that? And I still have to be ready for those curveballs I know that are coming my way- I just don’t know when they are coming.

My son Jacob started the third grade the other day and the first thing he shared with me was his assignment book. It detailed out what they were doing in school in each subject area and what was due when. He was amazed at the amount of spaces in the book; I think it scared him a bit. We talked about how this book was to help him better organize his day and remind him what he is learning. It dawned on me that I too needed to make a book for myself. By doing this, my work here at college doesn’t seem that overwhelming and I am better prepared for those curveballs.

As the weeks go by here, I think each day will not only be a lesson learned in a book or lecture, but also a lesson learned about myself and what I am capable of doing. I have placed some goals on myself before I got here; the biggest goal being to graduate. Some of the smaller goals are: to enjoy the college experience and remind myself that I am not the only “adult learner” here. Many people have come before me and even more will come after me. Each day is not a battle, each day is to fun and exciting- I just need to open my mind and soak it all in. So the goal for each day for me is to smile and say, “You can do this.”