OT - Going back to School (sorta)

A while back I had posted that there was a job opening at the Humane Assoc
(where I volunteer) for an 'office manager, and that I had applied for the
position - not that DH & I *need* the money, but to have some extra $ around
would be nice.

Well, they wanted someone with more accounting skills than I possess, so I
didn't get the position (but I'm not going to hold any grudge, and still
volunteer there because I like the people (including the person who got the
job) there and helping the animals and volunteering for some of the other
events that they hold (this coming week they are having an Animal Adventure
Camp for children 7-11 years old, a day camp, so to speak, for a couple of
hours every day, and I have volunteered to be one of the 'counselors' there,
helping keep the kids in line, doing crafts, touring the shelter, and
crossing the street to visit and tour the kennel/doggie daycare/vet/dog
training facility there, doing animal-related activities (a ferret rescue
society will be bringing some ferrets one day, and a shelter worker will be
bringing in her *horse* another day, and all sorts of stuff like that).

But at any rate - I decided to enrol in a nearby college (not Indiana
University, which is out of my wallet's league, but another place on our

Winnie...

cal

side of town called Ivy Tech (formerly known as Indiana Vocational Technical
Institute - I V Tech, get it?)
http://www.bloomington.ivytech.edu/start/start.htm, they have campuses all

Winnie...

rom

over the state, including one here in Bloomington, just a 5 minute walk from
the main headquarters of the company that owns the company that DH works
for) and take some accounting and business admin classes, not necessarily
going for a degree, but to better prepare myself for anything that might
come along in the future (like this new office manager finding another
position elsewhere). It's gonna be expensive, and I probably will be only
able to afford to take one class a semester....

Winnie...

I have already submitted my application for entry, requested my high school
transcript be sent over to them, and will now have to take an "assessment"
test - which includes reading and math skills, including *algebra*!

Lat time I had anything to do with any algebraic equations....... I was

Winnie...

about 12 years old & in junior high and did so miserably in it my 'guidance
counselor' finagled me out of the class and into a regular (but advanced)
math class!

Winnie...

Well, lets just say that anything past the fiveses I need a calculator for,
unless it's the tenses. I told my Bro that I will probably need to start
with the oneandoneistwo, twoandtwoisfour.... get the pic?

What have I gotten myself into?

Marina...

It sounds like you've got yourself into a challenge. Purrs that
everything goes well. What a shame that it's so expensive to get an
education over there!

Monique Y. Mudama...

Sounds like you've gotten yourself into a great idea! More power to you
for taking the leap to take some classes. It's hard going back to
school, but take heart -- when I was in college, every "older" person I
met was a stellar student (even people who only took a break of a few
years between high school and college). I think it's something about
life experience that makes school seem pretty easy in contrast.

If you've gotten addicted to a calculator, you can take steps to wean
yourself ... when math comes up (for example, calculating tip), do it
on paper or in your head first, *then* reach for the calculator to
check yourself.

Do you follow recipes? Making double or half batches is a good way to
flex fraction skills.

One of my coworkers taught remedial math at a community college ...
there are lots of people in your boat, and some of them *have* just
graduated from high school! There are classes designed specifically
for this.

Congratulations for not only going back to school, but taking on
subjects that make you feel uncomfortable. For some reason, people
tend to only want to take classes in stuff they're already good at,
which is great for the ego but not necessarily for personal growth.
Taking these classes may be painful, but I bet you'll come out of them
with a deep sense of confidence and personal accomplishment.

Winnie...

Good for you!. I went back to school twice, full-time. It wasn't easy
in the beginning, but it got better. Think nothing of your high school
math. I did so poorly in high school math. that I got a lecture from my
teacher. She said if I didn't do better in my math classes, I won't be
able to study science in univeristy. But then I A's calculus in
college while majoring in chemisty. (The physical science majors had
to take more difficult calculus classes)
Then after 7 years of not dealing with advanced math, I went back to
school for a computer science degree. Couldn't remember a thing from my
calculus. Had to brush up in a hurry. But I managed to pass the math.
classes required for comp. sci.
When I graduated the last time, friends were teasing me about how long
before I go back to school again.=20