College in my 30’s

Ugh…what a week.  After receiving feedback from Amanda, I had to completely re-write my essay.  I wrote more of a summary than a critque.  I must admit, I was so lost.  This is where it would be so helpful to me to be on-campus.  The exchange of information through the internet is grating.  For the VES and SPA - these wouldn’t come up with the latest version of reader - I’m currently stuck again, like last week, on figuring out to get this PDF form to Amanda.
With all that said, I feel pretty darn good about my final draft - I’m more comfortable with it than I was my rough draft, I literally did not have a clue where to start. 
I think I will always strive to understand what the key points are in an article, above everything else.  Determining the key points are a foundation for formulating my viewpoints.  I would definitely change the time that I write.  I think I will aim to write in small portions each day.  I tried to write everything all in one day and I was so overwhelmed.  When I can leave my paper and come back with “fresh eyes”, I can see what I can improve or elaborate upon.
I’m just glad it’s done - sort of - I need to convert this SPA to PDF now. 

For this first essay, I honestly did not take advantage of the Wiki…I keep forgetting about it.  As I look at it today, there are many great suggestions for our Essay #1.  I started my essay early this week and was so stressed out that I didn’t think of turning to the Wiki as a resource.  I think that adding my thoughts and views to the Wiki was very easy – it’s a required assignment! 

I didn’t think about it until just now, but I feel group work is essential as part of a writing class because you can receive differing viewpoints, arguments, and opinions about a single topic.  As I seek to understand someone else’s point of view, I can receive clarification to their insights and that could enhance my views and I can in turn, express that in my writing.

After 10 years of secondary infertility and several months under the care of a reproductive endocrinolgist, our family excitedly welcomed our third baby on July 27, 2003.  Immediately after I found out I was expecting, I began the lengthy research of how I would deliver her -with or without pain medications, more specifically, an epidural.

During the birth of my first baby, my water broke and I was dialated too much to receive an epidural.  I was given only small amounts of some other medication (that I don’t remember what they were - or if they even told me, I was so out of it.) through my I.V. but I remember still feeling ALOT of pain.

When I started my research on the pros and cons of receiving an epidural, I felt great anxiety as I read the list of complications it could present:  continual headaches and backpain, nerve damage, accidental dural puncture, catheter misplacement…paralyzation!!!  I mean come on!!!  I felt like a nervous wreck.  We waited for this baby for so long (my 2nd was adopted) I wanted to make sure her arrival was the safest possible.  As my other alternative, I studied a childbirth method called “The Bradley Method” in which  obstetrician Robert Bradley’s belief is that childbirth is a natural process, and women can prepare themselves mentally, physically, and emotionally to avoid routine medical interventions and pain medication during labor and delivery.  It also provided instruction for partners to be effective labor coaches and Greg and I needed all the help we could get!

Eventually, we used some principles from the Bradley Method and the use of pitocin (to induce labor) and minimal amounts of I.V. medication (again, I forgot what it was…I was a little busy).   The bitter ending produced a beautiful, healthy baby girl, 6 pounds, 7 ounces and 21″ long.  A true miracle in our lives.

Where do I begin?  Well, I made it through week 1!  Woo hoo!  When I completed my Associate’s degree 12 years ago, I would’ve NEVER thought it’d be this excruciating to finish my education.  I am cutting myself some slack to get back into the swing of things and establish a routine and organize my all my assignments from my 4 classes.  What was I thinking to return with 12 credits?  I don’t know, but here I am and I’m going to finish what I started.  However, I really do love learning and have taken a class here or there in my spare time between raising 4 children (21, 15, 5 & 4), maintaining my part-time career as a Group Fitness Instructor and moving from state to state (my husband’s many business ventures).  It’s a miracle I have energy left after the day is past, but I can’t guarantee that I’ll be nice!
What do I expect to learn in this class?  How to overcome my fear of writing academic papers.  It’s paralyzing, this fear.

What do you expect to be successful at in your writing?  I expect that as someone reads my papers they’ll think, “Well, here’s a person who articulates herself well and her writing is incredible - uplifting and amusing!  I’ve wanted to write a book about some of my life’s experiences, but I don’t even know where to start.

What do you expect you will want to work on regarding your writing?    I need to learn the MLA format and whatever format or styles I will be expected to complete at a college level.  I feel like I have a plethora of ideas/words when I write, it’s just a matter of putting it all together in an intellecutual fashion that makes sense to the readers.

What do you expect from me as your instructor?  LOTS OF PATIENCE.  I have found that your communication styles  - visual, verbal (turtorials) and writings have helped me learn so much already.  As an instructor, I find you very friendly, organized, available and very prepared to teach what you really enjoy doing - and that’s writing.  Thank you for your preparations, thus far.

Now off to catch up on some other assignments - and to feed my girls some breakfast!
Myra