I am naturally a people person and a talker. I have always made friends easily and related to others quickly. I enjoy meeting new people and trying to see things from their point of view.  I believe that these skills will help me to be successful at OSU even though I am not face to face with my teachers or peer’s I believe my desire to connect with others will fuel my desire to content with my classmates and Faculty.  Two skills that I know I need to improve on or my reading skills and my typing. I am slow at both. I do plan on using my break to check out some of the typing resources that have been suggested to me. As for the reading I think that with time and practice this will improve and I know that with some good time management I will do just fine. I believe that I will use everything that I have learned in this class towards being successful in the future at OSU. I have already used so many of the skills and resources that we have learned about and this is only my first term! As I mentioned before this class has really helped me go from talking myself into being great online student to the confidence that I am a great online student and that I will be successful!  I started a list so to say of resources or “things” that I wanted to remember in the future, I know I am terribly forgetful about new resources and skills until I have used them several times so I started this with the idea that I will have it in the future. It started as a nice neat 3×5 card, it is now full of website links, arrows, Randy Pauch video, personal mantras, little reminders (Use TED Talks for research) etc.

Specific tools tips and strategies that I will use keeping my learning style in mind are numerous. I would say that first to take good notes that are complete. I have found that I need note card vs note books, I also write small even if I don’t think I need all the room because I almost find more to add to the card as time goes on. It maybe that I add to the card something to help me remember the definition or theory that the card discusses.  Further talking to people about what I am learning is very helpful, participating in the discussion boards has been more helpful then what I initially thought it would be, I think this is also because I was very intimated by the discussion boards at the start of the term and now have much more experience with them. After all I am even a Blogger now! The term at a glance calendar is also something that I will use, I may not use that exact paper as I already have a planner that is full but to continue to use that planner for all my commitments.

An OSU resource that I will use is my academic advisor, Josie. I have met with her a couple times already and she has really helped me to feel welcomed and empowered to take a lead in my education. If or when the time comes that I am struggling with my classes or with success in general I will reach out to the Ecampus success counseling.  Student involvement will be with the Discovery garden and a Food Preservation Club that I also found through my local extension office.  I’m looking forward to exploring the garden and the options for a minor during break.

As for right now I am thrilled to be rapidly approaching Winter Break! I already have so many things that I hope to accomplish during break. I keep reminding myself that it is a break and their is no reason to have a list a page long before the break has even started. I’m thinking that should throw it away! Take a vacation from organization and feel the crisp breeze in my hair. Ha ha. Thank You each of for participation in my journey to better myself! I wish you the best of luck in the future and a very Merry Holiday Season!

Hello Classmates!

Three weeks into my first term and I am a blogger!! Not really this is my first time blogging. To be honest I have I was feeling intimidated until I read Amber’s blog! THANKS Amber!! (I like the way the lines looked on your blog, sooo thanks for the idea to dress it up!)  Read on to learn of my person Surprises, Strengths and Struggles as a Junior at OSU,  the third week of my first term ( please don’t remind me how far I have to go I’m taking it week by week)!

I think that I will start with SURPRISES. I am so surprised that I am actually working towards my bachelors degree, I have talked about this time so many times with each time ending with “well next September”. Well next September has arrived!! I love that I am actually a junior at a University. I have made it though three weeks and have good no great grades, that is not the surprise, what surprises me is how comfortable I am using the discussion boards , CANVAS and My OSU. I am very intimidated by computers, I don’t even have a face book account and am surprised at my ability to navigate the needed tools thus far in second journey as a student. I was telling my husband how much fun I was having on the computer on the discussion boards and he said that he is surprised by this knowing how I feel about computers!! For me each time I finish an assignment I feels so proud of myself and thsi also surprises me. I am surprised by how proud of myself I am still three week into the term!

My STRENGTHS go right along with my surprises I feel like. For me, wanting to “do” this for so long, I really want that bachelors degree, I know that there will be tears, sweat, surprises, struggles and triumphs!  I know that I will try hard and get good grades and slack off at times and pay for it on exams. I know that some classes will be easy for me and that some will be a struggle every day. I have a great support system and I know that I will can am doing this and sixths is my strength!

Finally my STRUGGLES. Well I struggle with typing fast and accurate, which these skills together would be a great asset to me, Ive already been thinking about ways to improve this..any suggestions? As I nod off while reading in the late evenings I think about how challenging reading at night is for me and that I should try to get up early and do my reading.  But morning comes and I’m tired from being up late reading  so I snuggle with my little man in bed till he wakes up after our Super Hero goes to work. Last week I did wait to long into the week to review my Modules and found myself feeling slightly rushed, knowing that I did this to myself I looked at modules on Sunday evening this week, this will be my plan in the future weeks too.  This reminded me that I will have to be ever flexible and committed to online learing!  Another thing that I am really struggling with and this may be the most painful challenge of all currently, especially as I write this blog, this very uncomfortable chair that I have designated as the computer chair, my neck to my toes ache!! This thing has got to go!!

Thanks Everyone for reading and Good Luck with all your classes, remember we are Lucky to be here and have Chosen to be students, we are Lucky to have this Choice,  make the most of it!