There was a time when a degree wasn’t needed it was the experience that counted more for the job market than the schooling or training you had. Then it switched were it was necessary to have a college degree to get a job, it switched again and again. So often today it is hard to keep track of what is necessary. Even if you have schooling sometimes it isn’t enough because it could be from years ago. I tried the job market when I got out of high school over 20 years ago and it didn’t succeed so I looked into several programs. I decided that one in Office Administration was the best option. It wasn’t a proper degree but a certification program including working for one three month term in an Office. It was learning to type on old typewriters, new typewriters, computers; do records management; proper English; and other services you would need to work in an Office. I was one class short of getting that certificate when I got a job so I wasn’t going to go back for just one class, so I worked for almost 7 years all the while gaining more skills and the experience I needed. I stopped working just before our oldest was born. When my husband went to college himself I helped when I could. As I could type over 70 words a minute I did the typing while he stated what he wanted. So in some ways he says his degree is part mine. But I didn’t go to college myself because he wanted to get his degree first and then a second child arrived, we moved and other things came up. Always the excuses as they say and not doing what I should have been doing, but that was partially because I forgot about me and what was best. My husband has been after to me to do it and I finally broke down and did it last January. This time it wasn’t in a class room but online something not offered at all for a long time, but now it seems it is the only way to go for many people. I was lucky to qualify for MyCAA before it was stopped, this gave me the chance to do 2 classes online for a semester with Coastline Community College which is reasonable compared to others. I also enrolled in a local college to take a real estate class in the classroom but it got canceled due to non participation (wonder why? Housing market, Florida right now don’t mix) so it was changed to online as well. Taking Spanish and Humanities of the Arts was interesting and hard. Not so much in reading and doing the homework but concentrating because of so many distractions at home. Like neighbors dropping by, kids with the homework, chores to do around the house, little things. Often I found myself doing it the last minute and submitting it just in the nick of time. Kind of like those who do the homework or study for the test the night before. It took awhile to get out of that habit and unfortunately I still catch myself doing it sometimes. I guess you could say it is a hard habit to break (man why are all these old song lines coming back when I write) So after the 3rd term is almost finished I have done better but still not good enough. World History Before 1500 I was able to actually finish early and luckily got my first A. I still have some work to do for Business but almost there and just the final assignment to hand/email in before writing the final before Sunday.
It was actually the professor for Business that got me really writing again. For an assignment I had to compare a movie to business, my choice was Trading Places with Eddie Murphy and Dan Ackroyd. I have lost count how many times I have seen that movie so I didn’t need to watch it before writing the paper. I submitted it and got an A with the encouragement I needed to keep on doing it. Maybe that is what I needed to hear something from someone outside who had never seen my work before. I am glad I am taking these classes and I am enrolled in one more term before my husband retires so I am no longer eligible for MyCAA. But I will continue taking classes even afterwards, he decided before to transfer some of his GI Bill to me and for that I am eternally grateful because it means he gave up the last part of his education. Yes he has his Bachelor’s but not in the true field he wants right now. So we will work on it. I just wish that I had started earlier but we cant change the past, we can only go to the future. I am not sure where this road is taking me but I do know it will be to a place that I like, that it will have its bumps and dips and potholes and everything else as there is no perfect road. That there will also be twists and turns and even branch offs testing me. But I can do it, if I can start going to college at 40 then anything is possible.
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