The Education of a Sidetracked Write: Part 4 — School in the 40s
Posted: November 22, 2011 Filed under: Sidetracked Writer | Tags: Arizona State University, Education, Freelancer, Learning, Writing, Writing certificate 2 Comments »
This, but computers at every seat.
No, not the 1940s — my 40s. Or the new 20s, however you want to look at it. I was back at college to earn a Writing Certificate. I felt like I was 20 again, but the reality was 44-going-on-45, and that was that.
In my Persuasive Writing class, the essay subjects were current affairs. The first issue was whether a ski resort should put man-made snow on a sacred Native American mountain. Next, was the Wall being built on the Arizona-Mexico border (I always think of that particular wall as The Wall now — no more Pink Floyd). Of course, we discussed the subjects in class, did peer reviews and participated in small-group exercises that illustrated techniques we should use in our essays.
And you know what? I marveled at the thought processes of these classmates who could be my kids. I don’t know what I expected, but it wasn’t the deep consideration most of them gave the issues. Their arguments were intelligent and well thought out. I wondered if my son, the high school junior, participated in discussions like these. Probably so, I thought, at least in his AP classes. Go figure. I found myself with a new respect for these young adults and for my son. I resolved to stop thinking of them as kids. I’m not sure if they stopped thinking of me as a mom, though.
The last essay turned out to be a group essay. Ugh. The project required meeting outside of class, which required coordination. It would mean a grade dependent on the work of others, as well as mine. Not that I cared about grades, I told myself; I was there to learn. But really, I wanted to get A’s in my classes, or I would never hear the end of it from my straight-A son. And, I did feel like a mom: I had to balance working at home (flexible, thank goodness), picking up my kids from school (not so flexible), being around to help my younger son with homework (i.e., keeping him on task) and myriad other everyday chores. It seemed that the group always had to adjust for my schedule.
As we compared research and debated the merits of using corn for ethanol, I wondered if they just tolerated the older person in the group? Did I seem weird to them? I hoped that instead they saw someone with something new to offer them, a different perspective on the issues. I hoped they would see me as a person successfully juggling job-family-school and consider that someday they might need to do the same. I hoped that maybe, because of me, they would see their own moms in another light, the way I was seeing my son in a different light because of them.
So what did I learn in Persuasive Writing? I learned about writing a thesis, making and supporting claims and how to sum up my arguments in a single short paragraph. (I missed all that the first time around by testing out of English.) I learned more about how to research and use online resources. And, oh my god, I learned MLA format — it still gives me nightmares. I got to free-write every class period, a valuable tool. And I got a little kick in the pants regarding the upcoming generation. They are smart and thoughtful and funny, and I wasn’t giving them nearly enough credit. I also found out that life experience doesn’t necessarily lessen effort required — college is still damn hard work.
Next up: Hmm…not sure yet. I’ll surprise you. 
Happy Thanksgiving!
Yum!
The Education of a Sidetracked Writer: Part 3 — Back to School
Posted: November 9, 2011 Filed under: Sidetracked Writer | Tags: Arizona, Arizona State University, Education, Freelancer, Learning, Professional certification, Writer, Writing, Writing certificate 2 Comments »
The south face of Picacho Peak
I love school. I admit it. I would be a student my whole life if I could.
Of course, that is not economically feasible or family feasible. So, for me, writing is the next best thing. When I write, I learn. I’ve learned that cholesterol in eggs is not nearly as bad for me as I’ve been led to believe and that buying a real Christmas tree is more “green” than buying an artificial one. And do you know that the western-most battle of the Civil War was fought near Picacho Peak in Arizona? How cool is that? I’ve lived an hour away from Picacho Peak for 19 years and only learned that little tidbit last March.
So, when I write, I learn and I am happy. But, sometimes a more formal education is necessary, especially when you have been away from it for a while. I was away from it for a long while, more than 20 years. Even though I had worked with words through most of those years and had recently taken some online classes (see my previous post), I knew my writing skills still needed major polishing.
In 2007, I decided to go back to college. I didn’t know what else to do.
I looked first for a Master’s degree program. At the time, I couldn’t find one that had anything to do with writing. (Arizona State University now has a Master of Liberal Arts program, which includes a writing track.) It wouldn’t have mattered anyway, because — can you believe it? — Master’s degrees are expensive! I checked out one that would have cost more than $20,000. Obviously, that was not going to happen. Finally, I came across a Writing Certificate program at ASU. It required 18 credits or six classes. I could handle two classes a semester and still be done a year before I had to send my first child to college. Okay. That could work.
Because I already had a college degree, the school got to charge me graduate-degree prices for undergraduate-level courses. (See? Even before the economy crashed, universities were shamelessly trying to make a buck at their students’ expense.) My three semesters each cost $2,000 — still a boatload of money, but a bit more manageable. Thank goodness for home equity loans and a low interest rate. I could have done without the guilt (a post for another day), but my husband told me to consider it an investment, and that made me feel a little better.
I gathered my transcripts, proved my residency, and went to the doctor for a meningitis shot. At the end of August, I walked into my first college class since 1984 — “Persuasive Writing.” I had my backpack and my books. I had a bottle of water. I felt like I was 21, and I wanted to learn.
But before that, I had to get past two things. The first was technology: Every single chair at every single table had a computer in front of it. Holy smokes! Not that I wasn’t computer literate, but you know…in 1984…not too many computers at school. I was surprised.
And the second thing I had to wrap my brain around? These students — no, these kids — were not much older than my son. It had never occurred to me that I would be old enough, by far, to have given birth to every single one of my classmates. Ugh. Suddenly, I was 44.
It was definitely a face-palm moment.
Next up: School in the 40s
