Kia-Ora, and a very Warm Welcome to my blog-my fourth web-log that I'm actively maintaining online. In general, I've been a member of various online communities, and written web-logs since around 1999-mainly with a current affairs and academic focus. However, this particular blog will be to document my journey and writing experiences while I'm completing College Comp II. I did well in College Comp 1, and it's my full intention to do equally well in this course.
If you see a follower of your blogs going by the username, "Richard Furman"-that's really me, because I'm simply using my husband's pre-existing blogger account. He won't be reading your blogs, but I will!. Thanks!.
As I enter the second week and second Unit of this course, I'm currently finalizing my study schedule for this Term at Kaplan. Together with regularly journaling, this is likely one of the most useful tools in my maintaining a solid GPA, and in ensuring good, consistent scholarly performance. Yes, life can and does happen. But, even in the midst of controlled chaos, I still like to be able to pay attention to seemingly small, yet vitally important details and information, and to respond in a timely and considered manner. By extension, this is an essential skill-set to foster and to build upon within the health professional environment.
Since I started at Kaplan over three terms ago, I've been undergoing some in-patient/outpatient therapy, testing and treatment at a hospital facility outside of my city. Stanford Hospital and Clinics in the SF Bay Area has become very familiar to me. Each trip down there is a 12 hour round-trip by road, South, from here. To date, we've had nine trips to Stanford, with at least two more tentatively planned for the next couple of months. I say 'tentatively' because their schedule (and by extension, mine) is sometimes subject to last-minute change and variation, depending upon the decisions and roster of my medical team. That said, my medical issues do not entirely dominate and rule my life; I quite purposefully do not let them define my life and who I am. In fact, my maintaining as normal a routine as possible is actually quite important for the sake of everyone in our household. Especially for the well-being of our five year old daughter. One of my more immediate goals is to be an Honors Program tutor for the upcoming September term at Kaplan. And, since I've only missed one Seminar total during my time here at Kaplan, I think that this is a realistic goal, even given my slightly uncertain attendance schedule. After all, it's often good to have something else to be looking forward to.
So, in my participating in school and completing each course and all of the requirements, I am generally very dependent upon the guidance offered by the syllabus and individual grading rubrics as a way of my deciding which aspects of a course are the most important for me to focus on-according to how different aspects are weighted as a percentage of the overall course grade.
Further, as is fairly typical of me, I've already begun giving some serious consideration to the different options that are available for my Final Project topic. During the course of my academic career, as both an undergraduate and a post-graduate student, developing, researching, outlining, drafting, writing and editing academic papers, has, by far, made up the bulk of my University studies. As a post-grad student, one of the requirements of my Master's degree, was to edit and peer review another Master student's research study design and thesis. Not only did this foster an appreciation of the work of our peers, but it was a good practical exercise in mentoring, and in understanding the specific requirements of the thesis examiners. Later, as I wrote my own thesis (which can be a lonely and isolating exercise), I really understood, firsthand, the sheer slog that goes into revising and re-revising your writing material over-and over-and over again. With all of that prior experience in mind, I now have a good appreciation of the value of asking questions of and taking all possible advice from Professors and course instructors. In addition, by taking advantage of the many great writing resources offered to students by the University, such as the Writing Center Paper Review Service.
Outide of school, it's continued to be an not-unusually cool Summer, here-today's so-called 'high' temperature was 64 (anything over 59 in my city is considered to officially be a heatwave). My husband had his first day off work in over a month, so we were able to enjoy lunch out together (our first lunch out a buffet for four years). My husband is a contractor in the food service industry, but we have a strong preference for preparing most all of our meals, freshly, at home, with an emphasis on creative, healthful and balanced eating. Meanwhile, our darling little daughter returned from a five day sojourn at my in-laws Summer home, inland, at Ruth Lake. She had a really wonderful experience-kayaking on Mad River, sleeping underneath the stars in her very own outdoor tent, and creating many meaningful memories with her grandparents-and also with some additional, special guests visiting from Norway. Beginning next week, she'll be starting pre-ballet classes three times a week, and she's already so excited to meet her dance instructor, and to go out and buy her first pair of ballet shoes and little, pale pink leotard.
For now, in closing, I'd like to offer this quote from Sir Winston Churchill, who said,
"Let our advance worrying become advance thinking and planning."
Indeed....More to follow, tomorrow. It's late, and I need my "straight eight"!.
