College Students! discussion

CSUEB Business Update : I met with the head of the Teacher Education program, Ellen Woodard whom is a very nice lady, and we discussed my issues. She says I can split my classes up and take 1 or 2 classes at DVC and 1 or 2 classes at CSU. My mom and I will be meeting with Ellen again pretty soon to help with what classes I should take for the Spring DVC Semester/Spring CSUEB Quarter. So it all works out :).

Wow Ashley, it sounds like everything is really coming together!! That's wonderful!

Yes it is wonderful :)

Yay ASHLEY!! Very happy for you!

Jamie, I hope you got some help from these ladies! I can only add that in the 5+ years I've been with mine (15 for me, 17 for him) we've gone through a lot and it makes us different from most couples even when thinking about sticking around for most of high school and all of college.

Anyway- I've definitely noticed the lulls when we're each feeling our growing pains. We've had nasty fights and stagnant ruts. I know we've had to deal with things on our own, and then come together at our breaking points. It's definitely not underestimated how much neither of us could bear to walk away.

My point is that it takes more than just hard to work to grow TOGETHER. I almost wanna say it takes magic. And it's sooo hard to see if you aren't growing together. Or to know when to call it quits. So my best advice is to be aware of what you want, but also what he wants. Realize what can be compromised, what's unchangeable, and what is just a phase. If you can deal with things, and the feeling is still there: you have nothing terrible to fear. =)

I wish you the best of luck though. No one wants to lose a best friend. <3

My first instinct is just that you need a bit of a stretch. You'll come back to your happy, fluid state soon enough. Sometimes all it takes is to realize something is off and then a little bit of time to get things back on track.

aww girls. you are the best!
such great advice!
and its just so nice to have someone to talk to about these things (because I don't have many girl friends) and its also nice to know that you guys have experienced this too! :)


things have seemed to be pretty good lately! I think talking it out and trying to not rehash everything and blame but rather decide what needs to happen to make it work was what we needed. listening was key..because sometimes we both have the tendency to be stubborn and think that we are always right about a situation and not really hear what the other person has to say.

but seriously..i appreciate all the advice..i'm glad to have such awesome friends! :)

Good to hear!

Yay! Jamie that makes me happy that things are going better!

I havent been keeping up with Goodreads because of school, but SBG if you're reading this I am so sorry. Try to find peace in this hard time and Ill pray for you :)

Lauren..how's everything going with school for you? I know you said you were really struggling going to classes and stuff..have things gotten better?

Thanks for thinking of me girls! Makes me feel special =) Hehe. Well there's not much I can do to make up for this semester, so I'm basically just waiting for it to be over so I can stop worrying. But I've made my schedule for next semester and I'm only taking 16 hours so I don't feel overloaded and I'm retaking 2 classes from this semester so my GPA will go back up. So I'm pretty much set to fix my "college mess-up semester". Haha. Other than that, work and family and the bf are great. And my dog. =) So I think I finally have gotten over the hump. I even talked to my big brother today about how I messed up this semester. He was helpful. He went to the same college I'm going to, and had to take an extra year of school because he switched his major to teaching. Basically I've figured out that I just need to admit I screwed up, and fix it and stop worrying because that won't get me any where. So I'm doing good now.

Thanks so much girls for supporting me! I wish we didn't live all over the world and we could go out places together... like the sex in the city girls. Haha. That would be soooo much fun!

aww good..i'm glad to hear that you are doing well..and that you are ready to move on from this semester! you have a good attitude about it! some people would just dwell on it..but that doesn't help any! but anywho..i'm glad that you are doing well! :)

oh and i so wish that we all lived closer together too!

Thanks Jamie! Can you say.. margarita night every saturday?!

sounds like a good plan Lauren! :)

Silvia..how's everything going with your plans to study abroad??

Well I just wanted to throw in my little bit of life:
I finished my 2nd practicum yesterday. I was at this awesome elementary school in the rural-ish part of the county with a really cool Speech Language Pathologist as my mentor and some really beautiful kids. I'm not really a kid person and I never planned on working in the schools, but these kids touched my heart and I fell in love. I'd never before had kids wanting to give me a hug or hold my hand. I can't believe I'd been there like 10 weeks. It feels like we just started and we were just getting to a comfortable stage in therapy. I took pictures of my groups on the last day and I keep going around campus showing everyone the kids I worked with and explaining all their personalities and sharing antecdotes (even though I know these people probably really don't care and don't want to hear me rambling). I feel like I learned a lot and I think the SLP is going to be a good reference for grad school since I want to go to her alma mater.

gah! I miss them!

Lynn, I am the same way. I just got done with my first practicum on Monday and was so sad to leave the kids. I was not expecting to like the elementary school but I really did. It was great.
I love hearing stories like that Lynn. I'm glad you had a great experience!

aww that's awesome Lynn! I'm glad you loved it so much and really had a strong connection with the kids and the job! I feel like i'm always learning more about myself through various experiences..

soo..I mentioned a while ago that i was going to get an award..we had a ceremony today..and i got the award..they called it the "Perseverance Award" for the School of Business and Leadership..which recognized me for persevering throughout everything with my mom and still doing well in school. It was really special to me...and i know my mom would be super proud. I got a nice plaque and all.. :)

just thought i'd share that with my favorite girls.. :)

Aww congratulations Jamie! That's awesome!

Aw Lynn that's sad that its over. I'm sure they would all love it if you came to visit them!

Jamie Congrats! You deffinately had to do some work for that!

Jamie that's sooo awesome!!

Janet & Lynn it sounds sooo bittersweet!!

Congrats, Jamie! I know you deserve it

Janet, have you done your student teaching yet? I bet that will be really tough to leave since you'll be with the kids all semester. I know you said you're majoring in special education, will you be in a special needs classroom? I had a girl with Down's Syndrome that I worked with. And a boy with Lowe's Syndrome which they don't teach us about in teaching children with exceptionalities! hah. Definite learning experience.

Fun story: On the last day, I was with the 6 year old boy with Lowe's Syndrome, waiting for the other boy to come in to start therapy and he started mumbling/singing something familiar. I recognized the tune, but couldn't put my finger on it until he sang "It cannot wait. I'm yoooours!" :]

Haha Lynn that is so funny. I love stories like that. I haven't student taught yet. For special education we have to do two practicum semesters of 130 hours of observation/teaching before we student teach. So I do my second semester in the spring and student teach in the fall. I am very excited and I don't even want to think about leaving the kids I student teach with. Our first semester we are in a classroom with learning disabilities and then our second semester we are with significant support needs and then for student teaching we more or less get to choose our own, just depends on the school we want to go to for our student teaching.
How does your student teaching things work? Are you going into Speech path? I always love to hear how it works in other places!

For speech path, we don't exactly have student teaching, instead we have six practicums. We have to have a minimum of 14 hours per practicum. Since not much time is required we also take classes at the same time so it's a little different from student teaching.

Since speech path serves such a wide range of patients, each practicum is at a different type of setting. So far I've done a private practice w/ young children setting and the elementary school setting (although I mostly worked with the preschool division). They don't tell you exactly what settings to pick, but I'm trying get the whole spectrum before grad school so I'll be more prepared. Next I think I'll be in a nursing home.

Practicums don't start until generally your junior year. During freshman and sophomore years, we do observations and some language/articulation screenings with preschoolers. I am SO glad observations are over!! Practicums are way more fun! But since we're still undergrads, there's always a mentor SLP watching us and helping us if need be. If I ever got stuck, I could just throw my mentor a helpless glance and she would jump in and get us back on track.

My apartment-mate student taught for elementary ed last semester and I have a couple friends who are in special ed who will be student teaching next semester. I think you'll be so much more involved than I was, Janet, because you'll be with them longer. I was only there one day a week. I asked this guy I know who is an education grad student if he every misses the kids he student taught and he said all the time.

Well I got some bummer news today. Let me start off by saying that I absolutely HATE talking about money or even thinking about it.

My mom and I were out to lunch and Christmas shopping today and she said something about how we were headed toward another depression and how I would need to get a loan next semester. That stopped me in my tracks. I had not heard this before. I have been extremely fortunate in paying for college: I have a really good academic scholarship that covers all four years and I mostly just have to pay room & board and books. My parents pay part of the room & board w/ my college savings and I pay the other part. Usually my parents pay for my books but we always get them online which is way cheaper. So I have been very lucky. I wouldn't have to take out any loans during undergrad.

Well, I thought my college money from my parents was just sitting in a savings account. Apparently some or all of it was in the stock market and I lost about half of it in the crash (or whatever it was).

GAH!! i do not understand money or finance or stocks at all! I don't see how I could have lost money. And who got that money?? Whoever it is, best bring that money right back to me, seeing as I am a poor student.

Ok so I might have to get a loan. This is depressing to me. I know I should be thankful I got this far loan-free, but I'm just so pissed at the stock market and money and everything. It's just going to make it harder for people to get an education. Terrible. Mom says that it will be alright and I'll just pay it off but I hate the thought of having to pay it off for 10 years. I know I should just stop worrying about this b/c it's just going to eat me up inside and there's nothing I can do about it. I'm also worried about not being able to find a job this summer. I couldn't find one last summer and the economy will be even worse this summer, obviously.

Some days I wish we would just go back to the bartering system.

Lynn..ahh that is so hard..i'm sorry to hear that. the economy is getting pretty scary right now. I hope that everything will work out and you'll be able to get through this without too much stress. keep us updated!

Lynn, that's terrible! It really does suck to have to worry about loans. I've had to get student loans for all of my schooling, and I also went out of state, so now I'm up to like...$40,000 in student loans! I can't even think about it, or my head will explode. I think a lot of people are having to get loans for school these days. Try not to worry about it too much if you can. I'm sure everything will work itself out.

Lynn, that stinks that you have to get a loan! They are so confusing when it comes time to paying them back.. I just went through exit counseling for my loan and have to start paying next month. I'm so worried about being able to afford it. I hate the idea of paying all the interest on them too. Ugh. I hope things work out for you and that you don't need much in loans!

It does suck having to get loans, but there are some positives. First, you will have an education which helps A LOT with the economy how it now is, and Second, the interest is deductible at tax time, so you pay less taxes, or get a refund! Yay!

I know a couple of guys that never needed the loans, but maxed out what was available for each year they were in school and put it into a savings account they found at 5% interest. They figure that it is free money. They will get the interest and then pay back the amounts in full when they come due. My problem would be the will power to leave it in savings.

Good luck with everything. Hopefully all will turn out okay!

I hope yall don't think I'm a bitch for complaining. I know there are people in much more strenuous situtaions so I have no right to complain. It just came as such a shock and I was already banking on not having to take out loans for undergrad.

Jamie, I'll keep yall posted. yeah the economy stresses me out so much. I'm a worry-ing type of person so this not knowing what's going to happen is driving me crazy. But I look at that Depression generation and you see how strong it made all of them. I hope this generation can do the same. But it's so weird, like no one is planning ahead. And how we're in a war but we aren't sacrificing anything unlike during WWII. (Which Molly from the American Girls taught me all about ;]

Kelsey, wow! It's crazy how expensive college is. It doesn't seem fair. I mean, people who are getting scholarships and taking out loans are (generally) there to better themselves and truly learn. It seems like it should be easier on us.

Heather, yeah that's my fear... not knowing if I'll be able to pay the monthly amount. I hope everything works out!

Tami, haha that's pretty crafty with the savings account! I should have done that. And yeah thats what my mom said about getting the education. That is the most important thing. But I have to go to grad school for my degree so I'm not sure how that works (do you not start paying back loans until after all your education is done?)

def. don't think you are a bitch! :)

I think as long as your are still in school AND actually advancing towards some degree, you are okay to not start repayments, but I am not sure. It may vary by the type of loans.

Again, Good Luck!

Tami..I am so coming to you for financial advice! You are like our resident expert here! :)

you get all the things that i have no clue about!

Hey guys. You're the only people I really knew to go to at this point. Long story short, my uncle has been in and out of different cancers but most recently cancer of the bladder. He went through kemo and everything went great. He's been in remission for a couple of months now. My mom just called me and told me that my aunt called and said he is back in the hospital and they have diagnosed him with brain cancer. They are real positive about him getting better but it's really sad. I hate seeing my mom and my grandma like this, it's just horrible. I don't know what to do.

Janet.. I'm so sorry. I know that doesn't help when people say that, but most of the time, it's all we can think to say. I don't think you can do anything. Just pray if you are religious. If not, just imagine him getting better. I know that sounds goofy, but seriously, miracles can happen. I really hope things get better. Just be there for your mom and grandma as much as possible.

We're all thinking about you!

Aw Janet I'm so sorry to hear about that! I know how much that can affect you! We are all praying for you!

wow..janet..i will definitely be praying for your uncle and your family. that's what my mother died from..so i really understand (obviously to an extent) what you are going through. If you ever need to talk..please feel free to message me.


also..I graduated today!!! yay!! it was kind of emotional because my mom wasn't there..and its a huge milestone..and one that was her big dream for me..so..it was hard..but really great and special. and i know she would have been proud of me for sure!

Good news!! So my uncle still has to go through radiation but it's not really cancer, I guess. Haha. His cancer that he had in his bladder before has moved to his brain but left like something but not full blown cancer. I know it's hard to understand because I really don't either. Haha. But he's out of the hospital and better!! Yay!!

YAY JAMIE!!!! That is so exciting. I am so jealous but very excited for you. I am sure your mom is still so proud of you!!

YAY I love good news!!!! You must be a little relieved Janet!!! And Jamie congrats on graduating!!! It must be so amazing to have that diploma after so much work!!!

And Jamie this is answering your question from way back when. Im leaving for England in a month. I am jittery, but ready to go!!! YAY!

Aw Jamie you're mom is proud of you! You so rock!

Janet that is good news!

Yay for both of you! =)

Janet, Cancer sucks, and even if the mass ends up being belign, it is still scary. All my thoughts to you and your family.

Jamie, Congrats! And your mom was there, you just couldn't see her.

Oops, I meant benign. :)

so..just an update on the boyfriend situation:

Things have been AMAZING since I posted about everything going on with my boyfriend and I..I honestly cannot remember the last time we fought..and we really have just been enjoying being around each other so much..and I really feel like our love isn't "old" anymore..some spark is there again..which is AMAZING. This past Sunday through yesterday was amazing..I went to his house for a while..it was great to spend time with him and his family..and I realize how hard things are going to get with his father's illness..but I've always been one of those people to think that things happen for a reason..and I really think that maybe my experiences with losing my mother can really help him and our relationship..I can understand what he is going through to some extent and I can have a better understanding of what he needs. I'm really excited for the things to come for us..anyways..i just want to thank all you girls for being here for me and supporting me with all of your encouragement and with all of your great advice! It's nice to be able to share my true feelings with girls who genuinely care! :)

Aww that's awesome! I'm so happy for you! I think that everything does happen for a reason. It's nice that he has someone like you there for him so he can feel like he has someone who he can relate to.

I'm glad to hear things have gotten so much better between you guys!

That's so great!! I'm really glad everything worked out!

That's great Jamie! =)

Jamie I am so happy for you. It's so good you have such a positive outlook on life!