So Close

 I am very close to getting my Bachelor of Science in Marriage and Family Studies. How close? I only have to do the internship. I have been this close for almost a year now, and I have put off the internship because I'm scared to put myself out there and don't know where to start looking for it. Ideally, I would find an internship that I can work in the evenings after I get off work and would be paid as a part time job. Realistically, I know it is unlikely that I would be paid, but I may be able to find something that I could do after work and on Saturdays. I have just let the fear take over and keep me from achieving this dream. (I do this way too much!)

Over the last few days, I have had two calls from the university. The first one was from advising reminding me that I need to do the internship by the middle of April. (I don't know if that is even possible.) She gave me a few options that could extend that deadline, but I would have to take more classes because I have been in school for so long. One of the options was to switch to a professional general degree in which I would have to take a handful of classes, but I would not have to complete an internship (very appealing). After talking over these options with Chad, I decided that changing to the professional general degree from marriage and family studies would be the best option and emailed her back telling her so. Today, the director of the department called me to let me know that if I could get going on an internship, he would do everything he could to help me complete the degree without taking any more classes. He said that this would be the best option because the internship could help me network and possibly lead to a job in a humanitarian field. This was followed up with an email that gives me the email address to reach out to the internship coordinator. 

I think I am ready to do an internship. I am worried about being gone most evenings. I don't want my kids or husband to feel neglected. However, I do like the idea of being able to switch to a career in which I can actually help people. That has been my goal for a long time.

A Bit Over My Head

Yesterday and today, I dove into my classes. Child and Family Advocacy seems to be what I had thought it would be for the most part. It is a 400 level class with a lot of reading and research. Social Media Marketing does not seem to be the simple elective that I had planned, though. I know very little about marketing, and some of the terms are foreign to me. I am hoping that I will catch on as I go considering it is a entry level class. I don't know what else I would take if I decided to drop it, so I am going to stick it out. Wish me luck!  

Classes Starting

My next semester starts Monday, and the classes open today. I will be taking Intro to Social Media Marketing and Child and Family Advocacy for the next 14 weeks. 

I am quite excited for Social Media Marketing. It sounds like an interesting class that may help me find an internship or job. Also, I have considered looking to life coaching when I finish my degree, and it could help me advertise my business if I decide to go in that direction (just an idea I’m tossing around in my head). 

Child and Family Advocacy is required for my degree, but I am quite excited to start that class as well because a few other options I am considering. I have heard this class is hard, but that doesn’t surprise me considering it is a 400 level class. I have been wanting to take it since it started being offered to online students, but I had to take other classes to be able to do so. Then, I thought I should take Family Theory and Dynamics before I jumped into it (not sure why). I hope I continue to be excited about this class as I work through it. 

Once I finish this semester, I will only have two classes plus my internship to go. I am so close I can feel it! This time next year I will have a Bachelors Degree!

Final Grades

My grades have been finalized. I am not real happy with my grades, but I know that they reflect the work I put into the classes. In Family and Community Relations (the class that stressed me out the most), I ended up with a 79.93%. I am kicking myself for not turning in any assignments the week I got home from visiting my dad. If I had turned in those two assignments, I would most likely have a B. In Family Theory and Dynamics, I ended up with a 79.39%. I think I turned in everything in that class, but I know that I would have a better grade if I studied better for the exams including participating in the study group I was out in. Both grades are passing grades, but they do nothing for my GPA. At this point, I am not planning to go to graduate school, but I would like the option open if I were to decide I want to in the future. 

Waiting for Grades

I finished my finals and last assignments for the semester last night. These classes were the hardest I have taken to date. With only a few semesters left, I am ready to work hard to the end. 

Now, is probably the most nerve wracking part of the semester. I am waiting for all of the assignments I turn in last week, the few assignments due this week, and my finals to be graded. I currently have a B in each of my classes. I have done the calculations. The worst I could do is get Ds in each class. The problem is, that is not good enough. I need Cs or better to pass all degree specific classes. I don’t want tor have to take these classes again.