My Adventure as a College Student 101

How is it nearly February 2016?!

Man, I'm older n' dirt.  I think I've figured out why old people say, "Time Flies"--it's because we forget most of the time in a day anyway.  We wake up in the morning and wonder what day it is, because we forget anything past 24 hours ago.  True story.

Which is a great intro into my little recap of my first semester as a College Student.  How'd it go?
So. Stinkin'. Cool.
Really. Truly. Loved. It.

What'd I Learn? That getting A's requires late nights, early mornings, attention to detail, and giving more time to homework than you think you're going to need.  Learned real quick that research can't be "skimmed over" if you're being authentic and IF you really wanna learn something new everyday.

Oh and forget about a social life.  Ha! I think I can understand why my yahoo's college grades weren't so great before they got married compared to after they were married.  I can't imagine trying to score grades and a date for the weekends at the same time! No way. I didn't even have time to go to lunch with friends.  My own Chiropractor told me, and I quote, "Dawn, C's get degrees. Don't overdo it."
Pffft.
I didn't wait 36 years to go to college to settle for C's. No way.  And how does one gage what's good enough for a "C" vs an "A"?  That doesn't compute in my old-woman noggin.  I'm more of a "Go Big or Go Home" kinda gal.
So I did.  I went BIG, HONKIN' BIG.  I finished with a 4.0 for the semester GPA for all four classes.

I worked hard. I had fantastic teachers and great classmates. I was older than ALL of them.  I told them right up front there'd be some hits and misses as I adjusted to cramming new information into this old brain of mine. I'd already accepted that things might slide by me once in awhile, but that was no reflection on my determination to do well nor their teaching ability or my regard for them as teachers.  I was just gonna do my best and that was all I could do.

My experience was STELLAR.  I loved going, I loved the material I was learning (except for the Access part of Computer Literacy--that sucked so bad-- I told my professor that it did too--and he agreed, so that was nice of him.), I loved the unexpected benefits of how learning new things affected my life in meaningful ways--even discovering that I really enjoy drawing.

My classmates who are DECADES younger than me--I'm literally old enough to be their Momza--were sweet and kind to me.  They asked me to be on their teams, and gave me the best compliments and encouragement. Gentle. That's the best word I can think of to describe how I was treated by both my professors/teachers and classmates.  Everyone was gentle with me.  I also brought treats often for the classes, so that might have helped. haha.

I was mindful of their young minds and tried my best to be a great cheerleader for them too--most of the classmates in my Interior Design program are young, young, young women.  Beautiful young women--and so I took opportunities to encourage them and appreciate their unique talents or even they way they looked on certain days--complimenting whatever I could to build them up.

It made us all feel great when we were together.  And seriously, I learned alot from them too.
I highly encourage anyone who might be reading this, that if you're thinking of going back to school but wonder if you're too old--PISH POSH!!! DO IT!!!!!!!!!

I saw this quote and had to draw it...so I did! It's true, friends. You gotta get on the dance floor! That's where all the action is...sitting on the sidelines is only fun if you're cheering someone else for a season.  Take your turn.  People will wait for you and cheer for you too.

Which brings me to my AWESOME family--they were my supreme cheerleaders!  Mr. Wonderful didn't make a peep when the house went un-dusted for months at a time, and when I couldn't remember the last time I mopped the kitchen floor, or when he went off to bed alone and left me in the study to do homework to my hearts' content.  He often said how proud of me he is...and my yahoos were the same!  Our conversations revolved around how we're all doing in school.  Did I tell you that there are SIX of enrolled in college??  True story! Six!!!  

I just started the Spring Semester two weeks ago...the classes are more intense and I see that my first semester was a great introduction, but there's some real potential for stress in my Drafting for Interior Design class--yet my Professor is, in kid-lingo, "da bomb.com"...she is brilliant, accomplished, witty, helpful and a really great teacher.  I know I can trust her to help me along and be successful.  The very definition of a "teacher".  

OK OK, so here's something SO Stinkin' Cool:  Last semester, as I wandered down the Art halls, admiring all the progress of the students there, with their work blazing on the walls, I thought, "Man, I would LOVE to take Art!"  Well, when it was time to choose classes for this semester, I sat with the Interior Design Department Chair, Sarah, and on the schedule was an Art Appreciation class...I flat-out told her that I didn't want to learn about artists, but I really wanted to learn about ART.  So she worked it into my program.  And, holy smokes, I had this little celebratory moment today as I walked into school, down the Art hall and saw my first drawing out in front of God and everybody hanging on the wall...I did a little jig right then and there.  Talk about little moments when things come together in such a perfect way!  I did it!

I've been practicing drawing a bit this winter, so here's some of my latest.  Usually, I hear a thought or a song lyric that catches my heart and I go from there: 

*Watercolor!! My first effort!!

*this one is a play on an LDS saying, "Return With Honor"--our family says, "Return With Tacos"!

I love the sentiment in this one...it's true.

*WIP...obviously not finished.

And lastly, I'm working on this one...it's a new song out by Tim McGraw.  I just heard it yesterday morning and HAD TO get it down before I even got out of my jammies:

Good words to live by, eh?

So that's just a tiny, itty bitty taste of my life.  I'm totally addicted to Family History as of late.  Another post for another day.  But seriously people...find the names and dates and places of your people AND ALSO their stories!! Oh man, their stories are what it's all about, I tell you.  The stories.

Amazing, brave, loving, stories.  People stories.  And for cryin' outloud, folks, WRITE YOUR STORIES DOWN!!!!!   

*More on that soon!

OK...so that's my story for now...I'm living, I'm learning and boy, am I loving it.