By Amy Nielsen
I did it! I paid in full for school.
I completed the student agreement. I have accessed the classroom portal for the first time. Now, I have two weeks to get my life in order for real. Classes start and away we go.
The imminence of this decision is finally hitting me and I am starting to panic. Holy cow, what did I get myself into! I know I can do it, I know I can do it, I know I can do it. Breathe.
Time to get down to brass tacks and make sure I have planned enough time into my weekly schedule to keep up with the work load. I know we live a busy life and that I am a key motivator in that busy. Because I choose to homeschool our children I won’t have the built in several hours a day where I am child-free to be able to concentrate on my studies. However, this presents the perfect opportunity to lead by example and plan a family study time.
My one non-issue: I am not concerned that the work will be too hard for me to complete. I know I am a smart cookie. I know there will be challenging classes. But, I know that I can do the actual work of the classes. It’s making sure I have the time to get them done that seems to be my main concern.
From what I read, it takes 21 days to make a habit. Which means – ugh, math – I have 14 days to be build whatever study habits I need to squeeze into my weekly schedule by the time classes start. If I do it right, that first week should be only a little bit of a bumpy ride of rescheduling things.
Luckily the school I have chosen makes working this time into my week easy by posting interesting videos and other pre-work we can access through our student online portal. I can practice being a student for the next two weeks and get the family ready for my virtual absence during my study times.
This practice study time will also allow me to know whether I will be able to complete the video portions of the class with the commotion of two kids, two dogs, and daily life distractions, or, if I am going to have to set myself up for early morning work when everyone else is asleep.
Knowing that I work well early in the morning rather than late at night will already help me decide if I need to move some study time around. By being honest with myself, and admitting that I will not work after the kids go to bed, helps set myself up for success.
So, now onward and forward with the first introduction video.