Volunteer Break

Today was my last day of ALL volunteer work until late August. I can't believe I've been doing this for the past 6 months straight! While I enjoyed the work and people I worked with, I won't miss the 6am weekend alarm. Now, I've got a short break that, in retrospect, is much needed. I'm someone who would rather plough through the difficult things before enjoying a break. Like when I was enlisted to mow the lawn at home, I would rather finish it all at once, rather than take a break and get a cold glass of water. However, I realize I may burn out this way. And though I have a break, it really isn't a true break: summer class session 1 starts in 2 days.

Working a full-time job plus 4-hr classes, 4 days a week, mandated as much studying time as possible. While excited, I realize these upcoming science classes are the real test of my abilities, perseverance, aptitude, organization, etc. English Comp I was my warm-up, but can I hack it in science classes? I have my doubts, but try to shove them away and not dwell on it. I need to believe it and not think anything less. Nonetheless, I'm uber anxious in anticipation. My Korean friend, who I wrote about earlier, once told me my nerves will settle after I know how the professor tests and what to expect. She said I'll find someone in the class who will naturally gravitate towards me in being a "study buddy". I think she's right. I noticed it even in my English Comp class. I naturally gravitated towards 2 particular students, and they, to me. If we had needed to study with each other, we'd have likely chosen each other.

So my last day of freedom is tomorrow. And I have to clean this apartment to declutter my mind and stay organized.

Another Trip Through the School Maze

Today was Summer/Fall registration for classes. I only had to spend 2.5 hrs in the school maze this time. But it was frustrating to find that no matter how prepared I tried to be, I seemed to have asked the wrong questions and ended up with an obstacle course. It didn't help that I was also still recovering from the tail end of a lingering cold with a hacking cough and congestion I couldn't shake.

I was trying to become a matriculated student by officially transferring. However, I didn't realize it required a recent official transcript for a certificate I earned long ago. The work-around was to continue as a "non-degree student" which would allow me to register and reserve a spot in the classes. However, to be matriculated means vastly cheaper cost per credit.

Although I arrived early to register, it turned out I still had to stand in an admissions line to roll over my spring non-degree status to summer non-degree status. Sigh. It never gets easier.

Buuuuuut.... it was all worth it! I got registered for Anatomy and Physiology I and II for the summer, evenings. They are 1 month long each. I'm excited but nervous of just how difficult it will be when juggling it with my work schedule. Oh well. I'll deal with it as it comes. In addition, I registered for my fall semester class: Organic Chem I. So I feel better now that things are squared away with classes. It's one thing off my checklist and so far.... things are going on schedule as planned. Next spring semester, I'll take Microbiology and be done with my requirements! But, for now, I although one worry is off my plate, I now need to be concerned with getting a good grade in my intensive summer classes. :-/  Wish me luck!

A Dream Deferred

My English Comp class assignment now is to write a research paper on a poem of our choosing. In trying to find a poem I could connect to, I recalled a short poem by Langston Hughes, "Harlem", sometimes known as, "A Dream Deferred". I first read it in high school. And I found it applied well to my situation these days. Keep pursuing those dreams!

What happens to a dream deferred?

Does it dry up
     like a raisin in the sun?
Or fester like a sore--
    And then run?
Does it stink like rotten meat?
Or crust and sugar over--
     like a syrupy sweet?

Maybe it just sags
like a heavy load.

Or does it explode?

English Comp I

I'm really liking this class. It's strange that I didn't take an English Comp class in college. But when the PA program admissions looked at my transcript, they marked that English Comp was one class I needed. It was the only class I could get into by the time I applied to the city school, so rather than waste time, I took it.

I was immediately impressed by the professor. He engages the class and makes it interesting without being boring and just reciting a lesson. I have to say, it's not easy when teaching an evening class full of students reflecting the gamut in every demographic. He has freshmen who are probably 18, adults returning to school (me), and a wide range of accents to steer around. We are a real melting pot of NYC. Or more precisely perhaps, Brooklyn. It's amazing. Some students have such thick accents, it hurts my brain listening from one student to another at times. The effort of figuring out what they're saying can be difficult. But I noticed Mr. R is incredibly patient. Not to say he's a push over. He once admonished the class for paying more attention to the cell phone than to the class. But he treats everyone like an adult, without ever talking down to them. And rather than getting caught up on discipline and risking discouragement, you can sense his goal is to get the students interested in writing/reading.

I wasn't sure what to expect in the class. It started off pretty basic: how to write an effective sentence, verbs, objects, subjects. I started to wonder if I were in a college class or in 4th grade. However, I realized this was a good time to really pay attention and improve my writing skills. And I found out, writing is not easy! Not that it was ever easy for me. But to write well, is such an art. Almost weekly, we have a short essay due. The class is proving to be a great refresher for me. English class was one of those courses I never paid much attention to. But with this new focus of my new found goal, it's a real eye opener of how little I really absorbed in previous school. And suddenly, I wanted to take all my college courses over again and experiment how much better I could do in them if I had really wanted those classes, rather than going through the mundane motions of: this is college; declare a major, graduate in 4 years. I really enjoy just learning. Once I'm done with these prerequisite classes, I may decide to keep taking a class just for the fun of it. Crazy, huh?

Just Begin It

"Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it." —Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

When I started this crazy undertaking, I literally thought "This is crazy". I felt a little on my own and unsure how to get from A to B. But the great thing I'm realizing is, the more you get involved in any place you choose to start, the more connections start to be made. Just starting is a huge step. But you'll find yourself in the circles you need to be in, before long. I've met so many great volunteers at New York Cares and at the hospital who are following similar paths. And it's incredibly helpful in pushing me forward.

There have been people who can tell me what to do in order to get the classes I need. You can't be shy; I ask tons of questions on the off-chance they can give me a hint of information or an edge. One volunteer has been working for some years in a job after graduating from a liberal arts college. She has just been accepted to several med schools after spending evenings taking pre-med courses. Another guy had been working in the city in the fashion world. He was just accepted to top med schools. I'm in awe. These examples make me feel like it's truly possible. It's one thing to believe it, but it's a bonus to meet them and hear that they've gone through all the same ups and downs you've gone through. That's a big part of why I'm doing this blog. Perhaps it will inspire someone else that it's never too late to try and the cards are never stacked too high.

Don't Hesitate

"If you hesitate, you're dead." This is what my Norwegian friend told me as a car sped through. I remembered it recently, while planning my PA goals. It's become a mantra. Nike's "Just Do It", is another one I try to repeat over and over. I can't let myself hesitate or think too much of what must be overcome.