Congratulations! You have been provisionally accepted to BYU's Bachelor of General Studies (BGS) program. We commend you for your desire to finish your bachelor's degree.
Please note the word provisionally. I have to finish StDev 100 first before I'm formally accepted. I started the class last night and had to find out what kind of learner I am. Although it immediately brought back the anxiety I felt when I was eliminated from the education program based on my brain dominance results, I've decided to refuse the labels that come with these sorts of analyses (FYI: I'm an Active Experimentation "Doing"/"Concrete Experience "Experiencing" learner with some Reflective Observation "Reflecting" and off the charts in a negative way Abstract Conceptualization or "Thinking" learner) and just keep my eyes on the prize.
One of the downfalls I suffer from is to try to keep things organized. Part of that process was to go through the paperwork and find out what classes I still had to take. Unfortunately, I need to take about 30 classes in the next eight years. I know that doesn't seem like a big deal, but my plan was to do a couple of classes a year (you can read that as one a semester), but with the time constraint, it makes things have to go a little more on the "fast track." The other thing I did was add up how much this dream/nightmare was going to cost. It completely deflated my desire to see this thing through.
Showing that I'm still a little girl at heart, I immediately called home to talk with my mom and let her know that after all the vascillation of whether or not to see my degree through to the end, the costs of trying to finish it were too prohibitive. She encouraged me to start the process and that things would somehow work out in the end. It was comforting to hear as I have struggled for several years over the fact that I'm the only Hopkins child that doesn't have a degree. Education is important in both the Asplund and Hopkins families, and although I understand that a piece of paper or a few letters don't make the man, it's also a fact that not having them puts me at a disadvantage in all sorts of career back-up plans.
I guess we will see what the future holds for me. I did withdraw from teaching 4-H clubs. Well, let me rephrase that. I was going to teach a club, but the coordinator--who is also one of my best friends--told me that my plate was too full and that she could find someone else to teach it. The downside of that is that it takes away the potential to pay for part of one of my classes. I guess, though, that if I was dead from a heart attack or in a fetal position in the corner because of the stress, the extra $300 wouldn't do much good. I've already arranged my week so that I volunteer in the elementary school on Monday and Friday afternoons. Mutual is Wednesday night and that leaves me Tuesday and Thursday with some quiet time to work on school. (Okay, if I'm being realistic, I also need to include the fact that I have a 1200 page book to layout in the next few months as well, but I'll fit that in.)
So if my posts seem to become more random, please forgive me. I think I can receive my BGS in 8 years if I take four classes a year and learn to organize and prioritize my life a little better. Wish me luck!
After sitting for about a half hour, there were some performances from the Nutcracker ("the most boring thing EVER" as Griffin says) and then a few minutes before Ellie's group came on.
She did an excellent job. After trial and error in a ton of different activities, she finally found something she enjoys doing and, not surprisingly, is good at.