My Future as a Learner, am I done yet?
As I contemplated the end of my online Masters in Education from Michigan State University in December, I realized that formal and informal learning has become an integral part of who I am as an individual. People that do not know me well seem to think this is it; this is the end of my educational journey. How wrong they are. I realized that with the end of this degree program, I still have the desire and motivation to continue formal learning. I strongly believe my experience learning online has developed an individualistic creativity simply by allowing me to set my own pace; to walk away from the subject and contemplate what I just read or had learned and come back with a clearer understanding of a subjects meaning.
So, as I pondered all the subjects in formal education I had a desire to learn over the years, such as anthropology, archeology, psychology, probably ALL the “ologys”…on second thought let’s not include biology, I came to the conclusion the discipline of psychology has always been at the forefront of my interest. I had never pursued this degree program as I did not believe I would ever continue my education beyond a bachelor degree and knew that for me a career in this field would require more education than I believed I could accomplish. What I have found, however, is that with the advent of online classes and degree programs I am better able to continue learning through this medium as I do not need to schedule on-campus classes around my employment schedule. That may seem an irrelevant and simplistic reason for formal learning, but for me it means everything. The ability to learn from home, and in many classes at my own pace, reduces the stress of juggling time and makes learning a more enjoyable experience. Otherwise I feel I am not giving my best to my employer, my instructor and my fellow students. To further my life as a learner the separation of career and student must be complete and learning online has opened up a variety of learning experiences that I am compelled to explore.
In January 2013 I will begin a new journey in formal learning in an online bachelor degree program in Psychology. What I hope to gain from the study of psychology is increased observation skills toward identifying mental issues and behaviors in our students and parents; not to counsel them, but to make certain I do not miss the opportunity to refer them to skilled professional counselors in an attempt to better their association with college stress. One of the first things I learned as a financial aid advisor is what you see and hear is not always what it first appears.
In addition to formal learning, informal has become and will continue to be a daily learning experience through my employment as a Financial Aid Officer and Ombudsman in the MSU Office of Financial Aid. This is mostly due to continuing updates and deletions in federal regulations governing financial aid. We can always count on our government to provide fodder for continuous learning. But, each new day also brings new insight into the problems parents and students have in paying for college. These problems I encounter change over time depending on what is occurring within our society. Specifically in the last several years I have seen a significant increase in special requests for aid as a parent, and sadly too often, both parents lost their job. What this means is that learning new ways to offset this burden for parents is necessary. For example, I spoke with many fathers and mothers that lost their job but were able to find another far from home. As property values declined, selling their current home would be a financial burden, so one parent would stay in the family home and the other move to another city. In order to alleviate some of the burden of maintaining two households, I created a Special Condition Application for Second Residence Expense reducing a family’s financial obligation by the amount of their second residence cost. In order to serve the MSU community, my willingness and desire to continually explore new avenue of thought makes most days a new learning experience.
As OFA Ombudsman I am continually learning new methods toward finding resolution of parent/student conflict with financial aid. As Bill Gates once said in a speech given at the University of Washington in 1998, "Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning." Each encounter presents a new opportunity toward learning, for myself and other aid advisors and it is not opportunity to be taken lightly, as one new idea or method of resolution can serve many students and parents in the future; a future with no conflict. Wouldn’t that be amazing?
Given my inquisitive nature on many subjects, I also expect my personal life will continue to evolve through everyday informal learning, whether it is new ways to build and maintain my garden, or simply understanding and questioning life events in an increasingly changing world. One method of informal learning I have utilized in the past is MSU’s Continuing Education programs offered each year. In the past I have taken a one day class on holiday wreath making and loved it. There are many other opportunities for informal learning that I would like to explore, such as, basic auto mechanics, or American Sign Language. What this all means is that my future as a learner is assured. When one learning opportunity ends I don’t ask myself where do I go from here? Rather I ask, what am I going to learn next?
So, as I pondered all the subjects in formal education I had a desire to learn over the years, such as anthropology, archeology, psychology, probably ALL the “ologys”…on second thought let’s not include biology, I came to the conclusion the discipline of psychology has always been at the forefront of my interest. I had never pursued this degree program as I did not believe I would ever continue my education beyond a bachelor degree and knew that for me a career in this field would require more education than I believed I could accomplish. What I have found, however, is that with the advent of online classes and degree programs I am better able to continue learning through this medium as I do not need to schedule on-campus classes around my employment schedule. That may seem an irrelevant and simplistic reason for formal learning, but for me it means everything. The ability to learn from home, and in many classes at my own pace, reduces the stress of juggling time and makes learning a more enjoyable experience. Otherwise I feel I am not giving my best to my employer, my instructor and my fellow students. To further my life as a learner the separation of career and student must be complete and learning online has opened up a variety of learning experiences that I am compelled to explore.
In January 2013 I will begin a new journey in formal learning in an online bachelor degree program in Psychology. What I hope to gain from the study of psychology is increased observation skills toward identifying mental issues and behaviors in our students and parents; not to counsel them, but to make certain I do not miss the opportunity to refer them to skilled professional counselors in an attempt to better their association with college stress. One of the first things I learned as a financial aid advisor is what you see and hear is not always what it first appears.
In addition to formal learning, informal has become and will continue to be a daily learning experience through my employment as a Financial Aid Officer and Ombudsman in the MSU Office of Financial Aid. This is mostly due to continuing updates and deletions in federal regulations governing financial aid. We can always count on our government to provide fodder for continuous learning. But, each new day also brings new insight into the problems parents and students have in paying for college. These problems I encounter change over time depending on what is occurring within our society. Specifically in the last several years I have seen a significant increase in special requests for aid as a parent, and sadly too often, both parents lost their job. What this means is that learning new ways to offset this burden for parents is necessary. For example, I spoke with many fathers and mothers that lost their job but were able to find another far from home. As property values declined, selling their current home would be a financial burden, so one parent would stay in the family home and the other move to another city. In order to alleviate some of the burden of maintaining two households, I created a Special Condition Application for Second Residence Expense reducing a family’s financial obligation by the amount of their second residence cost. In order to serve the MSU community, my willingness and desire to continually explore new avenue of thought makes most days a new learning experience.
As OFA Ombudsman I am continually learning new methods toward finding resolution of parent/student conflict with financial aid. As Bill Gates once said in a speech given at the University of Washington in 1998, "Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning." Each encounter presents a new opportunity toward learning, for myself and other aid advisors and it is not opportunity to be taken lightly, as one new idea or method of resolution can serve many students and parents in the future; a future with no conflict. Wouldn’t that be amazing?
Given my inquisitive nature on many subjects, I also expect my personal life will continue to evolve through everyday informal learning, whether it is new ways to build and maintain my garden, or simply understanding and questioning life events in an increasingly changing world. One method of informal learning I have utilized in the past is MSU’s Continuing Education programs offered each year. In the past I have taken a one day class on holiday wreath making and loved it. There are many other opportunities for informal learning that I would like to explore, such as, basic auto mechanics, or American Sign Language. What this all means is that my future as a learner is assured. When one learning opportunity ends I don’t ask myself where do I go from here? Rather I ask, what am I going to learn next?