The Countdown Has Begun
Today begins the first day of the second course of my final semester at Old Dominion University. Communication in a Digital Age (COMM495) brings with it quickly-approaching deadlines, bulk reading assignments, and video communication assignments. All of this could be overwhelming to consider in its own rite, but when I add to it my two jobs, two volunteer positions, and the round-the-clock care I provide for my daughter, it could be downright terrifying.
Instead, I draw from my mantra: It's all about perspective.
In the grand scheme of things, a lot of work in a small amount of time is not a big deal. The end goal is graduation, and each day, each assignment, gets me closer to it. Graduation has been a much-anticipated event for me--one that didn't seem possible. In 1992, I graduated with my Associate's in Science degree then 13 days later delivered my amazing, 8lb 13oz bundle of blond-haired joy into this world. The desire for a Bachelor's Degree fell far down the list of priorities as I cared for this medically fragile human, but it never disappeared. The longing to pursue a four-year degree lingered in the recesses of my mind, but finding time to attend classes was an impossibility.
Enter online degrees. In 2015, in a whirlwind of seemingly rash (albeit good!) decisions, I found myself accepted into ODU, registered for classes, and I even navigated the whole FAFSA black hole like a champ. Suddenly, I'm not only a wife/mom/nurse/employee, I'm also a university student working her way toward her BS in Communications.
All that work behind me, and now, eight weeks of intense, find-the-time-to-record-myself-on-video-without-looking-haggard, reading, and testing lay before me.
Sure, there is a lot of work to do, but it's temporary. This, too, shall pass. On December 14, 2019, I'll have made the 5.5 hour drive to the ODU campus to participate in commencement. As I sit there, a nearly 50-year-old in a sea of barely twenty-twos, I'll be relieved, content, proud. In the meantime, I'll set my alarm for 3:00 a.m. instead of 5:00 a.m., brew a few extra cups of coffee, and keep my eyes focused on that 12/14/2019 date. It's all about perspective.
