Unit 3 Being An Online Student

In high school when the educators emphasized college and tried to figure out what further education each of us wanted to pursue I knew that I wanted to do online college.  The reasons I knew is because I like being able to work at my own pace and on my own time with the few deadlines that school work is due.  There was no way I was going to commute 2 hours every day, live in the city the college is at, spend way too much money on housing and gas going to college, and most importantly I really did not want to be around the college atmosphere.  I am a big people person but I really didn't even care for being in the crowded environment of the high school let alone would I want to be around an even bigger crowd of people.  To me it seems there is so much drama with schools such as partying, groups/clicks, etc, I want to go to college to learn, not make friends or party.  One of the perks that I enjoy about being an online student is that I can move around and be anywhere and still do my school work.  last term I moved to California and then back to Washington, and now this term I've been doing the same, if I was going to a campus college I wouldn't have that flexibility.  In the future when I move again I don't have to worry about transferring colleges either I just have to stop along the way and get the school work turned in on time and attend the seminars.  One of the challenges that I personally have faced with online college is trying to figure out when the best time for seminar is.  If I schedule my classes at night I have the tendency to forget about it even with an alarm set, but if I set up my classes for in the morning I end up being cranky and tired all day and usually unproductive.  The day of the week makes a big difference too, when seminars are at the beginning of the week they are more helpful for doing the school work throughout the week.  This is only my third term of my first year so I have yet to really build my school connections yet even though the classes have us post our A.O.L. instant messenger names, and emails.  I have a terrible memory so at times it is really hard for me to remember everyone in class now or that I've shared classes with before and build any type of school relationship.  I don't really have any ideas on ways to create a closer class community, I think I just need to take more time to add everyone and get to know everyone.  Even just talking to a few class mates makes school feel a little less intimidating and a little easier to move forward.  Okay, well I would write more but one of my pets died today and I'm a little under the weather.  

First Blog

I'll use my first blog as sort of an introduction to what's going on right now.  Currently my husband and I are in Joshua Tree, California because he is in the Marine Corps.  Lucky for us he's put in 3 deployments 2 to Iraq and 1 to Afghanistan and his 4 years are up and we are going home back to Washington State on the 5th of this month!  Yay!  I've only been away from my friends and family for 6 months but boy not only does the desert blow, but it sucks being away from everyone I know and love.  We are extremely stoked to go back home, I miss the big trees and bodies of water around every turn.  Though I have met some amazing people while being here in the desert (they usually aren't from here though, don't ever move here!).  Aside from that I am super happy to finally be in college and being on my way to getting my Bachelor Degree in Nutrition Science.  For 4 years I've been wanting to start college, but alas school costs a lot of money.  During all that free time I spent it hanging out at my Denny's or in the mountains studying herbalism, crystal therapy, alternative healing, quantum physics, astrology, color therapy, food, nutrition, anything I could get my hands on.  I've always eaten healthy being taught well by my parents and being healthy and knowing health has always been like a second nature.  I figured I know a lot of this already I might as well get my degree and get paid for helping people and be able to help people that want to help themselves.  My ultimate grand goal is to own a big building with offices for chiropractors, sports therapists, physical therapists, nutritionists, dietitians, alternative healers.  I also want to have supplies available such as, vitamins, herbal supplements, all natural products, crystals and crystal jewelry, and books lots and lots of books.  I want a place that people can come to for all of their health needs and where people with the aspiration of helping people can all work together towards that goal.  I get so anxious thinking about this goal that I can see my sign on the building, plain and simple, "Natasha's Nutrition and Well-Being."  Well for now I'm signing off it's getting late and I need to be up early tomorrow to finalize this units project.