15, 5, 4

These numbers reflect my current wait list status for; interpersonal communications, pre algebra and sociology, respectively. I'm really hoping to get into math this quarter, it needs to be completed before I can take the science prerequisites for nursing. I hate math and I want to get it out of the way. I'm glad I was put into pre algebra because it will give me a good chance to review, and to succeed. I didn't want to delay anything with my financial aid so I registered for health, human development, and a diversity class as my backups. Spring quarter starts in 4 days but I'm still keeping my fingers crossed that I will be moved into my first choices!

Preparing for the first quarter...

To attend college for the first time you have to apply to the school. Once accepted, (I will be going to the local community college so being accepted just meant having a HS diploma) I took the placement test. Its been nearly 10 years since high school so I wasn't a bit surprised that I tested into pre algebra (I hate math). I'm somewhat proud that I tested into ENGL& 101 (college level reading and writing). This helps allot because so many classes have prereq's for this level of english. Math aside, it felt nice to be "college ready" even after 10 years. I have stayed in constant contact with the financial aid office. The only hiccup I've had so far with fin. aid was some extra paper work because I changed my last name right before applying to school. I had to go into the local social security office and apply for a new card with my new last name. Then it took a couple weeks to update in my FAFSA. Next step: registering for classes! I havn't had a chance to meet with an advisor but I have a pretty good idea of where to begin since I had the placement exam to give me a starting-out point. Registration begins early for current students and by the time open registration began, all the classes I wanted were full. I added my self to the waitlists and have slowly moved up. Chances are, I will get into the classes I want. It's slightly more difficult to choose classes this quarter because I want evening and online classes. Since I'm not sure yet where I stand with my financial aid, I need classes around my hubby's work schedule so that I don't have to find (and pay for) daycare. Daycare is something that my financial aid can cover but since I haven't been officially awarded yet, I didn't want to commit to that cost. Full time at my school is 12 credits or more. If I move off the waitlists and into the actual classes I will be taking 3 classes for a total of 15 credits. School starts in 8 days and I'm so excited! Now I just need to keep my fingers crossed that I do actually get into my classes!!

FAFSA

This acronym plays a huge part in paying for college. You must fill out this application if you want any type of financial aid (grants, loans, scholarships, etc.). It calculates household size, income, being unemployed, etc and through some magical computations it decides your "need" for aid to go to college. I will be starting school Spring quarter, 2011. But my FAFSA is based on my last filed tax return which was for tax year 2009. In 2009 I had a job! FAFSA won't take into account the 2010 tax year until this fall and even then will show I made a good amount of money. I lost my job in November of 2010 so the fact that my household income has been cut in half wont be taken into account until 2012! So at the time, I do not qualify for any grants (even though there are grants for unemployed workers, etc). So for my first year or so of school, I will have to rely on student loans. Loans meaning I will have to pay them back. There are certain limits that apply but basically my student loans will cover tuition and books with a tiny amount left over for living expenses. The whole financial aid process is so complicated but I am grateful it exists because there is no way I could pay for school while I'm in school.

Going "back" to school.

I loosely use the phrase "I'm going back to school". Mainly because my last school experience was high school and I'm not going "back" there. I've never been to college but I still refer to it as if its something I've done before.
Anyway, here is the story of how I got here today:
After 8 long agonizing years in retail, I lost my job for not meeting the sales quota 3 times over a 12 month period. Did they take into account 7 years before that? No! Did they consider the economy? No! This debate is a whole other story worthy of its own blog but I won't go into that. The goal now is to move on. Unfortunately the work experience I gained over 8 years was enough to qualify me into any other minimum wage retail job. (the retail work I did was unique and paid much more than minimum wage.) So a career change was imminent. Not that it was much of a career anyway. I took many things into consideration while I was planning what to do for the rest of my life. If going back to school and racking up student loans was in the plan, I knew I had to pick a career that would pay off (and not take 10 plus years to get there). I also know that I should do something that I really enjoy and just as important, something that would always be "in demand". I thought back to when I was younger and when asked what I wanted to be when I grew up, I always said: a nurse. And so it begins!!