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View Full Version : My Final Course!


Jim Wilson
03-18-2007, 08:44 PM
Hey All,

Since 2002 I have been working online trying to earn my BS. I just began my final course and, assuming that all goes well, will complete this course in mid-April. I will formally graduate in the first week of May.

I cannot begin to tell you all what an adventure/journey this has been.

It all started because my part time job at the local community college basically told me I had to have at least an AS in order to continue teaching for and with them. Since they were paying I jumped at the chance to proceed back into classes. Paramedic is a certificate and not a graduate or degreed program. Thus at the tender age of 40 I re-entered college as a freshman.

All but one of my classes has been done online. HUGE mistake taking Anatomy and Physiology along with Algebra online. (I actually took College Algebra 1 and 2 both online) But overall this has been an interesting experience and I have set a nice example for my daughter who now says she too is "going to college since Dad did it".

I just had to share this with all of you because a great deal of the after-effects of my educational processes was suffered by this board/website. At one time AuctionHints was in the top 25,000 on Alexa and was a solid PR of 6. It is now holding at about 276,000 on Alexa (not that I really use that as some sort of a measure) and the site maintains a healthy PR of 5.

As for my plans after graduation...

I plan on basically resting a bit. For 5 years I cannot recall not having the burden of homework and it will be nice to be able to sit, watch TV, and relax knowing that I don't have to be online working.

And I plan on healing. I have really been stressed of late over the courses I was taking. I have now been diagnosed with GERD and in addition have managed to burn my vocal cords as a result. Once this is all over I will go to the Doc again, get a fresh prescription for Prevacid, and heal up. I know that I should never have allowed myself to become so stressed over grades but it really meant a lot to me. I wanted not just to pass. I wanted to work hard, earn the highest marks that I could, and pass with honors.

Well that's it. I just had to share this news with you all, my AuctionHints friends.

I will try to post a pic of me with my degree as soon as I have received it.

Jim Wilson FF/EMT-P, AS-EMS, and soon to be...

Jim Wilson, EMT-P, AS-EMS, BSM
: )

homespunmoney
03-18-2007, 10:50 PM
Congratulations Jim!

I did a Masters online. It kicked my butt. Periodically I run across someone who denigrates distance learning. I'm pretty quick to point out the error of their ways.

In addition to everything else I also teach at the local community college... in the Business Department. Do I understand you correctly that you are teaching emergency medicine?

Best of luck on this last little bit.

Cheers,
Chris

Jim Kaiser
03-19-2007, 08:03 PM
Hey Jim

Many of us here have known for years that you've got the BS in you :-)

Congrats!

Jim