Grad School FAQs

1.  What are you studying at school?

I am enrolled in the Masters of Instructional Design and Technology at Cal State Fullerton.  I am learning good instructional design concepts so I can design learning materials, online courses, training programs,  educational software, etc.  You name it.  I am also learning how to program educational software in Flash.   My desire is to work as a consultant some day to help schools, businesses, and non-profit organizations transfer courses to an online environment without having to work at a full-time job. 

2.  When do you graduate?  How much time do you have left?

I graduate (God willing) in May 2010.  I have three more semesters total until I graduate and I am halfway through one of those three.

3.  You are a fairly new mom with a husband who is at work more than 40 hours a week.  How do you find the time to be a student?

This is TOUGH.  Very, Very, Very Tough.  My goal is to be a loving mother and wife, first and foremost.  Then comes my role as a student.  I only do homework when Elisabeth is asleep or happily engaged with her Papa or another good friend.  This means LOTS of late nights and all-day Saturday homework fests.  I usually go to bed around 2 a.m. at least once a week.  Basically, I do homework in every free second I can.  

4.  If you are studying all the time, who takes care of the things around the house?

I still try to do as much as I can.  Whatever I can not finish, my dear, supportive husband picks up the slack.  I think he has folded more laundry, given more baths to the baby, ran more errands to the grocery store and spend more time with Elisabeth on Saturdays than he ever imagined was possible. I couldn't love him anymore than I do now.  He is gift from heaven.

5.  Why are you doing this again?

Trust me when I say this thought has crossed my mind at least once a day for the last 7 weeks. Going to graduate school as a mother is more difficult than anything I have ever done in my life.  Our family has had to make many sacrifices so I could return to school.  Is this worth it?  I am not sure. But I do know I felt prompted by the Holy Spirit to start graduate school in the Fall of 2007.  I also know I need to keep the promise I made to my husband when I registered for classes in 2007.  He promised to support me through graduate school as long as I promised to see it through to the end.  

Getting a masters in education has always been a lifelong goal of mine.  I love learning and attending school more than a normal human-being should and amongst all the stress and huge projects, I actually enjoy what I am studying and can't wait to apply it to my life.   

With only one sweet and well-behaved one year old at home and dreams of giving her three more brothers or sisters, it is now or never.   Will it be worth it?  I pray every day that Heavenly Father will give me the strength and insight into this journey of faith.

Seek learning, even by study and also by faith.  D&C 88:118