Going Home.

It's time thank goodness, for most students to go home. Home from Planet College to the local version of Planet Earth. What's your style for going home. Throw your stuff in a trash bag and hop in your friend's Tacoma? How ever you get there when you get there you will be a little different from last time. A little older, a little more experienced possibly? Mean while home maybe the same as always. Home doesn't change much at least not as fast as you have been. That is why there is no place like it. There is nothing so comforting as the familiar. Hopefully that is home for you.

Now it may be that the changes which have been ocurring nationwide during the past year especially may have changed the entire landscape in your neighborhood. Neighbors may have moved, their homes lost. Folks may have lost jobs. Christmas, for those who celebrate traditionally, may be reduced. Celebrations may be smaller and more sober. This is change.

On Planet Earth, back at home, as on Planet College, change happens. This year you may notice that simple fact more clearly when you get home for the holidays. Change happens, not always the way we want it. However it happens, happy holidays from Planet College.

Stuff Comes Up.

Kayleigh was working hard to complete her first college writing course. Recently she had an important paper due. Kayla is still at home and attempting to complete her first semester, freshman year. The week the paper was due her boyfriend dumped her. Plop. Just like that. Then her mother told Kayleigh her dad was moving out and they were getting a divorce. Bam! No warning. With this stuff now active Kayla attempted her paper. It didn't go well and her grade was barely acceptable.

Kayla found a friend, an instructor she knew, to talk about the paper i.e. what could she have done to improve it. While talking she revealed the current details of her personal life. The instructor listened, evaluated the paper and told Kayleigh he understood her dilemma. He told her to get some help, maybe talking to friends. And he also told her that on Planet College, just like back on Planet Earth, Stuff Comes Up. Some times all at once and sometimes it all just sucks. Depending on what her priorities were, if they included passing the class and eventually graduating, she at some point was simply going to have to move forward with her own life.

This is very important. In your progress toward graduation you will see that - like for Kayleigh-
stuff comes up. Not always sucky but sometimes majorly sucky. Still. If you want to graduate, get a degree and return to Planet Earth, you and only you need to continue to march. Get what help you can, hug your dog, feed your fish or whatever, but- move forward for yourself.

When A Dream Becomes A Nightmare.

Planet College presents the opportunity to turn your dream of a career in to a reality. Most students start off their college careers with very high hopes. Along the way often life stuff comes up. Relationships end. Money problems arise. Class requirements often accumulate to the point of being overwhelming. All this will be reflected in you grades and will affect your progress toward your dream. Sometimes despite a students best efforts stuff happens; Incompletes, Ds, Fs, financial aid probation, grade probation and even disqualification. Gradually, with out any loud warning a dream turns into a nightmare.

At some schools the semester is winding down. At others the second quarter has just begun. This is a good time to assess. Is your dream becoming a nightmare? Are you constantly loosing ground in your quest for a degree?

If some of the above seems too familiar it could be time for a candid assessment of your progress. This will include exploring the basic realities of obtaining your degree in a timely fashion.

Finding someone to discuss this with is important. It should be someone with a perspective, a little distance from you and your current situation. Planet College offers a number of resources. Program advisers, academic advisers, former professors, even roommates. Just one person, doesn't have to be associated with your school. Some one you can talk it out with.

Talk over the possibilities. Cutting your load next semester? Withdrawing completely? Are there alternatives and if so what are they? Only you can decide but you need an outside view to make sure you are not loosing track of some useful options.

If you are, in fact, loosing ground and in danger of your dream becoming a very expensive nightmare find someone qualified who can talk it over with you.

Your future is worth this much consideration.

Get a new picture.

During their time on Planet College and even before that most students have accumulated a number of picture ids. Driver's listen, work id, ASU id. They are pretty similar; picture, name and what ever else is required usually an ID number often a birthday. A few students may still have some ID's going back to high school. Some still may have those magic little cards which featured a not quite accurate birth date, the better to facilitate social interaction of a certain kind. If you're a regular on Planet College you are probably past that. Still it could be worthwhile to take a look at the ID's you may have accumulated. Look at the picture. Have you changed much since it was taken? Probably a lot. This is the purpose of this post. Do you still need those old ID's? Well driver's license, sure. ASB card, definitely. Bankcard with the picture, of course. But. Overall are you still that person? Probably not. If you are still acting like the person in that picture, ask yourself," Is it time for a change?" Is it time for a new picture? Not just on the IDs but of who you are in life. Right now. On Planet College Growth happens, often for the better, certainly for the different.

Why not get a new picture?

Turkey trap, repost.

This is a re-post from a couple of years ago. It is still true and it will always be true.
The Turkey Trap.
The work load for most students on Planet College accumulates during the course of the term. Papers, projects, portfolios all pile up with due dates, at least at the time of the assignment, seemingly distant. Many students defer working on one or more of these with an optimistic, "I'll do it over break." Break comes, usually Thanksgiving or Spring, a good time is had by all. On the returning journey back to campus many students awaken from a pleasant mid-flight snooze with the sudden awareness,"Oh. My. God. I've got a paper due for my ten o'clock class and I haven't even started it." Sound familiar? Probably. I call this The Turkey Trap. Don't fall for it. If you're an average student, next time you hear your self say, "Oh, I'll do it over break." Get real. You will not. That is what break is for. A time out. Kick back. Party. School? Fugggaadddaboutit. Take a break.

And about the paper. Do what so many busy students will do: Ask for an extension.

Planet College advisory: "Where two or more are gathered. . .".

Right now, for those classes which require them, special class presentations are nearing their due date. Most of these presentations involve only one class member per presentation. At times, however, students are required to work in small groups. These groups contain three to five class members. Usually, when this is part of the assignment, groups are given time to work together during class while preparing their presentation. This Planet College advisory has to do with a time honored fact of group class presentations. It goes like this, " Where more than two are gathered someone will bail." If you've been around the campus for a while you probably understand this. Groups are formed and assignments given early in the term. The group meets sometime during class and sometime out side of class. This is to work on presenting the assigned topic. Getting busy young adults together at the same time for something other than a party is quite a feat. Often though the group will proceed successfully. That is until the day of the presentation. Then, on the day of the presentation someone will fail to show up. It is so inevitable that it is nearly a rule. The reasons are various and often legitimate. But. Still. If you've done your part what are you to do? OK, here's a hint. If you are in such a group first of all expect someone to bail. That is it. Just don't be the person who does. No matter what, show up for the presentation and be fully prepared. To protect your self along the way keep a record of everything you have done both inside and out of class. Then. When whoever doesn't show up you and those who did show up can present as much as you can. Your record of your efforts and your contribution should be enough for the instructor to issue you an appropriate grade. Good Luck.

Take a look around.

By this time on Planet College your work order for most classes is pretty well established. Special projects have been assigned, small groups are now established and even mid-terms are looming. ( No, not mid-terms. Yes, mid-terms) At this point it is a good time to take a look around your classes. Just pick one. Remember the first day? Every desk was full and there were students standing along the walls hoping to add. Where are those students now? Well, maybe they couldn't fit the class into their schedule. Who knows. But. They are not there. They are not in your class. So they have no hope of passing this class. You now are in the class. Every meeting? Well mostly. And this simple fact is the key to your eventual graduation. Attend. Attend and participate. Attend and participate and contribute. Repeat until graduation.