Education is the Avenue to Change

Transcription

1 11110 Alondra Blvd., Norwalk, CA SPRING 2010 Re-Entry Resource Program Education is the Avenue to Change The journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step. ~ Lao Tzu ~ Welcome to the Spring 2010 semester! My name is Shannon Estrada and I am the Re-Entry Resource Specialist here at Cerritos College. I would like to take this opportunity to extend a warm welcome and to congratulate you on joining the Cerritos College community. The Re-Entry Resource Program is here to assist and support Re-Entry students like yourself, and address the unique concerns they may have about returning to school through personal advisement, workshops, referral sources, peer groups and special events. I hope that you will take advantage of our services and use them to assist you in having a successful experience here at Cerritos College. I would love to meet you and I look forward to assisting you in any way that I can. Please feel free to either call or stop by to see how we can help! Best of luck for a great semester! Shannon Estrada Re-Entry Resource Program Hours: Monday 10:30 a.m. 7:00 p.m. Tuesday Friday 8:00 a.m. 4:30 p.m. Located in the Career Services Center in the Administration Bldg. Telephone: , Ext re-entry-info@cerritos.edu

2 What is the Re-Entry Resource Program? The purpose of the Re-Entry Resource Program is to provide adult students 25+ years old who have a 3 5 year break in education with the tools and support they need to successfully re-enter and thrive in school. As an adult returning to school after an absence, you may have needs and concerns that are different from those of traditional college students. Some examples could be feeling lost and not sure where to begin, scheduling issues with work and home life, childcare issues, more financial responsibility, and possibly self-doubt about your own abilities here on campus. Our goal is to provide you with tailored services to address those concerns. The Re-Entry Resource Program offers: Personalized assistance to guide you through the application process Specialized referrals to both on and off campus resources Exclusive Re-Entry Scholarships Free Success Workshops Free Re-Entry Referral Directory Support Building Peer Groups and Socials Visit our office to learn more about these services. Calendar of Events FEBRUARY 2/4 Math Anxiety Workshop 2/10 The 4 Keys to Balancing Family & School Workshop 2/17 Test-Taking Workshop 2/24 Project HOPE Information Session 2/25 YOU Time MARCH 3/4 Scholarship Workshop 3/15 YOU Time 3/16 Choosing a Major: What YOU Need to Know! 3/17 Choosing a Major: What YOU Need to Know! 3/18 The 4 Keys to Balancing Family & School Workshop 3/24 Study-Reading Workshop APRIL 4/12 Scholarship Workshop 4/15 YOU Time 4/29 Community Resource Fair MAY 5/3 YOU Time

3 Time for School, Mom! 10 Tips for Managing School and Children by Jennifer Brown to stick with the same babysitter every night to avoid scheduling conflicts and last-minute confusion that might keep you out of class. Attend a campus close to home if at all possible. If your first choice of campus is an hour away, it may not be the best choice for you. If you live five minutes away from an acceptable second choice, go with that school. Emergencies do happen, and if you re called away from class, the last thing you want is a long drive to get to your child who needs you. If your babysitter shows up late, a short commute can be the difference between showing up in the middle of class and not showing up at all. Returning to school as an adult can be daunting enough, particularly if you ve been out of the academic atmosphere for some time. You re faced with adjusting to changing curriculums and testing procedures, competing in a younger crowd, learning skills (such as computer literacy) that were not available when you last attended school, and juggling work and study. Add to that a hungry family, dishes that need to be done, PTA meetings to attend, a pile of laundry you can t even see the top of, and well, maybe you ll go back to school next year. Right? Wrong. While the idea of juggling children and school may seem impossible to an overworked mom or dad at first blush, with a little organization and a few tips, managing children and a new college career can be easily conquered. Following are ten strategies to help you get into the swing of things. Finding a reliable babysitter is the first order of business when considering a return to school. Now is not the time to stick to old allegiances. If Grandma is eager to sit with the grandkids, but is almost always late and sometimes forgets to show up at all, go with another sitter you can count on. Choose someone you can trust to arrive on time every school day or give you enough notice to make alternate plans. Try Search for a scholarship designed for returning students with children. The money is sitting out there waiting for you to claim it. Many campuses have computers set aside in their financial aid offices equipped with programs specifically designed for students to search for scholarships that fit their needs. The Internet is another great tool for finding a scholarship that s right for you. The extra money can help if you need to miss work or pay a babysitter while attending classes. Study when you can, not when you want. This could be the difference between success and failure for many returning students. I simply don t have time to study, you might say as you quit after just one semester. The kids are too loud and too needy. Soccer camp gets in the way. Or dance lessons. Or Scouts. It s just such a fight to get in any study time! So don t fight it. If you have young children, spend your time with them doing the things you would normally do. Try to forget about that Physics test or English Literature paper that s due the next day. Attempting to concentrate on work while the children want to play will only frustrate you and your child, and you won t retain a lick of what you ve studied. Study before or after bedtime, at lunchbreak, or while the kids are in the bath. Invest in a cheap tape recorder to tape your lessons and review them in the car on your way to work or the grocery store. You may only get thirty minutes here and there of good study time, but the minutes will add up. If your children are older, use your study time to encourage each other. Study together when you both have homework. Quiz each other and bounce ideas off of each other. Read term papers aloud to each other. Make it a fun way to inspire and encourage your older child to work on their homework.

4 It s Time for School Mom (continued) Make your children part of the experience. This is an excellent time to really encourage your child to go to college. Most children are awed by a busy campus filled with laughing young adults. Take them with you to buy your books or pick up your schedule. Bring them along to financial aid meetings or afterschool study jams. Introduce them to professors and students, let them sit quietly next to you in a relaxed class, if you have one. They will appreciate being part of your life at school and may even begin dreaming of the day they will follow in your footsteps. Start slow. You ve waited this long to go back to school, what s a few extra semesters at the end? Don t dive into a full-time schedule your first semester in, leaving your kids missing you and leaving you with too much homework to keep up with. Start with one or two classes maybe half-time and work your way up to the harder schedules once you and your children are more accustomed to your new lifestyle. You can always make up for lost time later. Don t be afraid to skip a class. As a parent, you already know that whenever children are involved, stuff happens (basketball tournaments, broken elbows). And you will sometimes need to be frontand-center no matter what is going on in your class without you. Talk to your professors at the beginning of the semester. Tell them you have children at home and may sometimes be unable to attend class or may even be called out of class occasionally. Most professors understand and will give you the benefit of the doubt. Find a study-buddy in your class who will share notes with you if you happen to miss class. Offer to do the same for him or her in a pinch. Give your children space to grow, to learn, to enjoy their own school experiences. Don t let your schoolwork be more important than theirs or your successes outshine their successes. If you have older children who might be attending the same school that you are, don t take classes alongside them. Don t join the same clubs, hang out with them in the corridors, or expect them to study with you in the student lounge. Let them experience the school as my school, not as our school. Be organized. Write things down. Post your class schedule in a prominent place in the house, such as on the refrigerator, for everyone to see. Look at your children s schedule and compare it to yours at the beginning of each semester, to better help you plan out must miss days before they creep up on you. Use Post-It notes and index cards freely. Invest in a cell phone and pre-program all the important numbers. Leave a phone number where your children and babysitter can easily reach you in case of emergency. Take extensive notes in class and buy a good, hefty backpack or book bag. Don t wait until the last minute to fill out important forms, file for financial aid, or try to get into popular classes. You may end up having to settle for a schedule that just won t work with your kids schedule. Celebrate success! No doubt about it, when a semester is finished you ll want to rejoice. When you ace a test or blow away your professor with a stellar research paper, you ll feel like celebrating. But don t forget, it was your children s cooperation that, in part, made this happen. Let them celebrate with you. Take them out for ice cream after a good grade or throw a pool party for summer break and invite their friends too. Your children are cheering for you more than you ll ever know. They re proud of you, and they should be. You can be a great student and still be a great parent. What a role model! You ve got to say, I think that if I keep working at this and want it badly enough, I can have it. It s called perseverance. ~ Lee Iacocca ~ Scholarship Workshop Learn the ABC s of applying for scholarship money! Our workshop will cover everything you need to know such as: Format basics Letter of recommendation Obtaining transcripts Financial Statements Writing an essay and more Please RSVP by contacting Shannon Estrada at sestrada@cerritos.edu or by calling (562) , Workshop Times Thursday, March 4 2:00 p.m. 3:00 p.m. SS 139 Monday, April 12 5:30p.m. 6:30p.m. BE 3 Presented by: Veronica Castro, Financial Aid Sponsored by: The Re-Entry Resource Program

5 YOU Time Your experience at Cerritos College can be more fulfilling and successful if you connect with other re-entry students and discuss school related issues. This is the time for you to concentrate on things you need, talk about issues affecting you, taking time out of your busy life to focus on YOU. YOU Time. Join us for cookies and conversation on the dates listed below: Thursday, February 25 2:00 p.m. 3:00 p.m. BE 3 Monday, March 15 5:30 p.m. 6:30 p.m. BE 3 Thursday, April 15 2 p.m. 3 p.m. BE 3 Monday, May 3, :30 p.m. 6:30 p.m. BE 3 Please RSVP by contacting Shannon Estrada at sestrada@cerritos.edu or by calling (562) , Project HOPE Info. Session Interested in becoming a Healthcare Professional? Attend this workshop to find out how Project HOPE can support you. Wednesday, February 24 11:00 a.m p.m. HS 103 Presented by: Rosalia Arellano, Project HOPE Sponsored by: Project HOPE, DSP&S, Career Center, and the Re-Entry Resource Program. The 4 Keys to Balancing Family and School Do you find yourself sitting in class thinking about what you need to pick up at the grocery store on your way home; the laundry needs to be done before school the next morning, and what you are going to do about your three-year old s temper tantrums?? Then this workshop is for you! We will cover: Time Management Study Skills Building a Support System Finding Quality Child Care This is a great opportunity to find out about community resources and learn from others. Wednesday, February 10 5:30 p.m. 6:30 p.m. BE 3 Thursday, March 18 2:00 p.m. 3:00 p.m. SS 139 Presented by: Angela Beck, Faculty Member Choosing a Major: What YOU Need to Know! Are you undeclared? Undecided on a major? Thinking of changing majors? Check out our workshop for students (like you!) making major decisions. Tuesday, March 16 11:00 a.m. 12:00 p.m. BE 3 Wednesday, March 17 3:00 p.m. 4:00 p.m. BE 3 Presented by: Traci Ukita, Career Counselor Sponsored by: The Career Center and Re-Entry Resource Program

6 Re-Entry News Looking to Stretch your Grocery Budget? The Treasure Box provides families and individuals with a lb. box of frozen grocery-store quality food that normally retails between $65 - $100 for just $30 each. One Treasure Box is enough food to nutritiously feed a family of four lunch and dinner for a week or an individual for a month. Need Grocery Coupons?? Visit the Re-Entry Resource Program and take advantage of pre-clipped, categorized coupons to help you save money on your next grocery bill. For updated information, visit the Re-Entry News Bulletin Board located in the Re-Entry Center. Community Resource Fair Representatives from various local social service agencies and other community resources will be on campus to provide information and answer questions about the services they offer. This event is FREE and open to the public. Thursday, April 29 10:00 a.m. 1:00 p.m. Library Sidewalk For more information, contact Shannon Estrada at sestrada@cerritos.edu or call (562) , Ext Test Taking Workshop Do you want to be confident that you have prepared properly for your exams? Attend this workshop to gain knowledge of effective test-taking techniques! Wednesday, February 17 2:00 p.m. 3:00 p.m. BE 6 Presented by: Michael Martin, Academic Support Center Staff Math Anxiety Workshop Math games, puzzles, and study tips help demystify math so you can approach the class you ve been dreading with a positive attitude and some extra tools for success. Thursday, February 4 2:00 p.m. 3:00 p.m. SS 139 Presented by: Sue Parsons, Mathematics Instructor Study-Reading Workshop While reading your textbooks, do you read the same paragraph over and over? Come to our workshop and learn the four easy steps to understanding a textbook chapter. Discover how to read more effectively and study while doing it! Wednesday, March 24 2:00 p.m. 3:00 p.m. BE 6 Presented by: Michael Martin, Academic Support Center Staff