Another Quarter Done...NEXT, PLEASE!

Another Quarter Done...NEXT, PLEASE!

Another quarter winding down, summer is almost done. Makes me think about the stair step approach, gradually going deeper into a field of study and building upon previous classes. It's proven to be a great method for so many programs and really builds a solid foundation for future success.
Dr. Suess summed it up great by saying, “The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go.”The education we receive here is coming from practical experience as well. I had the chance to listen to some of the stories behind the faculty at the open house and along with some of the teachers I've had in my courses and they really are a wealth of knowledge we can learn practical skills from. They don't rely on theory, they have done this and can give us a true outlook on what we can expect and guide us when where we need to be if we get lost.
In past college experience, at a freshman level, you are thrown in to classes that want to weed you out. They got your commitment of money, now they stick you in a class where you are just a number and they don't care if you pass or fail. Sullivan has employed teachers that want to tech, they want you to learn. The willpower to do so comes from you, so don't say that it's the teachers fault that you didn't do as well as you thought you should. The environment that Sullivan creates is one that creates a thirst for knowledge, a desire to be better at whatever you choose to do. One of the prospective students at the open house even commented on the feeling he got when he decided to enroll. He liked that he was excited about learning and looked forward to the challenge. That is a great thing, to want to succeed and go further. There are casualties along the way, some people burn out and want to take a break. It's easy to say that you'll come back after a quarter off, but life doesn't slow down when you want it to, you have to stick with the path for it to work for you.
There was a classmate from my first quarter at Sullivan that had plans to start his own business, he was a very gifted I.T. student with dreams of starting his own firm, but he said he was getting burned out and wanted to take a break. He's stuck at a dead end job now because he did just that. He's a technician for a local company working for someone with a degree, but not the level of skills he has. He thought a break was what he needed, but during the time he took off, he lost the "locked" tuition rate, bills still had to be paid and since he was home more, they got bigger. He's still stuck at his job thinking it's a dead end, and when I asked him if he regrets taking a break, he said it was the worst thing to do, he'd lost his steam to push through and achieve his goals.
I still talk to him from time to time and have lunch every now and then, but he tells me all the time that "he never should have paused with school, because life kept playing and moved to a sad song."
So if you feel you're losing steam and just want a break, look at where you are in life and where you want to be. It's not easy, but the people who stick with their education come out ahead everyday...how much so? A recent government study showed that annual salaries for college graduates is double what a high school degree will earn. An advanced degree...try tripling what you make now, and see if that doesn't put some wind back in your sails.

Brian Strickler