Okay so me and my friend have started some daily "pow–wows" to kind of encourage each other in this whole online learning quest we are on to better ourselves. I must admit that although we do not study at the same school, the energy we have definitely makes me feel better and helps me feel better on days when I have not felt like studying as of late. So she was telling me how so many of her classes have deadlines for her homework, projects and exams/tests. Many times she tells me that professors set such deadlines at dates which have been EXTREMELY inconvenient to her in the context of family, work and life in general. Oh and can I tell you how JEALOUS that she is that I could not "appreciate" where she was coming from in that regard as I do not have that same issue on "my side of the fence" here at Penn Foster !?!?!?!?

I mean I know it would have been mean to laugh out loud but I must admit I did feel SO grateful and blessed and I could not help but to smile from ear to ear on the other end of the phone – I mean after all it was not like she could actually SEE my smiling, right ?(Although she knows me well enough to say that I was probably smiling on the other end of the phone !! LOL !!!! Is that bad or WHAT !?!?!?!?)

In any event things always seem to happen in the course of my days and travels to make me appreciate how good that I have it here at Penn Foster !!!!! Thank You !! Thank You !!! Thank You !!!!

Wow !!!! I swear the more and more that I talk to my girlfriend about her own experience and learning feel she is getting from her current schooling situation with her particular online educator the more and more I realize how good that I have it here at Penn Foster !!!!

My friend was telling me that her professors, and two in particular, which she has to interact with via email and also on message boards are such JERKS that it really ruins her want and desire to ask them questions at times for fear that "if they did not take their Prozac" on that particular day that she will be "shot down" and made to feel stupid or incompetent much like they have done to her previously. Can you believe that !?!?!?!? I have never EVER been made to feel from anyone I have spoken to or interacted with on any level here at Penn Foster like I could not approach them or reach out for help if need be and honestly RECEIVE meaningful help if I required it. That is AMAZING TO ME !!!!!

Everyone I have talked to has even taken it a step further and went so far as to tell me that if I ever needed ANYTHING to please do not hesitate to reach out to us and that they are here to help or assist me in whatever way that they could. I felt so bad for my friend that that issue and concern was impacting her learning experiencing and ultimately impacting her education. Isn't that so unprofessional and unfair that a student is made to feel that way !?!?!?!

If that was me I think my temper would get the best of me and I would probably tell those people where it is that they can go with their attitude !!! Grrrrrr…….

So I was talking to my girlfriend again this evening after our hearty and funny conversation about school that we had yesterday evening. She was still SO tickled about how I just let her go on and on about "life in school as a distance learner" and how she described all of the ins and outs about the advantages to online learning for like 24 minutes of our conversation, all in an effort to encourage me to do the same for myself, just to find out at the end that I was ALREADY enrolled in classes online here at the "wonderful world of Penn Foster" !!!! LOL !!!! (I must admit that I am still laughing about this myself !!! Those who know me know that I am very playful and a real jokester at times I tell ya….. )

So we started talking again about school and the "ins and outs" if you will as I was the only person in her circle of contacts that she knew who had re-enrolled in school in the online platform. You know she had been DYING to talk to someone about it and no one else she knew had taken courses through an online college !?!?!? Everyone else she knew either had or currently was enrolled in a "brick and mortar" learning institution that was vastly different then her own experience being able to work from home and stuff.

I must admit that sometimes as an independent learner in an online format a major difference from a brick and mortar school is the seeming "loneliness" if you will from not having the interpersonal connectivity in the classroom with other students. With that being said it really does feel SO GOOD to be able to "vibe", if you will, with a close friend about her own experiences in a learning format so similar to mine here at Penn Foster !!!!

So I was talking to an associate of mine whom I have not had a chance to talk to in some time and we had such a good conversation about life, work and most surprisingly school !!! You see she recently decided to head back to school as well to take some course classes to enhance her skills for her workplace and her career going forward.

She, like me, is also a single mother and the delicate balance she has between being a parent and a working professional really spreads her time, energy and LIFE as a whole pretty thin. So she was telling me how for the longest time she had wanted to return but she could not find the time. And you know what the funny thing is ?

She decided to enroll in a school that had an online apparatus in a distance learning format !!!! She was telling me all about her experience and how different it was for her having attended a "brick and mortar" higher learning institution in the past. I was just sitting there on the phone and talking to her and saying "Mmmhmmm" and "yes" and "Uh-huh" as she talked and went on and on about school and the classes she was taking and how much she likes it and how convenient it is.

Then she got to the part where she said "Girl, I am TELLING you, I think this would be good for YOU to do as well !!!" I LAUGHED SO HARD !!! I went on to tell her that I was ALREADY enrolled in a distance learning platform with Penn Foster and I already knew all about it !!! She said "Girl then why did you let me run my mouth the whole time if you already knew !?!?!?!" We both laughed so hard that our stomachs HURT ! Isn't that funny !?!?!?!?

This section in my textbook about Computers and Information Technology really has me appreciating and thinking about such a wide variety of things that are so commonplace that we are so spoiled that we do not even stop to think about on a given day !!!

For instance where would we be without email !?!?!? Without email we would be seemingly back in the "stone age" and have to send everything out via the USPS Parcel Post and take days at a time to send or receive information that we are able to send electronically in just seconds ! Not to mention we have the convenience in a personal or professional environment to send the same email or information multiple people instantaneously. Do you remember back when at work we would have had to really take the time out to sit and call each and every person we were trying to communicate with !?!?!? that could take a day or two when you consider the mass mailing lists so commonplace in emails like what we use at my job !!!

And let's talk about operating systems. Where in the world would the business world and the world at large be without Microsoft Office ????  The Operating System whether it be for Microsoft Windows, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Powerpoint or whatever is so necessary in today's world that computers come with them pre-installed. And for the few that do not have it it is nearly impossible to download, open or understand the document attachments so commonplace and necessary in the working world and world around us in general that is disseminated all day everyday !!!

I am able to do my notes on my laptop that I take from my reading of my study guides and textbooks and group them and organize them accordingly on Microsoft word and save them and always be able to come back and reference them at a later time for when I take my exams or just need a quick refresher of the information I have studied on that particular day, week or month in my regiment of coursework for my Penn Foster studies.

Wow !! When I think about it we have become so dependent on so many technological advances that I can not imagine life at this point without the access and use of them !!! Isn't that AMAZING !?!?!?!

You know as my textbook delves into all of these business and social aspects and benefits as respects technology the question was posed by the author to consider what difference that computer technology has made on my life over the past ten years. I stopped and I thought about everything from email as opposed to sending everything from pictures, cards, letters and bills through the regular USPS mail to the speed and interconnectivity that is provided and the access one can have to the world around us where you used to have to go to the library or order a magazine or encyclopedia set to get access to so much data and information.

However probably the most recent and profound life change that has occurred is one that slipped my mind until now. This entire platform of learning as an Independent Online Learner would not be possible without the advancements in technology !!! I would not have the time or resources at my disposal to attend a brick and mortar school for the same level of education that I am so fortunate to be receiving here at Penn Foster !!!

I am so blessed and thankful that technology has advanced enough where I can sit in the privacy of my own home and bed and do everything from my reading, studying, homework and exams all right from my own bed and at my own pace !!!! It is truly amazing how easily and how quickly we all can become so spoiled and unappreciative of just how good that we have it with the resources at our fingertips n our lives each day. It is very important that we take time to reflect upon such things and appreciate them from time to time to truly be sure that we make the most of them ! Thank you for making me think about this today Penn Foster !!!!!

So my contemporary business textbook is on to the technology phase of the Information sector and it is really making some profound observations. The author is talking about how new technology is appearing everyday and how much that influences our everyday lives.

That is so true. It seems like even if you get the newest cell phone that seemingly the next week or month that it is outdated and that a newer and more advanced one is produced seemingly overnight. Nowadays I do not know what I would do if I could not check my email accounts mobilely on my cell phone or even chat online on Facebook through my cell phone. Isn't that amazing though !?!?!? I remember a time when it was only possible to do that at home on your computer or laptop. Now I can do everything from surf the internet or even check my email and open up document attachments through my phone and reply !!!! My phone even has a GPS that talks to me and that I use like all the time to provide me directions as to where I am going each and every time that I drive and I am not 100% sure as to which route that I should take. I mean it is better to be safe then sorry, right ?

I even write my blogs sometimes while I am at work and an idea or subject inspires me and I can not wait until I get home to type it out !!! I can even open up the PDF version of my study guide on my cell phone and get some reading done when I do not have my laptop or hard copies of my books handy !!! Don't you just LOVE the computer age we are presently in the midst of enjoying and living within !?!?!??!

Wow !!!! This new regiment of exercise and study I am currently involved in is absolutely positively FABULOUS I tell ya !!!!! The information I am learning and studying about is just flowing through me at such a great rate. And the knowledge that I am actually getting fit, in shape and healthier AT THE SAME TIME is such a rewarding and positive feeling to me !!!!

At the gym I have worked myself up to a solid hour of cardio. I am doing 20 minutes of cardio on the elliptical, 20 minutes of cardio on the treadmill and 20 more minutes on the stationary bike. The hour goes by SO FAST with the information I am able to read from my Contemporary Business Textbook that it feels like it is over and done with right when I get started !!!!! I am finding that the system that is working great for me as of today is for me to get all of the reading done that I can in the hour or so I am working out on the cardio equipment then I "digest the information" throughout my work day then when I come home I review what I have learned through my reading sessions in my accompanying study guide to truly ensure that I have a total and complete understanding of the subject material being conveyed to me.

I can not tell you how empowering and GOOD a feeling it is to know you are strengthening your mind, body and improving your health all at once !!! And you know what ? It really DOES SHOW both in the mirror and in the brain !!!! I should write a book about my study approach and the results !!! LOL !!! Or maybe I will just keep blogging about it instead !!!

So I am always seeking new ways to be productive and multi-task in my everyday life. I like getting two things done at the same time or, as the famous saying goes" I like to "knock out two birds with one stone" !!!

Well in the line of that reasoning and rationale I have discovered yet another way to be more efficient in that regard. You see a good portion of my new exercise and fitness and wellness campaign I have been on to improve my vigor and health and overall energy level and performance has been my commitment to return to the gym to exercise. Well you see a good portion of my workout is spent doing cardio. I do a lot of time on the stationary bike – usually 30 – 45 minutes which I have been trying to buildup to an hour between the stationary bike, elliptical machine and the treadmill.

Well for those of you who know the gyms usually have an apparatus on the display screen for things like your MP3 player, water bottle OR, in my case, a magazine or book that one would like to read. Well guess what I have started to read while I workout ? That is right !!! You guessed it !!! My Penn Foster textbook and study guides !!!! Can I tell you how fast my time on the cardio equipment flies by when I have something to focus on like that !?!?!?!? Now I am able to get my reading done in the early morning, think and ponder on it during the day and then come home and do further studying and work at night.

Don't you just LOVE it when a plan or goal you push yourself to do comes together in the end in an even better way then you originally envisioned !?!?!? Yea for me !!!!

So I think my energy level is getting a bit better as of late which has greatly improved my vitality and aptitude for learning as goes my Penn Foster studies !!! I have been finding myself increasingly tired and worn down and worn OUT as of late with all of the responsibilities and demands on my shoulders as an employee, single mother and just a person "trying to make it" in the world.

It has been very hard for me to focus yet alone study as of late. That is not to say that I have not done any studying but I must admit that my productivity and the level of excellence at which I would like to perform is not what I expect from myself. Such lackluster effort and productivity from myself really frustrates me and messes with me and I have been trying my darndest to find a solution to my issue.

I have since started exercising regularly and being even more mindful of what I eat. I work out four times a week now for about 75 minutes or so and I am being careful not to eat any bad foods like soda or candy or anything really fattening. Oh and did I mention that I am getting up at 5AM to workout everyday !?!?!? Yes that is right 5AM in the MORNING !!!!You know what I have found ? Although it was difficult in the beginning I am more energized throughout the day, I sleep a lot better which translates into a higher quality of sleep and as a result I have more vigor and energy when I find my opportunities to study and get my Penn Foster work done !!!! I mean PLEASE do not get me wrong I am not doing "back flips" everyday at the thought of working my butt off in the gym but what inspires me is the direct results I am seeing and feeling. It is like an addiction I tell ya !!! LOL !!!!

Well in my reading and studying of all of this business stuff whether it be terminology, anecdotes, principles and general operating procedures I have been nothing but thankful and impressed with the accuracy, timeliness and real life applicability of the information that the Penn Foster Undergraduate Business Curriculum, in my case for Human Resources Management, has been able to expose me too much of which is directly and immediately applicable to me in my current work.

I continue to find myself progressing and advancing in responsibility at work with my clearances, accesses and general work performance largely as a result of what I am learning through all of the studying I am fortunate enough to be receiving in my textbooks and study guides. I can not tell you how empowering a feeling it is to not just be able to DO what tasks you are assigned by your superiors but also to UNDERSTAND the rationale and reasoning behind the task and assignments given out not only to myself but to my colleagues and peers for the overall functionality and productivity of the office.

The aspects that have been most helpful to me are those in relation to Human Resources and also management. The reason for this is because Human Resources is the career path in which I am in the midst of proceeding down for my future employment objectives and the more I learn the more empowered I feel and encourage and also excited for what awaits me. Similarly with the Business Management studies I have a similar rationale for my appreciation for these courses. In addition it helps me to understand my own manger's needs better so that I can be a better employee and also keep in mind the tasks I need to be mindful of in the future when I am in a position of management or administration !!!! Yea for me !!!!

So I have a dilemma that I need to seek out an anecdote for. How does a single mom proceed to study and partake in necessary school duties if one is currently feeling miserable because of a cold that she caught from her children ?!?!?!?

I am feeling HORRIBLE I tell ya !!!! My head is pounding(as usual….lol), my sinus and nasals are congested, my energy level is down and I just feel overall like trash. I tried to do my reading on this Marketing and sales section of my Contemporary Business textbook for my Human Resources Management course curriculum studies and not only was I seeing “triple” of each word, sentence and paragraph through my eyes that keep tearing up but I keep having to sneeze seemingly every time I get into a rhythm of reading. I mean don’t you just HATE it when you finally get intp a groove of reading after forcing yourself to do so because you really do not want to and then you go into a bit of a “sneezing fit” and then once you “come to” after your sneezing fit ends, you blow your nose and get settled back down it takes you like “forever and a day” to find the place you were reading at before your sneezing fit began !?!??!?!?! Grrrrrr…..

I guess this is just another chapter in the lives of all of us single mothers who have to find a way to be “A-Okay” even when we wish someone could take care of us for once and that we could have a day off. We have to be strong even when we are not feeling up to it. Oh well let me take another dose of this medicine so that I can hopefully feel better enough to get SOME studying done….Ugh….

Wow !!! The Authors of this book really REALLY must be reading my mind sometimes when I read this book I tell ya !!!! I was just JOKING the other day when I asked the question about who do I need to talk to to make sure that when I go to t he store to but some things that I want that they are always seeming to be sold out.

Well….The authors must have KNOWN that I would want to know that RIGHT ? I mean I guess Penn Foster must have called them and said "Okay guys – Ms. Passion is going to ask this question of you guys so make sure you give her some good info on it because you just KNOW how SHE is when she wants to know something !!!"

Well little did "Me, Myself and I" know that often times for those of us who become frustrated by the fact that the products that we seek are sold out seemingly very where and every place we seem to look is actually BY THE DESIGN AND PLAN of the manufacturer !!! Can you believe that !?!?!?!?

There are many product manufacturers that feel that when they put TOO much of a product out in the marketplace that if not sold it will sit on the shelves and force the retailer to the lower the price of the product which lowers the value of the product in the eyes of the consumer and lessens the demand. However by just putting out a little bit of the product at a time they can be assured that the product will sell quickly and also that the demand and brand value will remain high since so many people are in want of the product that the manufacturer is making.

Although this concept is frustrating at times for me from the consumer side I really can not argue with the logic behind the reasoning and rationale to do so ! Maybe that is a strategy that I can apply whenever I get a chance to invent some great product that Ms. Passion can sell to the world at large…..hmmmm…..

Well I am not a complainer by any means so I am not going to make this a forum for complaints. However let me term this as saying hat some days more so then others being a single mother AND a college student can be "CHALLENGING" I tell you…..

So I have been trying to wake up earlier in the morning to get up and get some schoolwork done because I find that is the only time of the day where it is totally and completely quiet in my home, when my phone will not be ringing, when my kids are asleep and will not bother me or make requests or make a bunch of noise which impedes my ability to think and reason the information I need to study.

Well it was a good plan IN THEORY. The reality is this. I find that by the time I get home, get dinner made, get out of my work clothes, clean up dinner, eat dinner myself, make sure my kids have done their homework, brushed their teeth, showered, was their clothes, have their clothes out for the next morning for school, then I eat dinner, take a shower and make sure my stuff is ready to go it kind of goes with out saying that I am EXHAUSTED…..and that is before I even get a half hour or so of "me time" to myself to "simmer down" from my day.

The past few days I have just been so TIRED in the mornings that it has been very difficult to get more then just a page or two of reading done because I notice I am "sleep reading" because I have not got enough rest.

So like I said, I am not going to complain, I will just say that it has been a CHALLENGING last few days to say the least…ugh….

Well I feel like I have been sleeping under a rock somewhat for some time after learning what I just did about Marketing in relation to major business in the world !!!!

I had NO IDEA how important marketing was to many major companies internationally !!! So much so that the line item in the budget for expenditures is significantly higher then what some would term to be more important to the livelihood and functionality of the business !!! Many business believe that you have to "spend money to make money". Don't we all wish we were in such a financial position to apply that SAME rationale !?!?!?!? LOL !!!!

I remember writing and reading about how many Superbowl ads are millions and millions of dollars PER THIRTY SECONDS to show a company's product and services to such a mass audience. I could never understand why they would spend so much money on just ONE commercial !!!!!

But after learning what I have in my Contemporary Business textbook, for many companies that are in the products and services industries it is an absolute necessity to build a brand, brand awareness and exposure through advertisements through their marketing people by any means necessary including television ads, internet ads, billboard ads and even print media ads or those ones I hear every day on the radio in peak rush our traffic times. It is rationalized according to the authors in the textbook by the logic that no sales will be generated for a product for customers to buy until they know that it actually exists !!!! I mean after all why would we want to buy something unless we actually wanted it right ???? LOL !!!!