I’m just finishing off my first semester this week and I’m 7 courses in already! Time sure is flying here in online classes. No rest for the wicked at Stenberg College as the new semester starts up immediately next week. This quick pace is one of the reasons I choose Stenberg – there’s no waiting around for the semester to begin. Get the work done now so I can get out into the field and start my new career as soon as possible! The more I learn about helping others through the Therapeutic Recreation Program, the more I feel that this is an excellent health care field to become a part of.
So far, all 7 courses have been interesting and applicable to work in the THR field. I was very surprised by our first course, COM110a “Interpersonal Communication”. I had never given much thought to how I communicated with others: I thought being kind and polite was enough (and it is a good place to start!) but there are a whole lot of other things to consider while you’re communicating! So glad we took this course first so I can spend the rest of the program communicating better with my classmates and professors! I really liked Human Anatomy and Physiology (of course, I’m a science nerd!) even though most of my classmates were gritting their teeth over it. Trust me, if you can get through A&P, the rest is easy-peasy (at least so far)! It takes a lot of work to get this course material down pat but if you stay on top of the workload, you should finish with no trouble at all!
Last day, I discussed being nervous about taking one class at time rather than multiple classes concurrently like in traditional post-secondary schooling. It has been an adjustment, for sure, but this style of learning has certainly grown on me. Instead of dividing my attention amongst several subjects, I can focus solely on a single subject and devote all my attention to really understanding the concepts. Sometimes I miss the old university semester style but I think a lot of people can adapt easily to this kind of setup. So even if there is a subject that you are not particularly fond of, it’s over in a few weeks and you can move on to something else you might really enjoy! At first I didn’t like posting to the forums (a major part of the online learning experience) but now, as the subject matter becomes more complex, I enjoy seeing the diverse responses and subsequent conversations develop from my classmates through the topics presented.
I can’t wait to get involved in more of the activities offered by Stenberg – the free movie night at the theater is something I’m really looking forward to (I missed the last one but there’s no way I’m passing up free popcorn again)! On February 13th, some lucky students, dressed up as the biggest fans, got to meet Mike Santorelli, one of the NHL Vancouver Canucks! Being a born and raised Edmontonian, I couldn’t disguise my Oilers roots, but I sure hope everyone had a good time with the contest! Can’t wait for the next event, now back to the books!
Check out this video of our Therapeutic Assistant Diploma Program (Gerontology Specialization).
