Common Courtesy

A courteous, respectful, or considerate act or expression.  This is the definition of the phrase “common courtesy.”  In today’s world it seems too many people have forgotten all about common courtesy, if they ever knew about it at all.  There are many instances when common courtesy could be used.  It’s also better to err on the side of caution and use common courtesy.  One example when to use common courtesy is when you are invited to someone’s house for a holiday dinner.  If you have said you will be there, the person is expecting you and plans to cook food for you (and your family if applicable).  If you say no, then the host(ess) knows they don’t have to cook extra good.  But the host(ess) always needs to know how many people will be there so they know how much food to cook.  So if something comes up when you are going to be hours late for said dinner, you should extend common courtesy and let the host(ess) know you will be late.  You would also do the same if you are unable to make it at all to the dinner.  Otherwise your host(ess) goes through the extra time and expensive of cooking extra food meant for you, and you don’t even have the courtesy to make a call or send a text saying “Hey, I can’t come.”  It’s not hard and only takes a couple of seconds. 

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to everyone!  We had a pretty good Christmas here.  While the kids didn't get everything on their lists, they told me this was the best Christmas ever! 

Legal Technology Grade

One of the hardest things for me on an assignment is waiting on the grade after I turn it in.  I did finally get my grade on my final project for my Introduction to Legal Technology class.  The project got a 100%.  I ended up with a 99% for the course!  I am still waiting on my final grade in my composition class, and this wait is killing me.

Paralegal Professional

The second course I took during my first term was The Paralegal Professional.  This course, to me, was more or less an overview of the legal system as a whole, along with some basics on professional ethics.  This course was a little difficult for me.  One of the assignments was a PowerPoint Presentation on the U.S. court systems.  Finding the information I needed for the assignment was no problem.  But I freaked out a little because I had never done a PowerPoint before.  I didn’t know how to do it.  I had looked at some tutorials online, but I think I was overthinking it and just stressing too much about it.  I ended up going to my local library and checking out a copy of PowerPoint 2010 for Dummies.   The book obviously taught me something because I got an A on the assignment.  In fact, I made an A as the final grade in the course, and ended up with a 4.0 GPA and made the President’s List!

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2 Day Week = Bored Kids

This was such a short week for the kids at school.  School got canceled Monday because the roads weren't clear from the snow the day before.  They went Tuesday and Wednesday, but Wednesday night we had a nice freezing rain.  So school was closed for the rest of the week.   The kids have been going completely nuts being cooped up in the house.  They want to go out,  but there is a sheet of ice on top of everything.  We have been playing games, doing crafts, and watching some tv together, but they are getting bored with all of it.  My kids are the type that want to be outside no matter what, and it’s killing them to have to stay inside because of all the ice.

8 Effective Skills

Part of my plan with this blog is to share my educational journey.  However, seeing as I am at the end of my 2^nd term, I will start out with giving some recaps of the classes I took during my 1^st & 2^nd terms.

During my 1^st term, one of the courses I was required to take was called Eight Effective Skills of the Legal Studies Student.  This was a course that covered material such as how to study effectively, how to find a style of studying to suit you, how to find your style of learning.  Things like that.  It was sort of boring, but some parts of it were interesting.  The hardest part of the course was the final.  For our final we had to interview a person in our chosen field, then write up a summary on that interview. 

I thought the hardest part would be to find an attorney willing to let me interview him/her.  It turned out I was right.  I had actually found an attorney, through a family member, who said I could interview him, to just call his office to set up an appointment.  However, when I would call his office, his secretary would tell me she had to speak with him before setting the appointment and would have him call me.  I ended up calling just about every attorney in my town and explained to them that I was a paralegal studies student and explained the assignment.  A few wouldn’t even give me the time to explain the assignment, they would hear “Paralegal Studies Student” and immediately tell me they weren’t looking to employ a new paralegal.  I did finally find an attorney that was willing to grant me the interview.  At first he was hesitant, but when I mentioned that I got his name from my dad, he said for the daughter of my dad, he was more than willing to do what he could to help. 

I must have done something right with the assignment because my final grade for the course was an A!

The Start of My Educational Journey

When I was 19 I dropped out of college to raise my oldest son.  I kept saying once he was in school full-time I was going to go back.  Then it went to when my daughter started school I was going back.  Then onto when my youngest son started school I would go back.  This past summer I finally decided enough was enough.  I am 30 years old, with 3 children, and no college education.  With all the options of online or campus based classes, there really was no need for me to wait until all 3 children were in school full-time.  So I started looking into schools I could attend online.  I finally decided on Kaplan University.  Part of my choice was because it is an actual university, not just a career school.  They also have a paralegal program, which is what I wanted to start with.  I can start out with my associates, then continue on through the same school if I choose to get higher degrees.

With Kaplan, I am taking 2 courses each term.  Each term is 10 weeks long.  The first 9 weeks are spent learning the material, with the final being due at the end of week 9.  The 10^th week is spent reflecting on what we have learned in the course.  I am currently at the end of my 2^nd term.  I have decided to blog about my journey through getting my associates degree, then onto my bachelor’s degree, and who knows after that.