The Returning Student

Reply about Admission Questions from HSU

returningstudent — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 04:48:11 +0000

I sent an email to the admissions office at Humboldt State University asking for help. The assistant director of admissions gave me the low down on applying to HSU’s admission process for older students who aren’t transfering as an upper level.

Requirements:

Must be over 25 years old.
Have not attended school in the last five years.
Have completed the minimally required high school Math and English courses.
Have a cumulative high school GPA of 2.0 or over.

With this, you’re eligible to apply as an “Adult Exception.” Taking the SAT or the ACT is beneficial. She then says to print a copy of CSU application, send it in with the $55 fee, and a personal statement about petitioning for Adult Exception, why you want to study at HSU and what you want to study.

Seems pretty simple enough. I guess. Her email left me with more questions and doubts - I thought only current high school students took the SAT. Why can’t I do the application online? Does my certification in B&P Arts qualifies as school?

Time to send out another email.

Timeline - 04/2008

returningstudent — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 19:58:59 +0000

Here’s a list of dates and things I need to do in order to prepare to apply to the Spring ‘09 semester to the schools I’m interested in.

April 2008
- Send off for high school transcripts. [I honestly have no idea what my GPA was. I think it will be a really good idea to know.]

May 2008
Friday, May 9th:
- Last day to register for ACT test w/o late fee.

June 2008
Saturday, June 14th:
- ACT Test Day

July 2008

August 2008
Friday, August 1st:
- First day to apply to California State Universities for Spring 2009 semester.

My School List

returningstudent — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 15:00:49 +0000

For different reasons, I like these schools the best.

Schools I’m interested in:
1st choices:
California State University: Long Beach
Humboldt State University
San Francisco State University

2nd choices:
California State University: Monterey Bay
Sonoma State University
University of California: Santa Cruz

3rd choices:
California State University: Channel Islands
California State University: Los Angeles
California State University: Northridge

I know many of you are wondering why UCLA or UCB isn’t on the list. Although I would love to get into Berkeley, I know my limitations. Going to UCLA isn’t a dream of mine. Maybe it’s because I currently work in Westwood and I see all of the students walking around like zombies. All I hear is how they never have time to do anything social. I even tried making friends with some, but I hardly ever see them.

California Schools Offering Biology

returningstudent — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 15:03:27 +0000

Since I’m a California native, going to a school in California is my best bet. Here’s a list of school in this state that offer a bachelor’s in biology.

Majoring in Physical Therapy

returningstudent — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 14:43:22 +0000

Figuring out how to major in physical therapy can be tricky. A minimum of a master’s degree in Physical Therapy is required for employment. Doctorate degrees may soon be required nationally. There are no bachelor’s degrees available for PT. This left me confused. Where am I supposed to start? All of the universities that I’ve research require a bachelor’s in something other than PT. They were never clear on what that something else should be. From what I’ve found and what a school counselor told me, getting a bachelor’s in biology would be the best bet.

Why I’m ready to go back.

returningstudent — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 05:32:14 +0000

I graduated from high school in 1996. Yes! 1996! It’s been over 12 years and I’m ready to go back to school. It’s been a long process of numerous dead-end retail jobs, vocational school, unemployement, and a year’s worth of working for myself that led to more unemployment. It’s time for a change.

Not having clear, concrete goals in mind for myself, I failed to pursue possible career options early on. I messed around in high school-failing most of the ninth grade. I went on independent study during the second semester of the tenth grade and never went back to regualr classes. I made up every class I failed and graduted from high school in mid-March, only a few weeks after my seventeenth birthday.

After graduating, I did something I never thought I would do. I left Los Angeles. I was born and raised in LA and figured I would stay there my whole life. I went to Sacramento for a few months. Soon after, I moved to Seattle and then Charolette, North Carolina. But the south did me in. I’m a vegetarian and that alone was enough to bring out a lot of opposing view points of the local folk. I imagine if they really got to know me, I would be pelted with rocks until I ran out of town. I quickly moved back to Los Angeles.

I spent nine years working in various retail jobs in LA, when in 2005, I was run down enough from making barely above minimum wage to attempt going to school. I again left Los Angeles and attended the Baking & Pastry Arts Program at California Culinary Academy in San Francisco.

Pun intended-the school left a bitter taste in my mouth. The education was less than stellar. A’s in classes are handed out. All you have to do is show up. My wedding cake final in Cakes class was not the work of an A student. Yet, I got one anyway. There was no real critic on any of the desserts or breads I made.

After graduating from the eight-month program, I stayed in the Bay Area for a year. Baking bread was my new love. But, I found myself exactly where I started except with a lot more debt-in dead in jobs. Opportunities to work in a bakery are slim compared to working in a restaurant. All I was landing was restaurant jobs.

I fell in love with the Bay Area but I moved back to LA because of the person I loved more. (I don’t recommend it.) The relationship ended as I was beginning my position as assistant pastry chef at a diamond-rate French restaurant. The horrible conditions of that kitchen led me to cry almost every night after getting off from a 13 or 14-hour shift. The minimum wage wasn’t worth the prestige of having that name on my resume. I couldn’t take having raspberry sorbet or being cussed at in French anymore. The overall lack of respect led me to quit after four weeks.

I soon started working for myself personally baking breads for my friends. I worked out great for a while. Word of mouth was getting around. But it was short lived when I lost the large kitchen in the house I was sharing with my ex.

I ended up in retail again…retail, retail, retail. It’s something I’m good at but I do not enjoy. It’s where I am now and I’m miserable. I want to get out and I want to get out for good.