12 Hours Left!!!

On August 29th I started another class in my Master's degree program.  The difference in this class is that it is one of the last four classes that I have left...which means that I'm only 12 hours away from having my Master's degree in education!!!  Woo hoo!!!  I will then be able to become a principal someday, if I ever decide that's what I want to do.  Oh...and I have to take and pass the principals certification exit test at some point in time.  Those are never fun to study for, or pay for, for that matter.  Certification exit tests are $120 a pop...so you only want to have to take them once for more than one reason.  One is obviously the cost.  And the other is the fact that they are terribly hard and grueling to study for.  I think the second reason is more motivating to pass the first time than the cost.  Don't get me wrong, I don't enjoy paying $120 for a test, but I despise studying for them and then having to take them at that.  There is one really nice thing about this Master's program and that's that ACU provides principal certification test prep-courses.  I have gone to the ones that have been offered, which are hard to attend.  They are offered about 5 times throughout the duration of the program and are always on Saturday's from 8:00 in the morning until 5:00 in the afternoon.  The first half of the day is spent taking a practice test and the second half of the day is spent going to over the questions and answers to the test so you know what answer is the best choice and why.  It's really good preparation and allows you to get a good feel for what is going to be asked on this specific test.  I will probably start applying to take the real test after I graduate in May.  It's just a little overwhelming right now to try and get all the reading, homework, papers, and other assignments done for my classes without adding the many hours of studying for the certification test to it all. 

I do have to say that I have thoroughly enjoyed this degree program.  I am so thankful that I chose to go through ACU's online program.  Getting my bachelor's from ACU was wonderful.  I not only got to meet lifelong friends, learn from Christian professors, and learn how to become a Christian leader and example in the world.  But, I got to grow in my faith and incorporate Christ into my learning and maturing.  This Master's degree program has been no different even though it is all online.  Every single class, our curriculum includes some sort of faith read.  These books are to help us to make connections with what we are learning and how to apply Christian morals and ethics into our school systems as we grow and develop leadership skills.  We are also required to make journal entries over every chapter so that we can express our thoughts and feelings about how we can become better leaders and Christian examples.  It's been amazing and I have loved all of my professors as well as the people that I have gotten to interact with.  There are people from all over the country that are in this program, and one that is even in the Cayman Islands.  It's really cool to get to hear their perspectives and learn how their state and schools do things differently than we do in Texas.  We are all ready to be finished with the program though!  I suppose that even though  you're in your Master's, you can still get senioritis...and I definitely have it!  Don't get me wrong, I still love my classes and all the things I'm learning.  But, I'm ready to not have 5-10 assignments, papers, and other homework due every week.  I'm also ready to not have to do all the reading, posting to class forums, and group projects and assignments to work on.  In the midst of all of that, I'm also shadowing my principal, who is my mentor throughout this program.  I have to do 24 experience sets where I do various things in my campus so that I have a better understanding of what a principal does day in and day out.  These 24 experiences are all very different and when I am finished with one experience, I have to right a reflection on the things I have learned and what I might do differently if I were the principal.  It's really great to be able to get to do all of this, but it definitely adds a lot more time and energy to the already overwhelming course load.  I have actually completed 16 of those experiences, so I only have 8 more to go!  I have to have them all done by April, and I plan on being done long before them so I can "relax" a little bit during my last class.  I really can't believe that I'm on the downhill slope and that I will be walking across the stage in May.  These past two years of being in school have flown by!  8 more months and 12 hours to go...I think I can, I think I can, I think I can!!!