Re: Pat Ritter. Books
Posted: Sun Mar 25, 2018 10:50 pm
'Greatest OMR Stories' - Page 19:
Open Day
Many memorable events happen in our lifetime. One event stood out more than most of the others. Open Day at University. This became a huge time in my life. Thirty-eight years old I became a mature student attending university with fellow students half my age.
After leaving school aged fifteen years, study or college wasn’t on my agenda. Although I attended TAFE College for five years through my apprenticeship as a fitter and turner, my desire to study became non-existent.
At twenty-one years of age I joined Queensland Police Service to begin my career as a police officer. Each promotion I studied internally to pass until finally I reached the rank of Sergeant First Class. Further education in the police, particularly attending university became an independent choice for a police officer who intended to rise in the ranks.
Completing an Associate Diploma of Management at TAFE I wanted to learn more about management. I enrolled in University of Southern Queensland at Toowoomba to be an external student. This period became the beginning of external students before on-line courses on the internet.
Before first term commenced I attended Open Day at the university to acquaint myself with what I needed to do. Management studies were the buzz word at the time. I travelled from Redcliffe to Toowoomba with my wife and family to show them what I was getting myself into. What a shock!
Lucky a few other mature aged students enrolled in the course. Being my first personal experience of attending university, this far out-weighed attending TAFE. My family and I walked through the halls of education trying to understand a road map to where I needed to go.
Eventually we arrived at the right place. Strangers in a strange land. I tried to be confident; this didn’t work. Gritting my teeth, I powered through the continual paper work reading as much information as possible. This became too much for my brain. My brain became bruised from taking in so much information all at once.
If I couldn’t cope with the Open Day, how would I cope with studies and the courses?
By the end of this Open Day I became exhausted, wanting to stop and not study. Standing beside me at the enrolment table I started up a conversation with a fellow student similar age to myself. I listened to his story of hardships he endured by studying the past two years to finish grade 11 and 12. His inspiration encouraged me to think about my future.
This Open Day I will never forget. By the end of six years, constant study I must admit I finally received my Batchelor of Business Management Degree to major in Human Resource Management. From this Open Day to my final day of university showed me anything about myself. I’m proud to admit I have done almost everything within my power to achieve my ambitions.
If this Open Day event hadn’t happened, more so, if I didn’t meet a fellow student who motivated me toward my goals I sometimes think how I ever survived. I did!
Word count: 519
TO PURCHASE THIS BOOK: CLICK HERE: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/766429.
Open Day
Many memorable events happen in our lifetime. One event stood out more than most of the others. Open Day at University. This became a huge time in my life. Thirty-eight years old I became a mature student attending university with fellow students half my age.
After leaving school aged fifteen years, study or college wasn’t on my agenda. Although I attended TAFE College for five years through my apprenticeship as a fitter and turner, my desire to study became non-existent.
At twenty-one years of age I joined Queensland Police Service to begin my career as a police officer. Each promotion I studied internally to pass until finally I reached the rank of Sergeant First Class. Further education in the police, particularly attending university became an independent choice for a police officer who intended to rise in the ranks.
Completing an Associate Diploma of Management at TAFE I wanted to learn more about management. I enrolled in University of Southern Queensland at Toowoomba to be an external student. This period became the beginning of external students before on-line courses on the internet.
Before first term commenced I attended Open Day at the university to acquaint myself with what I needed to do. Management studies were the buzz word at the time. I travelled from Redcliffe to Toowoomba with my wife and family to show them what I was getting myself into. What a shock!
Lucky a few other mature aged students enrolled in the course. Being my first personal experience of attending university, this far out-weighed attending TAFE. My family and I walked through the halls of education trying to understand a road map to where I needed to go.
Eventually we arrived at the right place. Strangers in a strange land. I tried to be confident; this didn’t work. Gritting my teeth, I powered through the continual paper work reading as much information as possible. This became too much for my brain. My brain became bruised from taking in so much information all at once.
If I couldn’t cope with the Open Day, how would I cope with studies and the courses?
By the end of this Open Day I became exhausted, wanting to stop and not study. Standing beside me at the enrolment table I started up a conversation with a fellow student similar age to myself. I listened to his story of hardships he endured by studying the past two years to finish grade 11 and 12. His inspiration encouraged me to think about my future.
This Open Day I will never forget. By the end of six years, constant study I must admit I finally received my Batchelor of Business Management Degree to major in Human Resource Management. From this Open Day to my final day of university showed me anything about myself. I’m proud to admit I have done almost everything within my power to achieve my ambitions.
If this Open Day event hadn’t happened, more so, if I didn’t meet a fellow student who motivated me toward my goals I sometimes think how I ever survived. I did!
Word count: 519
TO PURCHASE THIS BOOK: CLICK HERE: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/766429.