Where did the first half go?

Where did the first half of this fall semester go? Time definitely flew by quickly! I have been enjoying my three courses this semester, and have been lucky to have a few familiar faces in each class. I just finished up what will most likely be my last Saturday class at Villanova. The Fast Forward classes are a really nice thing to have, in that they allow you to take a full semester's class over the course of 7 weeks. Yes it is daunting, and the work load can sometimes be overwhelming, but I always like a challenge and find that I do my best work in situations like that. Many of the fast forward classes are offered on Thursdays or Saturdays. The one I just completed was on Saturdays from 12:30-4. "Why would you do that?" I'm sure you're asking, especially since it was a free elective? I enjoy the Saturday classes, and you're with fellow adult learners. I also really enjoyed this professor. I took one of his other fast forward offerings in Spring 09 and was so impressed with how he related real life scenarios with the topics of the week that I had to take him again. That is the great thing about Villanova; each teacher gives their own identity to the subject matter. Now that the semester is halfway over it is really starting to hit me that I am almost done. It has so far been a great ride and I have learned so much. I've met a lot of really nice people- classmates and teachers and I have taken something away from each one of them. Enjoy your week off from school everyone!

Posted at 03:03PM Oct 11, 2009 by Brian Turner in Brian Turner  |  Post a Comment

First entry of the year!

Hello to all my fellow Villanova part time students. You may be wondering who I am, and what happened to Allan. Well for those who don't know, Allan graduated in May, so I was asked if I could write about my experiences and other random thoughts for the upcoming school year.

So allow myself to introduce myself. I'm Brian. I am currently a senior in the Information Systems program. I have 6 more courses to take and then I will be graduating. I started in August of 2004. Why you might ask? I was laid off from a job that year and while looking for employment it was very difficult for me to even get my resume looked at without that degree. So I decided to start back up, having tried college as a traditional student at the age of 18, and at a different school(s). The main reason I chose Villanova was because my mother went here as did her sister and brother. I started the same year as my cousin who graduated in 2008.

The second reason was because of their part time studies program. I was looking for a school that taught adult learners and were supportive of them. I am happy to say that I found that here.
Every professor I have had over the past 5 years has been wonderful and more than willing to work with the adult learners and last minute conflicts etc. I was married in April 2005 and my professors at the time were so awesome in working with me in making sure that I wasn't going to miss tests, assignments etc.

Five years later, and I am now employed (thank heavens, knock wood and everything else you can do right now), and so close to graduating. This past year also brought on my first house purchase and my first child. I hope that I can maintain the balance of family, work and school so that my goal of graduating in May 2010 can be fulfilled. My family, especially my mother, waits patiently for that day.

More to come....

Posted at 01:22PM Jul 17, 2009 by Brian Turner in Brian Turner  |  Post a Comment

Graduation Day!

I'm a VU graduate. Whoa, I need to say that again, I'm a VU graduate!

This weekend I officially ended my 6 1/2 year journey through higher education. I've documented that journey in this blog all year, so I won't go into that too much. As promised in my last posting, I would like to share my graduation experience.

As I approached graduation day, I asked some fellow Part Time Studies students if they were planning on walking in the commencement ceremony. Many of them were luke warm at best on the issue. For those who chose to skip it, I congratulate you on your degree, but you missed out. It was an incredible experience.

This year a Liberal Arts & Sciences Recognition ceremony was added to the Saturday events of Commencement Weekend. Part-Time Studies was included in the A&S ceremony, which took place in the Pavilion. The Class of '09 processed into the Pavilion packed with friends and family members. Through a sea of humanity I was quickly able to spot my wife (who's very pregnant) and my two beautiful daughters. The vision of my 7 year old being so excited to see me provided me with a lasting memory.

To see their reaction again when my name was called as I walked across the stage to be greeted by the Dean of our college was priceless.

One of the recurring themes I heard all weekend from the speakers at these events was how graduation time is a celebration not just for you, but your family as well. All of them are either invested or have made sacrifices in our education. Taking part in commencement is a way to celebrate the moment and give thanks to all that have helped us along the way. Along those lines, I was also glad that I got to see many of the people who made my Villanova experience incredible and I took the opportunity to thank them.

After the recognition ceremony, we all walked over to Sheehan Lawn for a reception. This also allowed me to take the obligatory photo in front of the Villanova sign that I walked past for the past 6 years on my way from the Main Lot to classes at Bartley. After a quick bite to eat, I needed to make my way over to the Pavilion to prepare to carry a banner in the Baccalaurate Mass in the Villanova Stadium. I had been nominated along with several others to partake in commencement ceremonies and I was honored to do it. Playing a small part in the ceremonies made the weekend even that much better.

Finally, we move on to the big day. Sunday was Commencement Day. As great as the Saturday events were, it paled in comparison to Sunday. I really didn't know what to expect, but whatever I could have imagined it couldn't possibly top what took place Sunday morning in Villanova Stadium. What will stay with me through the rest of my life is what Jay Wright spoke about Sunday morning. It's the spirit of Villanova. It is something I felt in my very first class back in January 2003 and it was palpable in the stadium on Sunday.

I lost count at how many people I came across this weekend that congratulated me. Some were people I had known throughout my time here and others were just Wildcats spreading the spirit. That's the thing that will stay with me. For the 6 1/2 years I attended class here with people sometimes half my age, I have never felt out of place. There is a sense of community with the students and faculty at Villanova. The students here young and old, (oops, I mean older) share a bond. We are all Wildcats.

In closing, I would like to thank the 6 people who read this. I hope the sharing of my experiences this year has resonated with you or at least made you smile. For those still in pursuit of your degree, keep at it and when the day comes...celebrate!

As always I'll close my posting with a question...So are you walking?

Peace,
Allan Hurlock
Class of '09

Posted at 10:16AM May 19, 2009 by Allan Hurlock in Allan Hurlock '09  |  Post a Comment

What I Did on Spring Break!

Spring Break usually has a different meaning for part-time students. Most of us aren't headed off to Florida or Cancun, but it doesn't mean we don't enjoy it.

I've always looked at Fall and Spring Break as mile markers. They let us know the semester is half over and make a good transition point for FastForward courses. They also provide us a little breathing room and some time to catch up on things that we've fallen behind on.

I was completing a FastForward course an our teacher gave us until this past Sunday to complete our final paper. I took the opportunity of not having class to work on the paper. It's amazing how much you can accomplish with a little undivided attention! I also took a couple days off from work to recharge my batteries. I did some things around the house and escaped from school and work. You need to do this.

A little me time is my secret to success.

One of the things I learned early on was do not over stress one aspect in your life or it will affect all aspects of your life. For example, the paper I was working on. It was a pretty hefty assignment. The professor wanted a 1600 word research paper, using at least four resources. The topic wasn't exactly one in my comfort zone, so I can see where this could get ugly.

I took a systematic approach to the paper. I figured out what I wanted to say, then I found some resources that supported that argument as well as some that opposed.At that point, the paper was pretty easy to write. I did a little each day and at the end of the week I had over 2000 words, which I edited down to about 1800.

I sent it via email and in an instant another course was complete. But, wait...
What about the grade?

What about the grade? When your purpose for attending college is your own personal growth, what relevance does a grade have? Since completing my first class I haven't thought about grades really much at all. I have faith in my abilities and leave it there. There have been classes that I've gotten A's in and I didn't learn much and conversely there have been classes I got C's in and learned a great deal. Ultimately, you are the one that can truly gauge how well you've done.

The moral of my story is stressing over papers and grades is negative energy. Have fun, enjoy the rest of the semester and I'll check back in to share my graduation experience.

Posted at 01:12PM Mar 13, 2009 by Allan Hurlock in Allan Hurlock '09  |  Post a Comment

New Year, New Semester!

It's another new year and that means another semester is starting. The years and the semesters seem to be flying by like chapters in a good book. This one though is special. It's my last semester - my final chapter.

In May, my six year journey will arrive at its destination. What an amazing journey it has been! I recently had the privilege of attending the Part Time Studies 90th Anniversary celebration. As I mingled and talked with the guests, which was comprised of faculty, staff and students, I found myself reflecting on how Villanova has greatly affected me. I've written in the past that getting my degree was originally meant to complete a task that I had left undone. I then expressed how it didn't take long before this endeavor started to have much more meaning for me.

As I close out my undergraduate education, that meaning is still evolving. I'm really starting to focus on purpose. What is my purpose in life? How is my education going to benefit that purpose? My exploration into purpose started this past semester in James Barnes' Innovation class (MGT 2206). This was a very introspective class and it really came at good time. I'll be 41 years old in 3 weeks. I know that comes as a shock to those of you who know me because everyone says I look 25. :-)

I'm really at a point in my life where I've got to decide where I want to go in my career. Do I go to graduate school? Do I stay in Information Technology? Is there something else out there that I should be doing? All of these questions need to be aligned with my purpose in life. Getting these questions answered over the next few months is going to be tough as that little thing called life interferes.

So I'll ask some of my bloggers, have you got it all figured out? Share with me your life plans, perhaps it will give me some inspiration to jump as well.

Happy New Year!

Posted at 11:11AM Jan 08, 2009 by Allan Hurlock in Allan Hurlock '09  |  Post a Comment

Crunch Time Part Deux

Ok, another semester is in the books. As usual, it was a couple of hectic days at the end. This was only complicated by traveling for work during finals week. Luckily for me I had some understanding professors who allowed me to take finals last week.

As I stated in Crunch Time, have faith and it'll all get done. Well it did. For me it's a matter of scheduling time to do it all. I had a huge report due for one class and managed to take a vacation day from work to complete it. My other class I had little work left to complete because the assignments were given so much in advance.

What I try to do is pair classes in a semester that will balance the workload. For example, I don't take two writing comprehensive courses at the same time. I also don't take two courses that require a ton of reading.

Hopefully, you can all breathe easier for the next few weeks. Relax and enjoy the time off.

Happy Holidays.

Posted at 07:20AM Dec 17, 2008 by Allan Hurlock in Allan Hurlock '09  |  Post a Comment

Crunch Time

It's been awhile since I posted. I'm sure most of you Part Time Studies people can sympathize when I say I was busy. It's amazing how life as a student/worker/father/Phillies Fan can keep you busy.

What a month October was with the Phillies winning the World Series. And to do it in my senior year - simply amazing. Additionally, work has been getting really hectic with late night conference calls with APAC clients and essentially working every waking hour. As busy as things can get sometimes, it sure is good to know it's good stuff that's keeping me busy. This time of the year is also when all of the end of the semester projects come due.

As I look back over the past 5 years or so, I can honestly say I've definitely grown in how I handle the craziness of school work. My first year or two I would really stress over final projects. Then I started to realize that all that stress wasn't really doing me any good. At the end of the day, I never missed an assignment and I did pretty well grade-wise. As the saying goes, I don't sweat the small stuff.

So if you got a case of the end of the semester blues, try something new. Forget about it and just put faith in knowing it'll get done.

So I'll ask my fellow PTS Bloggers...how do you manage your school/work/home challenges?

Posted at 08:03PM Nov 17, 2008 by Allan Hurlock in Allan Hurlock '09  |  Post a Comment

Getting Started

My first class at Villanova was ENG1050. I think it was the perfect class to start with. A large portion of the class involved reading and interpreting poetry, which was totally outside of my comfort zone. I'm not going to lie, it was a struggle, but something happened along the way. The reason I pursued my degree changed.

As I mentioned in my first entry, I essentially started college because it was something I had never accomplished. No longer was I just getting the piece of paper I didn't have, I was actually enjoying the learning aspect of it.

At this point, I'm finishing up my last 5 classes, and as I look back I can honestly say that almost every one of my classes added value to my education. I'm a Leadership major and there's no question that those classes added great value and will help me as I move forward with my career.

What may be surprising is I believe sociology, ethics and philosophy added just as much value, if not more. Those classes provided a depth of knowledge that I wasn't going to get anywhere outside of college. What college does for you is it gets your mind working. You learn how to appreciate a wide range of ideas and how to think critically about them.

Another class I want to single out is THE2029 otherwise known as "the acting class". While I'm certainly not going to become the next Kevin Spacey, this class really develops your ability to get up in front of people.

So what class did you take that surprised you with the amount of value it added? Until next time....

Posted at 10:28AM Oct 01, 2008 by Allan Hurlock in Allan Hurlock '09  |  Post a Comment

Just Do It!

Wow, I thought this day would never come, but it's arrived. I'm a blogger. j/k. Actually, my excitement these days is over the start of my "official" senior year.

I want to use this space to share my thoughts on how the past 5 or so years has transformed me. If I'm a good blogger hopefully it'll trigger some thoughts on your own transformation, for which you can share.

I guess since this is my first entry I'll start at the beginning. When I graduated high school, my priorities were getting my own car. I told my dad that I needed a car to which he replied "No, you need a job". A six month technical school was going to get me a car quicker than a four year college, so I took that route. I've never really had any regrets about that choice. This was back in the 80's and the IT field was booming.

I did pretty well with my career and even went back to technical school in mid-90's to refresh my skills. It wasn't until I hit mid-30's that I started to take stock in my life. I was doing well with my career, I had just gotten married, bought my first house and had my first child. What was missing? The obvious omission was I never went to college.

This wasn't the first time I had thought about attending college. Early in my career I worked at Penn, so I looked into it then, but my heart wasn't in it.

I thought about it from time to time, but again I just wasn't ready. Finally, fate took over. It was on my brain again, when coincidentally the winter education guide was stuffed into the middle of the Philadelphia Inquirer. I saw the Villanova University Part-Time Studies advertisement and decided to call just to scratch the itch. I was fully ready for the person on the end of the line to give me a roadblock, and I'd move on with my life. This was a Friday when I made the call and after talking with Villanova for a few minutes, they asked me if I wanted to start class on Monday. I remember thinking about it for 10 seconds or so and I finally said "YES!"

It was a life changing moment for me. I knew I was the type of person that finishes what they start, so at that very moment I knew I was going to be a college graduate at some future date.

In my next post, I'll share more about beginning my Villanova experience, but for now I'll ask, "What got you to enroll at Villanova?"

Posted at 02:03PM Sep 10, 2008 by Allan Hurlock in Allan Hurlock '09  |  Post a Comment