Having graduated from Adult Education Centres in June, 2011, I am now attending the University of Manitoba to pursue a Bachelor of Commerce Degree.  I have always believed that education is a lifelong goal and everyday is a chance to learn something new.  My parents believed that having an education was important and instilled in my siblings and I the importance of attending school.  However, as we got older and started to have opportunities to get jobs, usually labour jobs, and earn money, we all eventually left school without graduating.  Our youngest brother graduated grade 12 and I felt a bit envious because I never realized my dream of graduating high school and attending university.

After years of working and raising my family, I did finally go back to school to finish grade 12.  One of my grandchildren attended my graduation and I felt so proud of that moment when my daughter took that picture of me holding my diploma.  I have now completed two years in the University of Manitoba and I expect to continue for three more years to attain my degree, which I have spoken of often to my wife and children.

Attending school again has changed my outlook on life.  I feel like I have a renewed energy, a reinvigoration if you will, almost like I feel more youthful.  I am facing different challenges of learning new ideas, new concepts, and different ways of thinking in my classes everyday.  My wife sees me as a child having a new experience when I am attempting to explain to her a new and different concept that is part of my studies, but then she is biased toward me.

One of our daughters graduated with a Bachelor of Nursing degree and another is studying for her Bachelor of Science degree.  One of our sons is working on receiving his red seal as a chef and another wants to be a welder.  We are proud of our children that they are pursuing post-secondary education and that they realize an education will go a long way towards providing a satisfying career.  Having a career and doing what you like is important to feel that your job is not really a ‘job’.

We have eleven grandchildren ranging in age from eight months to 18 years and I am hopeful that my attendance at university will inspire them to graduate grade 12 and continue on to some post-secondary education.  When I talk to my eight-year old granddaughter and tell her that I am going to school, she laughs at me as if to say, “Yeah, right.”  She responds, “No, you go to work, you don’t go to school.”  So, I took her and two of her cousins to the University of Manitoba to wander around and show them where I attended some of my classes.  They were quite amazed at how huge the university is.

There is an annual “Pow-wow Graduation” for Aboriginal students and I told my grandchildren, “I want you guys here to cheer me on when I graduate so I can show you my degree”, and they all said, “O.K.”.  Now that I have a date with my grandchildren, I have additional impetus to finish my degree.  This all started because I went to Adult Education Centres (AEC) to finish high school and graduate Grade 12.  I want to especially thank Lou and Ruby and all the support staff that were and are still showing their encouragement, not only to me, but to all the students attending AEC.  Without their commitment and dedication, I would not be where I am today, attending the University of Manitoba and chasing my dream.

                                                                                                                                                                Good afternoon everybody, let me begin by saying it is an honor, and a privilege to be here today.  When I began writing my speech, it was something that I had not done before.  I wasn’t exactly sure how to proceed, so I ended up doing what I usually do. I study the people who have come before me, who are proven experts, and see what they have done, and how.  I watched YouTube videos of previous graduation speakers like Barack Obama, and Oprah Winfrey.  I also read the speeches of other AEC alumni from past years, and I noticed two things: Values are almost always mentioned; and it is acceptable to tell a little story about your own experiences.

Before I began my research, I too was going to formulate my speech around values, but I would like to do something a little different. Plus if you have been through the AEC, you have undoubtedly been exposed to the importance of values at some point. In order for this to be an official speech however, I am required to touch on values at least once. Please allow me to give you a quick summary of how I view morale subjects.  Values decide which teams you play for, if you strongly believe in honesty, compassion, justice and honor, than let those values guide your conduct. On the other hand, if you lie, cheat, steal, or tolerate those who do, all the education in the world will not change the fact that you are a burden to society. For myself, it is that simple, choose a side.  Psychologists might shriek at that over simplification, but that is how I see it.

I mentioned earlier that when I am in doubt on how to proceed, I usually emulate someone who is a proven star, or expert, in their field. One of the main reasons I am here today, able to speak about my recent academic success, is because I’ve been imitating the habits and characteristics of the staff and teachers at the AEC for several years now.  Their hard work, dedication, and amazing grace, is what makes these ceremonies possible. Their everyday resolve to see us through inspires us, and motivates us to accomplish our goals. Their example is the very definition of leadership.  The AEC is like a magical factory, every fall it accepts people of all different ages, cultures and educational backgrounds, and in the spring, produces highly skilled, community conscientious graduates.  It is truly remarkable what the AEC accomplishes year in, and year out.  That is one of the many reasons I am incredibly proud to be a former AEC student and graduate, and still to this day, it remains my favorite place on Earth.  I would like to take a moment to recognize a few particular individuals at the AEC who were kind enough to continue helping me this year, even though I am no longer a student at AEC.  Anne Grossman who has done a phenomenal job taking over as the new director, she is a wonderful educator, and was brave enough to trust me to be a speaker today. To Liz Plett and Christine Grosshans, who allowed me to work with their students as a volunteer tutor.  And to Ruby Schilke who is always injecting me with confidence, and encouraging me to improve my writing skills.  Thank you very much for the excellent opportunity to learn, and contribute, you have all been a great help to me many ways.

I would also like to take the time now to thank another very special group of people that made this possible. To all the friends and family of the graduands who stuck by them, and supported them anyway they could, especially financially, I thank you on behalf of the graduands, and the community.

I know from experience that one the toughest parts of graduating as a mature student is that often there is very little support out there for you. In many cases, no one outside of school takes your efforts seriously, and that includes the provincial and federal governments. It is practically impossible for most people to get any financial aid, of any sort while returning to school. That is something I would like to see change in the future. Some people would argue that we had our chance already; society has paid for us to go to high school, so too bad for us. I disagree; I would counter argue that society’s ways of doing things are inflexible and archaic.  I believe one of the ways to change society for the better is to do what we have done, break the mold, and buck the trend.  I believe that we have shown that there are reliable, viable, and superior alternatives to the established way of doing things.

One of the main reasons why I struggled so mightily in High School was because I had no idea what I wanted to do after. I am from a small town on the edge of the Canadian Shield.  When I was that age, I knew very little about the wider world, and I did not have enough facts to make an informed decision about my future.  People often hesitate to believe me when I tell them I always planned on attending post-secondary education at some point after High School.  To me, it was only logical to spend some time outside of the province, and gain some life experience before committing to a degree.  Unfortunately, society makes it incredibly difficult to return to school after leaving. It took me four attempts to acquire all the credits I needed to apply to post-secondary, and I do not even have any children.  For those of you that do have little ones, you must be tough as nails, I have no idea how you made it through, but you did, and I admire your resolve and determination.

In the future, I would like to see what we have accomplished become normal.  Instead of people being stigmatized as drop-outs, and abandoned by most of society.  Young people should have a chance to get some life experience before making a huge decision that will have various implications and big consequences on their lives.  I believe it would make a happier, healthier community, as well as improve the quality of life of the individual.  Planned or not, I think you are all pioneers of this future trend, thank you for cracking the mold and blazing a trail for the next group.  I know all of you have you worked long hours, and suffered some hardships to be here today, but do not despair, it actually gets easier from here.  You have all done a fantastic job, so take a rest, enjoy the summer, and be proud of your accomplishments.

Congratulations to all the AEC Graduates of 2013.

Sincerely,

Edward Kuipers

Director’s Address to the Graduates of 2013 by Anne Grossman

Today is National Aboriginal Day, so I have decided to use the Medicine Wheel to help explain the journey we have taken to reach the milestone we are celebrating today. (All information pertaining to the medicine wheel is based on the Aboriginal Medicine and Healing Practices from the University of Ottawa.)

The medicine wheel is divided into 4 quadrants: East, West, North and South.

The East represents the direction of the daily birth of the sun.  I associate this with the day you decided to come back to school to earn your mature high school diploma.  Remember that day?  I am sure some of you were scared, wondering if the experience was going to be like it was back in high school. Some of you probably questioned how am I going to do this with a full time job and a family?  Some of you probably walked in with a determination and readiness so strong, nothing was going to stop you from achieving your educational goal.  Regardless of your feelings that first day when you walked in and were greeted by a fiery red-head and a smiley Melissa, you made it through.  You stand here today as a Graduate of 2013 and that is to be commended.

As you embark onto new adventures in life, whether it is post-secondary education or a new job, or climbing the ranks at your current job, or whether you are going to solve today’s biggest mystery: What does rhyme with hug me?, remember that fear you felt on the first day and embrace the feeling of satisfaction and joy you are experiencing today.  All new things that are unknown bring fear but the outcome of persisting through those feelings often brings reward.

The South represents intellectual growth and that is exactly what you have been working on to reach this day.  You have hashed out research papers, math projects, essay writing, trigonometry, portfolios, oral presentations, algebra, novels and the list goes on.  All of the late nights doing homework and weekends dedicated to school paid off. Take this work ethic with you to your future endeavors and always continue to learn, because learning brings you good health, an enhanced family life and allows you to be a positive contribution to society.

The West represents adulthood and introspection.  Miriam-Webster defines introspection as a reflective looking inward: an examination of one’s own thoughts and feelings.  I am positive you have all done a lot of introspection as you were working through many of your assignments.  Is this worth it?  If I get this done – look at how many doors this will open. You will encounter other difficult moments in life.  I encourage you to always examine how you are feeling and keep your focus on the end zone – keeping in mind the goal you are trying to reach.

The North represents the spiritual aspects of life.  This is my first year in adult education and I wasn’t sure what to expect in regards to school climate.  I am so proud to say that staff and students become family-like in the short time that you are at AEC.  The teachers and I met on Tuesday for a staff meeting and we talked a while on how the school climate is positive and how close we have all become.  From outings to the Museum of Human Rights, to hearing Voices at the Faces building, to dressing up in pink to support diversity, I am confident that you, as have I, have created some memorable moments at AEC. I thoroughly enjoyed say good morning to you as you walked into the building, our conversations we had during the day, working with some of you on Math or Biology and wishing you a wonderful day or evening at the end of your class time.  Whether you’ve been called “Sweetie” by Ruby or whether Joe has responded to one of your stories with a cool 70’s “Sweet” I encourage you to take these memories with you in whatever you decide to do in life and my wish for you is to continue to make new memories.

The North also represents old age and wisdom.  As you move forward from this day on, whether it is to raise a family, seek a university degree or a college diploma, or to find employment or move up the ranks in the job you currently have, know that we are very proud of your accomplishment and that you have already demonstrated your wisdom by achieving your high school diploma today.

On behalf of the AEC staff, I thank you all for the awesome memories and I congratulate every one of you for achieving your Mature High School Diploma.

Congratulations Class of 2013!!

Good Afternoon Ladies and Gentleman Guests,

Fellow Graduates,

Teachers and our director Anne

It is hard to explain, words cannot describe the feelings we graduates are experiencing today what this moment is all about for most of us. This was a long and winding road that we travelled to be here this afternoon. In a few-few minutes when we get up, hear our name called out and receive our diplomas, it will be proof we made it, we achieved our ultimate goal.

For some of us we are planning on and extend our goals by continuing  on to post-secondary education. Some of us are on track and to say “I did what I said I was going to do all along…to get my diploma” There are others to move on who would like to continue with their daily lives, working, raising a family, enjoying life. All of us here believe it or not, we can show by leading by example to all those who postponed, stopped school, and to show the younger generation out there “If I can do it…so can you!” in my case I am honoring my late father.

Speaking on behalf of all graduates we would like thank AEC (Adult Education Centers) for this final moment we all waited for, it may have taken us time but it was well spent. Also last for the families and friends for your guidance, support, and love -thank you.

Finally to all teachers past, and present, from the previous AEC director Phil McBurney and to the current director of the school Anne Grossman thank you all.

Ladies and Gentleman…on behalf of AEC class of 2013:

Thank you and Good Afternoon!

Good afternoon fellow graduates, teachers, family and friends. It has been a long, treacherous road, but we are here, we are graduating.

​I would like to begin today by saying how thankful that I am to have met each and every one of you. If it weren’t for you, I would not be here today. Every person who set foot through the doors of AEC this year has given me the feeling of acceptance and assurance.

​  Getting to kn

ow new people and feeling comfortable in groups has never been one of my strong points. Yet, somehow, you all brought me out of my shell. Since then, I have gotten to know many of you, and have most certainly made some lifelong friends along the way. I know that many of you have experienced this too, and I am happy that we all got to do that together.

​There was never a point where encouragement was lacking from students or teachers. There would always be someone to pick you up if you felt like you were falling down. The abundance of inspirational posters around schoo

l helped with that too, of course.

​As we all know, coming to school every day would have been drastically different if it were not for the prodigious staff here at AEC.

​Sheryl and Melissa; You both know how much we all despise mornings. Yet, the second we walk through the door your morning-loving attitudes turned contagious. You both make everyone feel happy to be at school. You are always there when we need someone to talk to, which always ended up being helpful in more ways than you know.

​Glen; Your passion for teaching what you love has helped me to figure out the rest of my career life. If I had never taken your psychology course, and you did not love what you do, I would still be lost. Ten years down the road when I am helping people in need, I will always have your class in the back of my mind. Though we ended up with only four people in our class, every day was completely different, always fun, and you made us all anticipate what we were going to learn next.

​Joe and Lou; I know you both, and everyone who was ever in math class with me, have heard this at least one hundred times, but, I love math! Before I started here at AEC, I would never have dared to utter those words. I could not seem to pass actually. With the help and encouragement of you both, I have excelled. No matter how my day was going, being in either of your math classes would always cheer me up. I will forever be the only student to ever look forward to a math test, I am sure.

​Ruby; Twelve hours a week is what we would spend together. I am surprised you never got sick of me to be honest. Though being in both Skills and Transactional English with you in one semester, in one day, was tough, you always had faith in me. You would always throw words of encouragement our way whenever you had an extra second. Needless to say, you have an amazing ability to inspire people. I believe I can speak on the behalf of everyone in any of your classes this year when I say: you have been like a mom to us all. Your generous and caring personality, as well as being a terrific teacher, has had a huge impact on us not only academically, but in our lives as well.

​And Anne; You have welcomed each and every one of us, here in AEC, with open arms. You have made our school exactly what it is; a safe, comfortable place to learn and grow as individuals. You have presented us all with endless opportunities for our futures. And for that, I am eternally grateful. Thank you for making our dreams possible.

​And to the rest of you who have taught or learnt here at AEC this year, thank you. The success we have achieved together would have been impossible without the support we have shared amongst each other. We are all on our way towards something great.

​Steve Jobs once said, “Your time is limited, so don’t waste is living someone else’s life. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and your intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.” When I first read this it made me think of everything we have been through together and where we are heading in life. We all made the choice of coming back to school, no matter the situation. Whether you are a single parent, found yourself in the wrong place at the wrong time, or you simply chose living life over school. We each made the decision to come back to finish on our own. I don’t know about any of you, but I have been told a time or two that I wouldn’t succeed. Thankfully though, I did not listen.

​As Lou always says, “Don’t second guess yourself!” I always thought that she just meant in math, but in reality it’s for your life choices as well. You were always successful at giving us secret life lessons in math, Lou. Though in math, it always seemed to work as well.

​Since the first day of school this year, we have all come a long way. The progress in everyone here ranges in knowledge and confidence. I, myself, was extremely shy and kept quiet at first. But, with the amazing hearts and personalities of you all, when I walk into the school now, I feel as though I am coming home to family.

​We may all go our separate ways, but you will all be in my heart and my memories for years to come.

​I would like to congratulate you all for getting this far and following your dreams. This is the end of something great, but the beginning of something which is that much better. I am honored to be celebrating this day with each and every one of you.

​And to AEC’s graduating class of 2013, we did it!

“The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity.  The fears are paper tigers.  You can do anything you decide to do.  You can act to change and control your life; and the procedure, the process is its own reward.”

That is a quote by Amelia Earhart.  I found it in my English exam that had the theme ‘Decisions’.  I thought the theme of the exam was quite funny and ironic because decisions are what brought us all here, and each one of us has a story.

Take mine for example.  I made one bad decision that had a chain reaction of bad happenings.  The start of this chain was that I dropped out of high school because having ADHD made it too hard for me.

Being 18 with no high school, I got stuck with a low paying job, and got a credit card to buy the things that I couldn’t afford with my low pay.  Next thing I knew, I was in debt equal to a year’s pay.

With this kind of debt I ended up getting one of those crappy, but good paying, jobs where I ended up hurting my back.  This injury, eventually, caused me to lose the very job that caused it.

With an injured back and no education, it was impossible to get a job.  This caused me to become very depressed, and have some pretty dark thoughts.  Everything in my life was falling apart.

Luckily, I ran into a girl that told me how she recently signed up at an adult high school.  With really nothing else to lose, I looked up some schools and found AEC, and signed up myself.

But that is just my story.  All of you I am speaking for today share similar stories, some not as bad, and some even worse.  These stories could range anywhere from a person just wanting to better understand the English language, being a single mother, or getting into drugs during school.

But the most important part is that we made the right decision of coming back and seeing it through to the end.  This is not a simple task.  This is not like the first time you went to high school where at the end of the day you just simply went home to your parents’ house.

This time it is much different, and much more difficult.  Now we have to go to work after school, pick up and take care of our kids, make sure the bills are paid, face our fears, and much more.

This list alone can make life tough for most people.  Now imagine all that with school and homework thrown into the mix.  This may have been the toughest year or years for some of you, myself included.  There were times when I wanted to give up, but I never did.

I owe this to the students and staff at this school, and my family. Whenever I felt like giving up, someone was always there to keep me on track.  Right from the start I owed Glen a huge thanks.

I worried that I would just fail English like every other time in the past, but Glen was the first teacher, ever, to make me understand grammar and punctuation.  He was even kind enough to correct my grammar and punctuation in Psychology, so, as a gift, I printed out an extra copy of my speech for him to correct.  You can think of it as a parting gift Glen.

Melissa and Sheryl, for making it fun to go to school with both the smiles and the heartfelt conversations.

Sherry and Big daddy Kookamungus (some of you may know him as Steven) for making me realize that even though my life seemed like a living hell at times, I was never alone.

Linda, for making me realize my strengths and that I have the capability to achieve a lot more than I give myself credit for, such as becoming a vegan after watching just a few class videos.

Sue, for being my in-school mom, phoning me every class I missed when I was thinking of quitting, making sure I was always fed whenever she thought I was hungry, and, lastly, entertaining us with her excitement about her newly learned use of the word “troll”.

Damien, even though you thanked me for helping you through school, I owe you equal thanks for helping me.  You had me constantly doing my best out of fear of losing our bet, which, by the way, I won.  And Damien, feel free to feel famous like you said you would.

Lastly and most importantly, my family.  Though they never said it, I always felt like I let them down by dropping out of school, so hearing them continuously tell me how proud they are of me made it a lot easier to stick it through to the end.  Thanks to their support, I managed to achieve marks similar to the ones I was always jealous of my sister for.

Like our stories, our thanks go to different staff and students, but they are all for the same reason.  For helping us get here today.  But do not let that take away from your own accomplishment.  You may owe your family, new friends, and teachers a lot of thanks, but it was your choice to take those first steps of getting here.  We were all here just to help you along the way.

It was all of your hard work and dedication that got you to grad, no one else’s.  Just like it will be your hard work and dedication that will take you to your next stage in life, and, to those of you who are afraid of that next stage, don’t be.

Because, today is not only “the day you graduated high school”, it is the day that you proved that you could overcome your biggest fear and hardships, and the day that you proved to yourself that you can do anything you want to do, and you will have your diploma to remind you of that every single day.

So put your diploma somewhere where you will always see it.  That way, whenever you get discouraged or afraid, you can look at that piece of paper and remind yourself, “I can do it, “ because I know each of you can achieve success.  That is why you are all graduating today.

And when I say success I mean a life full of happiness, not a bank account full of money.  As long as you are doing what you love and what makes you happy, even if you’re not rich, you are being successful.

So as we celebrate today—not as the last day of school, but as the start on our road to success- I want to say congratulations AEC’s class of 2012.  We did it!

This is my 13^th year in adult education, and for 13 years in a row I have given an address to adults graduating from high school.  This is also my 60^th year in school.  That’s right.  I’ve either been a student or a teacher or an administrator since 1952.  Some of your parents weren’t even born in 1952.  So it’s time for a change for me.

After many years of teaching high school, I started my career in adult education in 1999 at McLeod Adult Learning Centre, just across the river.  A lot of centres started in 1999, including AEC.  Our first graduating class was 17 people.  I have vivid memories of that year and those seventeen people.  In addition to being the school’s program coordinator, I had also taught most of them.  Over the last 13 years I have kept all my speeches to graduating classes, so I hunted down my speech to the McLeod Class of 2000.

Looking it over, I see that I called them heroes.  I have a literature background, so I compared what my students did that year to what classic heroes in literature do.  They take on an impossible quest or task, descend into the underworld to face their demons and, most often, emerge victorious—stronger, better people.

In fact, one student from that first graduating class named Bonnie provided a vivid example of the hero.  Bonnie was well into her forties.  She was forced out of school in Grade 9, and had worked at a series of bartending jobs ever since.  She once told the story of how she had dispatched an unruly drunk by clubbing him several times over the head with the receiver from a nearby pay phone.  School had not been kind to Bonnie.  She had been bullied, labeled, made to feel stupid, and, eventually, quit or was expelled.

As part of my Grade English class, like many of you this year, Bonnie needed to write the Grade 12 provincial exam.  We had done our practice and were as prepared as we could be, but on the way to the exam on the first day, Bonnie had a full-blown panic attack, to the point where she needed to pull her car over so she could relax and breathe.  When she finally herself down to the point where she could drive, she made her way to school and wrote the exam—about a half hour late.  How did she do?  Well, she got 81% on her essay and 85% on the exam overall.  The provincial average was 67%.  That night, all those years later, she made a point of calling the one teacher she the one teacher from Grade 9 that she felt she could talk to.  She was hosting a grad party, so we could all hear her.  “Hey, Mr. Gaston.  Mr Gaston, it’s Big B.”  Even 25 years later, he knew who she was.  “Guess what, Mr. Gaston.  I did it!”

Bonnie’s is the classic story of the hero, someone who decides to face their demons.  Many of your stories, I am sure, are similar.  You’ve done something quite remarkable.  Coming back to school as an adult—with all the adult responsibilities like work and family, not to mention the anxiety, especially if school is not —is not an easy thing.

Being a hero doesn’t necessarily mean you need to be a fireman rushing into a burning building.  It simply means putting yourself in a position where you could fail, having the courage to take a risk, even in the small things.  I know the journey most of you have been on.  I’ve seen hundreds of adults graduate just like you today.  I’ve seen some amazing transformations.  I love it when I see hesitant students “lock in” and get it done.

We’ve just posted a cartoon on our Facebook page depicting stick figures in various postures ascending a staircase.  The figure on the bottom stair sits glumly saying, “I won’t do it.”  The figures on each stair gradually become more animated, with the one at the top leaping in the air in triumph.  A phrase accompanies each stair level, starting at the bottom.

I won’t do it.
I can’t do it.
I want to do it.
How do I do it?
I’ll try to do it.
I can do it.
I will do it.
Yes, I did it!

So, to you, AEC’s Class of 2012—Congratulations.  Yes, you did it!

[P.S. This is my final blog as Director of AEC, as I am due to retire shortly.  I have had a long and interesting career as an educator, but I have to say that the most interesting and rewarding years have been in adult education. ]

I was pretty good in high school math.  English—not so much.  Final marks:  Math-99%, English 63%.

So what did I do after high school?  Naturally, I went on to take English at university—choosing to major in my worst high school subject.  Now, I liked English; I just wasn’t very good at it.  The very first essay I handed in to my freshman English prof scored a 50%.  How did that make me feel—well, I felt like an imposter.  All the other people were way smarter than I was—they were real English students.  I was a fake.  In fact, I didn’t get a ‘B’ until third year.

To make a long story short, I eventually got the hang of it, but it was a bit of a journey for me.

I still think about Math and how my life might be different if I’d gone the math route.  My name might be Louise, for example.  I think about math so much I started taking up Sudoku puzzles.  I tell myself:  “I’m a math guy.  I can so Sudokus, no problem.”  But more about that later.

In addition to Sudokus, I can be a reno TV junkie.  One of my favourites is Disaster DIY.  Do you know it?  Typically, the show features a couple where the husband has started some kind of reno project, then is either overwhelmed or loses interest, or both.  The wife then calls Brian Baumler, an expert handyman, to come and clean up the mess, correct the mistakes, teach some skills and get the wayward husband back on track.  Inevitably, the husband learns, gains confidence and is able to tackle a project on his own.

Let me guess how those husbands first felt—they felt like imposters..  All other husbands were way smarter and more skilled than they were.  They weren’t real handimen.  They were fakes.  Are you seeing a pattern here?

This is the first part of a learning cycle.  We are fakes.  Everyone else is way smarter than we are.  Everyone else has it together and we don’t.  Just think of any time you stepped or were pushed out of your comfort zone.  Maybe you’ve coached your kid or taken up a new sport or activity, taken some kind of course, or started a new job.  And most likely, you’re at a point now—with your graduation about to be behind you—where you may well be on to something new, something unfamiliar, something likely to challenge your skills and your confidence.  Some next step for you.

If that’s the case, just be ready for how you’re liable to feel—like an imposter, like you’re in overwhelm, like everyone else has it together and you don’t—and put it in perspective.

When I did a Sudoku on line—I’m a math guy, remember—it gave me an evaluation.  I came in the first percentile.  Do you know what that means?  That means that 99% of the other people who’ve done the same puzzle were faster than I was and didn’t make any mistakes.  In other words, in the Sudoku world, I’m a big loser.  But with Sudoku—the stakes are pretty low, after all—I can put it in perspective.  I know that, if I persist, I’ll eventually get the hang of it.

So let me encourage you, whatever your next step is, to persist when it’s uncomfortable, to keep the faith in yourself, to realize you will eventually get the hang of it.  Otherwise, you rob yourself of the chance to rise to the challenge.

As Wayne Gretzky says:  “100% of the shots you don’t take will not go in the net.”

Recently a former student named Meghann Mclachlan participated on a panel that came to AEC to talk about the transition from our centre to post-secondary.  Meghann is now in third year at the University of Winnipeg with a double major in Sociology and Criminal Justice.

The transformation in Meghann over the last three years has been astonishing.  This past year she was published and credited in her professor’s new text book.  This was Meghann?  The single mother of two who dropped out of school and came to AEC to finish up?  The high school drop-out who worked at a series of dead-end jobs until she got tired of where she was headed?  The same Meghann who went to university to be a lawyer based on the thought that important people are doctors or lawyers?  “Well, I don’t like science,” she said to herself, “so I guess I’ll be a lawyer then.”  The same Meghann whose first couple of essays I edited to help her with her faulty grammar and organization?

If you talk to Meghann today, she’ll tell you about how university is more than marks and credits, and worth all the hard work, just because it opens up a whole new world of thinking and possibilities.  Meghann is in a different space now than she was when she first walked through our doors.

One thing she said really stuck with me.  “You don’t have to be that smart,” she said, “You just need some ‘butt’ time.”  Well, she actually used a ruder term.  But basically, there are times you just need to apply the seat of your pants to the seat of the chair and “Get ‘er done,” as Manitoba’s own John Montgomery might say.  It’s not that you need to be fantastically smart to do well at university; you just need to recognize when to apply yourself, and then simply apply yourself.

I have kept a file, as I am in the habit of doing about topics that interest me, on the transition from high school to post-secondary.  Several articles ask students for first-year survival tips.  So besides Meghann’s ‘butt’ time, here are a few others:

University is nothing to be afraid of—Professors provide summaries, reading schedules, online notes and PowerPoint slides.  The trick is, of course, to pay attention to them.  As Meghann said, you don’t have to be a genius; you just have to apply yourself.

Get lots of sleep—you need to be alert in class.  Doing a slack-jawed head bob during a slow-moving lecture will not do much for your learning.

Get to class early—so you can…

Sit in the front row—Not heard of the famous “Magic T”?  Statistically, studies have shown that students sitting across the front and down the middle of classes get higher marks.  No why would that be?  Besides, why fight the statistical odds?

Read your syllabus—Professor will hand out a detailed course outline on the first day.  Read it, mark dates for assignments in your calendar, and check your schedule of readings in order to…

Stay on top of readings—Most courses have scheduled readings with dates attached to them.  Keep up.  Even better, prepare for classes by doing the assigned readings ahead of time.  Study up on how to take notes on what you’re reading by googling one of the many websites that explain methods and tips.

Talk to your professors—especially if you are unclear about the parameters of an assignment or where you stand in the course.  All professors hold office hours.  Make an appointment.

Plan your time—You will find yourself with all kinds of unstructured time in university, which has undone many a student.  Get a planner.  Read up on time management if you lack that skill.

Check the rules—Especially about citing sources, bibliographies and the like.  Do you know the difference between MLA, APA and Chicago, and do you know which style your professor prefers?  And also when you don’t understand an assignment, you need to learn to be assertive as a post-secondary student.  Therefore…

Ask questions—Of course, you can’t ask questions if you don’t attend class, so that’s another issue.  (“Did anything happen in class during the last two weeks?” is not a question you want to be asking.)  When you’re in tutorials and lectures, stay engaged by probing when you need understanding.  And take advantage of office hours, mentioned above.

I could go on here, but that’s enough for now.  Drop-out rates at post-secondary are notoriously high, but I’m convinced that attending with at least some knowledge of the transition from high school will serve you well, and keep you from wasting your time and money.