Heather's Study Day

Hi! My name is Heather, and I’m a 19-year-old college student currently living at home with my mom, dad, and 3 siblings. I was really excited to be able to contribute to Kaleigh’s and Anna’s blog and share a little about my typical school day.

I am enrolled in CollegePlus! which, as most of you probably know, is an independent, home-based learning system which allows me to earn my college degree mostly through CLEP, DSST, and FEMA exams. Later on, I will enroll in Thomas Edison State College to complete my degree. So far, I have earned 54 credits, with 6 credits pending.

A typical study day for me is…so varied and inconsistent, that I guess you could say I don’t really have a typical study day…but I try to fit in at least a few hours of studying every day. Usually, I get up anywhere from 7:00 to 8:30 am. I don’t have a strict work schedule, so my daily routine is normally very flexible. Once I have sufficiently woken up and am somewhat alert, I enjoy my morning devotions and eat breakfast. Some time during the earlier parts of the morning, I will go down to the barn and feed our horse and clean out the stall.

Hopefully by mid-morning, I will finally have time to sit down to study for a few hours before lunch. I’m currently working on the DSST exam Technical Writing, so I’ll typically read my main textbook for that course, The Elements of Technical Writing, for an hour or so, and then do additional studying online at various websites that address technical writing. To keep my study day a little brighter and colorful, I like having a good supply of music to listen to while studying.

After lunch, I’ll do more reading in my textbook or online studying. During the rest of the afternoon, my time is taken up with many other activities such as practicing the piano and/or harp, which are both a major part of my life at this time; reading; taking a walk out on our country roads; playing with my younger brother; or taking care of the horse and our other animals. The evenings are usually set aside for family time….watching a movie, playing games, and family devotions. Later, before going to bed, I’ll usually work on my ALEKS Intermediate Algebra course for about an hour.

And there you have my not-so-typical day, which surprisingly turned out to be more typical than I thought it would be.

I’m so thankful that I found out about CollegePlus! It has dramatically changed the way I look at college, and I have made so many amazing friends through it. I wholeheartedly recommend it to any young person looking for a way to get done with college faster, for less, and for sure. And no, I wasn’t paid to say that.

Waiting on the Lord

Psalm 27:14 “Wait on the Lord; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the Lord!”

Waiting is definitely a hard thing to do when we feel like we need to have the answer now. Sometimes, it just feels like we will never get the answer and we may wonder if God has forgotten about us and if He will ever respond. However, we know that God has a plan for us: a blueprint for our lives. We may not understand why we must wait or why we must wait so long, but God’s timing is perfect. God knows what is best for us and when the time is right, He will tell us what the answer is. It’s just a comfort for me to know that since God knows what is best for my life and is in control of it, I have nothing to fear. His decision will always be better than mine.

One of the hardest things during the waiting period is the endurance to “keep on”. Sometimes, the feelings tell us that we can’t go on without an answer to whatever it is that we are waiting for; but, we can. We may be waiting for an answer to a relationship problem with a friend or relative or we can be waiting for a decision on what degree we should get in college. God knows our needs, our desires, and even the activities that we don’t want to do. However, we can go on. We can continue to “run the race” while we wait. (Hebrews 12:1)

Another thing we must face is after the wait, when the answer comes. Has God said “yes”, “no”, or “wait a little more”? Can we live with that decision? The answer is: yes. We can live with it. We are so blessed to have God in charge of our lives. We may not appreciate it sometimes, but when we fully wait on the Lord and wait for His answer instead of seeking our own, we can be sure that God will respond in the way that will help us and not harm us. (Jeremiah 29:11)

One of my favorite verses that talks about waiting is Isaiah 40:31, which says: “But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.”

In Christ,

Anna
Isaiah 41:10

Sofia's Study Day

I am a 14 year old, and a freshman in highschool and college.

A typical study day for me consists of lots of things. I always start out my day with my Quiet Time. Right now I am reading the book of Romans. (I highly recommend reading it. It's an amazing book) After breakfast I start with Math. I absolutely love math, although when I do it for too long, it gets boring.

I am doing my highschool math/algebra, but through my curriculum I am studying for my College Mathematics CLEP. It has taken longer than I had anticipated, but unlike other subjects, math isn't something you can rush.

Then comes Spanish. I really enjoy Spanish. I have grown up hearing it, but I still struggle with all the conjugations. I hope to go on mission trips with my dad, but I have to get better at my speaking skills. I don't talk much in English, my first language, much less Spanish. But I passed my CLEP test so that makes me happy.

During my school day, I also work on my instruments. Piano, guitar, violin, and my voice exercises. Music has become a big part of my life. One of my goals is to do music as my profession.

Right now I am studying for the Western Civ 1 CLEP test. I study for about 2-3 hours a day on this subject. I am enjoying it.

That's my typical study day.

Waiting........

To wait.

What do those two words bring to mind? Waiting for an answer. Waiting for test results. Waiting for a relationship to heal. Waiting for an event to happen. Waiting to find the exact direction for your life. Waiting for the Lord to bring along your future spouse. Waiting for a college decision. Waiting to be finished with high school. Waiting for the next stage in your life. I have waited for all of these before, and I am still waiting for some of them right now. ;)

Not many people like to wait. For anything. Waiting is often hard. But God can use waiting to teach us to rely on Him. Only by surrendering everything to Him and “casting all our cares on Him” will we be able to wait contentedly for His decisions. In Psalm 27:14, God commands us to “Wait on the Lord”. He didn’t give us a choice. But He didn’t leave us helpless either. As we continue to wait on the Lord He will “strengthen our heart” and give us the patience and courage to keep waiting. (Ps.31:24) During any period of indecision in our lives He is there for us. God never gave us a command that He would not help us to obey. He will never leave us or forsake us. (Deut.31:8) And that is a promise you can hold onto. God cannot lie. He will do everything that He promises. (1 Thess.5:24) Therefore, He will be with you through every single moment that you are waiting (and every other moment, of course ;))

Sometimes there are questions that go unanswered. This does not mean that God isn’t listening. He is still there and is working all circumstances for your good. (Rom.8:28) God knows what is best for each of His children and He will provide the right answer at exactly the right moment. (Jer.29:11)

He may not answer when we expect Him to either. As Isaiah 55: 8-11 says, God’s thoughts and ways are not ours. His timing for our requests may be different than ours. He knows His plans and will accomplish what He purposes. Just like the rain and snow come from heaven and cannot go back up, when God gives a promise, He cannot retract it. Our times are in His hands and even when waiting, we can have hope in His word. (Ps.38:15; Ps.39:7) He will not leave us during our seasons of waiting, but will be there guiding, directing, and carrying us through each moment.

God bless,

Kaleigh

Isaiah 40:31

But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

Collin's Study Day

Since Kaleigh and Julianna asked me to contribute to their blog, I will attempt to sketch what a typical day (as much as a day is typical in homeschool families ;) ) is for me.

I wake up at 6:15 sharp every morning. Many times I will listen to music to keep me awake, as I start lifting a half hour later. I will many times do some light stretching or mobility work as a warmup.

Depending on the day, I will either do lower or upper body. Monday and Thursday are lower body days. Monday is training speed as well as building overall strength. Thursday is a maximal effort day-meaning I lift as much as I can in an exercise such as a squat or a deadlift. Tuesday is speed and overall strength for upper body, and Friday is maximal strength for upper body. 

I generally finish in less than an hour, so I will then do devotions and take a short nap before breakfast. I will start up CollegePlus studying at 9am, continuing on until lunch. After lunch, I generally check social networking and take about a half hour or do to chat with people on Skype, although the time I get on varies from day to day. During the afternoon, I will continue studying, but most of the studying then is on the Learning Network. After studying, I will do chores.

In the late afternoon, I will do stretching and mobility work. After that, I will either study yet again or relax until supper.

After supper, it is general family time until family devotions, which are usually around 8pm or so. After devotions, I will go back on Skype or just general time doing things. 

Depending on the day, I go to bed anywhere from 10:20-11:30. I usually fall asleep around 11:30, to wake up again at 6:15 sharp the next morning.

Bible Study

A little over a week ago, I attended a Skype Bible study call with a couple of my friends. I have attended a few other Bible studies on Skype over the past few months and also at my church throughout the years, but I was amazed at how helpful this call was to me and how it affected my entire week.
The week prior to the call was a hard one. Though I tried not to be, I was still a little afraid of upcoming activities, like my Sociology test, and then dealing with some disappointing interruptions that made my schoolwork schedule pay. And a few other things that made for a very discouraging week.
I almost wanted to skip the Bible study call, but I'm so glad that even though it was a bit unexpected, we still did one.
We were going through topics that we could talk about and the one topic that really stood out was: "Fear and Discouragement". Collin, a CollegePlus! student, explained the verses as Kaleigh and I took turns reading them. It was inspiring to see how many verses spoke the same thing: "Be strong and of good courage". God was giving that comforting reminder over and over again: to put our trust in Him and to not be afraid of things that are going wrong in our lives. I truly felt that God's hand was in that study. :)
As Collin had pointed out, "Be strong and of good courage" is not an "option", it is a "commandment". I had never really thought of it in that light before, but it really made sense. God didn't want me to just put my faith in Him when I felt like it. It was something that I had to do.
It reminded me a little of my junior high and high school years, when I really didn't want to get up in the morning and study. I could have found a lot of "better" ways to spend my time. But as I analyze it, I see a comparison between doing my schoolwork and trusting in God. True, schoolwork may not always be fun or easy; just like trusting in God through "thick and thin" is not always fun and easy. However, getting an education is important in our lives on earth; just as trusting God constantly is important in our daily lives and spiritual walk.
Worrying about the problems and disappointments is sometimes the easiest thing that I can do, but doing so will not draw me closer to God.
Since that Bible study on "Fear" and "Discouragement", I've found myself thinking about situations where I could have been trusting God more and what situations in the future that I might face and how I can handle them differently. It may not be easy, but with God's help, I can learn to trust Him in whatever situation I'm in. :)

God bless,
Anna

1 Chronicles 28:20

Cassandra's Study Day

Hello everyone! How are you all today?

My name is Cassandra and I’m seventeen years old. When my friend Kaleigh (and her friend, Anna) asked if I could write a post for her new blog, I was excited to be able to tell you all a little bit about my typical day as a CollegePlus! student.

I’ve been enrolled in CollegePlus! for about nine months and, to date, I’ve earned 57 credits from passing twelve CLEP tests and six FEMA courses. That makes me only one more CLEP test away from becoming a college junior.

On most mornings, I wake up at 6:00 and use every iota of willpower to get myself up and out of bed. Once I’m awake, I have my quiet time with God; just reading my Bible and praying. After I’ve eaten a quick breakfast and had my mug of coffee, I try to get some studying done.

The rest of my day is filled with piano practicing, physics homework (I’m still a junior in high school), household chores, and family time. For most of my college tests I spend some time each day reading in my textbooks and using the LearningNetwork (which is basically online flashcards) to study. Currently, I’m not working on any test, but I’ve been spending my time writing essays for a college course that I’m taking through Louisiana State University. I write my essays, mail them to my professor, and then my professor mails me back my graded papers.

When I study, I love to remind myself of Isaiah 40:31.

“but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength;

they shall mount up with wings like eagles;

they shall run and not be weary;

they shall walk and not faint.”

If my day has been productive, I spend my free time replying to emails, talking to friends on the phone or on Skype, blogging, reading, writing in my journal, or going outside for a walk.

Even though CollegePlus! has added to the business of my life, I love how flexible it is.

Some days I’m so busy with family activities that I hardly have time to sit down, let alone study. With CP!, though, that’s perfectly okay. I just make up the time on another day and, with my coach to encourage me, my family and friends beside me, and by the grace of God, the work always ends up getting done. It’s not easy and it takes a lot of self-motivation, but I feel so blessed to be able to pursue my college education faster, for less, and for sure.

Relationships

Relationships are like bank accounts. You have withdrawals and deposits. To keep a bank account from dying you must deposit frequently. Then when you need to withdraw something, it's there for you. The same thing happens with people. To cultivate a relationship you must invest in that person and they must invest in your life as well (a one-way friendship doesn't work usually). After you have "deposited" things in their life (ie helped them, encouraged them, taught them, been there for them), then you have room for withdrawals (ie asking them for help, requesting things from them). If you continually make withdrawals, your "account" will go bankrupt. We need to invest in each others lives and create lasting relationships.

Thanks to my dad for the comparison between relationships and a bank accounts. I wrote this after a stressful situation and I happen to be exhausted so I'm sorry that it's rather disjointed; it's just one of those important lessons that I learned that I wanted to write out and share. :) God bless.

~Kaleigh

Andrew M.'s Study Day

Okay, my name is Andrew and Im almost ancient at the age of 18. I have earned 12 Credits so far with CP.
Most days I study for about 6 hours using LN (The Learning Network) and REA guides. Today I studied 6 hours for the Principles of Management test. I usually like listening to music ie Leon Gallant, Mike Pendergast or something like that while I study.

Facing Tomorrow

Looking back over this past week, I'm reminded of God's grace, love, and mercy. Knowing that He has been there every moment, is a blessing in itself.

~On Monday, as well as the other four days in the week, I studied for Introductory Sociology. After working on the LearningNetwork, my REA book, and a few resources that both my CollegePlus! coach and Andrew M (a CollegePlus! student) sent me, I am feeling more comfortable with the terms and situations.

~On Tuesday, I started reading some verses in Proverbs before I began studying for the day. I enjoy reading Proverbs and learning something new from the verses every time that I go through them. In the afternoon, I went through some of my favorite music pieces for about forty-five minutes on the piano. Mainly trying to find a song that I could play for Offetory in church on Sunday.

~On Wednesday, I worked about four hours on Sociology in the morning and talked with my friends, various times throughout the day, on Skype. That night, my Mom and I played some board games and watched a couple of episodes from one of our favorite television series. Lately, I have found that the more time I spend with my Mom, even if it's just playing games or watching movies, the more I realize just how important those times are in my life.

~On Thursday, I lost access to my Skype account. After a few hours of live chatting with Skype tech and trying different things on the computer, I finally decided to start another account. I was so thankful that God has given me such good friends who understood and added me back on Skype. That evening, I was mostly trying to add my contacts back onto the new account.

~On Friday, I took a practice test, but I wasn't very happy about the results, so I went back to studying for the rest of the morning. I decided to go out late in the afternoon to take the dogs out for their walk. It felt good after a day in the house to just go out and exercise. It's been great to be able to stick to my one resolutions this year and run more. Even if that means doing so in the snow.

~On Saturday, I really had wanted to take the day off from studying. I decided, however, that I should complete a little of the LearningNetwork in the afternoon, but that was partly because I really didn't know what other productive things I could get done. I also realized that I had to teach Children's Sunday School the next day and I checked out a few websites for stories and coloring pages.

~On Sunday, I got up early to practice the hymns that I was suppose to play for the church service, gathered my Sunday School material, and went to church. The kids came in a little late, so we didn't begin right away, but it was interesting and a bit fun to have four, energetic kids to entertain for forty-five minutes. The church service went well and I really enjoyed talking with some of my friends afterwards. It seemed like it was kind of a short day, but it was a good one, too. It was a great day to just relax after the week's school activities.

On some of the days this last week though, I just wasn't looking forward to the following day and what needed to be accomplished. Then I remembered a verse that I had memorized many years ago in Sunday School. Psalm 118:24 says, "This is the day the Lord has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it". Going forward with this verse in my head and in my heart, I knew I could face tomorrow's problems with the confidence that the Lord has made every tomorrow and is always in control of them. Later, I remembered a favorite hymn that also reminded me that I could face tomorrow:

"Because He lives,
I can face tomorrow.
Because He lives,
All fear is gone.
Because I know,
He holds the future.
And life is worth the living,
Just because He lives."

Friends, I hope that this gives you encouragement and that you know you can always face tomorrow's challenges, because the Lord is with you every day of the week. My prayer for you, is that you will be richly blessed as you continue to walk with Him.

In Christ,
Anna
~ Numbers 6:24-26 ~

Sierra's Study Day

Hey, my name is Sierra and I’m 16 (almost 17). I have earned 27 credits through CollegePlus! which makes me a college Freshman.

Because I’m still in high school, my typical study day tends to be quite…loaded; but I enjoy it! I usually start my study day with a bit of high school work and then move into college studying and back into high school. That way, I’m not constantly having the same routine. When I study for a CLEP test, I always have two resources for sure: the LearningNetwork and REA guides. Sometimes, I use more and other times, that is all I have.

Right now, for the test I’m studying for, I have a study buddy who is also in CP!. I have found this extremely helpful as we both take practice tests, we can go over them together. It’s also nice to keep each other accountable.

When I study, I always have a music playlist going, a stack of index cards and Sharpies next to me, and of course, my study resource. To make sure I get everything done in a day, I have a “to do” checklist. Lists are always useful to me – and I make them for the tiniest things. I hope I’m not the only one.

New Posts

One of our readers suggested that we created a section on our blog about a CollegePlus! student's regular study day so non-CP people could see what it's like. So we asked several CP! students if they would write a post for us about their typical day. We hope to have several posts coming up at various times. Thank you so much to all of you who have written or are in the process of writing a post! They will be exciting to read. :)