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Back to School after all of these years
By Laura Tiedge, Rye Y Senior Director of Healthy Living

"The mind is not a vessel to be filled, but a fire to be kindled." – Plutarch

Sixteen years after earning my Bachelor’s degree from SUNY Stony Brook, I returned to academia, enrolling in the University of Pittsburgh’s Graduate School of Public and International Affairs. 

In 2000, the year I decided to pursue a Masters degree in International Political Economy, I was 39 years old and raising two children with my husband. Then, in 2001, life took another twist.  I was not quite finished with my first full year of a two-year program when we left Pittsburgh for Westchester County.  My pursuit of a postgraduate degree was put on hold as I focused on settling our family into brand new schools and community.

Eventually, I found a fulfilling career with the YMCA, and it was beginning to feel like my dream of a Master’s Degree (and ultimately a Ph.D.) was slipping away.  And then I found out about the Executive Masters Degree program through Springfield College in Massachusetts.  Designed for senior YMCA executives, the program would allow me to take graduate level classes in organizational management and leadership, write my thesis, and design an action-research project that would ultimately impact my local YMCA and the communities we serve.

The terrific thing about this two-year program is that it compresses a semester’s worth of work into a two-week residency at one of ten Springfield College campuses across the United States.  The students are “on campus” for 4 weeks (or 160 classroom hours) a year instead of completing the same number of hours over the traditional 24 weeks. We are also expected to complete intensive pre and post residency assignments.  The difficult thing about this program is that it compresses a semester’s worth of work into a two-week residency, with intensive pre and post residency assignments….  I think you get the picture!

In March of 2012, I arrived at Springfield’s Tampa, Florida campus for my first residency.

About six weeks prior to the residency, my textbooks and the syllabi for the first four classes appeared on my doorstep.  As I opened the box, the feeling I had was reminiscent of that first day of school when all of your books were waiting on your clean desk in your new classroom with the freshly polished floors.  I was so excited – until I started reading the syllabi.  The pre-class assignments were extensive and involved writing several 6-8 page papers before we even started the first class.  It was time to quickly get into student-mode after a very long hiatus!

As an adult learner with a full-time job, a household to maintain and a desire to keep up some level of a fitness routine, adjusting to student life was a challenge.  I had to add “homework time” on my calendar just as I did with my workouts.  I dissected each class’ pre-assignments and completed a task analysis so I could get all the work done by the deadlines.  Even so, I was still faced with one of the biggest challenges – having enough time to set aside for studying and writing.

I tried to carve out 1-2 hours each weeknight after our typical late dinner time to read the many pre-assigned chapters, or conduct basic research queries.  I saved writing for the weekends when I felt fresher and had larger blocks of time available.

I established a study space in the dining room, and went shopping for school supplies, which brought back memories of September days spent with my excited kids at Staples or Office Depot with their list of required supplies.  And then I sat at the dining room table and stared at the screen of my notebook computer.  I actually enjoy writing, but finding my “flow” proved to be a struggle.

During those six weeks of pre-work, I slowly regained an academic focus, but it was a lonely and isolated time.  I had no idea who I was doing this work for, as I had not yet met the professors, and I knew nothing of my future classmates – there was no one to bounce ideas off of or seek advice from.  On top of that, there was no time to simply hang out with my husband and kids.  What had I been thinking?  How could I possibly go back to school after all these years?!

I persevered through the long nights of reading and writing and got the work done, despite the teasing of my college-age son.  Then, it was time for final preparations at work before I left for my two-week immersion into the classroom. It was happening – I was a graduate student once again!

I arrived in Tampa on March 11^th and quickly settled into my hotel room – my home for the next two weeks.  I unpacked, created a study space and organized my life. That evening, I met my new classmates in the hotel lobby where we formed carpools to a welcoming dinner for Cohort VII of Springfield College’s Executive Masters Program.  Everyone was clearly unsure what to expect, which helped bond us to each other. 

Monday, March 12^th marked the first day of class and the official kick-off of this journey toward achieving my goal of a Masters degree.  Within the first hour of class, it was clear that Cohort VII is a unique group of people from all over the USA, all at different stages of their careers with the YMCA.  It was also clear that our group was fast becoming a team of friends that would support each other through every challenge ahead.

Our time together quickly fell into a familiar rhythm -- morning exercise, for some, then breakfast together prior to class.  A full morning of learning followed by lunch and, for me, a short powerwalk to restore my energy.  Class continued until 5:00 pm and then it was a short walk back to the hotel where some studied, others exercised, and occasionally all of us enjoyed the hotel’s Happy Hour before dinner.  After that, it was hours of reading and writing before going to bed and starting over again the next day.

With each moment we spent together it was clear that the members of Cohort VII were transforming, both individually and collectively.  Our minds were being filled with knowledge, but more importantly, a spark was being lit within each of us.  It was exhilarating (and exhausting).

Before long, our two weeks together were over and we returned home to our families, jobs, and a pile of post-class assignments.  For another six weeks, we were immersed in final assignments for each of the four classes.  There was research to conduct and many lengthy papers to write, but unlike the prior six weeks of pre-work, I did not feel lonely or isolated. I now had the support of my professors and my fellow cohort members – my friends! 

Today Fed Ex delivered another box of textbooks to my front door for my second two-week residency this September.  I am once again filled with the same “back to school” excitement that most students experience this time of year.  I know that the coming weeks of pre-work will be intense, but I am confident that my rediscovered inner-student will find a way through the workload ahead, with a little help from my friends!