christinamguerrero.com ~ the official site ~
A Moderate Recolleging
Copyright 2015 Christina M. Guerrero
DEDICATION
This is for me, my Lord and my God.
STORY BEHIND THE STORY
The explanation behind my not-so-impressive cumulative college GPA.
ABOUT THE DRAFTS
Draft Number One: Not happy with that one.
Draft Number Two: Not happy with that one, either.
Draft Number Three: This is ready for an editor.
I did not do what I wanted to do in college.
Because legal issues.
Yeah, I’m using that silly condensed 2014/2015 condensed Internet term/explanation. It fits.
Into each life a bit of legal issues may fall, and I had to take care of mine.
I was just barely an adult, and still learning how to handle such things, so it was quite a chore.
Doing so affected my ability to focus on my studies and engage in productive, constructive, supplementary activities.
So now, I’m engaged in a moderate recolleging.
Doing it my way ... the way I started out, and the way I got back to after dealing with the legal issues.
I wish there had been no legal issues, because that would mean I would not have to explain my final GPA.
An explanation might be necessary because several months ago, while reviewing admission requirements for a university, I came across several questions: the first asked for my final Grade Point Average upon earning my Bachelor of Arts degree; the second asked for “an explanation” if the GPA fell below a certain number, with fine print indicating that the explanation would carry great weight in the admission process.
So this is both a writing exercise for my website, and a draft of the essay I might submit should I care to attend that school.
So why was my GPA nothing to brag about?
Well ...
When I earned my Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Spanish, the entire experience was on my dime, and no one else’s.
I don’t count anyone who was a back-up for financial arrangements. I did indeed appreciate the other plans. But those dudes would have come looking for me, and gotten their money, if I did not take care of my business.
It was kind of like living in a noir movie, which was actually amusing and thrilling and not always pleasant. But sometimes life is like that.
Someone DID have to hunt me down ... only once ... when I made one very stupid mistake. It was not pleasant.
So it was on me ... ALL of it. I did not consider that stressful, but I did consider it of utmost importance. I was always mindful that no one else would take responsibility for my financial obligations.
That was difficult enough, but then the legal issues cropped up.
Dealing with all of that financial responsibility, plus the presence of those troublesome issues ... it was difficult to concentrate on my studies.
Because it was only the second time in my life I had to deal with legal issues, I was still a bit ignorant about solving them, so my solutions were often more complicated than they needed to be.
All I needed: Cease and Desist orders.
A Cease and Desist order can be written by a “civilian.” In fact, some attorneys might encourage their clients to do so, with the explanation that 1. perhaps a formal written request will solve the problem and if it does not, the attorney and/or law enforcement can then step in; and 2. people sometimes do not realize they are being offensive (or whatever the reason for the Cease and Desist order), even when they are being told, "You are being offensive. Stop being offensive."
Even though I did not go the Cease and Desist route, I was able to eliminate most of the legal issues, and in between the financial responsibilities and the troublesome legalities, there were patches of being on the only path I wanted to follow.
Patches.
This moderate recolleging is making it right, doing it right, achieving what I wanted to achieve.
I am happy to say that I completed college, despite the legal garbage, through thick and thin, holding on, knowing the journey would be very difficult.
But not impossible.
I own a huge apology to my Spanish professor. She asked several times in very polite ways if I was struggling. I could have done much, much better in Spanish. I should have. I thank her, and I thank my biology professor (college biology was tough; not impossible to understand; but tough), for having faith in me anyway despite my struggles, and for their kindness.
All of my journalism professors were tough yet supportive, and I appreciate that. I also thank all of my other instructors, professors, and college staff, for being very tough, yet fair; I always work as if trying to please them first and foremost, which has usually served me well since graduation.
Most of all, I owe myself a big apology for stepping away from that golden path of my life. There was nothing of interest away from the path I chose, and only joy and fulfillment and my destiny on the path I eventually fought to stay on, no matter what.
My mistakes were my own, brought about in part by the legal issues. Had I handled the issues in a more effective manner, I would have enjoyed a truly spectacular college experience.
Getting that degree the first time was one of the most difficult accomplishments of my life.
Recolleging is teaching me that it did not have to be so difficult, and that it could have been fun, and rewarding, and joyful, leading to the life I truly wanted to live.
I went down that straight and narrow golden path in my heart and when I need guidance, I simply consult that other self for advice.
She is rarely wrong.
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