About Me

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I have been a stay at home mom since Oct 31st 2006. My children started school in 2008, so I decided it was time for me to go back, too. I have been a full time student for over two years now, and it seems like I am learning about more than just my schoolwork.

Friday, October 1, 2010

Winning a HP Netbook

or at least trying to...

The financial aid department is conducting an essay contest for the students at my school. One essay from each campus will be picked, and that student will receive a new HP mini Netbook. I figured what the heck. Want to read my essay? It only took me about 30 minutes to write, so I'm not holding my breath or anything...



How the HP Netbook Mini
Will Help Advance My Studies at NPC
By Elizabeth Hudspeth
It is 6:30 a.m. I roll out of bed, get dressed and head for the kitchen. Breakfasts are made and devoured, lunches are made and packed. At 7:30 the kids and I head to the bus stop. Since it is two miles away, I make sure to leave with plenty of time to account for traffic or delays. Usually, though, we encounter no problems on the way. So I am stuck at the bus stop for at least 15 minutes with nothing to do but yell at the kids to stay out of the street, the mud, and the trees. After the bus collects them, I head out into the world.
We live out in White Mountain Lakes. It is very beautiful out there, however, getting into town is typically an all day event. When I have a class at the college, I plan any other errands that need to be run around my school schedule. Doctors appointments are made with my and the kids school schedules in mind. Girl Scouts events are planned when I know I will be in town. Grocery trips are well thought out and planned. With all this running around, it is inevitable that I will be waiting for something or someone for at least part of the day, just like I wait at the bus stop.
With my calculations, approximately an hour and 45 minutes of my time is wasted every day. During this time, I am away from home, away from a computer, and left with nothing to do. If I am lucky, the AIS lab at the White Mountain Campus might be open, allowing me some time with my school work. Other times, the computer lab at the public library may be open, but is usually full of other like-minded people trying to get some time in front of a computer. Having a laptop will allow me freedom to work on my classes wherever I am, whenever I am stuck with nothing to do, without having to worry about gaining access to a public computer.
All that freedom will allow more of my time to be spent at home with my family. Less of my time will be spent at the library or at school. Since I enrolled at Northland Pioneer College to get my Associates for Administrative Information Services, the majority of my classes are computer based labs. I also have had a few internet courses. Because of this, the majority of my homework is done on the computer. With a lap top, I could sit at the dining room table and work on my homework at the same time my children work on theirs.
I have been very blessed to have the opportunity to go back to school. I work very hard to show my friends and family how much this chance means to me. Without the Pell Grant I was given, without the support my teachers and the staff on campus have shown, and without the hope for the future that my kids have given me, I would not have made it this far. With the HP Netbook Mini, I hope to accomplish so much more.

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