Before You Make an Excuse Today, A Special Message (VLog)

Posted by on Oct 9, 2012 in Communicating with Professors, General, General College Success/Responses to Other College Entities | 6 comments

6 Comments

  1. Yeah, I get to see you again! I’m sorry about the content…so sad when kids/young adults die! It’s just not natural!

    Life is precious! I am grateful for EVERY DAY and EVERY day that me and my family are healthy and well…

    • Hi, Bruce!
      Yay! I get to reply to YOU again! I appreciate you commenting. Yes, this one just flat-out SUCKS! They all do, of course. This student had five kids. Only one of the other four had children. They are all tragedies, of course. All of the students were non-traditional students… all trying to make education a priority in their lives. Terrible, terrible situations.

      I agree with you. I am sitting in my office right now and I have to get home and hug my kids.

      Hugs to you!
      Ellen

  2. Ellen,
    First, I’m so sorry for your loss. This was so moving. We can excuse our life away. When we are present and honest with ourselves there is an awareness that typically does not require excuses. Honesty about where we are emotionally comes first with facing the mirror the next step is truly embracing the ability to make better choices – even the tough ones where we disappoint. Taking responsibility for those choices is the growth I think. Sending you lots o love. @judymartin8

    • Hi, Judy,
      I truly appreciated your words. I just had a pregnant student come up to me after the first night of our class, desperate to finish before she goes into labor at the tail end of the term. I told her she could take an “Incomplete,” (good reason–we just don’t know how pregnancy and labor will go!) but no… she wants to finish early. There are probably 10 students (I’m not saying in this term, but in any) who will make excuses far less than hers for why they can’t finish in the given amount of time. I have been wanting to send this message for a while and with these students who had these terrible illnesses, it seemed like the right time.

      I hope everyone will read your comment, too, because your thoughts are absolutely true!

      Lots o’ love back!
      Ellen

  3. So sorry to hear about this, Ellen. I hear your message and take it to heart. I have a load of excuses I’m dumping in the trash.

    • Barrett,

      I’m right there with you. I’m on that bandwagon, too!

      Thank you for commenting :-) .

      Ellen

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