When I first started thinking about going back to school, I contemplated the idea of law school. I actually took the LSAT, looked at school options and really considered the process. I came to the conclusion that working full-time would only allow me to go to school part-time. With that being said, it would have taken me four-five years before I actually completed my law degree. Therefore, I decided that law school was not for me at this point in my life. I knew I wanted to further my education, I just did not know how. I then decided to look at graduate schools. I had never once thought about attending graduate school up to this point. I looked at a few surrounding colleges and decided UCO was my best option. I applied and was accepted within a couple of weeks. I enrolled in nine hours and began classes a couple of weeks after that. That was in August of 2011.
After my first semester, I decided I wanted to expedite this process and finish as soon as possible. I did not mind the school work but the late nights being away from home and making the 35-minute commute two-three times a week got old fast. I decided to take an intersession course during Christmas break which means it is a three-hour course condensed into 8 class periods. Since I was working at the Capitol during this time, I chose a class that ranged from 4:15-9:45. This class was titled “The Jury System” and ended up being my favorite class at UCO. We learned about the court system, the jury selection process and even got to watch some neat documentaries about juries and even some movies such as “My Cousin Vinny”. Once this class was over, I had 12 hours down and 24 to go, since the program has a 36-hour requirement. I had a total of three A’s and one B one my report card at this time.
In the Spring semester, I enrolled in 9 hours which proved to be a little more difficult since session was back in at the Capitol and I was working more hours with less time to dedicate to homework. I was busy at work and I was in class three times a week during the evenings every week. It was tough at times but definitely do-able. As I looked ahead at the upcoming summer semester, I decided I did not want to sit in a classroom four days a week during the summer. I decided to check out a study tour. I found one that was going to France in July. I decided to give it a shot so I enrolled, paid my money and started the process. I was told I could bring a companion so my mom excitedly decided to go with me. I could write a book about my experience in France. It was overwhelming, out of my “comfort zone” and frustrating. However, it was the best trip I have ever taken in my life. First of all, I was able to experience a new culture in an educational way. Secondly, it allowed my mom and me to bond as mother and daughter. We spent two solid weeks together and had a blast. I laughed until I cried many times on that trip. We saw the Eiffel Tower, stuck our toes in the sand along the North Atlantic, saw the Mona Lisa and ate some really good and really bad French food. As I look back, I wish I would have relished that trip even more than I did. I missed Bronson so much that it was hard to enjoy it at times. Spending time with my mom was worth everything though and we made some many precious memories. We attended the International Film Festival in La Rochelle and watched movies that were mostly in French with English subtitles. We developed a love for Buster Keaton, a famous film director in the 1920s silent film era. We experienced “real” jet lag for the first time. A ten-hour flight, a three-hour train ride and an eight-hour time difference will do that to ya! For this study abroad tour, I earned 6 hours of course credit with A grades.
For my last semester, I chose to to take another full load, 9 graduate course hours. I started a new job at SandRidge during this time which made it more difficult to study throughout my last semester. However, I gave it my best shot and ended up with two B’s and one A during my last semester. My cumulative GPA was 3.66 which was not too bad considering I did the whole program while working full-time, being an active volunteer in the community to earn scholarship money and continuing to be a wife to my very understanding husband.
I am happy to say that all the late nights, the long hours and the never-ending paper assignments were all worth it. I now have a Master’s degree in Public Administration and I could not be more proud. I found a quote that describes this whole experience perfectly. I know that I could not have accomplished this feat without God’s grace and blessings. Therefore I believe: “Faith makes things possible, not easy”.
Ashley Schubert 