Aaahhh, week nine of our early spring semester. For those of you in colder climates like me, the snow is melting and there is a smell of spring in the air. Maybe some of you are gearing up for your next class in IMC. For me, I’m anxiously awaiting the next class to begin as it will be my final class in the IMC program before graduation in May.

I suppose that I should use this occasion to share my knowledge and advice with you as a ‘veteran’ student in this incredible IMC program. Through this student blog experience, I’ve had time and occasion to truly think about my experience. Here are some thoughts I’d like to share:

Become an independent thinker Taking an online class doesn’t mean that you have freedom to do what you want. Instead, you must establish yourself as an independent thinker. There is a distinct difference between freedom and independence. Independence infers that you stand alone and in order to achieve goals must apply your own style of discipline. Whether it’s through individual classes or applying this skill in your career, IMC will help you hone your skills as an independent thinker.

Know your limits If you read my blog last week you know that I’ve been challenged recently by the limits, or lack thereof, that we set for ourselves. I stated last week that ‘I’m not Superwoman.’ I know that because I met my limits with school, work and now baby in these past few weeks. This doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t consistently push your personal limits. Go ahead – push away. Just realize that there is a point where you cannot push anymore.

Stay focused Whether its readings, assignments or posts you’ll need to find a way to focus yourself on the task at hand. Even as I’m writing this post, my mind has wandered to any number of things including the television show blaring in the living room, the laundry waiting to be folded and about six other websites which I’ve pursued instead of focusing on this blog. Believe it or not, I’ve gotten better since my first IMC classes. Yes, this is progress! I guess this is something I’m still working on. Maybe by May I’ll be a little better.
Reward yourself Every evening, I reward myself with a treat or a special magazine or even a power nap. Each week I try to reward myself by purchasing something at the mall or taking time to do something just for me. I don’t think that this is a habit that should be exclusive to IMC students, but I think that it’s especially important when you’re in a program like this. I spend an average of 20 hours a week on IMC work. There’s gotta be a break from this; a break every day and a break every week. For me, it’s about getting lost in a cookie or a bowl of ice cream!

Share what you learn I’ve never kept it a secret that I was completing my graduate degree, however, it’s not something that comes up often in conversation at work. In my current position, though, I’ve learned to talk about the topics from class with my co-workers and especially my supervisor. I think that my supervisor and I have a much closer relationship because we talk about IMC and what I’ve learned. We share thoughts on topics from class and he’s even picked up a few books that I’ve read in class. Obviously the skills learned in IMC goes much further than this, but I’ve found this to be a fascinating element of the program which I never anticipated. Be proud to share what you’ve learned.

Interact with your fellow IMC folks It’s easy once you enter this program to complete your work but never really interact with others. Oh sure, you post and comment on your classmates’ posts, but, have you ever had a casual conversation with a classmate? Please know its okay to do that. In fact, you really should do it. Find your classmates on Facebook or Twitter. Send them an email every once in a while and even pick up the phone to speak to your professors. Every time I’ve had to contact an IMC professor or administrator, I’ve always been so pleasantly surprised at how nice everyone has been. Trust me, there hasn’t been a single person I’ve met through IMC that didn’t teach me something, make me laugh or offer me insight into my own life or career. That type of interaction cannot happen just within the boundaries of our online classroom, break out and get to know one another.

I’m sure that there are many more thoughts that I could share with you. And, there are probably many more thoughts that you could add to this list. It’s all a journey that we need to take though. I hope that you all enjoy IMC as much as I have. It has been an incredible program that has helped me grow personally and professionally.

I want to especially thank Prof. Chad Mezera for giving me the opportunity to serve as a student blogger this semester. I was honored to take part in this online community. I also want to thank all of you that have posted comments. Take care and good luck to you all in the future!