college – Cup and Quill

Rebecca’s Story: How I Became an Editor

September 30, 2020

Born to Be an English Major When I decided to go to college as a forty-something, there was no question in my mind that I would be an English major. I was born to be an English major. Still, I had no idea that the journey I was embarking on would change me forever. I anticipated a degree that would broaden my job opportunities. I did not expect that every belief I’d ever held would be challenged, or that I’d be forced to ponder the merits of my beliefs. An Empty Nester After a series of unfortunate events and a

Why a “Bad” Choice Can Be the Best Decision

March 18, 2020

Life’s Templates My life has never fit standard templates. So, I have always trusted my gut when making decisions. Many of my worst choices, according to most standards, became my best decisions. That’s because they rarely adhered to rules or templates about what, when, and how one should do things. When we “should” all over one another, we build traps and cages for one another. We need to stop that because the best lives are spent exploring myriad roads. That’s how we discover our passions, our gifts, and our purposes. I dropped out of high school in the 11th grade.

Wine & Words 2019 Comes to an End

January 5, 2019

Today Sara, Shannin, and I head home from our Wine & Words Writing Treat in Branson, Missouri. We’ve had a lovely and productive time since we arrived on Wednesday. Each of us tackled a range of writing and work related projects ranging from a scholarly article on “Pretty Little Liars” to freshman composition syllabuses. We “pommed” religiously, more or less, in keeping with the practice we’ve established through our Facebook writing group called Write-ins for Academics. “Pomming” is the term we use to describe our way of keeping our butts in the chair when writing. It’s a tried and true method of

Why We Should Measure Success on Our Own Terms

April 8, 2018

As an undergraduate student, I did not start university with any goal other than to do my job to the best of my ability. I followed three rules from day 1. Rule number one was “never miss a class.” Rule number two was “go to class prepared.” Rule number three was “begin assignments and/or study for tests well in advance of the due date.” I used my grades to measure success. I printed those rules and they were posted in my home office throughout my university career. I followed them religiously and they paid off. I was, and am, proud

Category: college

Rebecca’s Story: How I Became an Editor

Why a “Bad” Choice Can Be the Best Decision

Wine & Words 2019 Comes to an End

Why We Should Measure Success on Our Own Terms