My name is Amber Deschenes and I am the Recruitment and Retention Specialist for Graduate and Continuing Education here at Fitchburg State University. I speak with students all the time regarding restarting their programs and returning to school and I've heard every reason for not returning and for stopping your studies. I want you to know that you are not alone. Most of the people who stop out do this for the same reasons. To help you figure it out, I've put together this post on the top three reasons why students stop out of school and the one main reason why you should return!

You’ve made the decision to apply to a graduate program at Fitchburg State. Congratulations on taking the next step in reaching your goal! After all of your research about graduate schools, you may be asking yourself “what now?” We’re here to tell you what you should be doing right now to get started in the summer or fall semester.

Blog post by guest blogger, Reid Weber

A Personal Experience with Medieval Studies

For those of us teaching in higher education, our middle or high school classes can seem like ancient history. I look back in vague horror at equations in chemistry, wrestling with that confounded X in algebra, or my inability to do a second chin up in P.E. Yet, without a doubt my academic curiosity was nurtured in secondary education. Sure, I struggled with algebra, but I embraced social studies, history, literature, and the arts. I remember Mr. Kindschuh’s World History course well and even as I lecture today in front of university students, I marvel at the details I have held onto for so long. I remember being inspired by images of castles and cathedrals, culture and conquest, and the validation of discovering something I was truly passionate about. I was a B-/C+ high school student with little enthusiasm for most of my classes, but that brief flirtation with world history was the foundation for my success later in life.

Has it been a while since you've taken a class, gone to school or even set foot in a classroom? Are you a first-generation learner with concerns about getting started?

Whatever your situation or background, it’s common for people to have concerns and fears about things that are new to us. Attend a Graduate and Continuing Education information session and turn those fears into encouragement.

1 Graduate Credit / 15 PDP Hybrid Course
5 sessions 4:30 – 6:30 pm, plus 5 hours online

Two Sections:
Starting March 15, 2016 in Lowell
Starting April 13, 2016 in Fitchburg

Did you resolve to get in shape this year? It’s not too late.

Has your district integrated iPads into the classroom? Is more and more classwork being done on the computer?

Returning to school can be quite overwhelming, especially if you’ve been out of school for a while. So now that you’ve worked hard to complete your application and gain admission into the University, what should you do next? Here are some helpful tips to start your semester off right:

Are you thinking about going to graduate school and wondering how you're going to pay for it? Rising tuition costs and paying for graduate school are a barrier to many students thinking about beginning or even returning to grad school, but there are options for you as a new or returning student. Graduate and Continuing Education at Fitchburg State (GCE) offers scholarship opportunities, loans, payment plans, and graduate assistantships. Read more to learn about options that may be right for you!

It’s that time of year again, time to create your new year’s resolution. Take a look at GCE’s top 5 New Year’s resolutions and see how they compare to your list.