Six Weeks Update

What’s happening…

Now I know what studies can do to our time schedule! Six weeks into the semester and we are already swamped. I hope I do not develop the habit of updating this blog once every six weeks.

What do we do every weekday? What do you think? Readings and assignments. This student life is in full swing. So far, our brains are still staying with us.

It’s an exciting time for us as the subjects we take are all very interesting, especially Family Life Methodology Education, Parenting Education and Guidance, and Child Psychology. They are just the expansion of the areas of family life that we have been involved in over the last decade or so. On top of this, these are up-to-date and cutting edge stuff. The cream that tops it all is the emphasis not just on theory but the applications.

We have many ‘aha’ moments and paradigm shifts in several key areas of family life learning.

The privilege of having two professors (Professor Freudenburg and Professor Doyle) guiding us personally on the learning process is just tremendous.

Matthew started co-teaching with the professors in two courses. It’s quite a different environment at an American university, even compared to universities in New Zealand that we are familiar with. The students are generally very expressive and very bright and eager to learn.

The visits (one on Sunday 21st September) to the sites where students on practicum and internship are just a clear example. Another is the visit to the baby delivery facility on 16th September as part of the Child Psychology class.

Oh yes! We also have a lot of goodies to eat at classes, especially those under Professor Doyle.

We went to Grand Rapids (where the HQ of Amway Corporation is located) and Grand Haven, northeast of here, for the weekend of 27th September, again for the Family Friendly Partners Network (FFPN) assignment of Professor Freudenburg.

Last weekend, Professor Freudenburg and Matthew went to Wausau, Wisconsin, to conduct another FFPN seminar. It was quite an experience seeing the changing autumn colours of the tress from the air and on the ground.

Yes, the weather is getting colder. It was averaging about 10 degrees Celsius in the morning two weeks ago. But this week it averages about 15 degrees. Trees are changing their colours fast these few days. Officially, autumn (called ‘fall’ here because it’s the time of the year when the leaves of many trees fall or trees go ‘botak’) started on 22nd September. I took photos of a particular tree outside our office to show how the colours are changing rapidly now. The scenery is just so amazing.

Just Pondering…..

If you ask us to use one word to describe what we are learning here, we would tell you it’s all about ‘relationships’. It is about building stronger relationships in the family.. between husband and wife and between parents and children.

It is just great to learn of the recent research findings on various family relationship issues. I am personally just astounded by the extensive impacts of family relationships on the development of a human being. The ripple effects are felt well beyond childhood stage, right into adulthood.

I will update more on this when I am able to collect thoughts to share in the coming days.

Meantime, invest in your own family. This is a sure ‘bet’, even in the midst of the crumbling world economy.

What’s ahead!

Professor Freudenburg and Matthew will be going to Atlanta on Wednesday (15th October) where the professor will be a keynote speaker. We will be back on Thursday night and fly off on Friday morning to Nebraska to conduct another FFPN seminar. Rose and Matthew and Jennifer Freudenburg will all be going there until the Sunday evening.

A Week In Passing

Acknowledgement…This blog is updated with the creative input of Miss Trish Wong, an incredibly talented multi-media IT savvy young lady. She may be contacted at <blueshores86@yahoo.com>