This is going to be a bumpy ride

As I sit here this morning thinking about what I want to write in this blog, I'm finding it hard to put into words what is going on in my head. I have been doing a lot of research for my chosen profession for one of my classes and it's been eye opening to say the least. I'm not sure I said what my chosen profession is but it is Registered Dietitian and I am going to Kaplan University online for a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition Science. I had a great plan and that was to go through the 4 year program at Kaplan and become a Nutritionist. Then get off disability and get a job in a health club or wellness center while I went to a brick and mortar university to get a Bachelors or Masters in Dietetics and get certified as a Registered Dietitian and then work in a hospital or government agency helping people learn to live healthier through what they eat.

Well, you know what they say about the best laid plans right? I had to research my profession like I said and part of the research involved learning the certification process through my state to get certified as a Nutritionist, since that's what I'm at Kaplan for. I found out that in the state of Ohio, they do not consider Nutritionist as it's own profession and if a person wanted to practice any sort of nutritional counseling, they have to be certified as a Registered Dietitian or Licensed Dietitian only. That in itself would be so bad because the state website says that getting a Bachelor of Nutrition Science is good for qualifying to take the exam to get certified, IF it's from an accredited school and Kaplan is not accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics. When I first signed up for Kaplan, I knew that I wouldn't be able to get certified as a Dietitian but didn't realize until I did this research that I wouldn't even be able to become a Nutritionist in this state. There are only 11 states or so that are this strict about certification and there are quite a few that let people become certified as Nutritionists just with the education I'm receiving at Kaplan, but I don't live in those states and don't really want to move again.

My dilemma is what do I do now? I'm on disability so I don't have a ton of extra money and don't own a car yet, so going to a brick and mortar university is out of the question right now. As I see it, I have 2 options: 1- I stay at Kaplan and keep gaining college experience and knowledge that may transfer to another school when the time is right OR 2- Finish off the terms I'm already registered for and take the hit on the loans coming due when I leave school until I figure out how to go somewhere else. I'm leaning towards the first option because I really am learning quite a bit, just in the 3 short weeks I've been there and it is helping me feel like I'm accomplishing something for a change.

What would you do if you were me?

Online College at 46

Since this is my first blog post, let me introduce myself. My name is Karen Rittenhouse and I am a divorcee living in Central Ohio and as the title states, I am 46 years old. I was last in school in May of 1985, which was then end of my second year of 9th grade. I had been expelled the first time around for ditching one too many times. I never went back because I became a teen mother and had my first son at 17 years old. School had always been a love/hate thing with me all through the times I did go. I would do amazing when I was in class but once at home, lacked the motivation to do homework. The only reason I passed any grades past 6th was because I did most of my work before I left class and aced all my tests, which gave me a passing average.

Now at 46, I have been on disability for 11 years for severe Generalized Anxiety Disorder and have not worked even part time in 5 years. I have developed a few physical health issues and lead a pretty sedentary lifestyle, which has led me to become 80 pounds over a healthy weight for my height of 5'0". I have spent the last 5 years being afraid of doing much of anything and even developed Agoraphobia but have gotten that down to bearable with therapy and hard work. I made the decision in December of 2014 that I was tired of the life I was living and wanted to have a better one, but had no real work experience at anything besides retail and janitorial and I refused to go back to doing either of those. I decided that in order to have a better life, I needed an education and so I applied for an online college since I physically couldn't do a brick and mortar school yet. I was accepted to Kaplan University online and am in the Bachelor of Nutrition Science program. My initial thought was to become a Nutritionist so I could learn to have a healthy relationship with food and be healthier in mind and body, but have learned from doing research for one of my classes, that my state (OH) doesn't acknowledge Nutrition as it's own profession and I need to be a Registered Dietitian in order to get Licensed and Certified in this state. I have also learned that Kaplan is NOT accredited with the accreditation board that would be doing my certification exam, so I have had to make another decision concerning my schooling since I am wracking up school loan debts with each term I go. I am going to go to Kaplan and take as main of the major classes as I can for this academic school year and then I will transfer to a brick and mortar school here in OH that has the right accreditation for me to get my certification.
Since starting the online classes on February 4, 2015, I have learned a lot about myself and how I function. I have learned that I have lost any organizational skills I may have had concerning school work and getting it done. I have learned that I am easily distracted by working from home and the pets are the biggest ones. Either the dog is scratching to go out for the umpteenth time or the cat is wandering around meowing his dissatisfaction at being ignored. He has taken to waking me up between 2 and 3 am so he can continue his tirade of dissatisfaction with me. I am also having physical issues with sitting in this uncomfortable office chair I bought at a yard sale for a dollar a couple years ago. It is killing my back, shoulder and neck and my legs go numb or hurt from sitting so much. I am pushing myself to do well and maintain an A so I can get into a good internship in a reputable hospital and therefore get a better paying job when I'm done. Paul and I have had a couple of really hellacious years financially and it has not only taught me what we really CAN do without. but has taught me more than a little humility in the process. This schooling will not only help me gain knowledge to get a good paying job, but will prove to me that I really CAN finish something I start.

I will write this blog at least once a week for the time I'm in school, so as to document my journey through school. I hope to make it interesting but at all times candid and truthful.