This is why I'm always busy.

Because I make a difference every day.

"Today was really a perfect day... And the highlight of it was... coming home to this DLSU Alumni Newsletter (why hello Lasalle, you missed me so soon? 😂😊). Sitting down at the dinner table. And then opening it. Thank you Aubrey & Karl for reminding me of my purpose and giving me an opportunity to make a difference everyday. I am so proud of you guys !! 👍💚✔️😊"

Busy February

It's a busy February.

With Interviews for incoming freshmen.

I don't know what happened to my February.

Tired? 

Lost the momentum for my thesis. 

Have to catch up.

Darn it.

Then there's my I/O Class. The requirements are so demanding because there's only two of us in class. Only two of us dividing the burden.

😓

I've finished the requirements I need to do for work.

So.

Things to do: 

Read on scholarship/financial aid and put in intro.

Do Chapter 13 of I/O class.

On Self Determination Theory & Student Persistence / Student Retention

Understanding the Self-Determination Theory from Ed Deci himself

 (one of the founders of the theory)

Edward Deci: Promoting Motivation, Health, and Excellence

In my thesis, I am going to use the Self-Determination Theory (SDT).

What can affect the persistence of students benefiting from financial aid? 

Given that financial aid is already an "extrinsic/external" motivator, students benefiting from financial aid still have various levels of motivation.

What else can influence their motivation? What can influence them to persist with their enrollment and eventually to finish their college education?

Let's first learn more about Self-Determination Theory by taking points from Ed Deci's Ted Talk.

"If you are interested in some activity and you enjoy doing it, the motivation is right there inside you ready to come out and move you into action" 

"If you really have something that is important to you, something that you truly value, you're perfectly willing to engage in the behavior that are consistent with that" 

"So both of these things, these two types of autonomous motivation, are all about being fully willing to behave." 

"There are literally hundreds and hundreds and hundreds now of scientific investigations that have shown that when you are autonomously motivated, your behavior will be more creative. You'll be a better problem solver. When you encounter obstacles you will be able to think outside the box and figure out what to do about them." 

"Your performance will be better." 

"Your emotions will be more positive." 

"Autonomous motivation is associated with both physical and psychological health."

"Autonomy support is a way of getting people more autonomously motivated."

"Don't ask how you can motivate other people. That's the wrong way to think about it. Instead, ask, 'How can you create the conditions within which other people will motivate themselves'. And the answer, quite simply, is autonomy support." - Edward Deci. 

Let's go back to my thesis on student's persistence. 

Given that students who are benefiting from student financial aid are already "externally" motivated by the financial aid (controlled motivation), what else contributes to their student persistence?

If the answer is autonomous motivation, then what are those conditions/situations that are autonomy supportive for students benefiting from student financial aid?

Admissions, Financial Aid & Student Experiences.

I'm an educator. 

Never in my life did I think I'd be working in admissions department but I surely am learning loads of new stuff...

I'm starting to feel that my career development is more than just studying learning experiences but also learning a lot about enrollment management.

Slowly, I am able to connect all my experiences. From being a former Director of Tutoring Club, being one of the tutors, understanding what happens inside the classroom and being exposed to student experiences that students need to accomplish outside the classroom, which is also relatively important in their student life... (such as enrollment for one!) I would always tell my students that things related to their financial aid status is also a priority. 

Of course, the demands of their teachers are important, but their enrollment status is equally important as well! (actually MORE important, should I say.)

The Role of Financial Aid in Enrollment Management #THESISit

I experienced a role dissonance situation at work yesterday, my colleague told me that I shouldn't be wasting my time analyzing student life because the nature of our work was policy implementation. On one part, she was right. I was somehow part of the school "administration" and it's my duty to implement the given guidelines. My job description did not require me to know what was happening behind students who fail to follow the guidelines.

However, it reminded me of my professor's evaluation on my previously submitted proposed thesis topic. My professor said, given my masteral degree program I should not focus with policies but my research paper should go around studying student experiences.

I am now in a great big dilemma of dual roles. My role at work (which was on policies) was in conflict with my role as a grad student (which was on student life).

I've been reading on student persistence, student enrollment, student retention and student attrition for the past few months. They are actually all just connected to each other. I think there is really a huge need to understand student experiences because guidelines can change. To be learner-centered, you adjust and improve your guidelines on how it can best cater to your learners. How would you, then, know what part of the guidelines need to change, if you are not going to explore on student experiences? 

I didn't expect at first that I would end up studying Student Persistence. But I think I was meant to land on this topic because it fits my role in being in my Univ's Admissions & Scholarships Department. 

Simply because, more than just finding ways to increase student enrollment, I also carry with me that certain responsibility to ensure that my scholars (i.e. students under financial aid) persist and stay to finish college. 

---

Below are excerpts that I want to take from: Hossler, D. (Spring 2000). The role of financial aid in enrollment management. New Directions For Student Services, 89. 

"Administrators and faculty often assume that the only goal of enrollment management is to increase the number of new students." (Hossler, 2000, p.78)

Enrollment management as defined by Hossler and Bean (1990, p.5):

"an organizational concept and a systematic set of activities designed to enable educational institutions to exert more influence over their student enrollments."

"organized by strategic planning and supported by institutional research, enrollment management activities concern student college choice, transition to college, student attrition and retention, and student outcomes."

"These processes are studied to guide institutional practices in the areas of new student recruitment and financial aid, student support services, curriculum development, and other academic areas that affect enrollments, student persistence, and student outcomes from college."

Key elements of Enrollment Management suggested by Hossler and Bean (1990, p5-6):

(1) "using institutional research to position the campus in the marketplace, examine the correlates to student persistence, and develop appropriate marketing and pricing strategies"

(2) "monitoring student interests and academic program demand"

(3) "matching student demand with curricular offerings that are consistent with institutional mission" 

(4) "paying attention to academic, social, and institutional factors that affect student retention."


Effects of financial aid on the college enrollment decisions (Hossler, 2000, p. 81):

One key finding is that receiving a financial aid award has a significant positive effect on the likelihood that a student will enter the institution that has made the financial aid offer. 

Effects of aid interact in complex ways:

 "Students may turn down a generous financial aid package from a small regional private college if they are admitted to a prestigious Ivy League college that offers no financial aid. Furthermore, research has consistently found that African American students and Latino students are more cost sensitive and more responsive to financial aid offers than majority students of similar socioeconomic background (Hossler, Braxton, and Coopersmith, 1989; Paulsen, 1990)."

"Similarly, it typically requires larger scholarships to influence the enrollment decisions of high-ability students. These students are heavily recruited by many colleges and universities and are often offered many large scholarships. These students are also more likely to be interested in institutions with higher levels of prestige and greater selectivity. For these reasons, many colleges and universities need to offer higher-ability students larger scholarship awards if they wish to influ- ence their enrollment decision on the basis of financial aid offers (Chapman and Jackson, 1987)."

Financial Aid and Student Retention (Hossler, 2000, p.84)

"Enrollment management practitioners, should keep in mind that how financial aid influences student retention is more complex than how it affects student enrollment decisions."

"Analyses of the effects of aid on student matriculation and persistence decisions have to be replicated annually in order for enrollment managers to be confident that campus policies are having the optimal desirable effect on student enrollments." 

"In addition, readers should keep in mind that variables drawn for sociological models of student departure such as the Tinto model (1987) or the Bean model (1980) find that effects of financial aid are smaller than factors such as academic and social integration or academic success. 

Therefore, these factors are likely to be more promising areas for intervention for most enrollment managers seeking to improve student persistence."

---

I have to end here and include in my paper why I am focusing on exploring academic and social integration of students benefiting from financial aid. As Hossler suggested that financial aid has little effect on student retention. Given that my participants of the study will already be students benefiting from financial aid, the financial aid as a variable is already a controlled variable since all of my participants are benefiting from financial aid (okay, I'm pretty much aware I just repeated what I said). Thus, financial aid is my controlled variable, the academic and social integration is the independent variable, and basic needs satisfaction is the dependent variable. 

In essence, I want to explore if academic and social integration has an effect on basic needs satisfaction of students benefiting from student financial aid. If my hypothesis is correct, therefore, it follows strengthening the importance of schools to attend to the institutional integration of students benefiting from student financial aid.

2015: In laying out academic goals and life priorities

I can't seem to focus right now and it's just the second day of the year.

So I am deciding to list down my goals and priorities for this year.

Top Priority:
Enroll in Thesis Writing 1 (submit application form on January 5, 2015 as soon as my Univ opens)
Deadline for enrolling in Thesis Writing 1 is on January 20, 2015. But I am depending on the people who will be signing my paper... honestly? I don't know why it takes f-o-r-e-v-e-r.

You know the difficulty in doing personal errands in my current status in life right now is that a lot of people seems to be looking for me and it's actually stressing me out. But I have to learn this year, that, dude... It's okay if I am not there when they need me... they will... come back... I have to tell myself (constantly) it is okay if somebody looks for me and I am not there. You've been too nice, Toni. They will find ways if it is really important.

This year, I have to learn and get used to it that I cannot be available for everybody unless I am already selling my soul and unless I do not want to give value to my personal life. I have to be a little bit selfish of my own goals. These people who are looking for me, they are only looking for me because they are being selfish of what they want. And I don't think its something to be taken against them but I have to learn from them that I, too, have to be selfish and focus on the things that will be better for myself.

In connection with the Priority to enroll in Thesis Writing 1, I am dedicating all of my Saturdays in 2015 to going to school and hanging out in our Learning Commons. I will go to school (which is also the location of my office), not to work but to study. To write. To do my thesis. To do anything that is related to accomplishing my graduate school. Because on top of my work, my first priority is really my academics. It has been there even before I was working in my univ. My graduate school is something more long term. I have to understand that. I cannot let, "life to get in the way" in my graduate school this year. The year 2014 was the time I tried to master my new job and I have already given myself the space for adjustments. Now is the time I go back to focusing on my graduate school.

Second Priority:
Industrial Psychology class. I enrolled in a special class that I need in order to complete the units required in taking Psychometrician Board Examinations. A lot already passed the first exam that happened last year (2014). People have more confidence in me than I do have with myself in feeling that I will pass the board, It's been ages since I had my psychology courses, so I think I need time to review. Thankfully this opportunity to take the lacking units, will help me refresh in the field of psychology. Now, as to when I will take the Board Exams... I am still contemplating if this year (2015) or the following year (2016) ... Considering the line-up of things I have this year... But as long as I have completed the number of units (ergo enrolling in Industrial Psych), the date of the board exams will just follow. Anyway, my class happens every Tuesday this Third Trimester. There are only two students in this class. So... :) I am looking forward nonetheless because I really miss attending classes!

Third Priority:
Yoga Class. Prior to the opening of the yoga studio in my univ I invested money in buying class cards. Now it was a decision between buying unlimited classes per month or buying class cards which can be used any time until August 2015. With my given busy schedule this year I wasn't sure if I will be able to maximize the unlimited classes (with at least 10 classes per month so that your money will be worth it). So I bought class cards instead, but I will try to make sure I will be able to attend as many yoga classes I can.

This is a priority because it will mandatory allow me to attend to my psychological well-being. All these work... these studying... even if I am passionate about it, I do not want to experience burn-out again. It's not a nice feeling of emptiness and exhaustion. Health should be part of our priority.

Fourth Priority:
Work requirements. My academic goals this year is practically just broken down to 4 priorities. There are requirements at work that I have to NOT forget... like the medical requirement, renewal requirement.. professional org requirements ... These are the things that is not happening on a daily basis which I should not forget. I have to include this in my priority because there are a lot of little things that occupy my time at work which is rather, meaningless in the long run. Those minor disturbances that when you multiply it to abundance have taken your whole day and worst, your whole week. Life should NOT get in the way this time. (or should it be, the life of others should not get in the way?)

Basically, I have to respect my time. There is a time for everything and I have to respect my own schedule. There are way too many other things that I have to do that is related to my career growth and it does not have anything to do with being able to successfully reply to every single e-mail or be able to answer every single phone call or be able to accommodate every single person waiting in line to see me. If I don't respect my own time, these routines will consume me, my youth and my life ambitions.

I have to constantly make these four priorities a habit. A Way of Life in the year 2015.

My schedule so far:

Saturdays - Learning Commons (thesis and academic related tasks); Yoga in the morning, so it forces me to go to school really early.

Tuesdays - Industrial Psychology class.

Mondays, Wednesday, Thursdays, Fridays - Yoga at 6:30 pm. I have to leave my desk by 5:00 pm - 5: 30 pm and just relax at the yoga plus studio. I can actually do my e-mails there anyway. Less distractions = more productivity. So basically 5:00-6:00 pm is my window time to checking my e-mails. It's still work, but more productivity because there will be fewer distractions.

If I am able to maintain my Saturday ritual I will be able to produce so much work that my Sundays can be free to other leisure things. I am sorry my friends. I know I told myself in 2013 that 2014 will be the year I will be missing in action (but didn't happen). But this 2015 will really be.. a year that you will have to go to the Library if you want to see me. I am seriously panicking already. I have to, at the least, be able to have my thesis proposal defense already before the academic year ends.

In other news, I will finally share the results of my comprehensive examinations that I took last February 2014. This was the exam that I have been preparing myself for early in 2014. I was also having the same mixed emotions but I was finally able to conquer that in flying colors. A rating of 3.91 with 4.0 as our highest.

This will always remind me and give me confidence in myself. I never expected a high score in my comprehensive exam. I just really wanted to pass. I always had fears because the feedback I always heard about compre exams in our department were negative feedbacks (students failing the assessment part, etc etc etc).

The results of my comprehensive exam will forever remind me that with determination, I will be able to achieve what I am aiming for.

My friends always had more belief in me... and I guess it is also good that I doubt their confidence about me because it avoids me to be to complacent. I know with the right amount of fear I really work hard for anything I want to achieve. Regardless if I had an advantage or if it was an entirely new thing.

This reminds me... I also have another priority in connection to my career goals this year... I have to learn a new language and I chose Spanish. I've always wanted to learn Spanish and how I wished that it was never removed in our Philippine curriculum to learn Spanish. A lot of people grew up learning it. It's my personal goal. Ugh I just don't know where I can squeeze it in my schedule.. Maybe I'll put in under Sundays :)

All the best in 2015, my dear self.

You were never able to complete the modules in Foundations in Teaching Coursera Moocs!! (Only accomplishing 3 certs out of 8) Ayayay... This time at least my goals are involved with more physical movement.

In summary, Thesis - Industrial Psychology - Yoga - Work - Spanish,

I guess that's easy to remember.

Oh and in March, is Rhizo 2015 !!

I should NEVER miss out on that.

My Pride :)

I admit.

Working full-time did end up eating my time of doing online classes, catching up on education news and even doing my thesis.

But whenever I see the picture below, it symbolizes the beneficiaries of my efforts for the past months.

So proud of them. :)

#AnimoLasalle

Thesis Concept Paper (Part 2)

And so..

Four (4) months after...

I still don't have an approved concept paper -__-

But there is still light at the end of the thesis.

Tomorrow I will submit my 4th concept paper and I am confident on this one!

I also realized I should be changing my gmail emails now to a non-dlsu account because our dlsu.ph e-mail will be deleted soon and I will be in deep trouble because I think I used my blog and twitter with dlsu.ph

Sigh.. where did the time go?

=(

I miss my academic virtual life... BUT I'M BACK and I'm seriously back.

Won't let life get in the way again.. balance is the key.

On a side note... I am sadly not working on MOOC research as my thesis now. Lol the irony... about 11 months ago I got the light bulb idea on using Mooc as my thesis... My new thesis will be working on students benefiting from student financial aid... since.. well.. that is my calling right now due to the nature of my work as a scholarships coordinator.

But I will do research on moocs one day... after my M.A. :)

So yeah, I will still keep my twitter account and blog account.

Besides, I've made so many great academic virtual international friends on here.

One step at a time... the light at the end of the Thesis.