Vicki N.'s Blog at WyzAnt.com

Tired of What You Are Doing? Why Not Retrain for a New Career in the Health Care Field?

posted by WyzAnt tutor: Vicki N.

It was the Fall of 2009 and the economy left many of us unemployed for the first time ever! I'm SO glad I LOST MY FULL TIME JOB. Just like that, the corporate world is cruel, they pulled the rug right out from under me! I only got 1 week of notice too!!! It doesn't matter how great your severance package is, it is no fun to have your life turned upside down without giving you time to process what is happening to you.

Returning to college was the best decision I ever made. If you started a college education and put it on hold to raise a family or build a career and now you wish you were in another field--it is not too late. If you are reading this, you probably want out. If you are still reading, you definitely need to make a change in your life. Health care is booming and it is only going to get better. Why not consider attending a paraprofessional program to achieve a 2 year degree to become a medical lab technician or a dental assistant? I've known a few students that entered the home health care arena recently and they love their new jobs. It also was not difficult for them to have multiple job offers. That is incredible and true, although many people still might believe it is difficult to find a job. It depends on supply and demand.

As the baby boomers age, they need more healthcare and as the country's health care system becomes more accessible to all--what do you suppose will happen? As the demand for nurses, doctors, medical assistants, dental hygienists and health care service executives increases the demand will outweigh the supply. I know many students that have been studying biomedical topics in the past 3 years and they are all either on their way to a professional degree (MD, RN, LPN) or they are already working full time in the field of their choice. Those that graduated recently all had jobs before graduation. So, don't believe what the media says when general statements are made about unemployment and how college graduates can't find jobs nowadays. It is simply not true. I work at UCF and see students graduating and many of them have multiple job offers to choose from upon graduation. This is an exciting time for those that pursue higher education in order to kickstart a new career while meeting the needs of our current society. The health care field is definitely in need of quality professional staffing.

If you or someone you know decides to return to college after a decade or two of being out of school, please review my profile. I placed my college career on hold in the 1990's and returned to college 15 years later. I'm working on my 3rd college degree now and have been working steadily in the field of my choice (education) since 2011. Feel free to email me if you have any questions about returning to college and how to obtain financial aid as an adult non-traditional student (you can do so as long as you do not already have a bachelor's degree). Why not retrain for a career in health care? I can help you get through those tedious biology, chemistry and anatomy/physiology courses and help you brush up on your academic writing skills (trust me, you will be writing in the life sciences too). My employed at the Center for Writing Excellence at UCF has provided me with a rich learning experience.

I've also been through an intensive professional teaching/tutoring course focused upon collaborative conversational techniques and the learning transfer process. My goal for each tutoring session is to collaboratively assist you in learning how to take the knowledge with you. My students do not necessarily require as many tutoring sessions because of the tutoring techniques I am educated in. If you are interested in gaining knowledge and learning what is needed to pass your courses with flying colors--contact me. It would be my pleasure to assist you in the future. I look forward to hearing from you soon!

If I could go back and give myself one piece of academic advice...

posted by WyzAnt tutor: Vicki N.

I would tell myself not to quit attending college part-time just because I had an 18 month old little boy and a baby girl "in the oven". Well, my daughter was not actually in an oven,but, my girl was in utero and I was having difficulty keeping my eyes open that first trimester. I can recall lying on my living room sofa (in Stillwater, Oklahoma) with my son sitting there beside me playing with his Lego Duplo set. The first eight weeks of my first trimester I literally slept through! A woman's body is designed to reproduce and I was in the height of my reproductive years. Little did I know I would be so fertile beyond the age of 30. I would not have spent so many years worrying about whether or not I could get pregnant (every time I attended another friend's baby shower!), if I had only known it was that easy. Life was good, my body just used every ounce of energy on those two growing children and I was such a good mom (I didn't touch coffee or anything caffeinated for ten months). That is precisely why I could not stay awake day or night!

When most women my age were going to see physicians for AI treatments, there I was having my children at the ripe old ages of 34 and 36. My pregnancies were considered "high risk" by my obstetrician, Dr. Michael Lewkowski. He monitored me closely with multiple ultrasounds throughout the gestation period. Being in excellent health, there truly was no reason for concern other than the usual higher statistics for having a Downs' syndrome child. I was blessed with two perfectly healthy children and who could ask for more? I had my little blonde boy and then a beautiful baby girl 22 months later. Instant family = tired mama. My dreams of completing college and attending law school were placed on the back burner to stay at home with my two little munchkins. I had the time of my life those five years I spent with them full-time.

Perhaps I would not have stopped attending college if I had been living closer to family that could have supported me with childcare during that time. Since I did not have that luxury, and was reluctant to leave my children with others, it was best for me to focus on their care. The one thing I did not realize at the time was that not leaving my son with someone else caused him to have separation anxiety later. When I returned to Florida (my home state) and began to leave him in the care of others part-time it was obvious that he needed more socialization and interaction with other people.

Knowing what I know now, I should have accepted the invitation to attend OSU's pre-law Honors program. Even if I had only attended one class per semester, it would have been best for me and for my young son. He needed to learn that others could properly care for him in my absence and that he could trust me to return to him. Being a new mom and having waited to start our family for nearly ten years of marriage--I was determined to be the best mother and nothing was more important to me. Now that I am in college, finally completing that bachelor's degree, it is a sweet season in my life. My son is preparing for his graduation from high school this year and I look forward to seeing him begin college this fall. His sister is well on her way to planning her college career too!

There is a season for everything. When I look back and realize that placing my college career on hold allowed me to take my first college chemistry course while my son was taking his first high school chemistry course, the benefits of waiting shine through. I know now that this season was meant to be, just as it is-- because it was oh, so sweet, to be able to discuss the periodic table and the experiments I was doing in chem lab with my son. Talking chemistry was something we had in common that year, when he was 16 and at an age that most high school students don't really want to talk with their parents as much. My college career has brought me many serendipitous moments these past few years. I am blessed to have met so many wonderful friends, colleagues and teachers that I can not imagine my life without my college experiences now. I truly admire those that embark on raising a family AND continue to attend college or work outside of the home.

Recently, I have had the pleasure of tutoring a few non-traditional students in my part-time work at the UCF Center for Writing Excellence. It is amazing what can be accomplished while raising a family (perhaps, as a single parent) or working a full-time job (for example, as an emergency room registered nurse). I enjoy encouraging others to pursue their career goals and in the pursuit of higher education. If more people were inclined to believe in their dreams and take the necessary steps to achieve them, the world would be a happier place. The American Dream is alive and well, as I see it in the eyes of the international students that I work with at UCF. It is never too late to begin a college career or to pick up where one left off decades ago. As the Nike manufacturers say, "Just Do It."

High School English Composition

posted by WyzAnt tutor: Vicki N.

Recent inquiries have prompted me to write this blog post. Although I focus on college student tutoring during UCF's academic semesters, I do have experience and will tutor high school English composition. Since the spring UCF semester is complete for me (this week) I will have a few weeks free which will overlap with high school students and the final 4-6 weeks of this academic school year.

I have completed my ESL/ESOL training and am currently accepting non-native speaking students. Please preview my profile and contact me via email through this website. Once your profile is setup on this site, you can email me your contact information and we can discuss scheduling needs. I am experienced in essay writing and can assist with technical, scientific/biomedical and creative writing assignments. My past experience also includes working with test taking strategies for high school students (classroom and online exams/quizzes). Please contact me at your earliest convenience and I will be delighted to work with you or your high school young adult!

Preparing for Nursing School?

posted by WyzAnt tutor: Vicki N.

If you are in the preliminary stage working toward applying for a nursing program, I would love to meet you! I know it is hard work taking the courses you are studying and completing all requirements needed to make your application. Since 2010 I've studied biology, chemistry, microbiology, anatomy and physiology, in depth. These are not the easiest subjects to learn, especially if you are returning to college after taking time off to raise a family or pursue a career path in a different field. As a non-traditional student, I spent many late nights in Denny's drinking my vanilla lattes while reviewing difficult concepts in chemistry, anatomy and physiology.

I returned to college after decades of being out of school. With my laptop and Pearson's Anatomy & Physiology, Mastering Chemistry and Cengage OWL's online chemistry resources those long nights at Denny's paid off. I began to grasp concepts that were foreign to me through the use of many computer programs, even when it was challenging to do so. Although I did not pass every exam with an A or B, I will tell you that it is well worth the effort invested. I tutor now because I've been tutored. I've been mentored and will continue to accept the teaching and advice of those that have succeeded before me. Those that succeed realize they need others to teach them or encourage them.

Even if you need to retake a course or focus on just one subject during a summer semester, it's worth it to pursue your dream. The health science topics are broad and yet, these subjects build upon one another. Learning and grasping the basics of General Chemistry will provide a good foundation. If you need to change professors for chemistry in order to succeed, go for it--even if it means attending chem labs on a different campus without your lab partner(s). Replacing a poor grade with an A or B is crucial to your success in gaining admittance to the competitive field of health care. Do what you need to do to help yourself succeed. I've studied with some brilliant men and women who have taken each stepping stone to pursue their dreams. No matter how much more difficult their studies were than they had initially anticipated, those that succeed persevered through failure.

I am so proud of my former classmates and lab partners as they have persevered in order to gain acceptance to UCF's nursing school. One of my colleagues is now a molecular researcher at UF. I have the utmost respect for those pursuing a medical career path! If this is your calling and I may be of assistance to you, please review my profile and contact me through email. Tell me what you think you need help with (subject matter and concept) and if I am capable, I will help you. I'll also let you know if I think you need to be tutored by someone with more knowledge and expertise. If you write to me between the hours of 8 a.m. and 10 p.m., I typically will respond within 3-4 hours. If you need a more rapid response, try contacting me between these hours Monday through Friday: 10am to 2pm or 8pm-10pm. I look forward to meeting you soon.

The Lefty Handwriting Whiz

posted by WyzAnt tutor: Vicki N.

I'm so excited to share with you my experience tutoring a young man. He is just 5 years of age and entered kindergarten in August 2012. Being a lefty posed him a huge problem when he began his handwriting lessons in class. That's when his mom found me on this website! I am blessed to be her son's private tutor and look forward to working with him each week.

We began focusing on this bright boy's handwriting skills in the first few sessions. We quickly realized that in order to get him up to speed with his class, he would need two sessions per week with me. My happy little tutee has quite a personality, and although I thought I was teaching him, he has also provided me with a lesson or two. My tutoring this child has broadened from just handwriting to phonics, reading, spelling, math, writing (composing) and art! I am a creative tutor and incorporate whatever means I feel is needed into my sessions. When he became bored with handwriting we started a book together. His imagination brought him a character (a pig) that he could write about. Incorporating his new learned vocabulary, the kindergartener added a page to his book each session. As he began reading, we worked on spelling as he would hand write each page he composed for "his book".

Rewarding the young man with the opportunity for a fun activity; using markers on a completely blank white page, he illustrated his book too! With my prompting, he imagined a story for his character (Santa Pig) and took him from the grocery store to the North Pole. I've enjoyed this young boy's enthusiasm each session as he asks me, "is it time to write in my book yet?" I typically leave this fun activity to the end of the session and he anticipates this. I like giving him structure and allowing him to know how many more minutes he needs to work. I gently guide him through his homework (math: addition/subtraction), then we usually do his reading assignments. I positively reinforce his new vocabulary with handwriting practice. Recently, I introduced him to the whiteboard. He loves to write and draw, compose and count for math, using markers on the board! This also saves valuable time (not erasing his pencil on paper). He is quite meticulous and doesn't like making mistakes. We accomplish so much more now that erasing takes a jiffy!

It was terrific at the end of the 9 weeks when his mom showed me his report card. He had improved in all but one area! When my student returned to school after the lengthy winter break (we took two weeks off tutoring also) he received praise from his teacher. She had written a note to his mom, "He did an awesome job in reading today! He is the 1st one on our "neat work" board!" As this young boy saw his mother showing me his teacher's praise, he just beamed with pride. With a smile as wide as the Mississippi, my heart skipped a beat knowing how happy he was at his own success. I did not teach him anything his teacher hadn't taught, I simply reinforced the knowledge, providing him with guidance, creative activities and encouragement to do his best. I look forward to his progress these next 8 weeks and in helping him to develop his new-found love for reading and writing!

Testing Beta Tool

posted by WyzAnt tutor: Vicki N.

As a tutor, I am thoroughly enjoying this website and the students I work with referred from this site. I am delighted that WyzAnt is requesting tutors to beta-test a new tutoring tool. I hope to begin doing so very soon!

Essay Writing -- Online Coursework and Timed, Proctored Exams

posted by WyzAnt tutor: Vicki N.

Most online classes require a minimum of one proctored examination. With the increased risk of academic dishonesty, some instructors and professors require multiple proctored exams. I recently completed a 100% online Introduction to Oceanography course. The professor (of Florida Institute of Technology and BCC) required three proctored exams for the course. These tests included two mid-terms and one final exam, all three requiring an essay worth 30-50% of the exam. Unknown topics always cause anxiety, especially when it is a timed, closed book, no notes--proctored online exam. As I took my final exam yesterday, I was confident until I looked at the list of essay topics I had the opportunity to choose from. Out of the five, one topic seemed to be most familiar to me--Hydrothermal Vent Communities. I was grateful that I might know enough to actually write a complete essay on the topic. I was sure I would not do well enough with any of the other four topics to have passed this exam (essay was worth 50% of this final). Yes, there is life at the bottom of the ocean floor but how do I write five paragraphs?

As I began writing my outline to cover the five points my professor requested for this topic, another student entered the exam room and was seated behind me. As she began to take her essay exam, this student's anxiety rose to a level I was not prepared for. As she pounded the keyboard typing her essay, I thought she would break it. I could hear her gasping for breath as if an elephant were seated upon her chest. It was quite disheartening, it has been so long since I felt any anxiety during a timed essay exam, I'd forgotten what it was like. The tension blanketed the computer lab and I was thankful to be proofreading my final essay for submission. A few moments later I clicked on the "Submit" button and exited the lab. When I arrived home and checked my coursemail I was pleasantly surprised to see that my professor had already graded my essay and posted the results! I enjoy receiving perfect scores on my essays and was delighted to learn I'd achieved over 100% for a final grade for the course. I could not help but think about the woman seated behind me gasping for breath while typing her essay. Was the essay well written? Did she catch her breath and correct her mistakes? Could she remember what she'd learned and outline it logically?

If you're a science major and you'd like to improve your ability to draft an essay for examination, please do not hesitate to contact me! I'd love to coach you and help you achieve higher scores on your exams.

Tutor Subjects - Certifications in Progress

posted by WyzAnt tutor: Vicki N.

I thoroughly enjoy tutoring subjects that appear in bold print on my profile. As time permits, I will be adding the subjects which are not bolded. As a student or parent seeking a qualified or certified tutor, look for the bold subjects listed on tutor profiles. The non-bolded subjects are those which the tutor is interested in completing the certification exams. During my winter break from college, I hope to add biology, chemistry and microbiology to my bolded list of certified subjects.

Tips for Parents of Young Readers

posted by WyzAnt tutor: Vicki N.

Every parent would like their child to be excited about reading. Children learn through repetition and will often ask a parent to read a favorite bedtime story again. Being a parent can be exhausting, exhilarating and rewarding. Witnessing a child's first attempt to read can be excruciatingly difficult. As parents, we instinctively want to assist our children with everything they do. We read to them for a long time before they begin to read for themselves. Being patient and willing to re-read a favorite story to a child may provide the young reader with the atmosphere needed for learning.

Being patient with young children is challenging at times. Preschoolers, kindergarten aged children and elementary students all require massive amounts of attention and patience. Most parents know whether or not they have the patience to provide an atmosphere for learning. Parents that are uncertain about this can test themselves and analyze the environment. Is the child encouraged to read by example or is there a lack of patience which translates into a discouraging atmosphere. If a young reader is not confident and patience is lacking the child will not want to learn. Children need encouragement and adults that will read to them until they are developmentally ready to begin reading. Patience, repetition and an atmosphere of encouragement will provide a young reader with a positive experience. Children want to do what they enjoy.

Ways to help children enjoy reading include: providing fun activities like creating a story about stuffed animals, taking photos of favorite stuffed animals while on a family outing and later bringing them to life on paper! There are a variety of ways in which any adult can encourage a child to read. An aunt or uncle, grandmother or grandfather can provide children with colored pencils, photos and 11 x 17 paper to create a keepsake storybook. With tape or Elmer's glue, the photos can be attached to the tops of the pages and the story can be added below. Folding 11 x 17 art paper makes a nice big storybook with plenty of space for photos and words on each page! Having fun with children while helping them to learn is exciting when it results in a successful young reader. Children begin reading words by sight long before they know phonics if the adults in their lives read stories to them daily.

The youngest readers I have known were those children that were given a routine opportunity to hear a story. Reading before naps and bedtime in the evenings is a great way to become consistent. Reading to children also provides one on one time and allows them to relax before going to sleep. Most young children enjoy the attention and will become accustomed to having stories read to them. As boring as it may seem to an adult to repeat a story like Dr. Seuss's Green Eggs and Ham, children love hearing it a second time! Before a parent realizes it, the child can read the entire book from memory. Eventually, the words are being recognized by sight by the child. Let books become a child's favorite toy and with consistency, the child will become an early reader!

The New "Unemployed" - Transformed! From Unemployed, Down and Out - to Educated, Employed and a New Life

posted by WyzAnt tutor: Vicki N.

The national economy has suffered and Floridians have been hit hard these past 3-4 years. Many adults with families to support have been faced with the challenges that come with losing a full time paycheck. Typically, a job loss is not well planned for by most people because many live paycheck to paycheck. For those that are fortunate enough to have a nest egg or receive a generous severance package, being laid off might be like having a mini-vacation of sorts. Eventually though, a reality check brings a person face to face with the mirror and the bank statement. Losing a job before the holidays is also like being kicked when you're down. That is what I experienced over 3 years ago. The way I see it, a job loss can be life changing. It is up to the individual whether or not the job loss defines them or is turned into a stepping stone. There are two choices to make and no time to waste.

With an incomplete college education I found myself considering returning to college soon after my lay off. Within 30 days I decided I should move forward and make the most of the time "off" while I continued to submit online job applications. I joined Linked In and didn't find a job, I walked the malls and found very few retail job openings for managers. The international company that I worked for decided to save 5 million dollars in the last quarter of 2009. 330 middle managers lost their jobs across the United States. I happened to be the only person out of 5 employees that had the magical title which brought our District Manager to see me personally! No pat on the back this time. Although he was a great boss it didn't really help me feel better when he told me, "You're eligible for rehire." I guess a good reference is better than a poor reference. Nonetheless, he wasn't going to pay my bills for me and Christmas was just around the corner.

The day I learned I was to be laid off because my position was being "eliminated" I was shocked. There's nothing like being told your job is not necessary any longer. Then what have been doing here working my tail off? Earlier in the year our company had sent out an email which was quite misleading to those of us working in management. It was obvious that retail sales were down and we struggled to sell every single customer that walked in our door. The corporate email we received stated specifically that all of the management employees would retain their jobs as long as we did not expect salary increases for a few years. That was somewhat comforting albeit disappointing, however, it seemed we were a few of the lucky ones. Throughout the mall several corporate chains had closed their lower volume stores and several independent businesses had filed bankruptcy. The mall management informed us that the commercial property was owned by a company that had filed bankruptcy also. We were waiting to see if our mall would get picked up by the same company that purchased the Altamonte Mall and turned into an upscale shopping mall. No such luck for the West Oaks Mall, our store was doomed for failure!

When a chapter of life ends, it's time to move on to the next chapter. The store might have failed to reach its annual sales goals but I wasn't a failure. I knew I had the average top sales figures for every hour I worked. It made absolutely no sense at all that the best salesperson was the only one to be let go. That's big business and what the bottom line does, it is not analytical or personal. The bottom line for an international business is simply numbers. The stores with the highest numbers didn't lose an employee. I was fortunate to have transferred to a lower volume store because had I been promoted in Altamonte Springs, I would not have left my job to return to college.

I'm thankful because my layoff changed my life for the better. Things happen for a reason, I don't believe in luck and I think it is up to us to make life happen. I must admit that I did mope around for several weeks after my layoff. Depression can destroy a person's desire to achieve anything. It is a black cloud of despair that must be dealt with! Sometimes a person needs to see a professional and that's what I did. I did not wait until I was convinced I wasn't worthy of making a contribution to society. I chose not to believe the lies that those that are over 40 and laid off are done. I am no where near ready to retire. Three years later I have completed my two year college degree and a professional scientific workplace preparedness certificate. I've decided on a new career in teaching because I was inspired by a teacher and finally realized why I have always been intrigued by life. As I sat in a biology lab one day I realized that studying plants and flowers (botany) was interesting to me. Most of my classmates were young and didn't really care. I noticed when I went home that alot of my wardrobe has floral prints and designs, the colors I like seem to be earth tones and bright colors. I'm addicted to flower gardening and I've always loved animals. I helped my childrens' dad go through college and veterinary medical school. I've been involved in the life sciences ever since I was a little girl and my grandmother taught me to grow flowers and feed birds in the winter time.

Spending a Saturday morning at a beach clean-up is an activity I enjoy. I was born to live at the beach, the ocean is my retreat and brings me such joy and peace. I grew up in Florida and spent many days and nights on sailboats, houseboats and motorboats with my family. Occasionally, I went canoeing when the opportunity presented itself. Discovering a passion for science gave me a foundation to build upon for a new career. I am still a few years away from teaching some of the courses I'd like to teach: biology, microbiology, anatomy & physiology, oceanography and environmental science. I do have a bit more studying to do but I have a purpose and know that teaching is what I do best. In every job I've ever held, I was always the one that was given the additional responsibility to provide training to new employees. It occurred to me that I usually enjoyed that part of my job more than the tedious and mundane tasks. I'm very happy to report that I'm no longer unemployed. Seeking higher education opened several doors to me.

I was offered a Student Assistant position working at my community college's wellness center in 2011. After a year on that job, it was time to move to another campus to continue my studies. It took just a few months but I was successful again, gaining employment on campus. These jobs working with instructors and professors have given me additional education and professional development opportunities that I would not have if I chose to attend school and not work part-time. I attend school full-time and work as much as possible. Additionally, I have my tutoring business and a small online retail sales business. These are two businesses I can work around my school schedule and they provide me an income and goals each month of the year. When I have breaks from school in the Spring and Winter, I ramp up my sales business. I no longer sit around waiting for an email or phone call from a job application. I still apply online or apply in person when I find an opportunity I am qualified for that might fit into my busy schedule.

But no more waiting around and certainly, no time for depressing thoughts. As my father always said, "You only live once." I understand what that means now that he is gone. I'll continue to seek opportunities to enhance the lives of others as I continue my education. God willing, I plan to teach biology and other science courses to college students one day! In the meantime, I will work with any age student that I am qualified to assist in any subject that I am capable of tutoring.

Currently, I am working part-time on the UCF-BCC Cocoa campus as a professional writing consultant (tutor) in the University Writing Center. I've received 6 weeks of training and professional development to acquire the necessary skills to assist undergraduate and graduate students, university faculty and staff. I'm well equipped to assist any age student with most writing assignments, including but not limited to: essay papers, book reports, marketing plans, nursing research papers and APA or MLA research projects. I also work with students that English is not their native language. Assisting international students is enjoyable and it does not matter what level of English tutoring is needed. I tutor all levels. In fact, my students range from age 5 to 60. I work with a kindergarten aged child that is left handed and learning to read and write. I also work with adults that are non-traditional college students returning to school after decades. There are several subjects that I am qualified to tutor and a full review of my public profile outlines the subjects and descriptions. Future subjects will include biology, chemistry and algebra. Feel free to contact me via email on this site if you have questions regarding tutoring. I'm here to help and usually respond within 24 hours.

Survey - 90 to 100 percent of my students come from Wyzant's website

posted by WyzAnt tutor: Vicki N.

I find the Wyzant website to be very beneficial to students and tutors. It is well organized and provides the structure needed for tutors to focus on their students. I also like the fact that the website can take credit cards, whereas, I am not setup for that. I much prefer to use a computer program to keep track of lesson plans, reviews and student information. It is also nice that the contact information is not relayed to prospective students until they are set up on the website. It is efficiently run and I find the customer service staff to be quite responsive and encouraging whenever I have a question or a need.

Elementary K-5 and High School

posted by WyzAnt tutor: Vicki N.

Hi!

I'm in the process of becoming certified in science and math subjects. As I continue adding certifications, please check back if there is a subject on my list that is not in bold type right now and you are looking for assistance. Bold type means I am certified to help you with that subject. The process takes a few days for the website to update after I've completed my examinations. Right now, I'm most interested in taking on new students that require some assistance with writing skills. I am very interested in those of you that are working toward higher education and English is not your native language. I do have experience in this area and can be a great resource for high school and undergraduates with research papers, essays and presentations.

My strengths working with adults: proofreading research papers, reports and essays, providing feedback regarding content and proper essay form, powerpoint presentations for speech or other college classes along with some creative writing experience. Do you like to write but just don't feel confident? I can help you by being your audience for your next speech, reading your draft assignments for English composition courses and providing necessary feedback which will enable you to make appropriate editing decisions and finalize your paper. Research is also one of my strengths, from library reference to internet research. I can help you learn the difference between MLA and APA citations and when to use each in your bibliography.

Please try to contact me at least 1-2 weeks before your research paper or essays are due. Leave time for scheduling a mutually convenient time to meet for the writing review session and you will be very happy you did. Wyzant has a great policy for first time sessions and as long as you get set up with the website, it is easy and affordable to get the help you need. If you are looking for someone to rewrite your paper for you, please realize that this service is not for that purpose. I am not an expert, however, my 4.0 GPA in English composition I & II, Technical Writing, Speech and a variety of other courses that were writing intensive has provided me with a rich experience you will benefit from. My past work history as an Executive Legal Secretary for 4 years in Gainesville has alot to do with my knack for seeing typos, missing punctuation, misspelled words and incorrect grammar. After personally processing over 420 real estate lawsuits during my tenure with Florida Woodland Group, Inc., I understood why my boss became a millionaire. I also learned exactly what it takes for someone that works 40+ hours per week drafting, proofing, editing and printing legal documents to get carpal tunnel syndrome in both wrists. Yes, you do need to use an ergonomic keyboard if you are working on the computer constantly!

After three hand surgeries and a new lease on life, I returned to college to complete the AA degree I began before my children were born. Graduating with Honors last Spring, I've continued my education and am majoring in Science Education. I'll be teaching biology, chemistry, anatomy & physiology and probably microbiology and environmental science. For this reason, you'll see several subjects that I will be certified in the near future (as time permits). In the meantime, I am working part-time assisting others with their children or adults that need another set of eyes to review their projects, research reports and essays. I'll schedule an appointment with you for an hour in a local library (I reserve the study group rooms for privacy) and do whatever I can to help you complete your objectives. Please contact me with any questions you may have via the Wyzant email. There is absolutely no obligation. Hope I can be of service!