Over the past 5 years I have taken more than twenty online courses, as well as a handful of in-class courses through continuing education at Conestoga. The online courses are designed around my crazy life. I am a single mom with teenagers. I work in the Conestoga Recreation Centre (full time) as an Athletic Technician and as one of their Personal Trainers. I also instruct the Paramedic, Police Foundations, LASA and Pre-service Firefighters fitness programs part-time. During the school year, I teach the CPTN course for Conestoga and have recently accepted a volunteer position as the Chair of the Professional Relationships Committee for The Certified Personal Trainers Network. On top of that I find a couple of hours a week to work for both the City of Cambridge and Guelph.
So how do I find time to fit education into my life? My life’s motto is “Love like you’ve never been hurt. Work like you don’t need the money. And dance like no one’s watching”. I believe that education is power and yes I know that it is a lot of work. But I also believe that education can only nourish one’s future. Every course is a piece of your education puzzle. Every piece is independent and important for its specific function. All the pieces eventually fill in all the blanks and create a unified portrait.
Every semester I take a minimum of two courses but usually attempt more. My goal is to keep a mixture of online and in-class courses in order to keep my brain functional. I prefer online courses because I can work at my own pace in my spare time. The best issue is that I do not have to suspend my life around someone else’s schedule. The online courses are about as user-friendly as school can be. They provide simple ways to communicate with others through online chats and discussions. The courses incorporate step by step ways for summiting assignments and connecting with instructors. I find the approach is more adult based and more “need to know” information than some courses I have taken in the past. I feel I have created a sound data base of knowledge due to the courses offered both in-class and online at Conestoga. So if I can do it any one can.
Colleen Holmes, CES, CPTN-CPT - Rec Centre Receptionist-Equipment Technician
Community Services' Fitness Techinican