Education Catch-Up

I spent almost all of Tuesday and Wednesday cramming in my continuing education units (CEU) for my social work license. I was already late (of course) since I didn't finish in December, but there was a 90 day late fee and a 120 late fee that was higher so I was determined to finish before I had to pay more. Since I'm not currently working, my license is like insurance - you pay for it just in case you might need it. Luckily, I only have to renew it every 2 years with 30 CEUs and 10 of them have to be at a seminar. So, as a thousand times in my life, I was trying to do it all at the last minute.

I try to pick topics that are at least of interest to me right now. It usually has something to do with aging because of my grandparents. When Jade was an infant I took one in Shreveport called the Aging Brain. It was more medical related than social work, but it was good none the less. Then I didn't take anything for a long time until December 2010 when I took one about Abuse & Neglect of the Elderly at UT Arlington. Really sad examples in the class, but I also learned a lot of the financial abuses to the elderly. Child abuse and neglect is aweful, of course, but elderly people deserve respect as well.

Tuesday was the last day for me to complete my credits because I scheduled myself a seminar on Wednesday that was in Longview. It was a way to force myself to finish my CEUs for the last two years and use this seminar for the following two years licensure. I know I was cutting it close, but I completed the online courses at 12:15 (midnight), but my reports still printed for the 29th (Tuesday). Yea! Finally a little exemption for procrastinators like me. As long as I started it on Tuesday I got to count it. I wasn't really looking forward to the Longview seminar, but it's the first one I've been able to find in Longview for a long time and when you're not getting paid to keep up your licensure you try to go the cheapest route. It was actually good since the instructor is a psychologist by day and a stand-up comic by night. I didn't fall asleep and I got a good review of my abnormal psychology class from college on personality disorders. It was interesting to put people's names next to the personality disorders we reviewed. He even included great video clips of Kramer from Seinfield and What About Bob? of characters who portrayed personality disorders well. So funny!

Now on to the next 24 credits to get me through 2012. I'll try not to cram this time.