Part 4: Seek Learning by Study and Prayer

            Our daughter graduated from high school at the end of May 2015. Shortly after graduation, she asked me to attend a tour of Utah Valley University with her. That would have normally been out of my comfort zone, but I had been visiting women for almost 21 months and those regular visits helped me deal with new situations much easier. I enjoyed going on the tour with her and took lots of pictures of all the things that caught my attention – the hall of flags, the fountain in the commons, the geometric art hanging from the library and science building ceilings, and the pendulum in the Pope Science building, etc. As we were walking down the long hall in the Liberal Arts building, the tour guide was pointing out how most class sizes are kept small at UVU. As we looked into one of the math classrooms, I suddenly had a strong prompting that I needed to go back to college. What?! That had never been on my radar. However, I knew better than to argue with those distinctive feelings that God sent me occasionally.

            I went home and addressed an envelope to request my high school transcript from Longmont High in Colorado. I also addressed two more envelopes to request my college transcripts from Weber State University (Fall 1990) and BYU (Fall 1992). Since Weber State was on the quarter system back then, I was only able to transfer 4.66 credits from the two classes I took there, but they filled the requirements for history and health. I was only able to transfer three credits from one of the four classes I took there, but it filled the requirements for human development. At the next appointment with my psychologist, I told him about my anxiety over taking the Accuplacer test for math and English. It had been over 25 years since I had taken a class in either subject and I think my ACT score was only a 21. He opened his drawer, pulled out a yellow #2 pencil, handed it to me, and said, “I want you to drive down the hill and take that test right now.” I looked at him in shock, but I could tell he was serious. So I took the pencil and followed his counsel. I ended up being placed in Math 990 (which is two classes away from the math class that counts for credit) and English 1010. After that, I paid the $25 registration fee, was assigned a student number, and made an appointment with an academic advisor in the behavioral science department. I was actually going to do this!