By James Johnson

I am now rocketing towards the end of another term in Library Tech school. I’ve taken on a larger course load this term, and with that quite a bit more stress. I’m finally getting used to school again after being away for so long.

I’ve come to accept the grades I’ve earned. During my first term I was perplexed, and sometimes downright agitated, if I received a lower grade on an assignment I’d deemed near perfect. Now, if it’s an 80% paper, I’m happy. I can’t say the same for my significant other, however.

My wife is not happy, and for good reason. She’s paid her fees, purchased her textbooks, has even attended a few of her much desired clinical placements on the surgery ward at a local hospital. She was trucking along, focused this September on earning some transfer credits so she can take her RPN certification further and earn a spot on that competitive circuit in University – the famed RN program at Ryerson University. It’s been a focal point of ours for years. It’s been a dream of her’s for even longer. But now, she’s stagnating.

And there’s nothing we can do about it. The employees of all the Ontario colleges are striking. The semester of nearly 500,000 students is in jeopardy. When the strike began nearly five weeks ago, the college my wife attends advised the students to keep completing their assignments, because they were sure that classes would resume in no time. My wife has taught herself almost a full semester of coursework, without any instruction. It’s been frustrating for her. We feel helpless. We don’t want her to lose a semester to this.

Fortunately for myself, online programs aren’t affected by this strike and I’ve been able to keep plugging along. Next week I’ll be talking more about the courses I’m taking, so hopefully by then the strike will be over and I’ll have more positive things to write about. Until then, friends.