Some people have trouble figuring out which mortuary school to go to. In reality, there are not that many that exist here in the United States. Of those that do exist, there are quite a few that I would not be surprise to see close down in the near future. Maybe I shouldn't leave anything to your imagination. What I am saying is there are quite a few schools out there that don't do well with students passing.

There are several things people should look for when selecting a mortuary science school. To give you an idea, I will use myself as an example as to why I selected Carl Sandburg College as my school.

The state of Illinois has four mortuary schools--Carl Sandburg College, Malcolm X College, Southern Illinois University and Worsham College. There are various reasons for why I picked Carl Sandburg College to go to for mortuary science. First off is the location. Carl Sandburg College is located in a nice, quiet town called Galesburg. It is not too far from Peoria, IL, or Davenport, IA. It is a friendly community with simple, good people.

Malcolm X College and Worsham College are both decent schools located in the Chicago area. Malcolm X is located in Chicago, while Worsham College is located in Wheeling, IL. When I was choosing mortuary science schools, I was wanting to get away from the Chicago area. Although a small part of me misses the area, overall it is better for me that I am not attending school there due to the costs of living. I am paying for college out of my own pockets. Futhermore, Southern Illinois University is located in Carbondale, IL. Honestly, I do like Carbondale, but there are other factors as to why I didn't choose SIU.

The second reason I picked Carl Sandburg College is the cost for the education. The mortuary science program at Carl Sandburg College is roughly around $11,000. The cost for Worsham College is a little over $15,000. To be honest I never checked out the tuition for Malcolm X College since I never had an interest in living in Chicago, and the tuition for Southern Illinois University is of course ridiculously higher than the other schools since it is an university and they throw in extra costs and fees within their tuition.

The third reason I picked Carl Sandburg College is I took the time to met their instructors and I was impressed by them. By the time I did this, I already narrowed my choices between Carl Sandburg College and Southern Illinois University. I eliminated Worsham College and Malcolm X College due to my desire at the time to be away from Chicago and its suburbs. The people at Carl Sandburg College were helpful and informative about the mortuary science program the college had.

I went down to Southern Illinois University to also take a tour of its mortuary science program. Personally, I wasn't too keen on the person I met with down there. I don't want to call the person I met with (unfortunately I can't remember her name) a certain word, but I will say she was not very pleasant. I figured she probably just had a bad day, but still you are not suppose to bring your problems, issues or or whatever is wrong to work with you. That is unprofessional--especially when you have to speak with people who have an interest in your program. By this point, I realize I did not need to be at SIU at all. I already have a bachelor's degree.

However what really sold me on attending Carl Sandburg College is the passing/failing statistics of the Funeral Service National Board Examination (NBE) exam. The NBE exam is the final exam students have to take at the end of the program to continue on in the profession. When I first saw the rankings, Carl Sandburg College was ranked 6th in the nation with a 92% rating. The college did drop down the rankings this past year, as well as most of the other mortuary schools in Illinois, but overall their median average is higher than the other mortuary schools in this state.

If you are interested in entering into mortuary science and have not decided what school to attend, there are several factors you may want to consider first. The first thing you need to to is learn your state's requirements. All states have different educational requirements to be a funeral director. Second, you need to decide if you want to earn a associate's degree or a bachelor's degree. In my opinion if you graduate with a bachelor's degree you will have more options available to you in your future. Third, take a look at the school's pass/fail percentage rate of students who take the NBE or the American Board Funeral Service Education (ABFSE) examination at the end of the year. Fourth, look at the school's curriculum for the mortuary science program. Make sure it is diverse and offers various courses in order for you to get the most out of your education. Also any hands-on experience or field trips are always a plus for a mortuary science program. Finally, check out the tuition rates and location of the schools. Some mortuary science schools might be in areas with higher cost-of-living. You want to make sure you can attend a school with an education that you can afford.

For any additional help or info about mortuary science schools, here are some links you can copy and paste into your browser.

http://www.mortuaryschools.com/
http://www.abfse.org/index.html
http://www.theconferenceonline.org/
http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos011.htm

(CSC Original Post 02-12-10)

If I had to give some advice to any person who plans on entering the mortuary science program either here at Carl Sandburg College or at any other school my advice would be this: do not commute during the winter. You should consider moving closer to campus during the wintertime. Why? It’s simple—traveling on ice or snow is not fun. Of course, the exceptions to this advice are any colleges that do not see much snowfall during winter.

Last semester our program had quite a few students who option to commute to Galesburg instead of moving here. This is understandable. Some people might have families or jobs that they do not wish to leave behind. However, a good majority of those students this semester now either live closer to campus, or carry cash with them in case they have to rent a cheap motel room for the night. This is because with the unpredictable weather during the winter some people never know how safe the traveling conditions might be. Plus this semester in mortuary science is one of those semesters that no one can risk missing one day of class. Each class in our mortuary science program this semester is about 2 hours long, so if you miss one day of class you miss out on quite a bit of information.

Also another good reason to consider for moving closer to the college in the wintertime is no one knows for sure if or when the school might cancel classes due to the weather conditions. For instance, if you have a 2-hour commute to school and by the time you finally reach near the college you receive a call on your cell phone telling you campus is closed for the day because of the weather conditions. What happens then is you will have to turn around and try to make that same trip back home in those horrible conditions. This incident did happen to one person I spoke with recently.

In the long run it will be better and safer for students to rent an apartment, stay with a friend, or rent a motel room close to campus while attending school in the winter. It brings more peace to the mind about not worrying about making long trips in bad weather, and it will bring some comfort to know that you will not miss one day of class.

(CSC Original Post 12-02-09)

I am right now sitting at a desk staring through a window at the parking lot outside contemplating what I should write about. It is now December. The sun is shining, the grass is green and temperature outside is somewhat mild. It is not exactly the ideal for “dreaming of a white Christmas” but I don’t mind the scenery. It has been a nice relaxing day.

There are only a couple of weeks of school left here at Carl Sandburg College until the fall semester is finally over. To be more precise, our classes only meet three more times until we take our final exams. Finals of course is the time of the school year when people put their heads and noses inside their books, and strain their eyeballs until they are about ready to burst out of their sockets in hopes that their brain will comprehend some of the words or pictures that they are staring at. Finals week at Carl Sandburg starts December 14^th and will continue until December 17^th. If anyone needs to know the class schedule for finals week, you can pick up a sheet detailing the information at the Information Desk at either Building B or Building D.

However, this is also the time in the school year when some people can sense the imminent end of the school semester that their minds completely check out of their heads and procrastination checks in. I’ll admit…I am one of those people. Some people just don’t want to think about school right now and only want to focus on the upcoming break.

It always happens. Right after we get back from Thanksgiving break you just have to take a look at the calendar and the calendar in some mystifying way says to you, “Hey, you only have 2 ½ weeks left of school. So what are your plans afterwards?” Immediately reality and everything that is happening for the moment gets pushed out of your mind and your head wants to jump ahead to the next break and stay on permanent vacation for the rest of the semester. You ever notice the people in your class with the daze look in their eyes. Maybe you notice a little bit of drool running down from the side of their mouths. Yeah, there mind isn’t there anymore. It left as soon as they walked through those college doors. Don’t worry because their minds will make a sudden reappearance by December 18^th when the semester is officially over. By the way I am a psychic also. The same thing will happen again next semester immediately following Spring Break.

This is probably one of the worst things that can happen to someone around finals week, but it does happen. While some people are dreading the upcoming final exams, there are other people who are looking forward to them just because as soon as the finals are done the school semester is over. I’ll admit I am one of those people who is anxiously anticipating the finals because I prefer getting things done and over with. I am not at all worried about the final exams. As of right now I have done well in all my classes, so if I don’t do so well with my finals it is not the end of the world for me. I believe I should be able to receive a good grade with my finals. If anything at all, I will at least be optimistic and have a high expectation that I should be able to receive a good grade. Having confidence in yourself does help your mindset a bit.

(CSC Original Post 11-23-09)

It’s Thanksgiving week here at Carl Sandburg College. So what does that mean for the Mortuary Science program? Well, I will tell you. That means it is time for our Thanksgiving dinner.

As a way to celebrate the holiday and for us to do more activities together, the students in the mortuary science program got together today for a Thanksgiving dinner. I would like to think there were similarities with our Thanksgiving dinner compared to the one of the original Thanksgiving. The first-year and second-year mortuary science students got together for a dinner similar to the Pilgrims and the Native Americans. We each brought food and shared it with each other. We laughed, talked and had a good old jubilee. Of course in reality if anyone saw our Thanksgiving dinner, most people would probably consider it more similar to their own family Thanksgiving dinner instead of the original Thanksgiving since we did set up a smaller table for the second-year students which did resembled a little kiddies’ table. The second-year students are younger than us anyways, so it was all good. Maybe the one difference between our Thanksgiving and the original Thanksgiving is I'm sure the Pilgrims and the Native Americans were not surrounded by caskets while they ate.

The Thanksgiving dinner we had today was a nice way to start off the week for all of us. Even though we only have three days of school this week, the delicious food helped us forget about the research papers and the exams this week. Everyone was able to get together, talk and mellow out a bit. It was a nice fresh break before our real Thanksgiving break.

It is easy to assume that a good percentage of us during our little upcoming break will not be thinking about school or homework, but instead will be thinking about food, relaxing and having a good time. I hope everyone has a good Thanksgiving break this year. Just remember to make the most of it. This will be the only break you will have until we get closer to Christmas.

(CSC Original Post 11-10-09)

One of the biggest challenges I have face since coming back to college is trying to work with a small budget. Since entering the mortuary science program here at Carl Sandburg College I have been fortunate to find myself a job at the school, but the most I work is 10 hours a week. As you can imagine, working 10 hours a week does not bring in a huge income. I have to keep a tight watch of the money I earn and my expenses.

A lot of students when entering college for the first time will discover that they are eligible for financial aid. Financial aid is a loan that will help you pay for your classes while you attend college. Any leftover money can be used for books, rent, food, etc. Carl Sandburg College provides qualified students who are attending college with financial aid up to the maximum amount of $10,000 to help pay for education. However do not forget financial aid is a loan—you will be paying the money back.

The challenge I have is I previously attended college at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, IL before coming to Carl Sandburg College. A full-time student attending a semester at NIU is going to cost (I’m estimating—I haven’t been there for several years) around $5,000. A year of college at NIU could easily exceed $10,000. So naturally my financial aid loans exceeded over $10,000. However at Carl Sandburg College if you have loans that exceed over $10,000 either at Carl Sandburg College or at another institution you might not be eligible for any financial aid loan. I am aware you can make an appeal to the financial aid department, but I decided not to do it. I have been slowly paying off my financial aid loan. I do not want to increase the loan any bigger.

So when you are only working 10 hours a week and you have college and other living expenses to deal with you eventually start learning how to make sacrifices and budget your income. That is if you don’t want to go deep in debt. How I figure out my budget is I take the average of how much I earn in one month and split that income up into how much money I can spend in certain categories (rent/food/gas//other). Then I divide that amount into weeks of the month. That gives me a good estimate of how much I can spend a week on a certain thing.


For instance, for food I am able to spend $15-$20 a week. Gas I spend no more than $10 a week. Any money I don’t spend in a week and I have leftover I save in case of emergencies. This might not seem much or pleasant for most people, but it’s been working for me. When it comes to food you learn quickly not to waste your money on junk food. I usually buy fruits and items with lot of protein and fiber. I usually do not spend much money on gas at all. Instead of wasting money on fuel I use my own two feet to get around town. Sometimes I’ll use my vehicle to get me somewhere but after that it stays parked.


I also cut out spending money on things I don’t need right now such as cable or the internet (although I’ll admit my laptop computer does have wireless so I can access the internet from the neighbors). I’ve been avoiding going out and doing things such as the going to the bar or eating out at fast-food places or restaurants. To be honest for the most part I have put my social life on life support. The way I’m looking at it right now if I can save enough pennies for the next two years to pay for college then in the end it will be worth it.

I’ll admit I have been fortunate to save enough money from my previous job to cover the cost of college so far. I have also been doing some odd jobs to help earn some extra money, and I will probably start looking around for a second job here on campus. I am also eagerly awaiting some scholarship information to fill out that might help me out with some college costs here at Carl Sandburg College.

While most students are fortunate to receive financial aid and grants for help to pay for college, there are some other students here at Carl Sandburg that I have talked to who are facing the same challenge as I am. I wish I can offer those students some advice, but I am too learning how to handle this situation as I go. The one thing I have learned is sometimes you just need to sit down and take a look at your expenses and figure out for yourself what is necessary and what is not necessary. I think you’ll be surprised with all you can do without.

(CSC Original Post 10-30-09)

Last night (Thursday, October 29) Sigma Phi Sigma held their annual Halloween party. I am struggling trying to wake up and function normally after last night. I didn’t bother going to sleep until 6:30 this morning, and right now it is currently 10:56 a.m. as I am writing this blog. It’s going to be interesting to see how my body handles running on the treadmill today.

I originally didn’t have high expectations of the Halloween party, but I’ll admit I did have lots of fun there and it was interesting. It gave the students in the mortuary program a good chance to learn more about each other. The Halloween party was held in a private room at Crappy’s (it’s a sports bar in case anyone is wondering about the name) where they served us pizza after pizza. I believe everyone had a chance to take home plenty of cold leftovers.

Unfortunately, I can't really go into much details about last night except it was fun. It really was a good time and I can't wait until we do it again.

(CSC Original Post 10-27-09)

Halloween is creeping up around the corner. The weather is getting cooler, the leaves are changing colors and it’s been a lot harder to get out of the bed in the morning. But I’m enjoying it. This is definitely one of my favorite times of the year. And I am excited about the things that are happening this week.

For Halloween, Sigma Phi Sigma (the mortuary science fraternity) is doing something special for the college. We are hosting a free movie night this Wednesday in the theatre room in Building F. It is going to be a Halloween theme night that will feature two films: Mel Brook’s classic Young Frankenstein and the original House on Haunted Hill staring legendary horror icon Vincent Price. Both are extremely great films and they are both fun to watch.

We are giving away a free bag of popcorn to everyone who comes to the event. The first movie, Young Frankenstein, will begin at 7 p.m. There will be a short intermission between the two films and the last movie, House on Haunted Hill, will start at 9 p.m.

I personally highly recommend for people to come and watch the two films especially if you have never seen them before. I’ll be working the concessions stand that night so most likely you’ll get your free bag of popcorn from me. Bring a date, get her free popcorn; she won’t be able to see how cheap you are because it’s all free! You can’t beat that.

(CSC Original Post 10-02-09)

It’s the beginning of October. The weather is getting a bit cooler and the leaves should be changing colors soon. They might have been already…I haven’t been outside much lately. I don’t do well in cold weather.

The mortuary science program is starting to slow down a bit where everything is now becoming a routine. All the newness, excitement and anticipation that came with all the students in the beginning of the semester have started to drift away. Now I have to struggle to open my eyes and crawl out of bed early in the morning. Half the time after I bathe myself, dress myself, and eat something I jump back into my bed until the very minute that my body is required to actually get up and go to school.

Don’t get me wrong. The mortuary science classes are still more interesting than most of the other classes I have taken in the past. There are plenty of stories and things to do in the program. I still enjoy myself here at Carl Sandburg. But all the freshness is gone. It is like when you first start a new job. Unless the job is horrible, you are going to be curious and anticipating all the new things you’ll be doing. After some time though, all those thoughts pass and you feel like you’ve been working that job forever. Or another example is when you find yourself a new girlfriend or boyfriend. In the beginning of the relationship it is fun, exciting and full of passion. After three months into the relationship pretty much you are just like, “You’re still here? Why can’t you be like how you were 3 months ago?” All the excitement is gone and everything that was new and exciting about the person is now normal.

I’m still looking forward to some of the things that we have plan in mortuary science. We have a Halloween party coming up at the end of October. Plus we are organizing some fundraiser events. I don’t think the first year classes have any upcoming field trips for some time, but I believe the second year class has some trips to look forward to right now.

There are other things that I am excited and looking forward to with this program, but I have to wait until other semesters to actually experience those things. Until then, all I can do is go to school and keep attending my classes like I’ve always done before. Some things feel like they never changed.

(CSC Original Post 09-30-09)

The week is finally over. I’m happy. It has been one of those weeks that feel like it has been dragging on forever, but you still don’t have enough time to do what you need to do.

I am one of the people who is big on keeping a routine. Having a routine helps you keep yourself more organized and keep your focus on track. This week though my routine completely failed me. I kept to it, but I made the mistake of adding too many things to my agenda this week to where I was completely overhauled and couldn’t keep up with things. The result was I had to make some sacrifices. And the sacrifices I made were not studying for my Chemistry and Anatomy & Physiology exams.

Personally, I am not making a big deal of not being able to study enough for the exams. I believe I did pretty well on them. I was able to study for about 45 minutes before my Chemistry exam, and my Anatomy exam I didn’t bother studying until I went to the classroom before the exam. I could have stayed up late the night before cramming for the tests like some other students did, but I am one of those people who prefer to be well-rested. I never try to stress myself over some test. The reason is, for me, I found that when I do get stressed out for some exam I go into panic mode when I am studying. I don’t think clearly and usually the result is I confused myself even more when I am studying.

My whole view on studying is not caring too much. For each exam I go in asking myself, “Do I know enough of the material that I should be able to get a C for a grade?” If I do, that’s great. Any grade that I got that is better than a C for me is bonus points. But thinking like this helps me stay calm and think rationally. I am able to focus better on the exam. And usually it turns out I receive a grade that is a lot better than a C.

Now this method works for me. I don’t know if it works for everyone. I’ll admit I have a decent memory to remember things. But when it comes to hectic exams, just try to find some way that helps you keep calm before the exam so you don’t get too stressed out. One thing I learned from this past A & P exam is one person who is freaked out about the exam and easily make a group of people start freaking out about the exam. And wow, it is really amusing to watch.

Anyway, this week is finally over. I believe this is my first weekend since possibly the second week of school that I have nothing to do. I think I’ll sleep for the most of it.

(CSC Original Post 09-22-09)

(CSC Original Post 09-17-09)

Alright! It’s now the third week of school. At least I think it is. Exams are popping up faster than acne on a 15 year-old’s face. These are the times you hit the books studying to make your ma/pa, wife/husband, girlfriend/boyfriend, child/dog/whatever proud! Myself, on the other hand, I am writing you this blog instead. The little sacrifices I make for Carl Sandburg College. But I am doing this for you. You should feel special.

What news can I bring you this week? Well, how about this. This week (well technically it was last Wednesday) our humble class learned about a little organization called Sigma Phi Sigma. “What exactly is that and why should I care,” you might ask yourself. I’m here to give you some knowledge.

Sigma Phi Sigma is the Mortuary Science Fraternity here at Carl Sandburg College. Now, when you saw the word fraternity and first thing that came to your mind was parties…yeah, it was the same for the rest of us too. You are not alone there. Hopefully there are some good ones. But the one nice thing about it is it is a co-ed fraternity. That means it is not just all guys…girls can join too!

Membership dues are only $35 which is pretty cheap. Sigma Phi Sigma will (I believe—I’m still learning about this organization) help pay for some of your fees in the mortuary science program. It will cover some travel expenses and will help pay for a nice, spiffy picture of you with fancy groom hair that will be taken at the end of the program and will be hung in the hallways for all to see. Feel free to travel through the hallways of building H and take a look at the other people’s photographs—they all have perfect hair. Seriously—I can’t stop staring at those pictures. I feel like whenever I’m going to get my photograph taken I am going to be a big letdown to the photographer.

I’m not positive to what all Sigma Phi Sigma has plan for the year. That is one thing I am anxious to learn about, and I will write about later. I’m aware that they do throw a Halloween party, which to me is great because Halloween is my favorite time of the year. Overall, Sigma Phi Sigma should be a great experience for anyone entering the mortuary science program and hopefully it will turn out to be a great networking tool in the future.

(CSC Original Post 09-16-09)

Hey everyone,

I’m back again to supply all your wildest fantasies about mortuary science. Don’t get too excited on me now.

This week I’ve been a bit sick so it has been extra hard to write. The thoughts that are coursing through my mind have no real attention span, and I’ve been losing complete focus on everything I’ve been trying to write about. So I decided to switch gears and write about something that doesn’t take too much concentration to focus on—the first year fall semester classes for the Mortuary Science program.

Please try to contain your excitement. For those who are already taking the Mortuary Science program, this topic is probably something that you are not jumping out of your chairs to read about. That’s okay. This particular blog are for the people who might have some interest in the Mortuary Science program. It’ll give them an idea of what classes they’ll be taking. And besides, reading is good for you anyways. It helps your brain. You’ve seen those NBC’s “The More You Know” PSA ads. If that doesn’t convince you, then I’ll add pictures if that will make you happy.

With the Mortuary Science program, everyone in the program pretty much takes the same classes. You might not be in the same exact course section with your other classmates for some classes, but they are taking that same class. I’m going to give a rundown on my class schedule this fall. Hopefully it will give you an idea on what to expect. You’ll probably notice Mondays and Wednesdays are my busy days. With my job and classes I am here at the school for 12 hours each day.

History of Mortuary Science

This class starts at 8 a.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays in building H and is taught by Matt Kendall. Right now we are going over how the funeral practice or service has evolved over history from the Pagans, to the Egyptians, to the Greeks, Romans and so forth (at least that is what I hope the class is about—we have our first exam next week). It is an interesting class that will show you how the funeral business became how it is today. Also, I would like to say right now all the mortuary science classes I’m taking are interesting. They are not boring or dreadful like some subjects I have taken in the past.

Mortuary Law

Hopefully the name of the class is self-explanatory. This class is also taught by Matt Kendall in building H and starts at 9:30 a.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays. This course covers federal and state laws funeral directors and businesses must follow. There is a research paper that is due towards the end of the semester by Thanksgiving break. I think that about sums it up. There is an exam next week in this class as well.

Psychology of Grief and Dying

This class starts at 11 a.m. in building H on Mondays and Wednesdays and is taught by Tim Kruause. I should point out really quick that these first three classes are in the same room in building H. There is usually a 15-minute break between each class, which people will usually take advantage to leave the room and go outside and stand around in a little circle. You can smoke, eat or just talk but there is always a little circle. It just happens.

Let’s get back to the topic. The class is basically a Psychology class that focuses more on grief and dying that also requires a research paper to be turned in around Thanksgiving time. We did have a test this past Wednesday over some terminology. I didn’t really get a chance to study for the test due to being horribly sick, so I did take advantage of that 15-minute break before class to cram as much information as I could in that little circle outside.

Concepts of Chemistry

At first I was nervous I had to take Chemistry. Actually the thought of it made my skin cringe. I never taken a chemistry class before, but I already had a notion in my head that I hated chemistry. I didn’t want to know it. It turns out Chemistry class isn’t that bad. I have to give kudos to the teacher Timothy Johnson for that. He’s really patient with his students.

I don’t think I have to explain what chemistry is all about. My class time is Mondays and Wednesdays 5:15 to….I’m not sure what time the class gets out. It’s a night class. But chemistry class is not as bad as you might think it is. Well, at least my class isn’t.

Anatomy & Physiology

This is probably the main class everyone in the Mortuary Science program is really worried about this semester. The tension sometimes sinks underneath your skin. This class is a lot of work and I’ll admit is not easy. But if you study hard or study with some other people, that extra work will help you. I took an exam this past Tuesday for Anatomy & Physiology. A majority of people in the class was nervous about the exam, but overall the A & P class did well. I only miss one question on the exam. So I’m happy.

I have no complaints about my A & P class. I am in a class that is full of nurses. There are about 31 or 32 students and I am one of three guys in the class. Statistics like that a guy can’t complain.

The course is taught by Dave Burns and my class is on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 1 p.m. I won’t lie—he is a tough, but excellent instructor. I do highly recommend him for A & P. You will learn the material, even if sometimes it feels like you are hanging from a short rope. But there are people in the class you can rely on for help if you don’t understand parts of the material.

This has been a brief view of the classes all Mortuary Science students are taking this fall. Of course, my experiences in Chemistry and A & P might be different from some of the other students. But these are the classes you can expect to take for the fall term as a first year student at Carl Sandburg College.

(CSC Original Post 09-11-09)

Hello everyone,

First let me introduce myself and my background. My name is Paul Olson and I am writing for Carl Sandburg College about my experiences as a mortuary science student. Hopefully this blog will give students or future students of Carl Sandburg and its mortuary science program an idea of what it is like to return to school after being gone for several years and what to expect from the mortuary science program.

Since this is my first entry I would like to talk about who I am and why I am entering the mortuary science program. I am a graduate from Northern Illinois University with a Bachelor’s degree with an emphasis in Corporate/Organizational Communications and a minor in Journalism. I have several years experience in both Public Relations and Sales, plus I am active in various other activities outside of work.

The reason I decided to go into the Mortuary Science program happened purely by accident. Originally I planned to go to University of Illinois in Springfield for the graduate program in Public Administration. My original goal after graduating from NIU was to develop some work experience for a couple of years and then go get my master’s degree. I was already making arrangements with the school and my internship program at the state capitol when I stumbled into the funeral business. I was helping out at a funeral home in Taylorville, IL for some time, and the longer I was working there the more my interest grew in the business. I immediately dropped from Public Administration and started researching the four Mortuary Science schools in Illinois. Yeah, I know…there’s not that many in this state. What convinced me to come to Carl Sandburg was the campus visit I arranged with their Mortuary Science department. Their faculty members and their program impressed me more than the other Mortuary Science schools.

Of course there are many other different reasons why people enter this field. There are some who go into this program because it is a family business. They might have a father or mother who works as a funeral director. There are others who are looking for a career change or maybe job stability. Some other people might be curious about the mortuary science program and just want to check it out.

No matter what you reason might be, mortuary science is an excellent program to enter. I will try to do blogs (hopefully) every week about my experiences in hopes that some people might be able to relate to some of the situations. Just a warning—with blogs I write from a first person perspective with free style writing. This means for blogs I don’t check for grammar/spelling/punctuation errors. I just write whatever is going through my mind. If I manage to do all of those corrections, then this blog will never be posted due to all the rewrites.