DQ: How do you think your graduate educational experience will be different from your undergraduate experience? How would you describe a graduate learning community? What would be the key components of a learning community and how might it be different from an undergraduate learning community?
After thorough examination of my personal experience, I find that the difference in my graduate experience will be tremendous. For my Bachelors degree I attended a public secular university on a full athletic scholarship; The school was located in a very small town where I lived on and off campus while attending. Although my studies were important I also had to focus on performing gymnastics to fulfill the terms of my sports scholarship. My days consisted of studying, doing homework and practicing my sport, all of which made for an exhausting four years! Due to being home schooled prior to attending a university, I feel that the on campus exposure was essential to my education and personal growth. On campus I was subjected to a wide range of cultures, demographics, and various pressures, ranging from people asking me to pledge to sororities, invitation to the alien world of fraternity parties, and a broad range of athletics, some of which I had never heard of. Students at my Alma Mater consisted of nontraditional adult students that were older and had families, young co-ed's that partied constantly, and early scholars that were bound for educational and career glory. Although each student was unique to their own situation we were all familiar with one fundamental recipe contributing to the true undergraduate experience; the younger students obtained a sense of freedom due to lack of immediate supervision, some students developed a self-righteous attitude simply because they were accepted to the university, some had a complete and total disregard for consequences, and those that questioned the authority of professors and staff was a lot for me to comprehend. Imagine walking into a huge college campus after being raised in a small, close knit family with strict values and cultural norms – the entire experience of college could be described as traumatic and exciting, all at the same time. College is a once in a life time adventure, however another aspect of that journey in addition to my academic and athletic requirements, deciding whether to attend class or do homework, which major I was going with each semester, finding out who you are, finding a voice of your own and realizing that the refining of your decision making skills is not nearing the end but just beginning, are additional ingredients that compose the typical stigmatic undergraduate college experience that I took part in.
In my opinion graduate school is an entirely different species. I believe that anyone attending grad school is there of their own volition as opposed to the routine ideology that college is just something you're supposed do after high school. Grad school is a personal choice that is fueled by desire, determination, self-discipline, maturity, and specific goals. No longer will I have to cope with the distraction of on campus college parties and all of the drama that life in a four year university entails. Attending a Christian university will first and foremost be the biggest and best difference for me. In addition to putting the Lord first in all things as suggested, after 8 and a half years of living life with no personal relationship with God, the past 2 and a half years I've gotten to know my Lord and Savior personally, therefore this time around I have an evolving understanding that allows me to include my education in my walk of faith. During my undergraduate studies I did not acknowledge the Lord, put Him first or consider any of His instructions. I anticipate this road of discovery via grad school to be easier for me, as far as applying myself. I now have an understanding to do all things as I am doing them unto the Lord which will assist in this venture, which I was completely devoid of as an undergrad.
I conducted a very small focus group consisting of ten individuals, with a wide range of demographics, from ages 25-58, various ethnic groups, spiritual beliefs and educational status. 70% agreed that undergraduate work has little or nothing to do with your major course of study and graduate classes are hands on and more focused on specific career goals. To my surprise 20% believe that graduate school is harder than undergraduate studies, myself and 80% agreed that graduate studies are easier because mentally you are committed to doing the work and realize at this point higher education is very important in today’s economy. As far as graduate learning community vs. undergraduate again this goes hand in hand with your personal will to achieve higher education. You and your peers are focused and at a different level of maturity intellectually, personally, and spiritually for some. Some key components as far as a graduate learning community are learning by doing, learning as experience, learning as becoming and learning as belonging according to (Wenger, 2000). The components of undergrad learning community consist of learning time management, learning self-discipline, and academically learning how to follow directions with little or no room for innovation in my opinion.

References
Wenger, E. (2000). Communities of practice and social learning systems. Organization, 17(2), 225-246. Retrieved from http://org.sagepub.com/