What Am I Doing Here??!!

Elizabeth Sheppard posted a list of nontrad blogs on her Yahoo nontrad group. Some of the blogs have posts entitled, "I Never Signed Up for This", "Back To School For Grown-Ups", "Returning to College", "The Financial Aid Blog", "College the Second Time Around" and so on.

I remember when I decided to go back to school. I panicked. How was I going to pay for this? Would my employer let me take classes during the day? Was I going to get attacked walking through campus at night? How can I read five chapters a day and still work full time and still be Mom? How do I get my children where they need to go if my husband has to be out of town with his job? What am I doing here????!!! Making the decision to go back to school was a big deal.

I would love to get some of these nontrad bloggers together, sit down to coffee or tea and share stories. What was their impression after the first day of their very first class? I was so excited, I cried. Did they know what a FAFSA was? Luckily, I already had a child in college, so I was familiar with that. What did their classmates think of them? Many of my classmates could not believe I have children their age.

We each have our own stories, our own road to walk down, but we have a common goal - to get that degree! Whether it's an Associates Degree, Bachelor's, Master's or Doctorate, returning to school after you've been out for 5, 10, 15, 20 years and longer can seem like a daunting task, an intimidating proposition, a foolish dream. However, judging from Elizabeth's list, there's lots of folks out there doing it!

I would like to raise my glass in a toast to all my fellow nontrads, wherever you are on the road, "Just do it!" Stay tuned . . .

P.S. Just realized, I've been rather prolific today. Hmm - some days are like that!

Life in the Slow Lane

"Keep right except to pass." How many times have I seen that sign as I zoomed down the freeway in the left lane? Plenty. Now, however, I am in the right lane, the slow lane. And it feels great! Life in the fast lane is exhilarating - for a while. But it gets old.

Now I am enjoying a slower pace of life - but only because it's summer. I know once fall semester starts up, I'll have to jump back into hyperspace. But this fall semester is going to be different because I will be on campus during the day - all day. I haven't done that in quite some time.

I have been keeping busy by researching my senior thesis, hanging out with friends, and training a new puppy. Yes. We got a new puppy from the animal shelter over the weekend. His name is Riley and he's a Houndatian - hound/Dalmatian. He should get his spots sometime in the next six months. Jack (my other dog) is already teaching him some bad habits. (Sigh)

I can look out my office windows and see the library, the Joe Johnson Pedestrian Mall and the Humanities buildings. I'm within walking distance of the gym and The Strip (the main drag through campus with all the restaurants). Even though it is summer here at UT, there is still quite a bit of activity - summer school, freshman orientation, Governor's School, and cheerleading and sports camps. I never realized a college campus could be such a hub of activity. Which leads me to my next observation.

Are you a new on-campus nontrad? Have you registered for the fall semester yet? Has a heard of butterflies camped out in your stomach? Now is the time to familiarize yourself with your campus - when there are fewer people around. If you're already registered, or have not registered but know what classes you want to take, make a list of your (potential) classes. The list should include the building and room number of the class (should be available on the class or course listing).

Now, take your list and a map of campus and find out where your classes are going to be. Go on a "photographic scavenger hunt". Take a picture of each building and (if the building is open), each classroom that you will have a class in. Take a picture of the bookstore and the Student Center. This will familiarize you with where you need to go that first day of class. New students are nervous enough without having to worry about where their classes are and where the nearest bathroom is! Taking the time to familiarize yourself with your surroundings (if you haven't already), will be a great advantage to you. Have you visited your advisor? Chances are, he/she is out for the summer. But you can still find out where his/her office is.

Use summer to your advantage - to familiarize yourself with campus, to get supplies together, to save up for books (groan - that's a whole different subject!) and to scout out who has the best food and free wi fi for those non-library study sessions. I am all about making life easier when possible. Familiarization with your surroundings definitely makes life easier!

As I cruise along in the slow lane, I am thinking of things to share with other nontrads, making a list of questions for my advisor (who will also be mentoring my senior thesis), and enjoying a less stressful pace of life - for the time being. All is well. Stay tuned . . .

Totally Normal

I am part of E. Shepherd's non-trad group on Yahoo. A couple days ago, we got a post from a lady who will be returning to school to finish her degree in Education. She is facing the usual non-trad fears and questions: Will I be able to make it financially? Will I fit in with a much younger student population? I'm not a math person - what do I do about that part of my education?

I wanted to give her a big hug, a cup of tea and say, "Sit down, let's talk." She is so totally normal in the nontrad scheme of things. It has been my experience that the normal nontrad's biggest fear is fear. This is what I told her:

1. Finances: Fill out a FAFSA and see what kind of financial aid she qualifies for. As a single mom, she may be able to qualify for more than, say, someone like me who is married and whose spouse has a relatively stable job.
2. Fitting in: A couple things here. 1) She will most likely be able to relate to her profs more than her classmates. 2) Some of her classmates will look up to her because she is older; she will attain the "wise sage" status. 3) Find out if there is an Adult Student Association on campus; that will be a place to connect with people who are experiencing the same things she is.
3. Not a math person: Anyone who has followed my blog for any length of time knows that I am definitely NOT a math person. I believe I have mentioned that more than once (10 times, perhaps??). :) I told her to check with her advisor and in her department for tutoring services. Making use of study groups is also a good thing to do.

Returning to school at any age is a bit scary. However, the fear is totally normal. It is the fear of the unknown. But it's like anything else. Once you get in and get used to it, you're fine. Besides, there is a whole world of nontrads out there in varying degrees of nontradism, so the support is endless! All one has to do is reach out and connect - either online or on campus. It's totally normal. Stay tuned . . .