Is it you? Are you the next SUCCESSFUL nontraditional student?
Do you have what it takes?
Some people already KNOW that they are going to be successful.
They already may be new nontrad students, just going back to school after a break. Others are reaching out to talk to a college's financial aid office --- and finally going for their dream.
Others may not be sure of themselves. They think they MIGHT not make it, that they AREN'T GOOD ENOUGH to be successful. These students do not ever make that first step towards going back to school. There is just too much fear there.
What can help?
Many authors have written best-selling books about being successful. They wind up on the best-seller lists. Many of these books have the same message: you must BELIEVE IN YOURSELF.
Some books I like that can help nontraditional students in their quest for self-esteem and courage are:
1. Living Juicy - Daily Morsels for your Creative Soul by Sark (or ANY book by Sark...)
2. What to Say When you Talk to Yourself by Shad Helmstetter
3. Your Erroneous Zones by Wayne Dyer (or ANY book by him...)
Some other GREAT authors you may want to read are Ekhart Tolle, Deepak Chopra, Iyanla Vanzant, and Dale Carnegie.
Read these other posts about motivation for more ideas about how to KNOW you are going to do well by going back to college:
10 Motivational Tips for the Nontraditional Student
How to Find Motivation
Don't Give Up!
Your Life... Is it time You Changed It?
A Nontraditional Attitude
Non-Traditional Students and Choices
Welcome to the Nontraditional Student blog. Helping commuter students, graduate students, nontraditional students, continuing education students, and more.
Nontrads for the Earth!
Mark your calendar - Earth Hour is March 28, 2009.
This is Saturday from 8:30 - 9:30.
You can watch the video here at the Betsyanne blog.
Learn more at the Earth Hour site here:
http://www.earthhour.org/home/
A Nontraditional Spring Break
Coney Beach photo by Seemann@morguefile.comBecause taking even a "small" full load of classes was hard with a capital H.
But I think a really organized nontraditional students COULD go on a REAL Spring Break. Especially if he or she had everything on schedule before Spring Break came around. Got a great Spring Break location? Or are you studying during your break? :-)
A Flickr day.
I put a bunch of photos on Flickr today. It really helped unclog my computer. Now I need to go to the local college and take photos of nontraditional students. If you have some photos of yourself or other nontraditional students you want to share, just send them to me - thanks!
www.flickr.com
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Nontraditional Students video The Digital Immigrants
I loved this one! It's so true, too.
MANY nontraditional students can relate to this video, I know. I can!
MANY nontraditional students can relate to this video, I know. I can!
A Daycare Chain just for Colleges
http://www.geocities.com/abpphotos
I think it would be great to have a Daycare chain go into business. They would specialize in daycare services for colleges. It would be like the McDonald's of Daycares. They would be high-quality, and have daycares located at all campuses across the country - or at least in the same area.
AND all ages would be helped. More and more nontraditional students could bring their kids there. They would make tons of money, I think - because they would use the chain method - great rules, a great employee pool, maybe great benefits for employees like free classes (after all, the campus would be close or at least in the same town...)
And the kids and parents and college administration and faculty AND the new Daycare chain would all be happy. It would be a win-win-win-win-win situation.
OK - now it's time for an entrepreneur to step up and start this new business. Takers, anyone? :-)
Enter the Nontraditional Story Contest
Only a couple weeks are left - enter the Nontraditional Story contest and get your story published online!
Plus you win $25.00 towards books or expenses!
Find out the contest rules and more here:
http://www.nontradstudents.com/contest_09.html
Good luck!
Plus you win $25.00 towards books or expenses!
Find out the contest rules and more here:
http://www.nontradstudents.com/contest_09.html
Good luck!
More college tips for nontrads!
Today I found another great article online at Education.org that was originally posted on Fastweb.com. It is about tips for success for nontraditional students.
Here they are:
1. "Begin with classes that you feel confident about." This suggestion is a good one. I would go even further and say to check out pre-requisites - have you had all the classes you need before taking the class you want? Sometimes a brush-up class would be a good idea so that you can enter a higher numbered class and feel prepared.
2. "Get wired." - I totally agree with this one. I met some nontraditional students in a speech class (husband and wife) who had a really hard time following the online parts of our class. For these students, and students like them, taking a computer class or brushing up on computer skills is a must.
3. "Try online courses." - I would say this is a personal choice. Some people just learn better face to face. Plus, online courses (though many are GREAT) can be harder and you must be self-motivated.
4. "Schedule a campus resources tour." - It is great when universities themselves offer these JUST for nontrads. Some are starting to. But it's OK to go with younger people. It might be fun, you know?
5. "Take time to prepare for unfamiliar fields." - I would say to go slow... don't take a hard, upper-level class without some grounding first, even if it is allowed. (see #1)
6. "Know your time frame." - this is another great suggestion. I would also say to see your counselor there in order to figure out how long (how many semesters) you will be going back to school. ALSO check with your major office to see when some important classes are offered. Sometimes an important class is only offered in the Spring, for instance.
7. "Make sure your work schedule can accommodate your class schedule." - some workplaces are great about this, and some are not. And don't forget about work-study programs offered at college. There should not be any age limitation on these. Of course, most are minimum wage. But they work with your schedule, and can work into an Assistantship perhaps.
8. "Know your drop deadlines and book return policies." - a GREAT thing to know, because you will not get your money back (or even part of it) if you do not drop in time. Plus, sometimes you will keep an "F" on your report card if you miss the drop deadline. Not good.
9. "Consider taking summer classes - but schedule carefully" - Yup - some people say two classes should be the limit in the summer, because they put so much into each class - but some people thrive on difficulty.
Here is their last suggestion:
10. "Check out alumni networking services." This is another super idea, because when it's time to get that job, this office can help a lot. And many students don't use this service, so that's more time for you.
Find out more at the source:
Tips for Nontrad Students
Here they are:
1. "Begin with classes that you feel confident about." This suggestion is a good one. I would go even further and say to check out pre-requisites - have you had all the classes you need before taking the class you want? Sometimes a brush-up class would be a good idea so that you can enter a higher numbered class and feel prepared.
2. "Get wired." - I totally agree with this one. I met some nontraditional students in a speech class (husband and wife) who had a really hard time following the online parts of our class. For these students, and students like them, taking a computer class or brushing up on computer skills is a must.
3. "Try online courses." - I would say this is a personal choice. Some people just learn better face to face. Plus, online courses (though many are GREAT) can be harder and you must be self-motivated.
4. "Schedule a campus resources tour." - It is great when universities themselves offer these JUST for nontrads. Some are starting to. But it's OK to go with younger people. It might be fun, you know?
5. "Take time to prepare for unfamiliar fields." - I would say to go slow... don't take a hard, upper-level class without some grounding first, even if it is allowed. (see #1)
6. "Know your time frame." - this is another great suggestion. I would also say to see your counselor there in order to figure out how long (how many semesters) you will be going back to school. ALSO check with your major office to see when some important classes are offered. Sometimes an important class is only offered in the Spring, for instance.
7. "Make sure your work schedule can accommodate your class schedule." - some workplaces are great about this, and some are not. And don't forget about work-study programs offered at college. There should not be any age limitation on these. Of course, most are minimum wage. But they work with your schedule, and can work into an Assistantship perhaps.
8. "Know your drop deadlines and book return policies." - a GREAT thing to know, because you will not get your money back (or even part of it) if you do not drop in time. Plus, sometimes you will keep an "F" on your report card if you miss the drop deadline. Not good.
9. "Consider taking summer classes - but schedule carefully" - Yup - some people say two classes should be the limit in the summer, because they put so much into each class - but some people thrive on difficulty.
Here is their last suggestion:
10. "Check out alumni networking services." This is another super idea, because when it's time to get that job, this office can help a lot. And many students don't use this service, so that's more time for you.
Find out more at the source:
Tips for Nontrad Students
Nontrad Secrets!
I ran across a great article today at the University of Miami Commuter Center.
It is called "A Nontraditional Student Shares Secrets of His Success."
In this article, Frank Koscielski, 47, shares his personal strategies for success as a nontraditional student.
One tip is to keep a tape recorder in the car. Another is to kill your TV!
Find out more here:
http://www.units.muohio.edu/saf/reslife/commuter/nontraditionalstudents.php#secrets
There are only a few links at the bottom that work. One is the GPA Calculator, and one more is the self-assessment of computer skills. Enjoy!
It is called "A Nontraditional Student Shares Secrets of His Success."
In this article, Frank Koscielski, 47, shares his personal strategies for success as a nontraditional student.
One tip is to keep a tape recorder in the car. Another is to kill your TV!
Find out more here:
http://www.units.muohio.edu/saf/reslife/commuter/nontraditionalstudents.php#secrets
There are only a few links at the bottom that work. One is the GPA Calculator, and one more is the self-assessment of computer skills. Enjoy!
Help for Stressed out Nontrads
My husband is a follower of New Thought principles. He also likes the Daily Word website.
Years ago, he listened while I talked about how a new job wasn't working out like I hoped. "You can just stop thinking about that," he advised, "and think about something else." But how?
It took awhile before I could do this on a regular basis. But I still have occasional times when I can use some help doing that.
I used the internet to help me discover ways to take my mind off of things I was thinking too much about, and to help me put my mind on more useful things.
Nontraditional students can also use some websites to help when things aren't going as well as they hope - when a test or quiz proves difficult, when there is too much to do, and not enough time to do it in, or when things just seem overwhelming.
It is easy to get stressed out when you have a lot of responsibilities and nobody around seems to understand what you are going through.
There are some great groups online to join at Yahoo Groups. You can go to your group and talk about what is going on, no matter what it is. You can even join with another name (not your own) and keep your information private. Many people choose to do this.
Other positive websites can help you turn your thoughts around One is Positive Thinking Radio with Dr. Dave - just click on the button that is in front of each episode. Dr. Dave will come on automatically with how to do things like:
Turn Bad Things into Better Things
Strong-Arm your Mind
and
Affirmations for the Inner Skeptic
Silent Unity: Your 24-hour prayer resource - is a website that is available for any kind of prayer. There is always somebody there at the phone you can talk to. It's a non-denominational site, too.
Find a Yahoo Group - go here and put a search term in the box to find a group that you like.
Here are a couple of Yahoo Groups to Help Nontrads in times of Stress
Affirmations to De-Stress
Depression/Anxiety Group
And if you are really feeling down, check out your school's counseling center right away. They are free for all students and can really help if you have a problem.
Years ago, he listened while I talked about how a new job wasn't working out like I hoped. "You can just stop thinking about that," he advised, "and think about something else." But how?
It took awhile before I could do this on a regular basis. But I still have occasional times when I can use some help doing that.
I used the internet to help me discover ways to take my mind off of things I was thinking too much about, and to help me put my mind on more useful things.
Nontraditional students can also use some websites to help when things aren't going as well as they hope - when a test or quiz proves difficult, when there is too much to do, and not enough time to do it in, or when things just seem overwhelming.
It is easy to get stressed out when you have a lot of responsibilities and nobody around seems to understand what you are going through.
There are some great groups online to join at Yahoo Groups. You can go to your group and talk about what is going on, no matter what it is. You can even join with another name (not your own) and keep your information private. Many people choose to do this.
Other positive websites can help you turn your thoughts around One is Positive Thinking Radio with Dr. Dave - just click on the button that is in front of each episode. Dr. Dave will come on automatically with how to do things like:
Turn Bad Things into Better Things
Strong-Arm your Mind
and
Affirmations for the Inner Skeptic
Silent Unity: Your 24-hour prayer resource - is a website that is available for any kind of prayer. There is always somebody there at the phone you can talk to. It's a non-denominational site, too.
Find a Yahoo Group - go here and put a search term in the box to find a group that you like.
Here are a couple of Yahoo Groups to Help Nontrads in times of Stress
Affirmations to De-Stress
Depression/Anxiety Group
And if you are really feeling down, check out your school's counseling center right away. They are free for all students and can really help if you have a problem.
Just for Nontrads: How to Make Friends in College
I think this is one subject that nontraditional students think about a lot, but don’t talk about much.I know one thing I wanted to do when I was in school was to make new friends, no matter what their age. The reason? I just like people. All kinds. Besides, it always makes it more fun to have a friendly face or faces in class. And making new friends... it makes everything about being in college better.
I know I am not alone in wanting to make friends in college. And it might come easy for you. Hopefully, you will make friends in class just being there. But sometimes younger students can be more silent around older people. It can be difficult to make new friends when you are different.
Many nontraditional students aren't much older than "traditional" students. But some are a lot older. It can make younger students kind of shy to talk to some nontraditional students because they remind them of their parents – you know, people who might not always accept them for who they are. Like everyone, younger students don’t want to be judged too harshly. And perhaps they are cautious around you because of that.
Here are just a few ideas you might like to help make friends in college - whether you are in a face-to-face OR online class.
Hints for face-to-face classes:
1. Introduce yourself to the people sitting by you in class. This might not come naturally to you if you are a shy person, but go ahead and try it. You can also ask the person if they want to start a study group. Then when you start meeting, you can get to know these new people in a natural way. I know that’s what happened when I did it. The more you get to know the people, the easier it is to talk to them, too.
2. Don’t hog the class conversation. This can help the people in your classes like you better. Share the talk time. And don’t act like a know-it-all. You may have a lot to say, and this suggestion might be the hardest of all. But sit on those hands. Let others in your classes have their say.
3. Be in a good mood. Smile. This can let your fellow classmates know that you are an OK person and might help them open up to a friendship with you. Keep an extra pen and pencil around to lend. It can't hurt!
4. Make friends with younger people, yes, but also make friends with other, older nontraditional students. Join a nontrad group or start one at your college. You can also join other groups in your areas of interest. Groups at colleges are becoming more and more open to nontraditional students all the time, plus they are fun.
Hints for Online Classes
1. Try getting your classmate's phone numbers and meeting in person if this is possible. You can then study together and get to know each other. It could be fun. This is only possible when most of the students live in the same area, which doesn't always happen. The alternative: email or phone a classmate - help him or her with class assignments and be friendly.
2. Read the introductions that are sometimes posted on online class sites. Send an occasional email comment to people about the class, assignments, or just something you read on the class site. You might be pleasantly surprised and make a friend this way.
3. If your class allows for class discussions online, be there early and introduce yourself a little to your classmates, if possible.
4. If you are in a class that encourages comments on your classmate's work on the site, be sure to season any words of criticism with words of praise. Don't be too hard on fellow classmates when you critique their work, and they may return the favor. You might also make a friend this way!
I'm sure I just scratched the surface here with this subject. Do you have another suggestion? Please add it as a comment. Thank you!
My Related Blog Posts:
Relationships – and College
http://non-traditional-students.blogspot.com/2007/11/relationships.html
Two Top Nontrad Issues – One is Connecting with Younger Students
http://non-traditional-students.blogspot.com/2008/04/top-two-non-trad-issues.html
You Can’t Peg a Nontraditional Student
Or what younger students might be thinking about you…
http://non-traditional-students.blogspot.com/2007/04/you-cant-peg-non-traditional-student.html
Study Groups for Nontraditional Students
http://non-traditional-students.blogspot.com/2007/11/study-groups-for-non-traditional.html
Here are some more articles to read:
Making Friends – from the Cal Tech Counseling Center
http://www.counseling.caltech.edu/articles/makingfriends.html
Here WikiHow’s How to Make Friends in College
This is for younger students, but many hints apply to nontrads as well.
http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Friends-in-College
Get to Know your College Professors…
How do you get to know your college professors?
One way is to go to see them during their office hours. Ask them questions about your assignments. They will appreciate your extra effort in trying to do a good job on your assignments and learning.
Some students feel that talking outside of class to a professor means that you are trying too hard to make a good grade. I disagree. Most professors welcome questions and want to get to know their students.
Some professors stay a little bit after class to discuss questions with students. You can be one of those students if you don’t need to leave class right away for another class. Use this time to really know how to do an assignment, or make an appointment to see them later.
You will make points with your professor for asking any questions. “There is no such thing as a stupid question,” one of my professors used to say. The unsaid sentence was “People who don’t ask questions when they have them are the stupid ones…” Why? Because they won’t ever know the answers to their questions.
Why do it? Two More Good Reasons to get to know your professors
First, you will know more about what will be on the quizzes, tests, and exams by asking the professor about them. Professors feel more valued when they are asked questions, and their appreciation can spill over into better grades for you.
Secondly, you may want your professor’s help when it comes time to get a job. Those professors really do meet a lot of people, and know the plum jobs and assignments. Do you want a working assistantship or summer internship? There you go.
Find out more about this subject:
How To Get to Know Your College Professors
By Kelci Lynn at about.com
The College Board site’s advice
How to Get Along with Your College Professor
By Texas A & M’s Student Counseling Service
10 Tips for Doing Well on Final Exams - and can you send me some more?
Nontrads - - you CAN do well on your exams. You don’t have to cram and lose sleep. Try these 10 suggestions to help you get a good grade.
1. Go through your notes for each class (and hopefully you will have GREAT notes…) and mark the important parts that your teacher or professor wants you to know. BE THERE for any review - - sometimes you can know ahead of time just what will be on the exam.
Type up your written notes if you have not already done that.
2. Study with your Study Group that you have made ahead of time. Quiz each other. Take flashcards with you. Make note of what questions others bring.
3. Get plenty of rest the night before each exam.
4. De-stress before the exam. Imagine a restful place. Take deep breaths. Believe in a positive outcome. Give yourself positive affirmations like “I know this material” and “I will stay calm during this test and will do well.”
5. Highlight important sections or points in your textbook with a highlighter pen. You can also type up these highlighted sections and study them between exams.
6. Bring two pens and pre-sharpened pencils with you to the exam. This will save you time in case one does not work. Arrive at the exam early, so you can pick the best seat for you.
7. Check the two best professor checking sites, ProfEval and PickaProf. Check each teacher or professor to see what has been written about them there. Often, you can get clues about their exams there.
8. Use mnemotics to remember important dates, facts, or names. Making a new word out of the first letters of a “chain” of information, and learning a concept by associating it with a picture are two kinds of mnemotics. See the link below to learn more about this great remembering tool.
9. Instead of just cramming the night before the exam, space your studying through the month or, at the very least, the last two weeks before the exam. This will “set” the information much better in your mind, making a much better grade.
10. Use all the common “tricks” for answering questions if you do not know the answer. This includes ignoring obviously wrong answers, and answering only questions you know first on a timed test, and going back to answer problem questions only after you have completed the test.
And (very important): ALWAYS answer every question, even if you don’t know the answer.
Here are some more blog posts about Exams and study tips:
10 Tips for Tests
The 2-column Note Page
Study Groups for Nontraditional Students
More about Study Groups
Check the sites below for even more tips.
The University of Pennsylvania’s 10 Tips!
9 Types of Mnemotics for Better Memory
Lifehack’s How to Do Well on a Final Examination
(includes a suggestions to wear a wristwatch – good advice)
Do you have more suggestions?
Please leave a comment at the end of this post so that I can include this on the next Exam Tips posting.
Thank you!
1. Go through your notes for each class (and hopefully you will have GREAT notes…) and mark the important parts that your teacher or professor wants you to know. BE THERE for any review - - sometimes you can know ahead of time just what will be on the exam.
Type up your written notes if you have not already done that.
2. Study with your Study Group that you have made ahead of time. Quiz each other. Take flashcards with you. Make note of what questions others bring.
3. Get plenty of rest the night before each exam.
4. De-stress before the exam. Imagine a restful place. Take deep breaths. Believe in a positive outcome. Give yourself positive affirmations like “I know this material” and “I will stay calm during this test and will do well.”
5. Highlight important sections or points in your textbook with a highlighter pen. You can also type up these highlighted sections and study them between exams.
6. Bring two pens and pre-sharpened pencils with you to the exam. This will save you time in case one does not work. Arrive at the exam early, so you can pick the best seat for you.
7. Check the two best professor checking sites, ProfEval and PickaProf. Check each teacher or professor to see what has been written about them there. Often, you can get clues about their exams there.
8. Use mnemotics to remember important dates, facts, or names. Making a new word out of the first letters of a “chain” of information, and learning a concept by associating it with a picture are two kinds of mnemotics. See the link below to learn more about this great remembering tool.
9. Instead of just cramming the night before the exam, space your studying through the month or, at the very least, the last two weeks before the exam. This will “set” the information much better in your mind, making a much better grade.
10. Use all the common “tricks” for answering questions if you do not know the answer. This includes ignoring obviously wrong answers, and answering only questions you know first on a timed test, and going back to answer problem questions only after you have completed the test.
And (very important): ALWAYS answer every question, even if you don’t know the answer.
Here are some more blog posts about Exams and study tips:
10 Tips for Tests
The 2-column Note Page
Study Groups for Nontraditional Students
More about Study Groups
Check the sites below for even more tips.
The University of Pennsylvania’s 10 Tips!
9 Types of Mnemotics for Better Memory
Lifehack’s How to Do Well on a Final Examination
(includes a suggestions to wear a wristwatch – good advice)
Do you have more suggestions?
Please leave a comment at the end of this post so that I can include this on the next Exam Tips posting.
Thank you!
Start your own Nontrad blog!
I've been thinking about blogs lately - how to make mine better, how often to post on them, and what kind of blog area to use. I have a few different blogs, but this one is my favorite.
Talking about blogs... have you considered making your own blog?
There are some easy, free web pages that can help you do that. It can be fun and therapeutic to write about your nontraditional student experiences.
Here are two of the most popular blog-making sites that make it easy to do:
#1. The Blogger website (this blog is written on the Blogger site),
and
#2. Wordpress. Wordpress can be put directly on your website, and is used by many professional bloggers.
Both sites feature free backgrounds (templates) and tell you step by step how to blog there. If you have never tried this, it can be really fun to write about your school experiences.
Explore: Here are some more websites to get your started:
EHow's How to Write your Own Blog
How to Write a Famous Blog by Wikihow (may as well go for it...) and
Write a Twitter mini-blog for My Space or Facebook
Reading good stories on nontrad blogs...
Some neat Nontrad blogs...
I have had many people tell me about their experiences as a nontraditional student. I have heard stories about jobs, family life, dorm living, meeting younger students, and much more.
These stories can be really fascinating - and can also be found online.
I have been looking at other blogs that nontraditional students are writing that have these kinds of good stories on them.
By reading these, I get to see how other students cope with their family responsibilities and going to school - - sometimes after a very long break.
Here are two of the most fun nontraditional student blogs I have read lately:
1. http://universitymama.blogspot.com/ - University Mama is a blog about a University Nontraditional student who is also (in her own words…) a:
“Wife, mom, photographer, full-time university student...and, surprisingly, still sane enough to write about it!”
This blogger just found out that her assignment is due a full week earlier than she thought! And the professor had already said the other date. This of course makes for some quick finagling. Typical nontrad stuff - - coping with last-minute changes that can happen with disorganized teachers.
2. “Old Dogs, New Tricks…” http://newsrecordnontradstudent.wordpress.com/ - this blog author recently talked about how this nontraditional student just wrote a note to her professor asking to bring her son with her to class.
This is just the sort of thing that nontraditional students often have to do… juggle childcare and classes, with no options if something ever happens to upset the applecart. Where is the emergency child care that is needed? I’m so glad she brought this issue up. It’s an issue all over.
But it’s fun to read these stories. It helps to know that nontrads all have these kinds of issues and have to deal with schedule changes and other problems as a day to day thing.
One of my other favorite nontrad blogs, College at Forty, http://collegeatforty.blogspot.com/, just decided NOT to go back to school right now. It sounds like money for school was one factor. I hope she gets to go later on.
So - enjoy these great nontrad blogs.
To find more, just google “nontraditional student blog” like I do every week or so, and check out all the new nontrad blogs out there. And please let me know which ones you like.
Until next time – Happy Nontradding!
More Exploring:
Check out the About.com nontrad page. I really like it because it changes all the time, plus it has a wealth of information and articles - plus links to even more of those good kind of stories about nontrads.
Here is that link:
http://adulted.about.com/
I have had many people tell me about their experiences as a nontraditional student. I have heard stories about jobs, family life, dorm living, meeting younger students, and much more.
These stories can be really fascinating - and can also be found online.
I have been looking at other blogs that nontraditional students are writing that have these kinds of good stories on them.
By reading these, I get to see how other students cope with their family responsibilities and going to school - - sometimes after a very long break.
Here are two of the most fun nontraditional student blogs I have read lately:
1. http://universitymama.blogspot.com/ - University Mama is a blog about a University Nontraditional student who is also (in her own words…) a:
“Wife, mom, photographer, full-time university student...and, surprisingly, still sane enough to write about it!”
This blogger just found out that her assignment is due a full week earlier than she thought! And the professor had already said the other date. This of course makes for some quick finagling. Typical nontrad stuff - - coping with last-minute changes that can happen with disorganized teachers.
2. “Old Dogs, New Tricks…” http://newsrecordnontradstudent.wordpress.com/ - this blog author recently talked about how this nontraditional student just wrote a note to her professor asking to bring her son with her to class.
This is just the sort of thing that nontraditional students often have to do… juggle childcare and classes, with no options if something ever happens to upset the applecart. Where is the emergency child care that is needed? I’m so glad she brought this issue up. It’s an issue all over.
But it’s fun to read these stories. It helps to know that nontrads all have these kinds of issues and have to deal with schedule changes and other problems as a day to day thing.
One of my other favorite nontrad blogs, College at Forty, http://collegeatforty.blogspot.com/, just decided NOT to go back to school right now. It sounds like money for school was one factor. I hope she gets to go later on.
So - enjoy these great nontrad blogs.
To find more, just google “nontraditional student blog” like I do every week or so, and check out all the new nontrad blogs out there. And please let me know which ones you like.
Until next time – Happy Nontradding!
More Exploring:
Check out the About.com nontrad page. I really like it because it changes all the time, plus it has a wealth of information and articles - plus links to even more of those good kind of stories about nontrads.
Here is that link:
http://adulted.about.com/
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