Spring Break - will you be vacationing? (3 tips...)

Three Spring Break Tips for Nontraditional Students

Ah. Spring Break. Time to head for Florida. Or someplace else warm. Or not.

Here are some tips for students who have a week or more "vacation" now, just had it, or are planning it.

#1. Catch up on assignments. This is a perfect time to get that paper written or special project taken care of. Seriously. You will thank me.

#2. If you are caught up on most everything, it COULD be a great idea to take a real break. If you can. Think sun, think relaxation, even a Staycation.

#3. Try not to worry. That's a vacation in itself!

Oh - and do you have plans for Spring Break? Share below!

And here are our related sites:

The Nontraditional Student website 
 
Nontrads on Facebook 

Nontrads on Yahoo and

Nontrads on Twitter

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And here are some more of my blogs:  FYI: Some of my other websites and blogs are: The Find Scholarships and Grants Blog, The GS Betsy's E-blast (for Kentuckiana Area 17 and Beyond), From the Garden Spot (another Betsyanne blog), and The Teacher Tree (I will be working more on this one later this year). - See more at: http://non-traditional-students.blogspot.com/2015_03_01_archive.html#.VRgSdWa1Vow

And here are some more of my blogs: 
FYI: Some of my other websites and blogs are: The Find Scholarships and Grants Blog, The GS Betsy's E-blast (for Kentuckiana Area 17 and Beyond), From the Garden Spot (another Betsyanne blog), and The Teacher Tree (I will be working more on this one later this year).
Later!

-Betsyanne
 





Image by Migmac via Morguefile.

Never too old... that's really true. And the sooner you start, the better.

"You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream."

-C.S. Lewis 

Photo via Morguefile, by Anita Peppers.

How true this is. When I went back to school, I met an older woman who was taking art courses. She had wanted to do this for a long time. And finally, she was doing what she had dreamed of. She was very happy, she said, and planned to continue with other classes.

At WKU, people can take classes after age 65 and do not have to pay tuition. Maybe a school near you has this program.

And sometimes you can take classes online for no charge. Plus, you can also audit classes for less money.

However you swing it, going back to school may be just what you have been wanting to do for a long time.

If you are not yet back in school, try it out - you might like it!

-Betsyanne
 
Some Nontrad links: The Nontraditional Student website 

(and check out the Scholarships Page One and Page Two pages there too) 




More: Join Nontrads on Facebook 

Nontrads on Yahoo 

Nontrads on Twitter 

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And here are some more of my blogs: 
FYI: Some of my other websites and blogs are: The Find Scholarships and Grants Blog, The GS Betsy's E-blast (for Kentuckiana Area 17 and Beyond), From the Garden Spot (another Betsyanne blog), and The Teacher Tree (I will be working more on this one later this year).
 

Nontraditional Students - they are VERY diverse, but they all have gumption.

Nontraditional Students come in many forms.
And most have a LOT of gumption.

Some have not been out of school for long. Others have been out of school for many years.

They come from all over, and are all shapes and sizes. Some have supportive families, others are going it alone.

One thing they have in common is GUMPTION.

Merriam-Webster online defines gumption as:

": courage and confidence
  
Full Definition of GUMPTION

1

chiefly dialect :  common sense, horse sense

2

:  enterprise, initiative <lacked the gumption to try>"

Are you going back to school? You have gumption.

If you are just THINKING about it, I hope you have the gumption to try.

Betsyanne

 
Some Nontrad links: The Nontrad site

Nontrads on Facebook 

Nontrads on Yahoo 

Nontrads on Twitter 

Get connected, nontrads. Here are some of my other blogs and sites:  The Nontraditional Student website, The Nontraditional Student Facebook page, The Moon and the Willow Tree (a Betsyanne blog), The Find Scholarships and Grants blog, From the Garden Spot (another Betsyanne blog), and The Teacher Tree website  (I will hopefully be working more on this one later this year). 

Many interests, and how it can mess you up as a nontraditional student. Also: aptitude tests online.

Do you have lots of interests? I think that is a good thing.

I know I do. I have things I want to do eventually, things I do every day, and things I want to learn how to do. Zeroing in on just one is problematic. It can take time away from being natural and spontaneous.

And something worse can happen: you can't decide, so you NEVER go back to school at all.

I will list a few interests of mine, and perhaps you will list yours as a comment. Or you can write about them on YOUR blog and share that blog address as a comment.

#1. Writing (this can translate to English, Teaching, more)

#2. Art (Can also lead to teaching or one KIND of art-making...)

#3. Hobbies - - collecting, crafts, Scouting, books, more.

If you are like me, it's hard to select just ONE thing to focus on. And I know that many nontraditional students feel that same way.

One thing to do to select something to do as a JOB is to take a quiz or test about it. Or sometimes people just KNOW what they want to do. OR you can talk to a school guidance counselor or advisor.

One rule of thumb can be that selecting a field where you can actually make a living can make your other interests possible.

Here are another posting to help you decide on what you like the most, or want to do the most.

What do you want to be when you grow up? Some aptitude tests online.

And here are some more Nontrad links:

The Nontrad site and blog 

Join Nontrads on Facebook 

Nontrads on Yahoo and

Nontrads on Twitter

Nontraditional Students - start a blog. I would like to feature it here.

There have been some GREAT nontraditional student blogs online. 
They document the experiences of many different older students.

Are you a nontraditional student? You may consider doing this. Some nontrads have gone from an undergraduate blog to a graduate blog. Others have morphed their educational blog into a life and personal blog.

If you are writing about your nontraditional student experience, please list your blog below as a comment. Thanks! I will be happy to feature it here on the blog too. I use the Blogger platform for most of my blogs, it is free and easy. Also, Wordpress is another good platform you can use.

And check out the blogs to the right here. Some are blogs written by students like you.

I would like to know what's happening with YOUR experience. I will repost this on the Yahoo site and also on the Facebook page to see who is writing a blog right now.

Did you know that some colleges are inviting their students to blog on their OWN college site? It's true. And some have invited nontraditional students to do this too.

So... get creative! It's good writing practice too.

Betsyanne
Former Nontraditional Student in Education (Teaching; English and Allied Arts, WKU.)

Here are some more recent postings here:

Do nontraditional students generally talk too much in class? The jury is out.

12 Tips for Nontraditional Students for Fall 2013

Back-to-School Popular Postings from the Nontrad Blog

Some more of my Nontrad links are: 

The Nontrad site and blog

You can join Nontrads on Facebook

plus Nontrads on Yahoo

and check out Nontrads on Twitter 

My next goal for the Nontrad News is 700. Sign up today. As soon as I get 700, I will mail out another issue. Thanks! 

Nontraditional Students, find scholarships, and save money going back to school.

Find some Scholarships, Nontraditional students!

Finding a scholarship is like following a treasure map.

There are many scholarships available for older students - - more than ever. No longer do colleges and universities limit themselves to younger students. They know that more and more students today are older, nontraditional ones.

Here are just a few places to go to find these valuable scholarships, grants, and more:

#1. My Scholarship pages on the Nontrad Site - Scholarships Page One and Scholarships Page Two. There are some great links here.

Scholarships Page Two includes a special video about filling out your FAFSA. Also, there is a short article there about getting grants, how many scholarships you should apply for, and why using the correct FAFSA site is so important.

#2. Find specific scholarships at my Find Scholarships Blog. Just use the "search" function and enter the kind of scholarship you are interested in.

Good luck in your scholarship search, nontraditional students.

And remember, you CAN do it.

Plus, you can find help and support for your nontraditional student educational journey below on some more of my links.

Betsyanne
Former Nontraditional Student at WKU (Education)

Some Nontrad links: The Nontrad site and blog

Join Nontrads on Facebook

Nontrads on Yahoo  and

Nontrads on Twitter

Tips for Newbie Nontrads - add some yourself too!

Are you a Newbie Nontrad? Have you searched for advice out there and either found some or not? Here is some more to add to your list(s).

Some of this advice is for "traditional" students who attend face-to-face classes. Other advice is for either FTF students OR online students.

#1. Get a good, portable calendar. Use it - - you will be SO much more organized.

#2. Do NOT miss a class if you can help it. This goes also for online students.

#3. Get a thicker skin. You may be stared at sometimes. Don't worry, you will get used to it.

#4. Just chalk it up if you do things like walk into glass doors or fall up the stairs. It's OK to be a klutz sometimes.

#5. Remember that is IS OK to sit in the front or near the front. You can hear better there, and it's harder to be distracted.

#6. DON'T feel like you always have to be the one answering your teacher's questions. Trust me. You will be glad holding back once in awhile and letting other students have a chance.

#7. If you can, get a locker if you have "real" books and you have not just ordered online versions.

#8. DO ask your teacher a question if you have one. Preferable: after class. OR make an appointment.

#9. Spread out your assignments. Use your calendar for this.

#10. Relax and make some friends! You can also make a study group.

Any other good suggestions? Please leave them as a comment. Thanks!

Betsyanne
Current and Former Nontraditional Student

Some Nontrad links: The Nontrad site and blog Join Nontrads on Facebook Nontrads on Yahoo Nontrads on Twitter

Nontraditional student... can you think of a better term?

Bubbles art photo by Jurvetson on Flickr.

What's in the name "Nontraditional Student"?

Well, the older student going back to school after a break is definitely becoming MORE traditional as the years go by, because more older students are going back to school, for one thing.

Yet the term sticks.

We say a student is a nontraditional student if he or she is going to school part-time, is maybe above the age of 24, has taken a break since first going to college, is going to college for the first time after some years away, is working AND going to school, is married and/or has a family... and/or considers him or herself nontraditional.

I have heard that this term should change. But so far, I haven't heard a suitable term that takes it place. (Yet!)

Here are some suggestions:

#1. Nontrad (the same word, only shortened...)

#2. Owls (used already as a word for many Nontrad clubs)

#3. Cohorts (Just thought of this one...)

and #4. Seniors (a bad connotation is here, i'm afraid... many younger Nontrads do NOT identify with being that old, for one thing.)

Can you think of a better word or terms? I welcome the conversation!

Betsyanne
Current and Former Nontraditional Student
Western Kentucky University and
The Pots Place Studio and Gallery 

Art from Jurvetson on Flickr.

Some Nontrad links: The Nontrad site and blog
Join Nontrads on Facebook
Nontrads on Yahoo
Nontrads on Twitter

A reminder: Get connected, nontraditional students!

Hi to all nontraditional students!

Nontraditional students are a growing group across the country and abroad. Older students are realizing that they can change their lives and go for their dreams.

There are many nontraditional student blogs and websites online to help them in their educational journey.

I have several that may be helpful to you. Along with this blog for nontraditional students, there is also the Nontraditional Student website, Nontraditional students on Facebook, the Nontraditional Student Yahoo Group, and a Twitter site.

The Nontraditional Student website has different state pages where people can look up nontraditional student groups in their state. They can also submit their group to the site.

Nontraditional students on Facebook has 538 Likes.  Members can post to the Wall, and there are links and interesting cartoons and articles listed there.

Nontraditional Student Yahoo Group has 278 members. Three just joined recently. Right now, there is an introduction for a new member from Texas. I like the fact that the group is diverse and has people from all over in it. Members give advice and share how they are doing as nontraditional students or people helping them or thinking about going back to school soon.

The Twitter site shares web links and links to interesting sites for nontraditional students. There is also a site for scholarship and grant seekers at the ScholarsGrants Twitter page.

Here are some more links you may enjoy:
The Nontraditional Student blog Big List of Nontrad Links

Later!

Betsyanne
Former and current Nontraditional Student