You CAN do it! Here are some motivational quotes, postings, and sites.

I think every so often everyone needs some motivation and inspiration.



Here are some things to remember about going back to school after a break.

#1. Being a nontraditional student is something you can be proud of.

#2. Whatever has happened in the past, if you learn from it, it was useful to you.

#3. Don't worry if you get a setback. You can always start again.

#4. It doesn't matter what other people think. What matters is what YOU think.

#5. You CAN do it.

I have some other postings you may also like. They are also about motivation and inspiration. Here are some of my favorites:

10 Motivational Tips for the Nontraditional Student

Motivational Quotes from the Student Doctor Network

Motivation... do you need some?

Inspiration for Nontraditional Students

Tips for Inspiration - - or how to get moving towards the important things

50+ Great Nontraditional Student Sites and Blogs




And here are some more Nontrad links: 
The Nontrad site and blog

Join Nontrads on Facebook

Nontrads on Yahoo

Nontrads on Twitter

Motivation... do you need some? I know I do sometimes.

Inspire <yourself!> Photo credit: Courtney Dirks on Flickr.

You can, and must inspire yourself - - - and acquire some MOTIVATION to go for your dreams.

Motivation can make the difference between getting a good grade and just passing.

It can help you climb the mountain you never thought you could.

It can mean the difference between getting that project done and wishing you had.

It can move you to go for the kind of life you know you deserve.

So how can you get that inspiration and motivation?

It comes from deep inside you. You have to really want something, to get motivated to do it. You have to see what working hard can get for you.

My thought I want you to realize today is that you can do it. You must dream big. You need to believe in yourself, and envision a brighter future for yourself and those around you.

That's what is right about going for your dreams, nontraditional students.

Have a wonderful week.

Nontraditionally yours,

Betsyanne
Former nontraditional student
The Garden Spot, Kentucky

And here are some more Nontrad links to help you get and stay motivated:
The Nontrad site and blog
Join Nontrads on Facebook
Nontrads on Yahoo
and Nontrads on Twitter

Tips for Inspiration - or how to get moving towards the important things

OK - you know who you are. Or maybe not...

You (and I!) can be the people who think about special projects, going back to school, doing artwork, writing a book or short story, joining a club... etc. etc. etc. But often, we wind up doing something else instead, and putting what is really important on the proverbial back burner.

Some readers will not recognize themselves in this posting. But I'll bet some will. I admire those people who are organized and concentrate on those things that matter.

I have to admit... I need help with organization and following through. I procrastinate. I put important things off. I choose to just let things stay the same. I come up with excuses NOT to do things that I want to do. I suddenly become very busy with little things that don't matter... in order not to have to think about what is really important or start on that important task.

So what is stopping me - - or maybe you? Some say fear. Some say bad experiences in the past. Still others say that low self-esteem can play a factor in NOT doing something that really is quite important.

Thinking about choices in the past can be a non-too-fun endeavor too that gets me sidetracked. I can get stuck in the past, going over and over things that can't be changed. It can seem hard to focus just on today and what I want to really get done with my time.

But I really DO want to get motivated and get things done. I keep coming back to that, and trying even harder.

What helps me? Here are some tips I hope will inspire you to get started doing the important things, like going back to school or getting that important project done.


1. Make a list - getting a great list done helps me prioritize and actually get some important things done. I must post this list on the wall and NOT get it mixed up in other papers for it to start working though. What also helps is making time to actually make the list. And looking at the list helps too.

2. Pay attention. I must take a rest break or meditate in order to zero in on the important things so I can put them high on my #1 list. Sometimes meditating can help me be more relaxed and able to focus on important things. Writing "meditation daily" on my list is also helpful.

3. Read or listen to what experts say. I have found some great books and tapes that have helped me. Some are available at library sales or yard sales. Others I find on Amazon. But of course you can buy them new if your budget permits. Some authors I recommend are: Dr. Wayne Dyer, Ayanla Vanzant, The Dalai Lama, Deepak Chopra, Sark, and Julia Cameron. There are more that I plan to talk about later too.

4. Keeping the little things up to date. This helps me free up time for what is MORE important. If you are trying to organize the house, for instance, do a little of that every day.

What helps you get or stay motivated to do the really important things? I know for nontraditional students those things might be studying, deciding where to go to school, working on projects, or studying online. It could also be starting that book, article, or artwork piece.

List what you use to motivate yourself and get important things done. I would love to hear what helps you.

Nontraditionally Yours,

Some Nontrad links: The Nontrad site and blog Join Nontrads on Facebook Nontrads on YahooNontrads on Twitter
These links and this advice is for people going back to school after a break, nontraditional students... who are becoming a big part of post-high school students across the country.



The person thinking about an empty box is from the free Clker art site.

Do you think you can't do it? Listen to Nick Vujicic tell about himself

 This video is called "No Arms, No Legs, No Worries," and Look at Yourself After Watching This.

Just double-click this video to watch it bigger on YouTube if you want.



I saw this today and went "Wow!"  - - - I cried too. Nick certainly has had to come to terms with what he does not have, and has ended up being grateful for what he does have. This video sure puts some things into perspective, doesn't it? What do you think of this video? Does it make you want to try your hardest, to do things you didn't think were possible? Let me know by commenting on it below.

-Betsyanne

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

You can do it!

FRIENDS AND FAMILY - ARE THEY A SUPPORT?
Families and friends of nontraditional students can be two things. They can be a help and a support, or they can just be a drag. They can give you positive messages, or they can give you negative messages. If you are a nontraditional student, you can choose what sort of messages you want to hear.

NONTRADS NEED POSITIVE MESSAGES
Nontraditional students need and deserve positive messages, but some do not get them. Families or friends sometimes say, "You are going to do WHAT?" and the nontraditional student has to explain and defend their dream of going back to school. Be practical! the nay-sayers advise. Don't go back to school!

Well - what is more practical than working towards a better future? Nothing! So what should you do when you hear a negative message like that? I say, don't listen to it! Just say "no" to letting it affect you, too.

COME BACK TO THE "WHY" OF BEING A NONTRAD
Always remember, nontraditional students, that you are not going back to school for no reason. Often, you have been wanting to do that for years, but have not been able to, for one reason or another. Sure, going back to school can be tough - it's expensive, it takes time, and a lot of hard work.

But you have good reasons for going back to school. Write these reasons down again if you want to and remember these reasons if you have forgotten. One reasons might be to improve your job situation. Another might be to improve yourself. Put all your reasons down. Once you have done that, read them again, then pat yourself on the back for taking action!

WHAT TO DO NEXT
Next, surround yourself with POSITIVE input, in order to bolster your effort. Do your friends help and support you? How about your family? You must hang around with positive people, not those that bring you down or make you doubt yourself or your dreams.

WHAT NONTRADS NEED
Nontraditional students need support, not bashing. They need understanding and caring people to help them on their educational journey. It's a long, tough trip towards that diploma or certificate. Nontraditional students must juggle family, work responsibilities, AND sometimes misunderstandings from family or friends.

A NOTE TO FAMILY AND FRIENDS
Are you a friend or a family member of a nontraditional student? Then know that they need you to be supportive, caring, and understanding. Be that shoulder to lean on. Be that caring listener when a nontraditional students just needs to vent sometimes.

A NOTE TO NONTRADS
Nontrads: know that you can do it. Even if you have to do it alone, you can do it. You are a trailblazer for others that will come after you. And if you want to meet other people who can help you in your journey, seek out a school with a nontraditional student organization or a supportive administration that understands your needs. Better yet: find a school that offers both.

If you can't find such a group, you can join the free Yahoo nontrads group online. This group's members are also nontrads or on their way to becoming nontrad students. They will be happy to support you. Remember: you are worth supporting, and you are worth admiring.

And, more important, never forget... that:

YOU CAN DO IT!

ES
The Nontraditional Student Website
The Nontraditional Student Yahoo Group
Help and support for all nontrads!

What are the top Nontraditional Student issues?

WHAT OTHER PAGES SHOULD GO ON THE NONTRAD SITE?
I put a box on the Nontraditional Student site on the first page asking what other non-traditional students would like to have as the next page on the site.

So far, 19 people have voted. Here are the top three subjects people would like to see on the site:

1. The Best Schools for Nontraditional Students
2. Nontraditional Student Homework Help
3. This is a tie - with three ideas, Motivation, Time Savers, and Jobs and Home Businesses.

I also have another poll - Top Issues, which is located down the right side on this blog. The number one issue that people have voted for as Most Important is Keeping Up with Job and Family Responsibilities.

For nontraditional students who would like to talk about these issues and more, there is a Yahoo Nontrads Group that is open to new members.

That's it for today. Good luck, nontraditional students, on all the juggling you do with school, home, work, and more. Check out the links below to find out more.

The Yahoo Nontrads Group

The Nontraditional Student website

Email me with ideas for this blog

Later, gators!

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It's your life... is it time you changed it?

People who are considering becoming non-traditional students often do a lot of thinking about it before they actually enroll. I have had a lot of people talk about joining the Non-Traditional Yahoo group that are just thinking about going back to school.

They want to talk to others about it - to find out more about what it is really like to be an older student among younger students.

Going back to school can be a challenge, financially and emotionally. The realities of filling out forms, looking at class offerings, and really getting serious about it makes people nervous sometimes.

It can make people question themselves, too. Some questions non-trads can ask are:

What if I make the wrong choice?

Am I really ready for all that studying and work?

Can I even do the work any more, now that I have been out of school for (your number here) years?

The non-traditional student often thinks about all these things and more. He or she also thinks about another VERY important question. That is, what is he or she wanting to do with the rest of his or her life?

That question really gets down to the nitty-gritty.

Many non-traditional students have had careers already. Some even trained for those careers, and now are not sure that they want to keep on doing the same job forever. Others just fell into jobs and stuck with them. Still others just did what they had to do, and never questioned it before.

But with age, sometimes comes introspection. Some people (many more than before, I think) decide that the same job, the same life path, the same old, tired way of thinking that has worked for them before does not work for them now.

So... what's next?

Thankfully, people are not locked in to jobs and career paths as much as people were in generations past. People CAN break free of what is "expected" of them, and many have decided that they want to pursue other careers.

This can be a very scary undertaking. The future is uncertain, always, and people can doubt their choices. The work can seem daunting - especially when people find out that to follow their dream will take years of classes and training in order to start again, from the bottom up.

Can it be hard? Yes, it can. But many non-traditional students decide that the work is all worth it. Doing what makes a person happy versus doing something that doesn't can make all the difference.

And if you never try it out, how will you ever know if you really like a new career or not?

To my reader, I ask, what is YOUR dream? Are you thinking of becoming a non-traditional student and going back to school?

I am here to tell you that the sooner you actually start thinking about it, the sooner you can decide to move towards your dream and make a better future for yourself.

And to those who have already decided, more power to you. I wish you great success.

E. Sheppard

The Non-Traditional Student Yahoo group
The Non-Traditional Student website
The Betsyanne site

Ten Motivational Tips for the Non-Traditional Student

MOTIVATION. It's what all non-traditional students need sooner or later. It's that little boost that we all need sometimes.

And just how do we get it? Sure we can be self-motivated. In fact, that's why many non-traditional students get enrolled in school in the first place. We know that we need to go back, that we want to, and we have a pretty clear idea of what we are doing it all for.

But down the road, the studying, the sacrifices, the plain sheer work of it all can catch up with us. The late nights and early mornings can add up, too. And some non-traditional students could do with some extra motivation.

TEN MOTIVATIONAL TIPS

#1. Write down your goals. Take a sheet of paper and just write down WHY you are going back to school in the first place. Do you want a better job? Do you yearn for a higher salary? Think about the reasons you decided to go back to school in the first place.

Your hard work IS going towards something valuable. Put these goals down and post them where you can remind yourself whenever you need to - - about the reward for all your hard work.

#2. Refresh yourself. When you find yourself getting down and thinking that your efforts aren't appreciated or that it is all too much, take a break. Go for a walk - take a hot bath - or pamper yourself with a low-calorie snack or healthy smoothie.

The old saying "too much work and not enough play" can be true. Try to break up study sessions with stretches or meditation. A little reward can be very motivational.

#3. Read some stories about other non-traditional students who are going for their dreams. You can find some at the non-trad site. You can find others at your local library or on the internet. When you find a great story, share it with me or others.

Some people really overcame hardships and succeeded. Reading about them can help you realize that you can, too!

#4. Go to some Non-traditional student meetings. Do you have a group at your school or college? If not, you can make one yourself. The National non-traditional student group ANTSHE has a book that tells you all about how to do that.

Sharing with other students your own age can help a LOT and give your motivation a huge boost.

#5. Think positively. Motivation comes so much easier with a calm and focused mind. Are you active in your church or religious group? Perhaps attending your group regularly can put you in a more positive frame of mind.

There are some great positive magazines that I use to help me improve my mind and my mood. One is Positive Thinking magazine, one is Daily Word, and another is Science of Mind. One of these magazines or sites or another one may be beneficial to you, too.

#6. Celebrate your successes. Have you done well on a test or project? It is really OK to pat yourself on the back. Give yourself a reward! Tell your friends, spouse, or family! Let each success, no matter how small, encourage you and motivate you to keep trying.

#7. Visualize your success. Know that all you are doing is for a reason, is part of your personal Plan for Success. Every class is a stepping stone towards your eventual goal. Imagine yourself succeeding before you have done it.

What will your graduation be like? Your new job? All the new friends you will make there? All these things are just a small part of the many positive changes that will happen for you because you are taking classes now. Thinking about your future success can be very motivational.

#8. Make friends with your teachers. Yes, you CAN talk to your professors or teachers. Your teacher can often clarify assignments and help you stay motivated as well.

When a teacher speaks to you with respect and caring, you can feel good about yourself. And when your assignments are understood better because of a conference or just a question or two, you feel even better. And that can motivate you to keep on.

#9. Get organized. Take a little time to set your books out for the next day - to have everything laid out for yourself. This will cut down on stress. Also, when your life is going more smoothly in all ways, you will have more time for homework.

When you have more time, you will get more done. Then, you will feel better about yourself. Presto, chango - more motivation.

#10. All in all, motivation comes from within. You can be your own cheerleader. So what if nobody else understands why you are going back to school?

Even if you do have a supportive spouse, parents, family, or friends, the fact is that YOU are a strong person.

Keep telling yourself this - - and all the other good things about yourself that you can. Build yourself up. And before you know it, you will be even MORE motivated to keep going and to succeed.

Have a non-traditional Holiday!

photo by somadjinn@morguefile.com

HAVE A WONDERFUL HOLIDAY
I want to wish everyone a happy and joyous holiday season . Some non-traditional students may just have finished their finals. Some will be winding up a long educational session and will not go back.

WHAT NON-TRADITIONAL STUDENTS ARE DOING RIGHT NOW
Still others will be going back to school in person or online after the holidays. Others may be deciding whether or not to go to school next year and doing research into what they really want to do with the rest of their lives.

WHERE TO GET SUPPORT
Know that there is support for every non-traditional student, no matter what his or her age. You can go to the Non-traditional Student Website at
http://www.nontradstudents.com, or join the non-traditional yahoo group at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Non-trads/

BE NON-TRADITIONAL!
Whether or not you are a non-traditional student now or will be later, I want to wish everyone a great holiday and holiday season. And if you are a non-traditional student, enjoy your non-traditional holiday and your vacation from school.

How to begin...

This photo is by richard_b@morguefile.com. You can see all of his Morguefile (and free) photos here: Richard B's Morguefile photos


Non-traditional students can spend a long time THINKING about going back to school before they actually do it. I know I did, but I had an idea about what I was going to take in my mind already.

Through the years I spent raising my daughter, I used to wonder what my life would have been like if I had chosen to be a teacher instead of a typesetter/graphic artist.

Now I can see that both careers have their good and bad points. On the good side of teaching, there is the pay. And sometimes you reach a student or maybe even a few - - and can be a good influence on the future.

You can also do this by volunteering as a scout leader, however, or becoming a big brother or sister.

On the good side of my other career, typesetting and graphic arts, you do have some flexibility, depending on the job.

You get to work a shift, and not have to go home and work another shift of grading and planning. You get to sleep at night (usually) in the printing business, which is also a plus.

You can have great or not-so-great bosses, co-workers, working conditions, and decision-makers in a school OR in a factory. It all just depends on the place. And now I know.

I would not have known this about teaching, though, if I hadn't decided to become a non-traditional student, and go back to school. I would always have had a huge question mark about it.

So... for me, the beginning of MY decision to become a non-traditional student was sort of decided long ago, when I took my first education class at the age of 19. I wasn't able to finish my training then, but I always wanted to. When I decided to go back, it was an easy choice.

A REALLY BIG QUESTION
Some people have asked me, how does a non-traditional student begin? What should he or she do first?

I think that a non-traditional student should explore all his or her options before deciding to go back to school. If this means taking time off (if possible) or staying at the same job for a little bit longer, so be it.

There are so many school options today. Some jobs will pay for classes outside of work. Some SAY they will, but when you ask about it, they might inform you that they no longer offer that benefit. That happened to me. (So make sure to ask in person before deciding about that.)

Non-traditional students don't have to settle for night classes only, anymore. They can go to classes along with "traditional" students (during the day) and they can also take online classes.

PAYING FOR SCHOOL
Non-traditional students might find that they qualify for student loans and grants. They can go to the FAFSA site and fill out the online form. It takes awhile to do, but it's worth it.

SOME ADVICE: make sure you hit the "save" button every page you do. That way, if your computer freezes up, you don't have to redo everything. Also, have your tax and income information handy.

Hmmmm.... how do I know that? Because I had my computer freeze and had to completely redo mine. I also had to stop and find my tax information and that held things up.

FEDERAL OR STATE PROGRAMS
You may also want to check your local employment office to see if they offer any grants or training programs, especially if you were laid off from your job due to downsizing. It's worth a call or visit.

If you are considering going to trade school or to technical school, find out if the credits will transfer to other schools or universities. Some do, but some don't. It would be a shame to have to take a year or more of classes OVER just because the school you chose had credits that didn't transfer. I have a friend who had that happen to him.

Above all, don't let fear make your decision for you. Just because you might be an older student, or maybe have not been in school for awhile, that doesn't mean you can't learn something new. GOOD LUCK!

Bucknall's Refuge

BUCKNALL'S REFUGE:

This is a great website - and perfect for non-traditional students to check out - that I rechecked tonight.

He has some books for sale, but FREE books and articles to download on his site, too, among which are the classic

"How to Succeed as a Student" (#1 on the list) and

"Mature Students - University Certainly is for You" (#13).

Bucknall calls himself an "ancient academic" which I find very funny.

He is mostly interested in economics, it seems. He has put a little bookworm that crawls in and out of his webpage and tips its hat, which makes going to his site even more worthwhile.

Complete with photos, Bucknall's Refuge is a fun website that I highly recommend. I have read the "How to Succeed" ebook already.

If you didn't already click on the link above, here is the link to Bucknall's Refuge website again so you can check it out for yourself.

Non-Traditional Students - don't give up!

THE LETTER - GIVING UP ON A DREAM

Recently, I received a letter from a non-traditional student that has stopped going to school.

"I have to give up my dream..." she said.

I don't know all the details about her situation, but I was sorry to hear about it.

This person simply cannot continue with school because of her many responsibilities - - like working full-time and taking care of her family.

Hearing about this, I was sad, but I understood, because going back to school can be even HARDER for non-traditional students than for traditional students.

Why?

Because non-traditional students must often support children, take care of home duties, worry about money, and have schedule difficulties.

Some non-traditional students take out loans. Some try for scholarships. I did both. Although I was not selected for a scholarship, I did receive a grant that helped a lot.

If the non-traditional student's family is supportive, this can make the difference. But not all non-trads have a partner who can support them through school, or even give moral support.

Some families just don't understand the choice to get more education, and don't want to help.

So... some non-traditional students have a MUCH harder path they must follow.

I hope that the person who wrote me will consider going back someday, especially since it's her dream to do that.

SOME HELPFUL WEBSITES FOR NON-TRADITIONAL STUDENTS

Are you thinking of going back to school? Are you considering going back for a second time?

You may want to check out these links to help you in your search.

NON-TRADITIONAL LINKS:

The Non-Traditional Student Website (mine- a work in progress...) :-)

Non-Traditional Student Scholarship Links

Discover the Work you were Born to Do (a quiz)

College Re-entry advice from About.com

The Advantages of Being an Older Student
By Vickey Kalambakal

Some of these links are new - (I just found them.)
Write back and let me know of other good links.

Well, I'm back to work - I hope you all have a great week.

-Elizabeth

Non-Traditional Students tips and links

Photo from Imageafter.com

Are you a non-traditional student? Chances are you are taking courses to improve your life and/or job.

I personally think that non-traditional students can face many more challenges in their quest for academic success.

I hope that this blog can help other non-traditional students find tools, money for college, motivation, and information.

I found a site today that I would like to share.

Click here for this link. It's the Prentice Hall (publisher) site.

I like this site because they have a small section on non-traditional students who have kids, and a section for those who don't. Plus, there are areas that you can click to help with goal-setting, which I think is SO important.

For more non-traditional student links, such as scholarship links and motivational links, you can check out the Non-traditional Students website. I plan to put more state links there soon.

I plan to share more useful links here in the future. Please let me know what YOU would like to learn about becoming or continuing to be a non-traditional student.

Feel free to post your experiences and comments, too.

Until next time, I am:

Elizabeth
(the Non-traditional Student.)

Non-traditional attitude

I think non-traditional students have an ATTITUDE. I think it comes from knowing how much time they have left and wanting to do something with it.

Remember when time stretched in front of you forever? Non-traditional students want to use time wisely and actually learn something NOW.

It's a good attitude to have.

Non-Traditional Students and choices

CHOICES...

I think non-traditional students have so many choices to make.

Should they:
1) Go to trade school - limit the training time
2) Go to college - even though it takes awhile
3) Try for a scholarship or grant
4) Take an aptitude test

I know I had a very hard time deciding what to take when I went back to school. Should it be Art Education or English Education? I decided on English at first but there are many reasons why Art may have also been a good choice. Graphic Art or Computer Web Page Design is also a field that would be fun.

Also important for every non-traditional student is deciding whether or not to go back to school full-time or part-time, and whether to attend while working full or part-time.

I am consulting and selling online right now, and there is SO much to learn. There are choices for that, too - where to list your items, what to list, what to charge, etc. etc.

I chose to go to a local car dealership and try to win a jeep today. I only won a choice of prizes online that I have to pay $5 for plus shipping. I think I'll look and see what is there, though. There may be that proverbial knife set or another fun prize that is worth the fee.

Anyway, to get back to the subject, it's all about choices - in life, and as a non-traditional student. I think my advice to non-traditional students would be to take the time to really think hard about whether the choices (in classes) will be ones that you will definitely want down the road.

You may want to try out the career choice first as a helper or assistant, etc. before you invest a lot of time and money in those classes.

If you think you already know what you want, you can go ahead and give it your best try. I think non-traditional students make the very best students AND employees -- because our work ethic and experience really help in the job situation.

I know that I have seen my share of employees that did not have the proper kind of responsibility -- some people I worked with always were absent on Fridays or Mondays. Some pretended to work hard, but really were doing the very least amount of work possible.

Most non-traditional students know what real work is all about. And as a student, the non-traditional kind KNOWS that he or she must get a good result out of his or her hard-earned money, and that makes a huge difference. When Mom or Dad is footing the bill, the money isn't hard-earned.

Most non-traditional students know that they have to PAY their school money back or have earned the money working hard for it. They want to get their money's worth, and that means studying, listening, and working VERY hard.

assemblage_small

assemblage_small
Originally uploaded by betsyanne.

This photo shows part of one of my mother's assemblages - or welded structural creations she has in her back yard. It was taken last summer. She was a non-traditional art student and went back to learn welding in her 30's. She collects auto parts and other metal shapes and has them welded together to make interesting and unusual sculptures.

I really learned a lot being a non-traditional student. I hope I can pass along some of the things I have learned now to help others who are considering going back to school, but just need a little push to help them decide to go ahead.

Success Stories...

Nothing helps non-traditional students more than success stories. Just knowing that other people have actually gone back to school and succeeded can really bolster self-confidence in the first-time Non-traditional Student.

I found a great article that helps non-traditional students get that jolt of confidence that they need. It's at FastWeb, which is also a great site to look up scholarships.

Here is the link:
FastWeb Success Stories from Non-Traditional Students

I was a Non-Traditional Student in Education

Don't you love this old train cut? I found it here at the (free) rail art page.

BACK TO THE SUBJECT.
I was a non-traditional student in Education. I went back to get my teaching certification in English and Allied Arts, having already gotten my undergraduate degree in English and a minor in Art.

ENGLISH VS. ART... WHICH TO DO?
It was hard to decide which to do - English or Art. I knew there were more jobs in English, so eventually I made the choice to go for the English certification. I only recently finished my college work.

While I was doing my work towards my initial certification, I was required to observe other teachers' classes. I was allowed to also look at Art classes to see if I was making the right choice for me. I realized I still loved art, but loved English as well, especially the writing part!

I have now completed 1/2 of my required First Year teaching English. I have learned so much. I would like to complete the second half - and may do another year. Then I can decide whether teaching English is for me. Right now I am enjoying the computer lessons I am doing in my new business, Betsy's CGC. I am online a lot, putting books on Amazon for sale, and also putting items on Ebay.

I want to also start (FINISH!) my book this year. SO, I will be very busy. Eventually I may want to continue my schooling and at least take a few more classes. I want to take a class in Grant Writing and also make some pottery and jewelry. I may teach myself those, however. The Pots Place in Bowling Green offers classes in pottery, and since I'm already an Associate there I can go in and try my hand. I already took a class at Western Kentucky University, so I will be building on that.

This summer (or spring!) I want to continue building on the Non-Traditional Schools website. There are even more articles I could write for there. I want to offer some online classes and podcasts to help students get back into school. I am glad that I went back to school as a non-traditional student. I feel more self-confident now than I did knowing only one field (the Printing field). Sometimes a person can get stuck in an area of expertise and never try to learn and grow.

That's why I think non-traditional students are doing a great thing for themselves. They are not just staying in the same old rut... they are discovering other, new possibilities. Thinking about going back to school is a good thing, and actually DOING IT is even better.

Learning New Things!

I am thrilled to be learning new things this semester. First, I plan to continue this blog about Non-traditional Students and keep my other blog at the Betsyanne blogspot too.

THEN, I plan to learn how to record some podcasts and start my own radio station. ALSO, I want to teach myself how to make videos and also post these online.

Some subjects: NOT giving up, how to motivate yourself to get good grades in school (high school and college), where to get scholarships, how to choose the right University, etc. etc. I know there are plenty of good subjects out there. Motivation interests me especially -- and how does somebody put their mind on a project and actually DO it?

I want to talk about procrastination and how to avoid it, too. Also, I have learned MANY teaching tricks I want to put online.

I feel SO good that I am finally getting a chance to do these things. I will put a link here to my podcasts and videos when I get them done. It should be a LOT of fun. Let me know if anyone out there has any hints for me, or subjects they would like me to do a podcast or video about.

Want to live a long time? Stay in school!

A great new New York Times article explains that the best way to live longer is... to stay in school!

Here's the link!