The Non-Traditional Student Blog (BA): non-traditional students

Showing posts with label non-traditional students. Show all posts

Spring 2022 - Happy 1st Day of Spring. Saying hello. How are things going? Let me know.

Hello, Nontraditional Students!

It is good to be writing for this blog again.

I hope things are going well for you. Comment on this posting to let me know about your Nontrad journey. Are you still in school? What things have you learned along the way?

I personally went back to school and took Teaching classes. Then I taught for awhile. Man, there is a LOT to teaching.

I am not teaching now, but hope to do a little of it later. Probably art teaching, but who knows.

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Personally, I was hoping that all ages would maybe get great deals on going back to school again by now, and some help with school debt. Then I could go back to school also (again.) I hope this still happens... but who knows when or if it will. Still, it was a great idea.

I'd like to see all 2-year colleges be free, at least.

Taking notes for class... or studying for a test.

Sometimes Community College can offer some fun classes, and for a LOT less money. They are worth looking at if you are a non-traditional student. I definitely am looking at these right now.

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On my (huge) list: I hope to redo the Nontraditional Student website this year. It really needs it. I want it to be more user-friendly, able to be accessed by phone, and I want to add even more great links there.

Send me your articles and links that you would like to see there. I will be offering ads on it too.

Send also your Nontraditional Student groups if you have discovered them where you are. I will add them to your State or Country pages. I will also be looking for some great nontraditional student artwork and stories about offerings in different areas.

What is working for you? What is working for others? These questions are good ones. Helping other nontraditional students is important to me.

Daffodils in bloom... so pretty!

So... have a GREAT Spring, and I look forward to learning more about offerings at different schools, new scholarships, and more this year. I will post here when I redo the site or FB page.

Remember to comment below on what YOU would like to see on the site, and the Facebook page, and let us know about your Nontraditional Student journeys.

Thank you!

Betsyanne

The Nontraditional Student Website

Nontrads on Facebook

Nontrads on Twitter

Love vintage books and collectibles?

My (WillowTreeMoon) Betsyanne Ebay Store is here:

Betsy's Used Books and Collectibles

Hello, nontraditional students - - here is a book to try, The Artist's Way. I like it a lot.

Hello, Nontraditional Students!

I hope things are going well for you.

It's a new year, and YOU can decide what you want to do in it, and for that matter, for the rest of your life.

My advice (also to myself!) is to get and really read and go through some Positivity books - - you can read them every day. They do help me, when I make time for them..

I have listed the first of a few postings. Below is the first book I like, that has been helpful to me. You can order a NEW copy if you wish, but also make sure to check out the used book links, and choose a vendor with lots of good feedback. You can save a lot of money that way.

The first book I would like to share with you is:

2. The Artist's Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity by Julia Cameron:

This way of life (being creative) can be done using this book to help. It has Action Steps, activities, and journaling that you can do to Take Action to be more creative in all areas of your life.

It is NOT just for artists, but it is helpful to them especially.

It's really a great book. And I hope you like it too.

Comment below if you have already discovered this book, and how you use it. I'd love to hear.

Until next time,

I am - - - Nontraditionally Yours,
-Betsyanne

- - Former Nontraditional Student - who took Education classes, English and Allied Arts.

You can also join me here:

The Nontraditional Student Website (find your State page there)

Nontrads on Twitter,

and
The Nontraditional Student Facebook page

See you there.

Important Questions Nontraditional Students can Ask of Schools

Here are some questions (and starts to answers) for nontraditional students.

Are you asking these questions?

1. Does your school have a Nontraditional Student group? A Commuter Student group? Others groups? Do they meet regularly?

2. Does your school belong to ANTSHE, the Association for Nontraditional Students in Higher Education?

3. Do Nontraditional Students have their own study area, lockers, or other facilities? A bus system? Other options?

4. Are there Child Care options on campus? Off campus? What ages are helped at these facilities?

5. Are Nontraditional Students offered housing on or off campus? Can they sign up for a dorm room if they want to?

6. What kinds of services are offered for students of all ages? Are Nontraditional Students allowed to join any student group? What about Fraternities and Sororities?

Some schools DO have these things available.

So, they are important questions to ask. They can contribute SO much to Nontraditional Students' success and can make things MUCH easier.

Can you think of other questions to ask when looking for a school? Leave your suggestions as a comment.

Betsyanne

Here are a couple of other articles here you may like:

Child Care and the Nontraditional Student

and

If you are on Campus, you may be missing out (Services for you on campus)

And here is the ANTSHE page.

About me: I am a former nontraditional student who is thinking of going back again some day.

In the meantime, I sell books and collectibles on Ebay, Amazon, and Etsy. Here are some of my current Ebay listings:

eBay Listings Widget from Auction Nudge

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

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.

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

chiefly dialect : common sense, horse sense

: 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).

The Nontraditional Student site of the day: The ProfEval site

Oh, this one is fun. Find out at ProfEval if a teacher is the best one, or not.

There used to be more of these sites, but now the ProfEval site is the latest one I used when going back to school some years ago.

This is a site where you can go and see what kind of professor or teacher is teaching the class you want to take. Of course, not all schools are here, but the one I went to is (Western Kentucky University).

I went to try this site out again, and found it is a little slower than I remember. However, it does still work.

I went to my State, then my School, and selected "English" which had a few different choices. If I were doing a BIG search, I'd try every variety of that term.

The most recent posting seemed to be 2013. Some went back to 2015.

I think sometimes students WILL put bad reviews on here if they got a bad grade (and deserved it) or simply had a personality clash. SO, sometimes a teacher will be OK. So keep that in mind.

I did enjoy looking around here. I would personally check before deciding between, say, two different teachers. It might help a lot. You can also find out (sometimes) when a teacher gives tests, etc. which can be handy too.

Comment if you have used the site, and how you like it too.

Thanks!

Betsyanne

And here are some more Nontrad links: The Nontrad site

Join Nontrads on Facebook

Nontrads on Yahoo

Nontrads on Twitter

The Nontraditional Student Site of the Day for Jan. 27, 2015: The Mike Grasso Nontraditional Medical Student Site

Are you a Nontraditional Medical Student, or thinking about becoming one?

I like this site. It features links to Motivation, Planning, Requirements, the MCAT, about applying (Where to Apply, The Waiting Game, and Second Chance), and also talks about Mike's personal journey, how to best determine if Medical School is right for you, and has links to useful books and links.

Here is the link: Nontraditional Medical Student.

From the site: "The purpose of this web site is to discuss how to get into medical school as an older, nontraditional student. I became interested in this subject when I went through the application process myself at age 37. During that time, I read several books on this subject. However, I found little information that addressed in detail the unique challenges of applying to medical school later in life."

It's definitely worth a look at this site if Medical School is a field you are interested in exploring. It has won several awards, too, which are on the first page.

Also from the site: Courage is daring to take that first step, or different path. It is the decision to place your dreams above your fears. - Source Unknown

I like this!

Betsyanne

And here are my other Nontrad links:

The Nontrad site

Nontrads on Facebook

Nontrads on Yahoo, and

Nontrads on Twitter

Join me there. Later! - See more at: http://non-traditional-students.blogspot.com/#sthash.stcbIgGf.dpuf

Betsyanne

And here are my other Nontrad links:

The Nontrad site

Nontrads on Facebook

Nontrads on Yahoo, and

Nontrads on Twitter

Later.

And here are other Sites of the Day for 2015.

Jan. 25, 2015: ANTSHE

Jan. 2015: The Planning and Preparing for College Blog

My Club Picnic makes me think of Nontraditional Students - and the clubs THEY can join.

You, yes you, can join clubs, on campus or via your school.

This could be something you have overlooked. I have a club picnic today. It's for a local computer group. It made me think about groups I used to be in when I was in college. They were so fun. They had events, like picnics, that were enjoyable and made being in school a lot of fun. I was in a few of these groups.

The question: why be a joiner when you are in school? Because you get to meet people and have fun. They usually don't take a lot of time to be in, especially if you don't volunteer to be an officer. And you can take advantage of the neat and fun events they have. Meetings can also be a great reason to take a break from the books. And some groups have picnics, get-togethers, and even pizza at meetings.

New friends don't have to be your own age in order to be interesting, and you get out of the rut of just school, school, school and studying every second.

There are several other articles about joining clubs at your school. Most are about joining OR making a Nontraditional student group. But did you know that nowadays groups and clubs at your school welcome older students?

So you are older. It's not a big deal. You may feel at first that you should not even try to join a group or club.

You could be shy. You could feel that everyone else will be younger, and you won't fit in. But especially today, it's OK to be different - - in fact, some groups actually like to have a diverse membership. AND you might find out you are NOT the only one of your age in the club you like.

You can also check out each group first to see if you feel comfortable in each one. You won't be the only one doing this, I am sure.

Here are some ideas about different kinds of groups you may have at your school:

Hiking/Nature Clubs
Science, Math Clubs
*Nontraditional Student Groups (you can also make your own group)
Political groups
Sororities or Fraternities (not all welcome older students, but some do - just ask!)
Service Groups
Photography Clubs
Poetry groups, English groups
Mascot groups
Astronomy clubs
Theater groups
Travel groups

Think of more? List them as a comment.

Schools of all types offer lots of fun activities, clubs, and groups. It's a great way to make your school experience a LOT more fun.

There are also groups just for your major or subject area. You can find out about jobs that are around for what you are interested in.

What can you lose?

If you find a group you like, another great benefit is making new friends there, which can be the best benefit of all.

Good luck finding a fun group!

And here are more articles you may like:

Make your own Nontraditional Student Group

Is your school "Non-Trad friendly?"

Ivy League Schools are beckoning to nontraditional students

Betsyanne

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

#7 in a series: Are you bored with school? Want more fun? Try these things.

This posting is an Expanded continuation of a posting called: More Tips for Nontraditional Students: 10 situations, plus possible solutions.

#7. School has become boring, or not fun at all.
The short answer I had on the original posting was: See if you can join a Club or Nontraditional Student group at your school. This might help.

It might. But you may not have a group there. Worse yet, you may have other reasons why school is not interesting to you anymore.

Are you having trouble with your classes? Maybe not. If your classes are boring, the good part of that is maybe you know what is going on and will get an A in each boring class. All you have to do is wait for that. And force yourself to attend class, sometimes easier said than done.

If it's become a duty, and you are having no fun at all, that is a really bad thing. It might make you quit if you don't do something about it. Luckily, there are more avenues for nontraditional students nowadays than there used to be. A study group might win a few friends for you (and better marks), but there are now OTHER groups that you might be able to join. Online nontrad groups are available too (see the bottom for these links) but actual Campus Clubs and Organizations are now more open than ever to all ages.

Is there a way you can make school more interesting? A Club may be just the ticket for that. Choose a club that really interests you. Love theater? Join the Theater Club. Or you might want to choose a Sorority or Fraternity. Yes, you heard right. Some now allow older students to join! (Of course, check first).

Try taking notes - - and asking questions of your teachers to make things more interesting. Find out if you can do any extra credit projects to fill up your time if you are bored. And if you decide to add a club to your activities, new friendships and an active social calendar will soon help your boredom - a LOT.

Here are some other past Nontrad Blog postings that might help you.

Study Groups for Nontraditional Students

On-Campus Clubs for the Nontraditional Student

and

10 Motivational Tips for the Non-Traditional Student

Here are the "Expanded answers to the Advice Posting so far:

#1: Were your grades great, or would you like a redo of them, nontraditional students?

#2: Not enough credits to graduate, CLEP, addition, accreditation, transfers, more.

#3. Are you taking the courses you want to take? Or is it time to change course?

#4. You don't know if you want to continue, for any reason. Can you continue on?

#5. Are your student loans adding up too fast?

#6. You may want to transfer schools... some things to think about.

Here is the original posting again you might like to check out: More Tips for Nontraditional Students: 10 situations, plus possible solutions.

My next posting will talk about #8: You wanted A's, you got B's or C's.

Again, good luck this summer, whether you are in school, on vacation, at a job, or whatever you are choosing to do.

#5. You have Student Loans that seem to be adding up too fast. - See more at: http://non-traditional-students.blogspot.com/2014/05/more-tips-for-nontraditional-students.html#.U59gn6jGJox

Betsyanne

Some Nontrad links: The Nontrad site and blog

Join Nontrads on Facebook, Nontrads on Yahoo, and Nontrads on Twitter

#6 in a series: You may want to transfer schools.... some things to think about.

This posting is an Expanded continuation of a posting called: More Tips for Nontraditional Students: 10 situations, plus possible solutions.

#6. You may want to transfer schools.

#6. You may want to transfer schools.

No problem - - but make sure that the new school accepts credits from your other school. AND make sure you can get in the following semester. Check and see if you are in-state too. - See more at: http://non-traditional-students.blogspot.com/2014/05/more-tips-for-nontraditional-students.html#.U7W_bKjGJow

No problem - - you may have a GREAT reason to switch schools. But make sure that the new school accepts credits from your other school.

Some For Profit schools will tell you that YES, your credits will transfer, but they don't. Check your new school too. You may decide to go to another school in the future too.

AND make sure you can get in the following semester. Find out the deadlines for applying.

So... is your present school an accredited school? Will your credits transfer? Find out by asking the school you want to transfer to.

Check and see if you are in-state too. It can make a huge difference.

Here are some other postings that might help you.

The Nightline Investigation: Are For-Profit Schools telling students the truth? (video)

Going for it (about making a change...)

and...

Thinking about graduate school? 5 questions to ask.

Here are the "Expanded answers to the Advice Posting so far:

#1: Were your grades great, or would you like a redo of them, nontraditional students?

#2: Not enough credits to graduate, CLEP, addition, accreditation, transfers, more.

#3. Are you taking the courses you want to take? Or is it time to change course?

#4. You don't know if you want to continue, for any reason. Can you continue on?

#5. Are your student loans adding up too fast?

Here is the original posting again you might like to check out: More Tips for Nontraditional Students: 10 situations, plus possible solutions.

My next posting will talk about #7: School has become boring, not fun at all.

Again, good luck this summer, whether you are in school, on vacation, at a job, or whatever you are choosing to do.

#5. You have Student Loans that seem to be adding up too fast. - See more at: http://non-traditional-students.blogspot.com/2014/05/more-tips-for-nontraditional-students.html#.U59gn6jGJox

Betsyanne

Some Nontrad links: The Nontrad site and blog

Join Nontrads on Facebook, Nontrads on Yahoo, and Nontrads on Twitter

Summer Positive Possibilities for Nontraditional Students

Summertime is full of possibilities for nontrads.

They can get a summer part-time or full-time job (or just concentrate on their regular job for awhile), they can get a summer internship, work at a camp or other summer type job, continue going to school in a summer term, and much more.

What are YOU choosing to do this summer?

Some colleges allow nontraditional students to stay in dorms in the summer if they are still in school. Others have them move into another nearby dorm for the summer session. Other nontraditional students don't have to worry about this, because they are living at home.

If you have not graduated, now can also be the time to sign up for classes and make sure you have everything lined up for next Fall too. Are you on the right track? Now's the time to talk to your school Advisor and dot those i's...

Adding: here are some Positive Possibilities for you for this summer.

1. You can plan your next Semester at school, keeping OR changing your focus and even your major or area of study.

2. You can take some time off for a vacation or just some time for yourself.

3. You can get a summer job to make things easier for you down the road.

4. You can enroll in a summer class - or even take more!

Can you think of more possibilities for a Super Summer?

I'd love to hear about your nontraditional student journey. You can read about other nontraditional students here at the site on the right side too.

Have a GREAT graduation and a TERRIFIC summer full of fun, whatever you choose.

And here are some more postings from this blog you might like too:

LINK: To Summer School or NOT to Summer School... that is the question.

LINK: Celebrate! It's the end of Spring Semester... <10 Summer Ideas for Nontrads>

LINK: May 1st is the time you need to know where you are going for college (next year?)

Betsyanne

And here are some more Nontrad links: The Nontrad site and blog Join Nontrads on Facebook Nontrads on Yahoo Nontrads on Twitter

The Olympics and the Nontraditional Student - some parallels I see.

I definitely see some parallels this week between Olympians and Nontraditional Students while I am watching video clips of the Winter Olympics 2014 on TV.

Every contestant at the Olympics representing their country has practiced long and hard to get there. Some had accidents while practicing or during their competitions. They may not be able to compete any more now. That must be so hard to deal with, after having put so much effort into getting ready.

Click here to read more »

Deep into exams and tests... plus final reports. I hope everyone's semester went great.

Hi, nontraditional students!

Some of you are deep in Finals Week, and others have finished. (Whew!)

Others are trying to catch up.

I hope everyone has a GREAT holiday.

The weather here has cleared up some, but I know it must be cold in other areas here in the U.S. and elsewhere.

Are you reading this on a Kindle or other reader? You may want some links to read, other postings, etc. so here are just a few for you today.

#1. (the last posting here) Hot College Degrees and Hoping the Semester Went Well

#2. Finding Scholarships and Grants for School, and

#3. Forming a Nontraditional Student Group

Comment on how it's going, or go to a site below to explore too.

Later!

Betsyanne
Former Nontraditional Student in Education
Former President of WKU's Nontrads
BA, English, and a minor in Art.

and Get Connected! At..
The Nontrad site and blog

Nontrads on Facebook

Nontrads on Yahoo and

Nontrads on Twitter

Hot College Degrees for 2013. Here's to Nontrads, and hoping this semester went well.

Good job, nontraditional students. It's been a long haul for some of you.

And in this economy, it's been hard to decide to go back to school sometimes.

Are you taking classes that will get you a better job? Or are you finally learning about something you wish you'd known about long ago, and never went to explore it before now?

There are many reasons students go back to school after a break. It's good to know that you are NOT the only one out there. Some schools do a great job in supporting their older students, some don't. But more and more are doing a better and better job, which I'm glad to hear.

Here is an article you may like.

Hot College Degrees for 2013 via Yahoo.

I like Yahoo articles, they are well researched and well written. Some degrees mentioned in this article that are HOT are Health Care Administration, Business Administration, Public Administration, and Forensics and Criminal Science.

So this whole list would be worth looking at.

And I hope this semester went well. Here's to the promise and excitement of NEXT semester!!

Betsyanne
Former Nontraditional Student in Education (English and Allied Arts, WKU).
BA, English, and a minor in Art.

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

A new issue of the Nontrad News will go out this Spring or sooner. Sign up here:

Planning for a winter course? I didn't. Express your opinion.

A Poll, an Ice Storm, and Winter Term

I wrote a popular posting here once, Winter Term, Love it or hate it? about attending school during the (rather short) period between Fall and Spring terms.

I have winter on the brain today - - in Kentucky we are expecting a possible ice storm. Of course, WKU is probably closed. Hopefully anyway.

Getting back to Winter Term, although I never attended college for Winter Term, I did go to Summer Term once. Everything was jammed into a much smaller timeframe, and Kentucky was extra hot that summer, so I remember mostly sweating and studying with not a lot of break time in-between.

BUT I needed to take those classes, get the two classes I took over with and then graduate.

If you love or hate Winter Term, or don't care, let me know via this poll.You can add your opinion to others!

Betsyanne
Former Nontraditional Student - Education (English and Allied Arts - English, Theater Production, Speech and Debate)
Former BA, English, and a minor in Art too.

And hey, get connected!

Here are more of my Nontrad links:

The Nontrad site and blog

Join Nontrads on Facebook

Nontrads on Yahoo

Nontrads on Twitter

Have a special Thanksgiving, nontrads! And first night of Chanukah too.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving, wherever you are, nontraditional students.

I hope everyone celebrating Thanksgiving tomorrow will have a wonderful day.

And to my Jewish friends and others celebrating Chanukah, have a great First Night.

Betsyanne

Some Nontrad links: The Nontrad site and blog

Join Nontrads on Facebook

Nontrads on Yahoo and

Nontrads on Twitter

Useful links for nontraditional students, and have a GREAT Thanksgiving!

Ready for the holidays?

Some nontraditional students may be stuck at a faraway school for the holidays. Some may have to move and then move back after the holidays are over.

What is your situation? Perhaps you are taking classes from home. In that case, not much may be changing for you.

Whether you are at home or not, I hope you have a GREAT Thanksgiving and holiday season.

I know I will be trying to send out Christmas cards, both virtual and actual, this year. It is a big project, so perhaps I should wrap presents earlier than ever. Wish me luck!

And the very best of luck to all nontraditional students who no doubt are working on projects, reports, and studying for year-end tests and exams.

It's a busy time of year. But also exciting!

Here are some useful links for you, as you wind up the semester.

#1. 10 Study Tips for Nontraditional Students

#2. 10 Tips and Links to help you do GREAT on your Finals and Tests

Some more of my nontraditional student links are:

The Nontrad site and blog

Join Nontrads on Facebook

Nontrads on Yahoo

and Nontrads on Twitter

Don't give up, Nontraditional Students! Stay the course, and keep your eye on the goal.

Some days are just naturally harder than others, I think.

For instance, some days you wake up late, you aren't feeling good, you have to run to class, or perhaps you are not quite ready for that pop quiz.

But you get through it. You borrow some notes, you get a study group together for a hard class, and you soldier on.

I think there are heros out there who are nontraditional students. They deal with being part of a "Sandwich Generation" of people who are caring for parents AND kids. Yet they are brave enough to be going back to school after a break to improve their lives and often, the lives of others too.

Take a "congratulation" today and pat yourself on the back. Take some time for yourself, and take care of yourself properly.

You deserve it.

Betsyanne
Former Nontraditional Student, in Education (English and Allied Arts)
B.A., English, and a minor in Art (the first time!)

Other related postings:

The Sandwich Generation

The Sandwich Generation, Part Two

Nontraditional Students - Don't Give Up!

And here are some more of my Nontrad links:

The Nontrad site and blog
Join Nontrads on Facebook
Nontrads on Yahoo
and Nontrads on Twitter

Schools with Nontraditional Student Facebook pages, programs, ANTSHE, more.

Does your school help nontraditional students?

About me, and the Nontrad programs at WKU

I attended Western Kentucky University when I was a nontraditional student, about 5-6 years ago now.
Some things I liked about WKU's nontraditional student support were:

1. The lockers you could store books in at WKU.

2. The dedicated lounge at the Technical School, (now SKYCTC: the Southcentral Kentucky Community and Technical College) and how credits transfered to WKU also. (A great idea!)

3. A new Nontraditional Student area at WKU now, plus Married Student Housing (now back after a hiatus), and an Adult Learner Services office.

4. An Adult Learner Study Room at WKU and Links to help nontrads too.

Some other schools with terrific Nontraditional student programs have Facebook pages and special programs and more for their nontrads.

Should all schools try to have special programs for their nontraditional students?

I say yes, they should. I think all schools should try to give their older students and students who have taken a break from school a helping hand any way they can. Why? I think it will help them, and in turn, all students succeed. Because everyone has a unique story to tell.

Plus, it's not always easy to acclimate to school if you haven't been a student for awhile. Nontraditional students need some extra motivation and help. It's also good if there is a place they can go to be with other students like them, to connect and feel a part of the school, to feel like they belong.

Here are just a few other Facebook pages for nontraditional students groups:

DANTS at ASU (D.A.N.T.S. Downtown Association for Non-Traditional Students at ASU) - Arizona State University

Adults Belong in College - from Ohio University Lancastesr Pickerington

UW Oshkosh Adult Student Resources page (Lifelong Learning and Community Engagement)

Nontraditional Students on Facebook can list their groups and link up at the Nontraditional Student Facebook Page too.

Does your school have a Nontraditional Student group?
Check at the Nontraditional Student website, (scroll down to the map) and click on your state. You may add your group there anytime for free.

And if you are in a group, make sure to check out the ANTSHE page. Once you have joined, you can link up to groups across the country.

And here are some more related Nontrad links:

The Nontrad site and blog

Join Nontrads on Facebook

Nontrads on Yahoo, and

Nontrads on Twitter

The Nontrad News:

I will be publishing a Winter Nontrad News soon. I decided NOT to wait until there were more signups. If you have an idea of what YOU would like me to write about, leave a comment.

Thank you!

Related Postings You may like:

Are you in a Nontraditional Student Group?

Five Ways for Nontraditional Students to Get Connected

The Sandwich Generation - - taking care of kids AND parents