Many would-be nontraditional students can get in a rut and put dreams off to someday...

In a cubicle - from the Microsoft Clipart pages.

Responsibility for others... 

Older people can sometimes be very responsible... for other people.

And nontraditional students going back to school after a break - or thinking about it -  can spend a lot of time doing things for other people, and ignoring themselves.

Sometimes life just happens. You get married, you have a child or children, you are working full-time and feeling more comfortable, but really you are in a rut.

You just  do what you have to do, and that is a choice of honor for many. And it's easy to forget what you really wanted to do, once upon a time.

Putting dreams off... to "someday".

What ever happened about college - about trade school - about those dreams you or others used to have? Well, many times, they are put on the back shelf. There is only so much time, and there are responsibilities people have to others, to family, parents, or (sometimes) to debt collectors or things they must have and pay for.

It's great when a student has somebody else to help, maybe a family or partner, or money set back. But that is not always the case for many people.

When you - or somebody else - can break through and go back to school, it can be the start of a whole new life, greater happiness, fulfillment, and a change for the better. As I hear a lot, it can be "a dream come true."

Looking towards the future - from the MS Clipart Pages.

Do you know somebody who wants to go back to school? Or maybe it is you yourself? Try these links out for size, and see what opportunities are out there for you.

A nontraditional student can start going back to school anytime... in the spring, next fall, next summer, or sometimes right now.

Here is the official FAFSA site - find out what help is available for nontraditional students wanting to go back to school.

  




And check out the 3 most popular postings here on the BA Nontrad Blog:

 Finding Scholarships and Grants for School

 Thinking about Graduate School - is it for you?

 Michelle Fabio's Introduction to Law School for Nontraditional Students

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

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