More Advice for the Nontraditional Student - 15 Tips

You may or may not have heard these tips before.

But they are things that may REALLY help you out as you go back to school.

#1. Let other people answer the teacher besides you. You don't have to always hold your hand up. And limit how long you talk. Other people want to enter in.

#2. Try looking for scholarships before you are in school. You never know!

#3. If you don't have great eyesight or hearing, sit in the front - even if this is uncomfortable for you at first.

#4. TAKE NOTES if at all possible. If not, record your classes (if they are lecture-style)

#5. Make some friends.

#6. Make a study group if you need to.

#7. Think positive, this can make a difference.

#8. Don't take too many classes at once.

#9. Drop classes by the deadline, or you can really regret it.

#10. Make sure to know your prerequisites... and plan for what classes to take when. (Ask your Advisor if you are not sure... it's worth the time...)

#11. Try to have a relationship with your teacher AND at least a few of your classmates, if possible.

#12. Be friendly.

#13. Always carry a Scheduler or Calendar. Use it.

#14. Never wait for the last minute on assignments.

#15. If you have a hard time in a class, don't lose heart. You can always take it over, IF you need to.

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12 Tips for Nontraditional Students from Betsyanne, former nontraditional student in Education

Okay. So this is your first semester back at school. Or maybe you have been back at school for awhile.

Here are some tips that I hope will help you.

1. Stay organized. Make sure you take notes or record your classes, if taking them face to face. Do not miss any classes. Make sure to leave yourself enough time to log on when taking online classes too. Use separate notebooks for each class, so your notes don't get mixed up. Bring at least two working pens with you to face-to-face classes.

2. Make sure to have your books in advance. If you haven't done this, then that is OK, just get them as soon as you can. You can rent them now, or download them too, so you do have some choices that you didn't used to have. Try to find a locker at school if you can so you can put things in it while you are in class. Some nontraditional student groups rent these by the semester.

3. Invest in a good backpack. Rollers on the backpack are OK if you want, but they are not necessary. It is much easier to carry books and notebooks in one.

4. Start a study group at once if you know that the class will be difficult. Ask for phone numbers in each class so if you DO have to miss, you will be able to find out what happened. Safety hint: get at least three different names and numbers of class members, and keep them in a safe place. If you do decide to start a study group, do it early, and have at least 3-4 members in it.

5. Take the time to get to know your teachers or professors. It could help down the road. If you have trouble understanding something, ASK - - after class, or during office hours, or via email. Take advantage of the free Learning Centers on campus or Help Centers.

6.  Make sure to see your school Advisor regularly. This can prevent expensive mistakes, missing a pre-requisite, etc. And if you are not sure what you want to study, or want to change your major (and this could be VERY expensive) talk with them first. And ask them if you can take an Aptitude Test. It might guide you to what you could best succeed at scholastically. Make sure the classes you are taking can be transferred to other schools too.

7. Fill out your OFFICIAL Fafsa form for sure. This can get you financial help, if you qualify. The official website is here: http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/.

8. When scheduling classes on campus, make sure you have time to get to each one.

9. Make sure to sign up for classes EARLY, the day signups are available online. You could miss out on a class if you don't. And then you have to pay for 1-2 or more extra semesters. This could mount up fast.

10. Keep a count on the money you are using up in loans. You will have to pay these, so it could make it worth your while to find cheap housing and maybe a food card. See what works for you. If you do not have money to eat out, bring food and something to drink with you to school, just in case.

11. Make sure you use a CALENDAR and mark down each due date for each assignment. Spread out your work. Check your calendar every day. And don't miss any classes. Schedule your study time for each class. Some suggest at least 1/2 per day per class. Others need more time. (Think: 1 hour or more per class, per day.)

12. Use the Study Guides and Strategies website to help you study SMART.

And enjoy your time at school! It can be very fun to learn things! And fun to make new friends, and have a new, bright future for yourself and your family.

Here are some related sites and links:

Are you doing what you really want to do? (This posting has some aptitude tests on it)

Using your calendar schedulers - some tips

Student loans: what you should know: some tips

5 Calendar Tips for nontraditional students

Get to know your college professors

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

Hi, All! Here is a quick note before the article today.


After a busy day, I decided to check out the popular Ezine Articles site. I am an author there too. I plan to write some more articles there soon. Here is my profile on the Ezine Articles site.


I searched for some good nontraditional student articles and after reading some others that were not as good (by different authors) I found a really good and useful one by a knowledgable author, Linda S. Pogue. I liked the many tips and advice on it. It is below. I hope you enjoy it too.

Untraditional Or Nontraditional Student - Attending College With Your Children's Peers

By Linda S Pogue

Due to the economic downturn, many adults are returning to, or attending for the first time, college campuses to earn new credentials. For many untraditional or nontraditional students, going to college with traditional students can be overwhelming, or even down right embarrassing. After all, they are your childrens peers, and we are at a time in our lives when we think we should be long beyond college classes. For some, the idea of attending as a first time college student is frightening, for others it is the answer to a lifelong dream.

Older adult learners attending college share some of the same misgivings and fears. What if I can't learn the material fast enough? What if I feel out of place? What if I get lost on campus? These are just some of the fears normal to older students. If we are honest, most of us, as older adults, will admit that we don't learn as quickly or as easily as we once did. The good news is that we can learn it, and once we do, we have the experience to use what we learn. Too often younger students easily learn material but do not have the life experience to see how that learning can be applied to their lives and livelihoods.
There are some specific strategies that will help you learn. First, find out what kind of learner you are. Are you a visual learner, auditory learner, kinesthetic learner, or a combination of all three? A quick search online for 'free learning style exam' will help you find a test that will give you the answers. Once you know what kind of learner you are, you will be able to focus your learning to your particular learning style, making it much easier to learn the material.
One instructor stated that learning is nothing more than 'repetition, repetition, repetition!' If all else fails, read the material over and over or read it aloud into a recorder and play it back while you are driving, washing dishes, or going to sleep. If you are a visual learner, building a chart or graph will help you visualize the material at test time. Whatever your learning style, knowing it will save you hours of grief when trying to learn class material.
Feeling out of place or fearing getting lost on campus does not only affect older learners. In any new environment, people are uncomfortable until they learn their way around. A day or two before class begins, go to campus, and visit the student services office. Ask if someone can show you around. If not, ask if they have a campus map and can show you where on the map your classes are located. Then walk the campus until you are comfortable that you can locate your classes.
Many instructors find that having older students in the classroom is helpful. It provides a real world context that is otherwise difficult to present to the class as a whole. As long as you are respectful and let the instructor know that you understand he or she is in charge, your views and comments will be welcome. It can even be fun to attend classes with younger students--even with your own children, if they can stand the embarrassment! Some of the best parent-child bonding can be accomplished by learning together.
Some simple steps to help you through your first semester are:

• Take your time and learn your way around the campus.
• Purchase your textbooks early or buy them online for more savings--the bookstores sometimes run out!
• Introduce yourself to your instructors. Most instructors enjoy talking with their students.
• Make a list of all your classes, their locations, and their times and dates. Keep it where you can easily refer to it.
• Make a chart of all your assignments and due dates for each class so that you don't get lost or confused about when to do which assignment.
• If you don't understand an assignment, try to meet with the instructor or professor as soon as class is over for clarification. If he or she cannot meet with you then, ask for an appointment at a time convenient to you both, but before the assignment is due.
• If the instructor talks too fast, ask if you can have a copy of the class lecture notes. If the answer is no, ask another student to take notes for you, or purchase and use a small cassette recorder to capture lectures. Student Services can help you if you have hearing issues or other health issues that impact your learning, but you have to contact them and ask--it isn't automatically offered.
• If life happens, contact your instructor immediately. Some instructors are extremely strict about due dates, but most are understanding and will work with you if they understand that you have a real emergency.
• Enjoy yourself! Learning can and should be fun!

For more helpful information for adults attending college, visit StudentAgain.com. Linda S Pogue began her first college course as an untraditional, non-traditional college student. She attended classes with both her daughter and her son-in-law and enjoyed learning to know them from this unique perspective. Currently, Linda is a full-time doctoral student, working toward a PhD. in Education with an emphasis in Instructional Design for Online Learning. She teaches computer information systems courses online for a community college in northwest Arkansas, and builds Web sites in her spare time.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Linda_S_Pogue 

Thank you very much, Linda, for this informative and interesting posting.

I hope your studies are going well this semester. I will go to your site and say hi next.

Nontraditionally yours,

-Betsyanne

Some Nontrad links: The Nontrad site and blog 
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Joining groups in school - is it for you?

Some benefits of groups in school

Whether you are in Tech school, college, or getting your GED, chances are that there may be some groups there that you are able to join. Some are related to your major or course emphasis, some may even be Sororities or Fraternities, and some may be Nontraditional Student groups.

I have heard some nontraditional students tell me that they have so many responsibilities that they cannot make one meeting a week or even a month. But other nontrads tell me that belonging to a group while they go to school actually helped them stay motivated and even helped their grades.

What is my story about joining groups? I re-started and joined a nontraditional student group while I was back in school. I found it to be very helpful to me. I also joined an English club. I liked it! It was fun to make new acquaintances and friends there. It made me feel more part of the school - that I belonged.

I thought about joining other groups, too, but didn't. If I ever do go back to school for writing, art, or another subject, I will seriously consider joining another group and re-starting the Nontrad group if it isn't there.

I hear that some Sorority and Fraternity groups are starting to admit older members. Does anyone know if this is true? I definitely should look into that. It would make a great story.

So how do YOU feel about joining groups while you are back in school, nontrads?

Have you joined a group at school? If so, what kind?

Please comment at the end of this article and let me know your opinions and experiences.

Nontraditionally yours,
-Betsyanne
Former Nontrad and "homeschooling" online student

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