The Non-Traditional Student Blog (BA): websites

Showing posts with label websites. Show all posts

Computers - and Nontraditional Students

Learning to be comfortable with computers
Some nontraditional students already know a lot about computers. Some don't. For the ones that do not, there are some places online you can go to get help learning what you need to know about computers.

One place is the Technology Page at the Nontrads site. This page explains a little about programs used in college, and gives some advice to nontraditional students who are new to computing or who want to learn more about it.

Another good place to learn about computers is the Betsyanne Seniors Page. Check out the very left side for free lessons on the AARP site to help nontraditional students get familiar with programs like Microsoft Word.

How your school can help

Your school may already offer computer courses for beginners. If you are a nontraditional student, make sure to sign up for these courses. They can help you a lot by helping you brush up on your typing and presenting the basics of programs used at the school.

You will want to learn all the basics of computing so that your school experience will be easier. Programs available today help you write reports, type out your classroom notes, communicate with class members, and keep your school records current.

Online classes

Online classes can be very convenient for nontraditional students. If you are in an online course, make sure you touch base with the school or your professor to make sure that you understand how to log on to your class web area in order to keep up with assignments and interact with your class as well.

Ask your advisor before school starts what assistance the college has for nontraditional students who need to learn about computers. They may have a required class you take when you begin.

Also, allow at least an extra week or even a month before you start classes in order to familiarize yourself with the programs you need for class - and to make sure that they are compatible with your computer.

Some online courses use a program called Blackboard. Every student has his or her account here, and the program helps each student keep track of his or her grades, too.

If you decide to use the computers at your school, you will need to find out how to access the computer labs, the hours each are open, and how to create your student account. Often, student helpers are available at each computer lab to help you.

For computer newbies

Are you completely new to computers? If you already know how to type, you will definitely be a step ahead. But you probably will want to take a beginning computer class a semester before you are in the midst of your college experience. You won't regret it.

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Here are some more websites I found today that look very helpful to the nontraditional student who is not as familiar with computers as they would like to be:

AARP Free computer lessons - this is the very best basic course I have seen.

Microsoft Tutorials - learn access, databases, PowerPoint, more.

More Online tutorials

SeniorNet free computer courses - learn how to change accessability options to make the type bigger on your computer, more.

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!

Nontrad Students in college - 11 more tips for success!

By Elizabeth Sheppard

Here are some tips for you nontraditional students in college right now or thinking about it. Some tips are just for face-to-face class students, but others will work for both in-class and online students.

1. Attend every class. (for online students, go online every time the instructor has scheduled.)

If you attended college before when you were younger, you might remember sometimes skipping class. After that, you might have asked a classmate to tell you what happened that day. I know when I did this, a fellow student might say “nothing much!”

Then, later, when it was test or quiz time, there were some questions that I just didn’t know how to answer. Oops!

That was back in the “bad ol’ days.” Much later, when I went back to school as a nontrad student, I knew that I needed every break I could get, so I just didn’t skip. Period.

2. Get to class early if you can. Online students, sometimes it might takea awhile for your computer to link up to the other computers if you are taking an online discussion class. Make sure you leave enough time to be online when class starts.

Face-to-face students: being early sometimes can help you make friends in class because you will be able to talk before class. Use this time to set up study groups or exchange phone numbers.

3. Keep a well-organized class notes folder, and take notes in class.

Online students: make sure you save every online session if possible.

Classroom students: You may choose to tape your lectures if you are an audio learner. Or you may just want to take notes in your notebook. Either way, make sure you keep some kind of record of each class to review before exams.

Keep your folder with you always. Label your folder with your name and phone number in case you lose it. (Always check after each class to make sure you put it in your backpack or the same location every time.)

4. Ask questions if you don’t understand something. Too many times, people won’t ask a question in class or online because they don’t want to look stupid. Believe me, the question you ask will probably be one that at least two or more people WANT to ask but are afraid to.

And if you ask it, the instructor will not mind at all. They want to be understood, and will most likely be very glad you brought it up.

And who cares what people think, anyhow? I know personally I used to care about that a lot more in the past than I do now. Maybe that’s because I’m older and realize that I’m not going to get everyone to like me anyhow, no matter what I do, stupid or not.

5. Don’t be afraid to highlight or underline in your textbooks.

I used to be afraid to mark in my textbooks. I just didn’t want to wreck them. I guess it was an echo from high school - - my teachers usually forbid any marking in a book back then.

But if it will help you remember something, or go right to it before a test, go ahead and mark it. It will help you get a better grade.

6. Sit in the front of the class. Remember when you didn’t want to be seen in class? If you are in a face-to-face class, it’s now OK to be in front. You can see and hear the instructor better, and he or she will probably remember you, too. It doesn’t hurt to get as many points as you can (without making the class hate you, of course…) Why not stack the deck in your favor?

7. Keep your hand down sometimes. Yes, you may always want to raise your hand in class every question the instructor asks… but let the other students have some time to talk, too. It’s too easy to forget that other people want to interact, too. Realize when you are talking too much and try to let others have their chance.

8. Exchange phone numbers with other students. If you aren’t able to access other student’s information, like their phone numbers, take the initiative and do it yourself. You should have at least three other students’ phone numbers in case you are ever sick or need information about class. Give them your number, and ask for theirs. Most people will be glad to have a contact also.

9. Search out clubs or organizations. If you have even a little extra time, you need to look up student groups that you can join. The addition of a social network at school can make school a lot more fun.

Many schools are now providing a nontraditional student group or center for nontraditional students to meet each other. If your school does not offer a group, you will find that many other student groups now are welcoming nontrads. Ask them and find out.

10. Back up your work. Make sure that you have an extra copy saved of that report, thesis, term paper, observation notes, etc. I remember several times that other students lost their computer disk the very week it was due. These students were in a world of hurt and had to make everything up in just a few days. They were devastated. I saw a few crying when they found out.

Don’t let this happen to you. Always make a backup of your computer work and save it in a safe place just in case. Think of it as insurance.

11. Know where your classes are. Before you finalize your schedule, make sure you know where you need to be at what time. It may look like you have plenty of time to get across campus in, say, 10 minutes, but make sure you can get there. Some classes may be in buildings way across campus from each other, and you will be late to one class all the time if you are not careful.

Have another tip? Just add a comment here and I'll put it on the next Tips List. Thanks!

For more tips, help and info.:

See the Nontrad Page or
Join the Nontrad Yahoo group

About Veteran's Upward Bound (and Trio)

ABOUT VETERAN’S UPWARD BOUND (and TRIO)

What is Veteran’s Upward Bound? This is a U.S. government program that helps veterans go back to school and/or attend college. It also helps high school students.

Some Universities have web pages that show their campus offices of Veteran’s Upward Bound. These offices can help veterans who are nontraditional students going back to school. This is a FREE service for veterans who are low-income, or are the first person in their family to attend college.

A Veteran’s Upward Bound office can help students with college applications, work study programs, tutorial services, academic instruction, counseling, mentoring, and more.

Right now there are Veteran’s Upward Bound programs in Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Guam, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

Veteran’s Upward Bound is part of the Federal TRIO system, which also helps students who are not veterans, but who are the first person in their family to attend college, or low income, are a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, and/or are low income.

More information on Veteran’s Upward Bound and on Trio can be found here:

The Veteran’s Upward Bound website
http://www.ed.gov/programs/trioupbound/index.html

More about the program – scroll down to see the U.S. states that offer VUB, and get their contact information:
http://www.navub.org/programinfo.htm

The TRIO home page
http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ope/trio/index.html

YouTube videos are now at the Nontrads site

Yay!

I found some YouTube videos at the YouTube site yesterday and all my picks are now at the Nontraditional Student website.

Please let me know if you know of some more nontraditional student videos that you would like me to feature on the site.

I picked one video about being an older student, one about the right way to fill out the FAFSA form, another about playing around like a kid, one about college tips, another about a student attending online school, and a cute cartoon describing what a Nontraditional student must contend with.

Write back and let me know how you like them.

Just click here to go to the Nontrad site.

See some great PowerPoints online at the Austin Peay site

PowerPoints on Interesting Subjects

I found some PowerPoints today while researching Nontraditional student groups to put on the Nontrad site.

They are at the Austin Peay University Site. (Just click to go there.)

Included here are PowerPoints on Stress Management for Test Takers, Time Management, Strengthening Relationships, and more.

They are perfect for non-traditional students!

You can view them using Microsoft Powerpoint or the free viewer, available here.

I hope you like them!

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More Links for the Nontrad Student:

The Nontraditional Student website

The Nontraditional Student Yahoo group

Download the free Microsoft PowerPoint Viewer here.

The header for this week's blog was made with clipart at the Microsoft Site.

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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

Nontrad groups and pages March 08

Here are some fun pages to explore from different colleges this week.

Nontraditional Student
Information Pages March 08

Georgia - Reinhardt College in Waleska, Georgia has a nice web page that welcomes nontraditional students. These kinds of pages are becoming the norm, even in schools that don't have a Nontraditional Student Group yet. Reinhardt's Resource Guide describes a Commuter Lounge and educational workshops, among other links.

Minnesota - Ridgewater College (2 campuses - in Willmar and Hutchinson) has a page that features a "connections" program. This program features networking, seminars, events, and activities for non-traditional students. There are two people listed that students can contact. You can also watch a movie called Nontraditional Careers for women on the page. Links here include Child Care, Housing, and more.

Non-Traditional Student
Groups for March 08

Texas - Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas has a Nontraditional Student Group called the NTSO. They have a great website featuring photos,
events, a Facebook Group, and links to local resources. They are an active group this yeaer.

Missouri - Missouri Western University in Sts. Joseph, Missouri has a Non-traditional student group that is active and meets monthly. It is called the NTSA Club. The web page features photos of members at the left side that moves around like a slide show.

The University has a lounge area for the group on campus complete with computers and printers, a refrigerator and microwave nearby, and a sofa and chairs. The students have five officers plus an advisor.
The Moon and the Willow Tree
The University also has a great information page for Nontraditional students on the site.

Wyoming - The University of Wyoming at Laramie has a page for its Non-Traditional Student Council. This description is from their website:

NTSC is a volunteer student organization that works to insure non-traditional students achieve success at the University of Wyoming.

The group meets weekly, and also helps each other during finals. They also have formed interest groups for veterans, a dinner group, people who like theater, and more. What a great idea!

Do you know of a great help page for nontraditional students?

Are you starting or in a nontraditional student group you'd like to get on this blog or on the Non-traditional Student web page? Just contact me. Thanks!

Scholarship sites for non-traditional students

Non-traditional students need scholarships and grants... maybe even more than traditional students do.

The reason? They not only have to worry about money for school, many have houses, apartments, jobs, families, car loans, and other responsibilities.

Of course, a non-traditional student can get a loan - but these must be paid back. The FAFSA official site is the best place to start for loans.

But for scholarships and grants, the Nontraditional Student Scholarship Page can be helpful. I have reviewed these sites to make sure that they are still available.

Also, I concentrated on only FREE sites because when I was making this page, I was a non-traditional student trying to make my loan payment squeak out to the end of each month.

Do you have a favorite FREE scholarship or grant site you would like added to this page? Just let me know.

Shop around for your textbooks

If you are a non-traditional student, you know how expensive textbooks can be. I know I used to be surprised by that. Luckily, where I live, they have used textbooks available in the same stores as the new books.

Sometimes, though, it was hard to find the used versions of textbooks. After I got them, I wished I had known ahead of time what my classes were, so that I could have looked them up on Amazon, too.

My advice now is the find out what books you need way ahead of time, so that you can maybe order your used copies from Amazon.

HOW TO ORDER ON AMAZON

First of all, Amazon is at: http://www.amazon.com.

When you look up the book (by ISBN, or book number if you have it) there is a section on Amazon that allows you to look up all the offerings of the book, including used ones.

Be sure to find out whether the book has a CD in it, and whether the used book description says “CD included”.

Check the seller’s feedback on the site to see if other people like them. You want to get a used book for at least half of what it cost new. The book will be rated for condition.

An “acceptable” book condition means that it may be in poor shape, and marked up on the inside. If this does not bother you, go ahead and get it. Otherwise, bypass “acceptable” books and get a good or very good copy.

Allow 4-6 weeks for your book to arrive by Media Mail, and you could save a bundle.

I have personally ordered books from Amazon, and have been really happy with the sellers I have found so far.

BOOK EXCHANGES/STUDENT BOOK EXCHANGES

Check your bulletin boards and your student newspaper to find out if there are any books that students are selling after they have taken their courses. You can sometimes get a good deal from a student who needs the money right after their class is over.

Or post your “book want list” on a school bulletin board with your phone number and get a good used copy that way. You can make a “take my number” style for your ad so people can just rip off your number and give you a call.

OTHER SITES TO EXPLORE

Want to try to find other book swaps, exchanges, or buying sites? You can try these:

Used Textbook Classifieds – swap textbooks with other students
http://www.bookswap.com/bookswap/

College SwapShop:
http://www.collegeswapshop.com/

Profeval has a good search site for books. You can search Amazon, Half.com, and Barnes and Noble.com to find your book by the ISBN number. Here is the link:
http://www.profeval.com/stage/books.asp

These three look good, but I haven’t personally tried them. Let me know if they are any good.

Have another site you like? Send it to me or leave a comment here. Thanks!

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.

Finding Scholarships and Grants for School

THE FAFSA FORM
Most non-traditional students have heard of the FAFSA form, if they have applied for a government loan for higher education. There are now two more kinds of government grants available.

SCHOLARSHIPS AND LOANS
Many non-traditional students have already thought also of applying for scholarships or loans. Many of these people may have already applied for a special non-traditional scholarship from their college or university. But not every college or university offers these. That's why people need to register at other scholarship sites. It is NOT necessary to pay for these sites, although pay sites do exist.

GRANTS
Grants are really great if you can get them. Like most scholarships, you don't have to pay them back. My favorite grant website link on the nontrad page is the Dr. Torres site because it includes internships and little-known grants and programs for students AND teachers.

MAKING THE NONTRAD SCHOLARSHIP PAGE
When I was a non-traditional student some years ago, I wanted to look and see what scholarships and grants were available so I could list them for a non-traditional student group at Western Kentucky University. It was very important to me to list only FREE sites, since I could not afford to register at pay sites then or now.

I since have collected those sites and put them on a website. Here is the link:
http://www.nontradstudents.com/scholarships.html

MY FAVORITE SCHOLARSHIP SITE
There are many different sites to choose from. One of my favorites is FastWeb, because they email you about due dates and match you to a profile.

I WANT TO ADD MORE SITES
I want to collect even more sites, so if you have a favorite that is not listed, please let me know, and I'll go there to see if I should add it to the webpage. I hope you find some good leads! Nontraditional students today need all the financial help they can get. Good luck!

10 New Year's Questions Just for Non-Traditional Students

Photo by siilur@morguefile.com

If you are like me, you will make a list of things you want to accomplish in 2008. In order to make that list, you have to ask yourself some important questions.

TEN (10) IMPORTANT QUESTIONS FOR NON-TRADITIONAL STUDENTS FOR THE NEW YEAR

Here are 10 questions you can ask yourself in order to find out if you have your priorities in order for the new year - - 2008.

1. Are you taking courses that will point you towards a job or career that you will like, or even love? If you are not sure about what you want to do, you can take a Tickle test online.

2. Are you taking time out once in awhile for your family and for yourself while you are in school?

3. Have you pre-registered for classes? This can often be done online now. Make sure to pre-register at the earliest date possible, so you can get your required classes.

4. Have you contacted the loan department at your school? Sometimes they must get your OK'd student loan notice via email before you can register online.

5. Are you organized? Have you bought all the books, notebooks, and supplies you will need for next semester? It's always better to buy these early. You will also want to print out all the syllabi for each class.

6. Have you taken a Learning Styles test? If not, you can take one here.

7. Did you arrange to pay for school next semester? You can check out your options at the official FAFSA site, and you can also check out the Scholarship Page at the Non-Traditional Students site.

8. Have you joined a local Non-traditional students group? You can search for groups on the Non-Trads site, or you can start a group yourself, and list it when you are done.

9. Is all your paperwork in order at your school? If you are not sure, you need to contact your school advisor to check this out. That way, you don't miss a class or prerequisite you might need.

10. Does your alarm clock have new batteries? Also, do you own a backup alarm? This may help you if you have face-to-face classes next semester.

11. You can add your own questions and hints for non-traditional students by adding comments below this post. Thanks - and HAPPY NEW YEAR!

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.

Careers vs. jobs... and Tickle tests

Face it. Non-traditional students want a career... not just a job. That's why many of them are going back to school. They want to improve their lives AND their careers.

It can be hard to decide on a new career, or pinpoint just what classes to take. Sometimes it helps to know more about ourselves and what we really want. A resource I have found valuable is the Tickle site.

The Tickle site is a free testing site that also has some fun quizzes. The great thing about Tickle is that many (over 60) are what the site calls Ph.D. Certified, or using real test standards.

Tickle has several tests that can be valuable to non-traditional students. I will list a few, and then the link so that you can go there to pick a test for yourself. It is totally free to register, and get scores. Additional scores or expanded ones are available for a fee.

NOTE: (important) - If you click on "no thanks" on all the ad offers, the site will eventually get to your scores. It really is worth it for the hassle of going through the obligatory ad pages.

Here are some tests I have either taken myself or that look good for non-trads:

The Tickle IQ Test
Which Online University is Right for You?
Face Your Fears - What's holding you back?

Let me know how you like these!

Insurance and the non-traditional student

THE INSURANCE CRISIS
Everyone knows about the insurance crisis. We have a lot of people here in the U.S. who don't have insurance. Non-traditional students used to be able to rely on cheap, affordable student insurance that was offered at college and universities nationwide. Costs have escalated. Now, some colleges have cancelled their coverage and students are now forced to get private insurance.

AFFORDING SCHOOL
Of course, students can just add this cost to their loans... but it adds up fast. Some non-traditional students (who are not covered on their parents' policies, of course) must opt to skip coverage.

A NEW DEVELOPMENT
The July/August 07 issue of the AARP Magazine mentions an insurance plan that they are working on getting for January of 08. (From the article): "As of January 1, 2008, AARP will expand its existing relationship with United Health Group... (and) Aetna to offer an array of health products and servvices, including a health care plan for those ages 50 through 64, many of whom are underinsured and 7 million of whom have no health insurance at all."

This is great news. I know I will be looking to find out more about this plan.

SOMEBODY NEEDS TO DO SOMETHING!
And I hope that whoever is elected to be President next will look into this problem, and the rising cost of higher education as well. Non-traditional students don't want to be paying off their loans for the rest of their lives! Besides, all kinds of job sectors need the experience and wisdom of non-traditional students and graduates.

For more information, the AARP article says to log on to http://www.aarp.org. You will find a lot of good information here, and action plans for many issues of interest to many non-traditional students, too.

You can find out more about the AARP health plans here:
http://www.aarp.org/health/

Getting the word out... and redoing the website!

Last week, I decided to write a lens (like a web page or a story) about Non-traditional students on the Squidoo pages. I titled it "What People Need to Know about Non-Traditional Students." I went on to list some things about non-traditional students like their issues, etc. I then posted it to Squidoo. Well, it hasn't gotten a lot of readers. I think I will need to scope it down to a smaller subject.

Here are some of my ideas:

1. Hints for Non-Traditional Students - finding a good daycare
2. Learning Groups for older students
3. Polishing up Study Skills for new college learners
4. Should you go back to college?
5. The Best Scholarship Sites out there!

I like #5 best. The most popular of all the sites is the one I did yesterday. It's about KUNG FU - The TV Series. I just loved David Carradine as Caine.
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THE NON-TRADITIONAL STUDENT WEBSITE
I am redoing this site this week. I even made it a new logo! I have some new story links on there that I know you would enjoy. Just click below to go there and read about real non-traditional students and their stories.

Read Non-traditional Student Stories Here

I would also love to hear your stories. You can send them to me here, or I can post them on the website.

Join Squidoo and get $5 extra later!

Do you Squidoo?

You can make some money by going to Squidoo through this link:

Click here to join Squidoo!

They have a deal for new Squidoo lensmasters at Squidoo. When your lens on Squidoo through this link earns its first $15, then you will get $5 more. Sound good? You can go there, and then offer the same deal to YOUR friends, and make even more! They have had this deal for over a year, but it sounds good.

It's fun to make a page there. It's kind of like making a web page, but easier. Then they put all the ads on there automatically! They share the proceeds with the people there, kind of like a co-op does! I would have been there before now, but I just found out about it. I think it will be really fun. I put my new (1st) Squidoo page on today. It's about non-traditional students.

I decided to put some issues on my Squidoo lens page that non-traditional students deal with when they go back to school. Here are the ones I put on my article:

1. Children and families

2. Paying for school

3. Time and jobs

4. Face-to-Face classes vs. Distance Learning

5. Support - is there support at the college?

6. Paying for daycare

7. Transportation

8. Feeling out of place

9. Deciding on a career change

10. Not being accepted

11. Responsibilities, and

12. Having rusty study skills.

Any of these things can be very serious and develop into a bad problem for non-trads. I know that many people mentioned jobs and money, plus a lack of daycare help as reasons that they could not continue with school.

I think that some of the other problems, like not feeling accepted and feeling out of place, could be the kinds of things that people have a hard time talking about. They could be issues that are just a serious for people, though. Let me know if you out there can think of more I should have on my list. Thanks!