Good luck for Fall Semester 2011, nontraditional students!

It's back to school time!

And this year things can be even better for nontraditional students. I will add - - in a lot of areas, and in a lot of different schools. There are more nontraditional students that are braving the dorms and other student housing, new options for buying or renting books, and more times and help than ever before for nontraditional students.

Many schools are adding new web pages just for nontraditional students now, I have noticed. These web pages can help with child care addresses, information, and just the nitty-gritty of where to go and what to do as a new nontraditional student.

I think that is great. I think the next step for many schools will be to help nontraditional students get more connected too, with special tours, offices, club areas, and advisors.

Good luck, nontraditional students, with the Fall Semester. May it lead to many "aha" moments!

Are you a nontraditional student? Do you notice greater help for nontraditional students at your school this year? Share your experiences, good or bad, in a comment. Thanks!

Former Nontraditional Student

And if you have not already explored these, here are some Nontrad links:

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

Nontraditional Students in the Dorm - - really??

When I first went back to school, the nontraditional student in a dorm was always somebody you just heard about...

you know, that older student that kept mostly to him or herself. The ONE student maybe. The one nobody ever saw much. The shy one. The one that might move out the next semester.

The MS office clipart pages

But now, there are more nontraditional students who choose dorm life. Some married students can (again) access married housing too. (They will be able to do this later on at WKU, for one.)

Here are some neat links about that. And a question: are you thinking of going back to school, AND staying in a dorm? There definitely are advantages to it. You can many times incorporate it into your school loans, it is closer to classes, you can save on a car, etc. etc. etc.

You can then do as other (younger) students do, and maybe sign up for a meal plan and even go out for a sorority. Some of them are accepting older pledges today.

I think if I were not married, I would definitely consider living in a dorm while going back to school as an older nontraditional student. I found out already going back to school that some younger students don't mind befriending an older student. And that was a wonderful highlight of my school experience. I think staying in a dorm would mean even more friendship opportunities!

Here is another article from this blog about staying in a dorm:

 Nontraditional housing: who wants to stay in a dorm?

(scroll down on this article to find more article links too.)

And here are some more articles you may like:
Nontraditional student experiences dorm life

This article talks about special "quiet floors" for nontrads! 

Tranquil dorm life found in Brookman (SD) (that appeals to nontraditional students...)

Deb Peterson at the About.com Continuing Education blog asks, Are you a nontraditional student living in a dorm? and talks about sharing a co-ed bathroom. Here is that link. Would you share a co-ed bathroom? I think I would. It would just be part of the whole experience. But I would definitely lock the door while I was in there.

If you have a story about a nontraditional student in a dorm, or are one yourself, leave a comment! Or leave one anyhow... Thanks.

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

College - with costs going up, how do families and students cope?

I was sent a great article today by Noah Bernstein, Op-Ed Contributor to the New York Times on the Opinion Pages.

Costs are going up!

Here is that link: The Hidden Costs of Higher Ed. I am sure that a lot of nontraditional students can personally relate to this article.

The story explains that since schools have started accepting credit card payments, this tacks on additional fees to the families or people that can least afford it.

Bernstein goes to explain that the original purpose of spreading out payments was meant to help families. Since people who have less money must sometimes use their credit cards to pay, this adds up.

People who have the money to pay ahead, and pay using checks (usually wealthier people) have the advantage of locking in lower rates and avoiding the service charges that go with credit cards. The for-profit credit card companies have to make a profit, he goes on, and make that profit from people going to college and their families.

And, of course, costs keep going up. Having these policies in place, once thought to be helpful to schools who invested in the stock market, makes it harder for some people to pay for school.

This is a great article, and worth a look.

Do you pay your college costs with a credit card sometimes? Do you think college costs will continue to go up?

Here is that link again:

The Hidden Costs of Higher Ed by Noah Bernstein.

Write your thoughts in the comment section below. Later!

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

The neat clipart at the top of this posting is from the Microsoft Clip Art Pages.

Fashion, Topics, a Poll, and more Links

Fashion... topics to write about... and other fun links

(Fashion for the Nontraditional Student...)

This photo is from the Microsoft art and clipart pages.

Ah... fashion. I do remember kind of caring about it a little bit when I was first in school. Once in awhile I would get a new blouse. (I didn't have a lot of money back then OR now!)

And now that I am older, I still like to see what is in style. I do want to be fashionable when I am in school, at least. I take my time with putting an outfit together sometimes, and try to pick something that looks pretty good on me.

With the economy the way it is, I don't have tons of money to spend on clothing, so that can be problematic.

There are clothes I won't even TRY to wear now. Some are age-inappropriate for me. I am well over 40, and trying to lose weight too. But that doesn't stop me from wanting new things sometimes, or at least new-to-me ones.

I still wear jeans! And now flared jeans, a la the seventies, are back in fashion. I like that! So.. the Classics are still in vogue. I remember getting a compliment on a multicolored sweater I wore to class as a nontraditional student. It was fun!

So, my advice is to find a few new or almost-new things to wear when you go back to school. Jeans are still OK for school, and a LOT of students still wear them. You of course don't need to copy the younger students, but you can still read fashion magazines and even check out what the professors are wearing (the fashionable ones!). I did find some articles on What to Wear for younger AND older people in school. I will list them here. It's fun to see what is in fashion.

This photo is from the Microsoft art and clipart pages.

Some things that surprised me about fashion nowadays: younger people do NOT always want to follow everyone else when it comes to fashion. They can be pretty individualistic sometimes. We are talking about stripes and designs together here. And there are still different categories for clothing. Some students do like the grunge look still, others mix and match, and still others get their inspiration from what people wear on the street, not from fashion magazines.

A save money tip: I know you can vary your look by purchasing different accessories and changing up what clothes you wear with each other. This can help make the same outfit look different. Check out discount stores, yard sales, paper ads, thrift stores and consignment stores, along with places like Ebay. You never know! You could luck out on some great outfits.

Here are three more articles you may like:
Back to school as an older student - what should you wear? 10 hints for the fashion-conscious older student on campus
What to Wear: for men and women going back to school
How to Find Designer Clothers for Less

And here are two of my sources for this article:
Steal This Style: fashion tips from Sherry Mathieson, style consultant, for Boomers and their kids
(One of her suggestions: don't shop in old person stores the look is baggy and "instant old".) Mothers can borrow some clothing from their kids, she says. (Maybe ask your kid if something you borrow actually looks good on you too!)

http://www.fabulousafter40.com/
I lost track of time on this site. There are many good articles here.

I hope you enjoy this posting! Take this poll and let me know what other postings you would like to see on the Nontrad Blog:

To your success!

-Betsyanne, former nontraditional student

I went back to get my Teaching Credentials for English and Allied Arts. It was such a great learning experience. I would love to go back again someday. :-)

 
Go, Nontrads!
Get Connected with my other Nontrad links: The Nontrad site and blog
Join Nontrads on Facebook
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Nontrads on Twitter

Remedial Classes for Nontraditional Students

Are you taking remedial classes?

Some students worry about taking remedial, or "catch-up" classes. But they may be required to take them because of a test score. Don't worry. taking a remedial class is really a good thing. You get to refresh your skills and become better prepared than (maybe) some other students in higher classes.

I took a remedial math class (099) in college. I was glad, too. For the first time, I could understand what was going on with formulas and algebra. I can't say it was really FUN, but I felt like I accomplished something by the end of the class. The teacher was great, and explained everything step by step.

And you may already know that getting a lower score on one or more subjects does NOT mean that you will be a low achiever or have a low IQ. You may have stupendous scores in other areas. Having to take a remedial class just means that at one point or another, you missed learning a step or concept, and needed extra help that you just have not gotten so far.

Today's students often can access extra help and bring their skills in every subject up to par early, before they go on to higher education. But if this did not happen for you, you CAN catch up and start with all the skills and knowledge you need to take a high level class.

Learn more:
A College Boards site article: Are There Remedial Courses in Your Future?
From WiseGeek: What are Remedial Classes?
Study: More College Students need Remedial Classes (from CBS Minnesota)

Go Nontrads! I hope you are doing great. Comment on your nontraditional student experience, or how you are helping nontraditional students as a comment below.

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