Nontraditional students - 10 Encouraging Things to Say

Nontraditional students can help themselves by being encouraging to themselves. 

A nontrad owl from Clker.com

Here are ten helpful things to say for all nontraditional students. I hope you like these!

#1. I am a capable, studious person.

#2. I will be successful on my next test or exam.

#3. I am a very intelligent person.

#4. I will remember to check my daily planner each day to keep on track.

#5. I will work ahead in order to have every assignment done on time.

#6. I will allow myself free time each week to recharge and rewind.

#7. I will ask others for help when I need to.

#8. I will encourage others in my educational journey.

#9. I will be brave and ask my teacher when I do not understand something. If I need to make an appointment, I will do it.

#10. I will reward myself each time I have a successful test or a great grade. I deserve it!

Do you have some more to add? Add them as a comment. Thanks!

Betsyanne
Former Nontraditional Student

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

Are you making time for your favorite things? Rewind to recharge.

Food for thought: are you taking time off for yourself during school?

This photo is by Peter Fristedt on Flicker.

I know, I know.

When you are in school there seems to be ONLY time for homework, classes, studies, and trying to catch up at home or keep your head above water.

Do you think you could carve out an hour or two a week for your favorite things? I am talking about pampering yourself (hair color, a special bath, a beauty session, working on a hobby or your art, writing on your blog or diary, doing a craft, etc. etc.)

Taking time out for yourself or the things or people you love can help you with your "regular" life. Think of this time as a mini-vacation. You will be fresher and happier went you get back to your regular duties and classes. Your grades may even curve up.

You may have such a full calendar that you feel you can't pencil in time for yourself. Or maybe you already make time for yourself or your hobby in each week. I personally think more people are workaholics while they are in school, and sometimes forget about relaxation, which can help you actually learn better by not being as mentally and physically exhausted all the time.

Do you personally have a favorite hobby that you make time for, even if you are in school right now?  Or (good too) do you take time out to pamper yourself each week?

In other words, do you allow time for yourself in one way or another during your busy school and work schedule?

Write it below as a comment. Thanks!

Links for digging deeper:

The Importance of Vacations, for Stress Relief, Productivity and Health (from About.com)
57 Time Management Hacks for College Students (this article includes taking time for yourself too...)
10 Tips for College Students by Steve Pavlina. (He includes fun here too.)

Betsyanne
Former Nontraditional Student
 
Some more Nontrad links:
The Nontrad site and blog
Join Nontrads on Facebook
Nontrads on Yahoo
Nontrads on Twitter

Thanksgiving is coming up - - where will you be on that day?

I am thinking about Thanksgiving for this whole month.

Hello, nontraditional students, and those who help them. I hope things are going well for you. Leave and comment and let me know.

I was thinking about Thanksgiving today. I think about Thanksgiving before it happens. I guess that makes it more special to me. To me, it's a time to be thankful of everything in my life that I'm glad about, not the least of which is a great Thanksgiving supper.

This year is a hard one for many people... and must be for some nontraditional students, too. I hope that this day will be a good one for as many people as possible. I know some of you plan to visit family OR host them. And every family has different traditions for Thanksgiving.

I remember when I was first in school, all the out-of-state and foreign students would move into just one dorm for the holidays. That meant they had to pack up their things too. During this time their other rooms would be cleaned. They stayed at the school, because they could not afford to go all the way home. I hope these students got together and had a good time with each other as their family away from home.

Lucky me... I get to go to my daughter's house for Thanksgiving. I hope those who are far from home can find some friends who are like family to celebrate Thanksgiving with.

What are your thoughts about Thanksgiving? Are there some nontraditional students out there who are far from home? Does your school, church, or group have a Thanksgiving dinner for people who need it? Or have you made friends who group together during the holidays? Do you also think about Thanksgiving a lot this month?

Leave a comment!

-Betsyanne

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

The University of Oregon Nontrad News

I found a fun web page about nontraditional students today.

It is from the University of Oregon and is called their Nontrad News. It is under the Dean of Students umbrella on the site. This site for nontraditional students includes a Resource Guide and information about Veterans Awareness week, a contact person (so important), and Nontraditional Student Profiles too. Here is that site page: The University of Oregon Nontrad News.

I really like this page, and will be adding it to the Nontraditional Student resource page at the BA Nontraditional Students website's Oregon page. I know that students in Oregon will be happy to find out all the services and help that this school offers.

Other things they have on this page are listings and pages for other activities just for nontraditional students, such as a Student  Families Clothing and Toy Exchange, (they had this on November 5th), a helpful link to the Health Center, a workshop called Get Savvy (for academic success) and a lot more.

I like how they let nontraditional students know just what is offered at the school for all ages. I also like how they include a contact number for each section.

Good job, University of Oregon!

Betsyanne
Former Nontraditional Student from Kentucky

Here are some of my other nontraditional student links:
The Nontrad site and blog
Join Nontrads on Facebook
Nontrads on Yahoo, and
Nontrads on Twitter

Nontraditional Students are joining the Occupy movement

It's an exciting and hopeful time for our country. 

An Occupy Sacramento photo by uvw916a on Flickr.

I  just wrote a posting on another blog today about the Coffee Party Movement and also touched on the Occupy Movement, which started as Occupy Wall Street.

This got me thinking. I was curious to see if nontraditional students are also joining in the Occupy movement or are interested in fixing our government.

I ran across some articles about just that. Students are concerned about their rising costs, student loans, the future of the country, their children's future and much more.

This quote is from the Ball State Daily News.

"Nontraditional Ball State student and women and gender studies major Nina Monstwillo walked in the rain alongside the protesters, her two children by her side wearing raincoats. She said she was protesting in Muncie because she couldn't get to New York City.
'I'm hoping to provide my children with the chance to live the American dream,' she said. 'This is a chance for everyone to speak up.'"

And here is a quote from an article talking about the Occupy Omaha movement:

"We're not anti-America, we're not anti-capitalist," said Tony Roller, a full time student who also works at a call center. Just getting a job isn't that simple, he said. "There are people graduating with huge debt and advanced degrees who have to take entry level jobs."

Other people express concern about low-income people being forced to join the military in order to go to school. Penn graduate students have released a statement addressing this concern and others. 

For instance, they wonder about the disparity between publisc and private universities, less opportunities for education among young people, and severe cuts in university funding and massive student debt.

Occupy Philadelphia has both teachers and students as members. This exerpt is from the Grad Student statement.

"At City Hall, learning is viewed not as a commodity that can be bought but as a community resource to be shared. This is visible in the library and book exchange, as well as the proliferation of non-traditional courses, which include a people’s law school, lessons on urban commoning, and anti-racism seminars, just to name a few. Moreover, the movement’s decision-making process offers a practical demonstration of the virtues of open, democratic debate."

And this is just the beginning. Occupy groups are forming across the country, and many students of all ages, including nontraditional students, are joining in.

There was a Students Occupy March in Boston. Here is a photo from that:

Photo by Lauren Metter at DigBoston.com

Is there an Occupy group at your school? Leave your group information as a comment here.


Sources:
 Occupy Muncie draws crowd of more than 100 people
Occupy Wall Street protests reach downtown Omaha 
Metro - more higher education support for OccupyPhilly. 
Students Occupy Boston by Lauren Metter.


 Another blog of interest (one I just posted at my Betsyanne Moon and Willow Tree blog) is here:

Annabelle Park, the Coffee Party, and the Occupy Movement

Representatives from the Coffee Party will be talking face to face with representatives about fixing our broken governments, gridlock in Congress, and a lot more tomorrow (Monday). I and many others will be following with much interest.


Later!


Betsyanne
Former Nontraditional Student

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