The Non-Traditional Student Blog (BA): Nontraditional students

Showing posts with label Nontraditional students. Show all posts

Our bus option at WKU, Winter Term almost over here, Spring Term is coming up.

I had not thought of Winter Term for awhile. Some people like it though, and it works for them. Others don't like it at all.

My husband reminded me that Spring Term/Semester was almost here. The campus will really fill up then. Right now there are many empty parking spots.

We have at least one new parking lot for Western that are not on campus. Commuters can park, then take a bus to school. I like this option. When I first went to college, I helped make this happen as part of Student Government. We thought it would be a great idea.

Now the bus goes to WKU, and also to the Community College. I think the bus system is great for all ages, and can really help going up the famous hill we have at WKU. It's a pretty steep hill.

Do you have a bus system? Does it work well? It really helps here, because there are not unlimited parking spaces on campus. Some days it's hard to find a parking spot. You need to come really early to get a spot in some places.

I wonder if other campuses have a bus system option. If you do, leave a comment.

Betsyanne

I sell books and collectibles on Ebay, Amazon, and Etsy. Here are some of my current Ebay listings:

eBay Listings Widget from Auction Nudge

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

Do you have time to read? You can make time. How I do...

Yes, nontraditional students are VERY busy. Do you make time to read?

Is this you??? haha....

Even in-between semesters. Some are working full or part time. Others are trying to get signed up for classes, or catch up on needed work at home, OR are taking a well-deserved break.

I am not in school right now. But I'm thinking of doing that (again). But whether or not I am in school, I make time for reading both fiction and non-fiction books. Sometimes it is not a LOT of time.... but I try to read every day. NOT just a textbook either.

Why? It's fun. Seriously. It's also good to "escape" from the pressures of everyday life.

I'm reading a Dean Koontz book that I thought I would NOT enjoy at first. But then I started really liking it. I'm about 2/3 through with it so far. It's Icebound.

Here is my link to it on Amazon:

The one I have has a different picture on the cover. It is really good.

List YOUR book favorites or what you are reading as a comment if you wish. I will put this posting on the Nontrad Facebook page too.

Go, Nontrads! Have a great Winter Break or Winter Session at school too. :-)

Betsyanne

I sell books and collectibles on Ebay, Amazon, and Etsy. Here are some of my current Ebay listings:

eBay Listings Widget from Auction Nudge

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

Nontrads on Twitter

Bernie Sander's plan to make college tuition free and debt free is a GREAT idea.

We could be learning so much more... and NOT racking up so much debt...

And it would be GREAT if everyone who wanted to could go back to school.

Those who ARE in school right now, some are revving up for Winter Term. Others are taking a well-deserved break.

If you are thinking of going back to school, by all means investigate at your local Community College or University. There MIGHT be some financial aid there. But it is not guaranteed.

Wouldn't it be great if people did not have to worry about HUGE student debt? It would make this kind of decision a lot easier.

Bernie Sanders believes that "It is Time to Make College Tuition Free and Debt Free." I think this would be great! I really like this idea.

Here is a link telling more about that:
https://berniesanders.com/issues/its-time-to-make-college-tuition-free-and-debt-free/

Love it.

Betsyanne

Some Nontrad links: The Nontrad site and blog

Join Nontrads on Facebook

Nontrads on Yahoo

Nontrads on Twitter

Make friends, study hard, have fun, start a group, and get support....

Life is not all about school and studying. OK, a lot of it is if you are a student, especially if you are going back to school after a break.
But there are other things that can make your experience a lot better.

#1: Make some friends...
This is ALWAYS a good idea if you can do it. You can make friends only around your own age, or you can reach out and make some younger friends too. I did... and now we are Facebook friends. It is so neat to be connected and see photos of marriages, new babies, etc. Plus they are good people to know. Some friends you make in school will move, and some won't. But you are probably used to that.

Here is another posting about that...

Link: <for Nontrads> How to Make Friends in College

Are things the same old, same old? Are you getting tired of the day to day grind of being back in school? Your school may offer lots of extra-curriculars and other activities. Check those out and join a fun group. You will make friends there most probably.

More ideas:
Link: Are you bored with school and want more fun?

Talking about groups, if your school does NOT have a Nontraditional Student group yet, YOU can make one. Just talk to the school people in charge. This can be a great way to get support.

This posting will help you with advice on how to do that.

Link: Form a Nontraditional Student group

AND support is a very good thing. Your school might have all kinds of group and support there already. It's up to you to take advantage of those things. You will need to find out about what your school offers.

There are other places to find support, too, while you are back in school.

Link: What Nontraditional Students need to Have
(includes different kinds of support)

All for now - - comment below!

Some more Nontraditional Student links:

The Nontraditional Student Website (this blog is on there...)

Join Nontrads on Facebook

Nontrads on Yahoo and

Nontrads on Twitter

10 Great Sites for Nontraditional Students - - via the Betsyanne Nontrad Blog

Some of these sites and links are at our Facebook page (see end of posting) and also featured on the side of this blog.

These sites are GREAT to go visit. Bookmark them!

#1. The Nontraditional Student website - - go to your State page on the site and see if you have a group there. Also, send your group in too, so I can add it there. Check out Scholarship ideas too. This blog posts on this site, so every time there is an update here, it goes over to the first page there.

#2. The Find Scholarships and Grants Blog. http://www.findscholarshipsandgrants.blogspot.com/ Use the Search Box and put in what you are interested in. I write here sometimes, but have lots of previous postings too.

#3. Joe Landsberger's Study Skills site: http://studygs.net/ - Study Guides and Strategies. From the site: "An educational public service helping learners succeed since 1996: over 10.4 million visitors in 39 languages in 2011." This site has help pages that translate into many languages.

#4. The official FAFSA/Federal Student Aid site. https://fafsa.ed.gov/. You check here FIRST when going back to school, for official news, scholarships, grants, and lots more. You should NEVER have to pay for information about government loans and grants. This is a totally FREE site. Apply early when you decide to go back to school.

#5. While you are here (at the FAFSA site) also visit this page: The Federal Student Aid page - https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/. This page includes the pages, How Do I Prepare for College, What Types of Aid can I Get, Do I qualify for Aid, How do I Apply for Aid, and How do I Manage My Loans.

#6. The Dr. Torres Database - - https://www.fatomei.com/ - from the site: Nationally Coveted College Scholarships - - Graduate Fellowships and Postdoctoral Awards

National and international study abroad, highly competitive and prestigious undergraduate college scholarships, graduate fellowships, education grants, summer jobs & research internships, awards for high school seniors & students, women, minorities, Hispanics, African Americans, nurses, engineers, teachers studying math, science & engineering and health professions from national & international foundations. Free financial aid, student loans, prizes, stipends.

#7. The ProfEval site - - check out your teachers BEFORE you sign up for classes. http://www.profeval.com/home/chooseschool.asp. This site can be really fun. You can also use it at the END of a class, add your comments, and see what others have said.

#8. ANTSHE - - http://www.myantshe.org/ - the Association for Students in Higher Education - - this group can be PAID for if your school is onboard with that. Plus, they have a yearly Convention too. If you have a Nontraditional Student group at your school, just ask about this or bring it up at a meeting.

#9. Son of Citation Machine - http://www.citationmachine.net/ - I really loved this site when writing papers when I was a nontraditional student. It is SO handy. From the site: "Citation Machine automatically generates citations in MLA, APA, Chicago, Turabian, and Harvard." And yes, there was another earlier site named Citation Machine... this is the newer site.

#10. Planning and Preparing for College - the C. Herd blog - http://ctherd.blogspot.com/. From the blog: "Planning and Preparing for College (Scholarships, Internships, Etc) - - To prepare students and their parents for college success in areas of academic readiness, community service, internships, summer programs, etc. The blog is to be used as a preparation infrastructure on various areas of college topics." This is a great resource for many different kinds of scholarships. C. Herd concentrates on minority scholarships, but many of these are available for all. She also lists deadlines for each scholarship, which is very handy.

There you go. This list should keep you busy at least all day. Enjoy!!

-Betsyanne

And here are more of my pages:

My Betsyanne page, my Find Scholarships and Grants blog, and The Best Books and Collectibles (where I put my Selling Pages!), My Ebay Store and my Etsy Store for Betsyanne77.

My other Nontrad pages are here: The Nontrad website, Nontrads on Facebook, Nontrads on Yahoo, and Nontrads on Twitter

Help me get up to 700 readers! Sign up for the Nontrad News below.

A note to myself about lists... and to Nontraditional Students: JUST DO IT!!

I am making a list. AND starting to actually DO things that are on it.

For me, this means a combination of things, blogging, writing, finishing those books, making some pottery and art, and doing some serious scanning and starting of NEW projects. This does not make a complete list either.

For nontraditional students, sometimes a LIST can be something useful to you, too. Are you on the fence? Make a Pro and Con List. Just divide a sheet of paper with a vertical line, and list all the reasons why you DO want to go back to school (and all the positive ramifications), and the Con side (at the right) will list all your reservations and reasons NOT to go back. Keep it up. Which side is bigger?

Tips for Inspiration

Are you wanting to go back to school, but NOT wanting to quit your job? The options are out there for you now, with many courses online and some at great times, to fit your schedule.

Have you been out of school for a long time? That's OK. And you will probably meet (online or in person) many people like you if you choose to go back to school today.

Be courageous - and improve your self-esteem

So... get that pen and paper out. And start LISTING what YOU want to do with your life. Or how you plan to catch up, and start something new. Like maybe school!

Good luck, too. And let me know how it goes!

Betsyanne
Former Nontraditional Student in Education
Now helping other Nontrads!

Be sure to check out my other Nontraditional Student and Continuing Education helping sites:

The Nontrad website - for all nontrads and their support systems!

Join Nontrads on Facebook

Nontrads on Yahoo

and Nontrads on Twitter

And help me get up to 700 readers. Thanks!

The Many Reasons Nontraditional Students go Back to School, blending in, some words of encouragement, more.

I know there are a great number of reasons nontraditional students go back to school.

Often, I hear, it's to upgrade skills, or to get a better job.

Sometimes it's to explore something you never thought you'd get to learn about. Or to offer a family a better income, after learning a new profession.

Luckily, there are more older students in school now, so if you are an older student, you won't stand out as much. And many younger students do put forth the effort to be friendly too.

Some clubs are opening their membership to include different ages. I like this.

I think just having the courage to actually DO IT instead of just thinking about it deserves recognition. Because it is not always easy to go to school. Some people fit it in where they can. And paying back the school loan money can take a long time, too.

If nobody has told you anything good about going back to school, I want to do that right now, right here.

YOU CAN DO IT - AND YOU ARE DOING A GREAT THING.

I know how hard that first step can be. But maybe the next steps in your continuing education won't be quite so hard.

I hope they won't be!

Good luck going back to school.

Here is another recent posting:
10 Great Study Tips for Nontrads: http://non-traditional-students.blogspot.com/2015/08/10-great-study-tips-for-nontrads-2015.html

And here are more Nontraditional Student links:

The Nontraditional Student website (add your student group)

Join Nontrads on Facebook

Nontrads on Yahoo

and Nontrads on Twitter

Hello, Nontrads! Thoughts about Fall Enrollment, the Pocket app, more.

Hello, nontraditional students! I hope you are having a fabulous summer.

Getting Connected...
Last posting, I talked about putting YOUR nontraditional student group on the Nontraditional Student website. Many are listed there, but new groups are being formed all the time.

If you don't have one, you can start one.

Some More Ideas for Today

Fall Enrollment
Are you going back to school this Fall? Some tips:

#1. Get organized and have a folder for each class.
#2. Invest in a nice backpack. People don't carry books without one nowadays.
#3. Make sure to talk with an advisor and don't go it alone. You might miss something important!
#4. Invest also in a good Planner with a calendar in it. List all your classes there.
#5. Don't raise your hand too much.
#6. Get the name and phone number of at least 2 classmates, just in case.
#7. Consider making a Study Group for your hardest classes.
#8. Use THIS blog for help! Put a word or phrase into the Search box to search for things like Tests, advice, planning, etc. You'll be happily surprised at the help that is here and tips to help you succeed.

Use a Pocket to save information...
Are you like me, and enjoy articles about many different subjects? You can jot these down in a notebook, save them in your Bookmarks, and now also just click a button on your browser to check it out later. The app, called Pocket, has a free download here: http://www.getpocket.com.

Make a Nontrad Blog
It's free to make a Blogger blog (this one is one...) - - you can write about being a nontraditional student, about your garden, anything you want to write about. And it's good practice, plus gets your typing speed up. http://www.blogger.com. I know I love to hear about other nontraditional students and their experiences. Some I have listed on this blog too.

Write for this blog!
Do you have a funny story about being a nontrad? Have you found the perfect rolling backpack? Let me know and I will feature YOUR story right here.

As usual, thanks for stopping by. And remember, you CAN do it! :-) You CAN go back to school, no matter what your age is, or how many years you have been away from school.

-Betsyanne

Some more of my Nontrad links:

The Nontraditional Student website

Join Nontrads on Facebook

Nontrads on Yahoo

and

Nontrads on Twitter

Is YOUR Nontraditional Student Group listed on the Nontraditional Student website?

If you have a nontraditional student group, check out your State Page at the Nontraditional Student website here: http://www.nontradstudents.com/

(And here is just the top section of it):

Just click on the state on the U.S. graphic, (scroll down to see it). There are also pages for other areas.

There should be groups listed there at your state or area. For updating, just make a comment to this posting (I will see it!) or send in the form on the page.

AND, if you don't have a group at your school, why or why not? You can talk to people there and start your own, which might be a really fun project. You could make friends, talk about things that interest you, do events, and lots more.

Just saying! There could be a group near you, and you don't even know it.

Betsyanne

PS Hope things are going well in your nontrad journey. If you are just THINKING about going back, check out the Search box and find out more about it!

Some more Nontrad links: The Nontrad site

Join Nontrads on Facebook

Nontrads on Yahoo

Nontrads on Twitter

What's Up for Nontrads Monday, July 6th, 2015. The Scholy app plus Harvard also has a free coding class!

Last posting featured Khan Academy's FREE coding class online.

Now Harvard is also offering a free coding class. Here is that link: Free Harvard Online Coding Course: Is Coding for You?

From the article:

"Lessons introduce students to: binary, algorithms, Boolean expressions, arrays, threads, Linux, C, cryptography, debugging, security, dynamic memory allocation, compiling, assembling, File I/O, hash tables, trees, HTTP, HTML, CSS, PHP, SQL, JavaScript, Ajax, and dozens of other topics. You won’t finish the course as a fluent programmer, but you’ll have a solid understanding of how programming languages work."

You can also get credit for this course by enrolling in it, which is "about $2,050". Which is good if you think you will need it later on.

Another neat find:

Did you watch the latest (or repeat) Shark Tank last week? They featured an app maker who made a Scholarship App called Scholy. It has 10,000 - 20,000 different scholarships on it. Plus the price is definitely right at only 99 cents.

It's definitely give it a try. And if you do, comment below on whether you like it or not.

Betsyanne

Some Nontrad links: The Nontrad website

Join Nontrads on Facebook

Nontrads on Yahoo

and Nontrads on Twitter

My most recent posting: Learn about Coding from Khan Academy this Summer for Free.

Summer plans, going forward, going backward - - - there are so many choices.

Choices, choices, choices.

It seems like that is one thing being a grownup is all about. It really IS all up to us. And it is not always easy. Drifting along with the current seems to be easy sometimes, and then when we really think about it, it might not be getting us what we really want in life. And time continues to go by.

Summer seems like a time of choices to me. Then there is the Fall, when school starts up again. What to do... have you learned all you want to learn? Are you in a rut or can't think if there are any choices for you?

What IS true is that sometimes a person can think there is no chance of a change, when actually there IS.

When it comes to school, you can look up what it will take to get another certification or degree. Are you at a crossroads? Or have you decided to go back to school?

If you think going back to school as a nontraditional student is something you might want to do, now is the time to talk to somebody at your local college about it, and see what your options are. There could be a #scholarship or #grant available you could take advantage of, or a School-to-Work program locally.

AND there is also Summer School.

OR vacation, which may or may not do a lot for your career or school plans.

Write a comment - what are YOUR plans for this summer?

Here are some more postings that you might like, about Summer School and Summer plans.

Good luck, too!

Betsyanne

My last posting: Trea ding water is sometimes NOT a good thing... thoughts on change.

And here are more Nontrad links:

Summer School or NOT Summer School

10 Summer Ideas for Nontrads

And here are more Nontraditional Student sites:

Nontrads on Facebook

Nontrads on Yahoo, and

Nontrads on Twitter

Sometimes treading water, doing the same old, same old is NOT a good idea. Making Changes, more.

Summer Plans and Ideas - Fun - Changes - Work and Workspaces - A New Plan

As I write this today, my own plans are up in the air. I have gone back to school before, and have wanted to have my own art studio for a long time. I don't want to go back to school again YET (although I may someday) but I do want to explore my art and have a great place to do it in.

Are you not in a place you like? You can BREAK FREE.

Today, I realize that due to changing circumstances beyond my control, that a new plan for my workspace may happen before long. And I can do it myself. I guess I've been waiting for a sign. Which is good, because I have been wanting to do that, but inertia has prevented it. Today, I feel that sign has arrived. I feel a push coming on to Get Things Done. And that is good, in both the short and the long run of things.

Sometimes you just have to quit "going with the flow" - - because bigger and better things CAN happen if you make a change, even if it's a scary one.

For instance, I DO have room in my garage for some equipment and space, IF I rearrange things and get rid of other things. It would (gasp!) maybe even be FUN, which would be an added bonus. Plus, I do not currently have much room for my equipment OR supplies. There is room out there. I just have to MAKE room and do the needed work.

Which brings me back to my personal nontraditional student experience. AND my writing experience. Both have not been chugging along like I want. I CAN change this.

When I chose to go back to school, it seemed to be something I HAD to do. Fun did not figure in much, but curiosity did. As I know from a teacher I learned a lot from, fun MUST enter into the equation in order to do good work. It helps, anyway.

My question back there was, "Can I find out what teaching is like?" And I DID find out, but not in the same way I would have if I had tried it earlier.

I also found out a lot about myself. I found out what I can put up with, how very resilient I really was (staying when others had quit in the past), and I learned what I enjoyed (vs. just did because I felt I HAD to.)

So, I will be grabbing some opportunities I have had all along, just have not used them.

I CAN make the space and opportunity for creativity I want. It just takes some work and imagination.

AND I CAN experience a student and/or teaching relationship - maybe doing this myself, maybe taking a class or two.

What I like knowing is that I DO have choices. Treading water or doing something because it's available is not always the best way to live.

I don't have to make do with what IS, I can change things for the better. And I don't have to blame myself for how things are either. So stay tuned for what's next.

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A question: Are you also thinking about what is next in your world? Leave a comment and share what you think about it, and about what is going on with YOU right now. :-)

Betsyanne
Former Nontraditional Student in Education
Artist and Writer

Summer Plans, Colleges, Finals, 2 more About.com articles

Spring 2015's most popular blog postings

More articles from About.com

Making a living - - and your Ripple Effect

FYI: Some of my other websites and blogs are: The Find Scholarships and Grants Blog, The GS Betsy's E-blast (for Kentuckiana Area 17 and Beyond), From the Garden Spot (another Betsyanne blog), and The Teacher Tree (I will be working more on this one later this year).

I also have a Books and Collectibles selling page here: The Best Books and Collectibles. - See more at: http://non-traditional-students.blogspot.com/2015/05/sharing-two-more-great-postings-from.html#.VVy-PhdcZ0I

Other recent postings:

Spring 2015's most popular blog postings

More articles from About.com

Making a living - - and your Ripple Effect

FYI: Some of my other websites and blogs are: The Find Scholarships and Grants Blog, The GS Betsy's E-blast (for Kentuckiana Area 17 and Beyond), From the Garden Spot (another Betsyanne blog), and The Teacher Tree (I will be working more on this one later this year).

I also have a Books and Collectibles selling page here: The Best Books and Collectibles.
- See more at: http://non-traditional-students.blogspot.com/2015/05/sharing-two-more-great-postings-from.html#.VVy-PhdcZ0I

Sharing - two more great postings from About.com, re: Summer plans, Colleges, Finals more.

Here are a couple of postings from About.com, some ideas for your summer plans, final exams, more.

Here is the first posting from About.com:

Top Colleges by State, AP Exams, Engineering, & Dr. Who

... and the second one:

Here's How Students Can Get the Most Out of Their Summer
(plus some other articles...)

If you aren't already over at the About.com site, it's worth a visit. You can sign up for all kinds of newsletters there and get these kind of useful stories in your inbox regularly.

Other Summer Plans
You may want to look into taking a couple of classes this summer OR working to get some money in the bank.

The classes idea MIGHT be especially good if you are missing some credits and won't graduate on time if you don't Take Action.

Finals
One of the best websites to use when preparing for finals is the Joe Landsberger site. You may also want to check out these postings from the blog:

#1. Ten Tips for Doing Well on Final Exams

and

#2. Get Organized for Finals

And GOOD LUCK on all your finals. Until next time,

Betsyanne

And check out more of my Nontrad links:

The Nontrad site (This blog is there on the first page...)

Join Nontrads on Facebook

Nontrads on Yahoo

and
Nontrads on Twitter

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Other recent postings:

Spring 2015's most popular blog postings

More articles from About.com

Making a living - - and your Ripple Effect

FYI: Some of my other websites and blogs are: The Find Scholarships and Grants Blog, The GS Betsy's E-blast (for Kentuckiana Area 17 and Beyond), From the Garden Spot (another Betsyanne blog), and The Teacher Tree (I will be working more on this one later this year).

I also have a Books and Collectibles selling page here: The Best Books and Collectibles.

Spring Break - will you be vacationing? (3 tips...)

Three Spring Break Tips for Nontraditional Students

Ah. Spring Break. Time to head for Florida. Or someplace else warm. Or not.

Here are some tips for students who have a week or more "vacation" now, just had it, or are planning it.

#1. Catch up on assignments. This is a perfect time to get that paper written or special project taken care of. Seriously. You will thank me.

#2. If you are caught up on most everything, it COULD be a great idea to take a real break. If you can. Think sun, think relaxation, even a Staycation.

#3. Try not to worry. That's a vacation in itself!

Oh - and do you have plans for Spring Break? Share below!

And here are our related sites:

The Nontraditional Student website

Nontrads on Facebook

Nontrads on Yahoo and

Nontrads on Twitter

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And here are some more of my blogs:
FYI: Some of my other websites and blogs are: The Find Scholarships and Grants Blog, The GS Betsy's E-blast (for Kentuckiana Area 17 and Beyond), From the Garden Spot (another Betsyanne blog), and The Teacher Tree (I will be working more on this one later this year).
Later!

-Betsyanne

Image by Migmac via Morguefile.

Never too old... that's really true. And the sooner you start, the better.

"You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream."

-C.S. Lewis

Photo via Morguefile, by Anita Peppers.

How true this is. When I went back to school, I met an older woman who was taking art courses. She had wanted to do this for a long time. And finally, she was doing what she had dreamed of. She was very happy, she said, and planned to continue with other classes.

At WKU, people can take classes after age 65 and do not have to pay tuition. Maybe a school near you has this program.

And sometimes you can take classes online for no charge. Plus, you can also audit classes for less money.

However you swing it, going back to school may be just what you have been wanting to do for a long time.

If you are not yet back in school, try it out - you might like it!

-Betsyanne

Some Nontrad links: The Nontraditional Student website

(and check out the Scholarships Page One and Page Two pages there too)

More: Join Nontrads on Facebook

Nontrads on Yahoo

Nontrads on Twitter

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And here are some more of my blogs:
FYI: Some of my other websites and blogs are: The Find Scholarships and Grants Blog, The GS Betsy's E-blast (for Kentuckiana Area 17 and Beyond), From the Garden Spot (another Betsyanne blog), and The Teacher Tree (I will be working more on this one later this year).

The Ripple Effect - you can be a nontraditional student, and make a MUCH bigger ripple.

About making a living - plus thoughts about the Ripple Effect.

So... is your job just something to pay the bills? If you are lucky, your job pays the bills, is interesting enough, and lets you have enough time to pursue things you REALLY want to do, which might not pay much, if anything.

But it can get to a person - the feeling that there is something more out there - something you could do if you just had the knowledge to do it. The question becomes, what makes life worthwhile? Will you say that you really have spent your life doing something valuable? I know I have asked myself this. I wonder, am I helping others, am I doing a job that is important, no matter what it is?

It's hard to say what influence people have in their lives. People who have seen the famous movie "It's a Wonderful Life" may have their eyes opened to the Ripple Effect their lives can have on the people around them.

Sometimes you don't even know what a GREAT effect you have in your life. Some people make their livings pointing this out to people. What they say to people can be, You CAN make a difference.

So... are you going back to school? You can be a nontraditional student anytime. It does not matter how old you are.

Going back to school can show you other ways of living, other ways of making your life have meaning.

Sometimes doing something you love every day will make an even BIGGER ripple out to the lives around you, and to the world.

Because you will care so much more about what you are doing.

Do you need to go back to school to do what you REALLY want to do with your life, and make a bigger ripple? You might. I know I think about it.

Betsyanne

More recent postings here:

Nontraditional Students - they are diverse, but they have gumption.

The Nontraditional Student Blog Site of the Day: The ProfEval site

Another Blog Site of the Day: The Mike Grasso Nontraditional Student Site

And, of course, the BEST of luck on your nontraditional student journey!

Related Nontrad links:

The Nontrad site

Join Nontrads on Facebook

Nontrads on Yahoo, and

Nontrads on Twitter

Get connected, nontrads. Here are some of my other blogs and sites: The Nontraditional Student website, The Nontraditional Student Facebook page, The Moon and the Willow Tree (a Betsyanne blog), The Find Scholarships and Grants blog, From the Garden Spot (another Betsyanne blog), and The Teacher Tree website (I will hopefully be working more on this one later this year).

And you can join the Nontraditional Student Mailing List too. It's published every so often.

Nontraditional Students - they are VERY diverse, but they all have gumption.

Nontraditional Students come in many forms.
And most have a LOT of gumption.

Some have not been out of school for long. Others have been out of school for many years.

They come from all over, and are all shapes and sizes. Some have supportive families, others are going it alone.

One thing they have in common is GUMPTION.

Merriam-Webster online defines gumption as:

": courage and confidence

Full Definition of GUMPTION

chiefly dialect : common sense, horse sense

: enterprise, initiative <lacked the gumption to try>"

Are you going back to school? You have gumption.

If you are just THINKING about it, I hope you have the gumption to try.

Betsyanne

Some Nontrad links: The Nontrad site

Nontrads on Facebook

Nontrads on Yahoo

Nontrads on Twitter

Get connected, nontrads. Here are some of my other blogs and sites: The Nontraditional Student website, The Nontraditional Student Facebook page, The Moon and the Willow Tree (a Betsyanne blog), The Find Scholarships and Grants blog, From the Garden Spot (another Betsyanne blog), and The Teacher Tree website (I will hopefully be working more on this one later this year).

The Nontraditional Student site of the day: The ProfEval site

Oh, this one is fun. Find out at ProfEval if a teacher is the best one, or not.

There used to be more of these sites, but now the ProfEval site is the latest one I used when going back to school some years ago.

This is a site where you can go and see what kind of professor or teacher is teaching the class you want to take. Of course, not all schools are here, but the one I went to is (Western Kentucky University).

I went to try this site out again, and found it is a little slower than I remember. However, it does still work.

I went to my State, then my School, and selected "English" which had a few different choices. If I were doing a BIG search, I'd try every variety of that term.

The most recent posting seemed to be 2013. Some went back to 2015.

I think sometimes students WILL put bad reviews on here if they got a bad grade (and deserved it) or simply had a personality clash. SO, sometimes a teacher will be OK. So keep that in mind.

I did enjoy looking around here. I would personally check before deciding between, say, two different teachers. It might help a lot. You can also find out (sometimes) when a teacher gives tests, etc. which can be handy too.

Comment if you have used the site, and how you like it too.

Thanks!

Betsyanne

And here are some more Nontrad links: The Nontrad site

Join Nontrads on Facebook

Nontrads on Yahoo

Nontrads on Twitter

The Nontraditional Student Site of the Day for Jan. 27, 2015: The Mike Grasso Nontraditional Medical Student Site

Are you a Nontraditional Medical Student, or thinking about becoming one?

I like this site. It features links to Motivation, Planning, Requirements, the MCAT, about applying (Where to Apply, The Waiting Game, and Second Chance), and also talks about Mike's personal journey, how to best determine if Medical School is right for you, and has links to useful books and links.

Here is the link: Nontraditional Medical Student.

From the site: "The purpose of this web site is to discuss how to get into medical school as an older, nontraditional student. I became interested in this subject when I went through the application process myself at age 37. During that time, I read several books on this subject. However, I found little information that addressed in detail the unique challenges of applying to medical school later in life."

It's definitely worth a look at this site if Medical School is a field you are interested in exploring. It has won several awards, too, which are on the first page.

Also from the site: Courage is daring to take that first step, or different path. It is the decision to place your dreams above your fears. - Source Unknown

I like this!

Betsyanne

And here are my other Nontrad links:

The Nontrad site

Nontrads on Facebook

Nontrads on Yahoo, and

Nontrads on Twitter

Join me there. Later! - See more at: http://non-traditional-students.blogspot.com/#sthash.stcbIgGf.dpuf

Betsyanne

And here are my other Nontrad links:

The Nontrad site

Nontrads on Facebook

Nontrads on Yahoo, and

Nontrads on Twitter

Later.

And here are other Sites of the Day for 2015.

Jan. 25, 2015: ANTSHE

Jan. 2015: The Planning and Preparing for College Blog