ANTSHE and Non-Trad news

Greetings again, all non-traditional students.

Today I want to remind people about ANTSHE, the best Non-traditional Student group out there. Some of you already are members of this group.

ANTSHE has a new look and a newsletter you can download from their site at http://www.antshe.com. ANTSHE is a Non-Traditional student organization that has conferences, a store, and their own scholarship.

I like their website because it is continually updated and current, plus the articles and information there show that they really care about non-traditional students.

ANTSHE is getting ready for their 11th Annual Conference, which is to be held Feb. 29 - March 2 at Middle TN State University, and has a page about Non-Traditional Student Recognition Week, which is coming up soon (November 4-10).

You can join ANTSHE as part of a campus group, or you can join as an individual - - it's all up to you.

The photo above is from the morguefile site. You can find many photos there to use in reports, teaching, or school projects.

Art in the Park 9

When I was a non-traditional student, I took a Journalism class as part of my English and Allied Arts certification classes (Journalism in the Schools with Professor Bretz).

It was a good class, covering learning how to be a yearbook advisor and/or newspaper advisor. (Or - - as we were warned... maybe both!)

It was fun because I always liked working for the paper in high school, and almost took a job with AP long ago.

As part of a class assignment I interviewed non-traditional art students. I met several who said that they wanted to continue with their art their whole lives, and were so happy to finally pursue their dreams.

One older lady, in late 70's, was a painter. She was very excited about her art projects, and talked easily to other, younger students in the Art Lounge.

It is my opinion that nobody is too old to start going after his or her dream. Talking about dreams, one of mine is to get back into my art. I am lucky to be able to be a non-traditional student at the Pots Place downtown, where I am learning how to be a better potter.

You can see more photos of the downtown Art in the Park event that took place in Bowling Green, Kentucky here at my personal blog site.

How to begin...

This photo is by richard_b@morguefile.com. You can see all of his Morguefile (and free) photos here: Richard B's Morguefile photos


Non-traditional students can spend a long time THINKING about going back to school before they actually do it. I know I did, but I had an idea about what I was going to take in my mind already.

Through the years I spent raising my daughter, I used to wonder what my life would have been like if I had chosen to be a teacher instead of a typesetter/graphic artist.

Now I can see that both careers have their good and bad points. On the good side of teaching, there is the pay. And sometimes you reach a student or maybe even a few - - and can be a good influence on the future.

You can also do this by volunteering as a scout leader, however, or becoming a big brother or sister.

On the good side of my other career, typesetting and graphic arts, you do have some flexibility, depending on the job.

You get to work a shift, and not have to go home and work another shift of grading and planning. You get to sleep at night (usually) in the printing business, which is also a plus.

You can have great or not-so-great bosses, co-workers, working conditions, and decision-makers in a school OR in a factory. It all just depends on the place. And now I know.

I would not have known this about teaching, though, if I hadn't decided to become a non-traditional student, and go back to school. I would always have had a huge question mark about it.

So... for me, the beginning of MY decision to become a non-traditional student was sort of decided long ago, when I took my first education class at the age of 19. I wasn't able to finish my training then, but I always wanted to. When I decided to go back, it was an easy choice.

A REALLY BIG QUESTION
Some people have asked me, how does a non-traditional student begin? What should he or she do first?

I think that a non-traditional student should explore all his or her options before deciding to go back to school. If this means taking time off (if possible) or staying at the same job for a little bit longer, so be it.

There are so many school options today. Some jobs will pay for classes outside of work. Some SAY they will, but when you ask about it, they might inform you that they no longer offer that benefit. That happened to me. (So make sure to ask in person before deciding about that.)

Non-traditional students don't have to settle for night classes only, anymore. They can go to classes along with "traditional" students (during the day) and they can also take online classes.

PAYING FOR SCHOOL
Non-traditional students might find that they qualify for student loans and grants. They can go to the FAFSA site and fill out the online form. It takes awhile to do, but it's worth it.

SOME ADVICE: make sure you hit the "save" button every page you do. That way, if your computer freezes up, you don't have to redo everything. Also, have your tax and income information handy.

Hmmmm.... how do I know that? Because I had my computer freeze and had to completely redo mine. I also had to stop and find my tax information and that held things up.

FEDERAL OR STATE PROGRAMS
You may also want to check your local employment office to see if they offer any grants or training programs, especially if you were laid off from your job due to downsizing. It's worth a call or visit.

If you are considering going to trade school or to technical school, find out if the credits will transfer to other schools or universities. Some do, but some don't. It would be a shame to have to take a year or more of classes OVER just because the school you chose had credits that didn't transfer. I have a friend who had that happen to him.

Above all, don't let fear make your decision for you. Just because you might be an older student, or maybe have not been in school for awhile, that doesn't mean you can't learn something new. GOOD LUCK!

Bucknall's Refuge

BUCKNALL'S REFUGE:

This is a great website - and perfect for non-traditional students to check out - that I rechecked tonight.

He has some books for sale, but FREE books and articles to download on his site, too, among which are the classic

"How to Succeed as a Student" (#1 on the list) and

"Mature Students - University Certainly is for You" (#13).

Bucknall calls himself an "ancient academic" which I find very funny.

He is mostly interested in economics, it seems. He has put a little bookworm that crawls in and out of his webpage and tips its hat, which makes going to his site even more worthwhile.

Complete with photos, Bucknall's Refuge is a fun website that I highly recommend. I have read the "How to Succeed" ebook already.

If you didn't already click on the link above, here is the link to Bucknall's Refuge website again so you can check it out for yourself.

Here are some more Non-trad groups

Here are some more non-traditional student groups.

I like looking at them because they pages show me, in their pictures and postings, just how great a non-trad group can be.

Plus, looking at these groups and putting them in a file on my desktop is one step closer to putting them on the Non-traditional student site, which I hope to do this Fall.

This group at McLennan Community College in Waco, Texas might have the type going into itself on its site page, but what’s more important is how active this group is. They have lots of interesting activities listed - - including financial aid seminars - - and even a scholarship for their group.

See this page at:
http://www.mclennan.edu/students/stuact/page9.htm

The University of Wisconsin – Sheboygan has a Non-Traditional Student group page here:
http://www.sheboygan.uwc.edu/studentlife/studentlifeNontraditionalStudents.htm
I especially like the fact that the University offers “monetary help for child care” and has a group called “Zoomers” for their adult students. They answer many questions on their friendly web pages.

I also like this site at CWU (Central Washington University)
http://www.cwu.edu/~nontrads/index.html

Their non-traditional student organization is called “PROWL.” The page features a photo gallery, community information, an events calendar, links, and more. The website feels very friendly, warm, and welcoming. I really like the photos, too.

The only problem is, I wonder if this group is still active. The date on the page for the “next meeting” is from 2005. Maybe they just haven’t updated the page for awhile.

Michigan State University has a group called O.W.L.S.
http://www.law.msu.edu/students/student_orgs.php

“# O.W.L.S. (Older and/or Wiser Law Students)
We are here to support and serve students who consider themselves “non-traditional”-students older than 24, married students, part-time students, etc.”

Missouri Western has a Non-Traditional Student Association page here:
http://www.missouriwestern.edu/Orgs/NonTrad/

Finding non-traditional websites today

Augh!!!!!!

Today I tried to do the impossible. I tried to find one file among thousands.

I looked on every CD I had from when I was a non-traditional student today. On one of those disks has to be a list of websites I looked up about 2 years ago. I just knew it was somewhere!

The websites were from colleges and universities across the country who had clubs or websites for nontraditional students.

Well, I couldn't find it.

Somebody contacted me for help on an article and I thought I could lay my hands on those links, but no luck. So... I looked some up today. I think I'll share them here, and put them on the Non-Trads Website later on this fall.

I think it's fun to look at sites from other schools because they show how great a program can be. The best have photos of actual students, and some even offer scholarships and activities like workshops and picnics.

Here are some of the sites I found today:

Penn State – Fayette – The Eberly Campus
has a non-traditional student club and a web page.

Next, this group at McLennan Community College in Waco, Texas might have the type going into itself on its site page, but what’s more important is how active this group is. They have lots of interesting activities listed - - including financial aid seminars - - and even a scholarship for their group.

The University of Wisconsin – Sheboygan has a Non-Traditional Student group page, too.

I especially like the fact that the University offers “monetary help for child care” and has a group called “Zoomers” for their adult students. They answer many questions on their friendly web pages.

The Online Education Database

Here's an interesting site I just found recently.

It's called the Online Education Database.

Here is the link:
http://oedb.org/library/features/best-online-research-sites

This site includes online research sites, choosing a degree,
financial aid, and more.

I think it's worth a look. I had time to check out a couple of the pages, and they looked both legit and helpful.

When I get a little more time, I plan to put this on the Non-Trads site. Also, I will put at least one Non-Trads group from each state on the site, to get the ball rolling. At least it will be a starting point.

I would appreciate any other site addresses that you think would be of value to non-traditional students. Thanks!

Non-Traditional Students - don't give up!

THE LETTER - GIVING UP ON A DREAM

Recently, I received a letter from a non-traditional student that has stopped going to school.

"I have to give up my dream..." she said.

I don't know all the details about her situation, but I was sorry to hear about it.

This person simply cannot continue with school because of her many responsibilities - - like working full-time and taking care of her family.

Hearing about this, I was sad, but I understood, because going back to school can be even HARDER for non-traditional students than for traditional students.

Why?

Because non-traditional students must often support children, take care of home duties, worry about money, and have schedule difficulties.

Some non-traditional students take out loans. Some try for scholarships. I did both. Although I was not selected for a scholarship, I did receive a grant that helped a lot.

If the non-traditional student's family is supportive, this can make the difference. But not all non-trads have a partner who can support them through school, or even give moral support.

Some families just don't understand the choice to get more education, and don't want to help.

So... some non-traditional students have a MUCH harder path they must follow.

I hope that the person who wrote me will consider going back someday, especially since it's her dream to do that.

SOME HELPFUL WEBSITES FOR NON-TRADITIONAL STUDENTS

Are you thinking of going back to school? Are you considering going back for a second time?

You may want to check out these links to help you in your search.

NON-TRADITIONAL LINKS:

The Non-Traditional Student Website (mine- a work in progress...) :-)

Non-Traditional Student Scholarship Links

Discover the Work you were Born to Do (a quiz)

College Re-entry advice from About.com

The Advantages of Being an Older Student
By Vickey Kalambakal

Some of these links are new - (I just found them.)
Write back and let me know of other good links.

Well, I'm back to work - I hope you all have a great week.

-Elizabeth

Non-Traditional Students tips and links

Photo from Imageafter.com

Are you a non-traditional student? Chances are you are taking courses to improve your life and/or job.

I personally think that non-traditional students can face many more challenges in their quest for academic success.

I hope that this blog can help other non-traditional students find tools, money for college, motivation, and information.

I found a site today that I would like to share.

Click here for this link. It's the Prentice Hall (publisher) site.

I like this site because they have a small section on non-traditional students who have kids, and a section for those who don't. Plus, there are areas that you can click to help with goal-setting, which I think is SO important.

For more non-traditional student links, such as scholarship links and motivational links, you can check out the Non-traditional Students website. I plan to put more state links there soon.

I plan to share more useful links here in the future. Please let me know what YOU would like to learn about becoming or continuing to be a non-traditional student.

Feel free to post your experiences and comments, too.

Until next time, I am:

Elizabeth
(the Non-traditional Student.)

The bush and I... what we have in common

This bush and I have a lot in common. We are both starting over. Again.

The situation for the bush:
We had a hard freeze here in Bowling Green a couple of weeks ago. Everything had already bloomed! The apple orchard had a total loss.

You can look all over town and see brown bushes in the front of people's homes. I thought these Rose of Sharon bushes in my yard had died for sure.

Then yesterday I went really close to them - and to my surprise I saw green coming out all over!

The situation for me:
I need to decide in the next 4 years whether or not to go back to college. Again.

My sister says that if I went back to school I could take Elementary Education instead of Secondary, and I might like it better. After all, she said, everybody likes their teacher when they are young enough.

The good part about this idea is that it would be a much nicer situation to be in a class with students that actually wanted to learn.

****I had to come back here and change this. First: it would be a total dream to imagine that there could be such a class - - and maybe a nightmare, because it would mean Stepford Children. But realistically, I think there will always be people in a class who really don't want to learn - - but it would be nice if most students in a class would be able to learn and enjoy it.

****I don't think that No Child Left Behind is working for all students. Some are indeed falling through the cracks. I hope that a law gets passed that helps these students. Oh -- and it's one thing to PASS a law, (Like NCLB) - - it's another to make sure it is FUNDED. 'Nuff said. I think most people agree that it all comes down to MONEY.

****Now we have the war in Iraq. It is costing SO MUCH MONEY. Besides which, it is a very unpopular war. I surely hope it ends soon. It would be nice to be able to dream again -- and to help the students here and everywhere.

Back to ME (haha) - - I think I should try other things first, and then decide.

It's not like there is a deadline. There isn't. Except for the 4-year one - when I'd have to take my Praxis exams over again if I didn't do another semester of teaching.

Right now, I am doing things I've been putting off for years. I have even started my own business - and am writing a lot!

Going back to school again would mean I would not be able to do those things. I would have to put them off, AGAIN.

Back to the picture here. Check out these bushes - they have taken a bad situation and turned it into a good one, just like I have. Who knows? They may come back greener than ever.

I am watering these bushes just in case -- to make sure they keep growing the green part.

I am doing constructive things to make sure I keep growing, too.

Doing the Non-Trad student website is part of that. I also hope that more people will join the discussion boards and will also send me their Non-Trad groups to put on the site. That is one project -- and there are so many more.

I think putting campus non-traditional student groups on the website, and emailing them is a good idea. I will do that after re-doing the site.

More fun on the Non-Traditional Student website

Mama Mia! That's a HUGE world logo! Oh, well.


I put a big world logo on this post because I've added the world to the Non-Traditional Student website.

I also put a U.S. map on the first page, so that people with Non-traditional student groups can put their contacts and name on the site.

My next project is to put the groups on that I've already researched. Some groups have great web pages I can link to, plus great ideas and activities for non-traditional students.

New Facebook badge

I made a Facebook badge this week. I am going to post it here to see how it looks.

Here goes:


I will post it now to see.

I was a Non-Traditional Student in Education

Don't you love this old train cut? I found it here at the (free) rail art page.

BACK TO THE SUBJECT.
I was a non-traditional student in Education. I went back to get my teaching certification in English and Allied Arts, having already gotten my undergraduate degree in English and a minor in Art.

ENGLISH VS. ART... WHICH TO DO?
It was hard to decide which to do - English or Art. I knew there were more jobs in English, so eventually I made the choice to go for the English certification. I only recently finished my college work.

While I was doing my work towards my initial certification, I was required to observe other teachers' classes. I was allowed to also look at Art classes to see if I was making the right choice for me. I realized I still loved art, but loved English as well, especially the writing part!

I have now completed 1/2 of my required First Year teaching English. I have learned so much. I would like to complete the second half - and may do another year. Then I can decide whether teaching English is for me. Right now I am enjoying the computer lessons I am doing in my new business, Betsy's CGC. I am online a lot, putting books on Amazon for sale, and also putting items on Ebay.

I want to also start (FINISH!) my book this year. SO, I will be very busy. Eventually I may want to continue my schooling and at least take a few more classes. I want to take a class in Grant Writing and also make some pottery and jewelry. I may teach myself those, however. The Pots Place in Bowling Green offers classes in pottery, and since I'm already an Associate there I can go in and try my hand. I already took a class at Western Kentucky University, so I will be building on that.

This summer (or spring!) I want to continue building on the Non-Traditional Schools website. There are even more articles I could write for there. I want to offer some online classes and podcasts to help students get back into school. I am glad that I went back to school as a non-traditional student. I feel more self-confident now than I did knowing only one field (the Printing field). Sometimes a person can get stuck in an area of expertise and never try to learn and grow.

That's why I think non-traditional students are doing a great thing for themselves. They are not just staying in the same old rut... they are discovering other, new possibilities. Thinking about going back to school is a good thing, and actually DOING IT is even better.

No Non-Trad Left Behind

Still waiting, today. Maybe I'll go and check out the Fafsa site. It couldn't hurt. This year cancels our vacation to Nashville, but my husband and I DID get to see a movie or two. YAY. About the non-traditional student: sometimes things come up that totally demolish our plans, but being FLEXIBLE is something that only some people can be.

Non-traditional students tend to be the flexible type -- they cope with many difficulties to get through school and sometimes have to decide to change plans in midstream.

Does this phase the non-traditional student? NO! Well, maybe for a while, but eventually, with enough gumption and hard work, all non-traditional students CAN succeed. (I sound like an advertisement for No Child Left Behind!) This Post is called NO NON-TRAD LEFT BEHIND.

I liked the photo here. There are many here at morguefile.com. Check them out. Some people just want a comment. I prefer to give credit on the photo itself through a quick Photoshop overlay. I use Photoshop 4 on my Mac.

More later.

Another good Twain picture

I found some others at the American Memory site. It's fun to look through.

Back to lesson planning...

Now... back to lesson planning. Good picture, huh? I got it at the government site at the Library of Congress. Now to figure out what to study for my Master's. Hmmmmm......

The Non-Trad Students Page

Here is a picture of me last week as I started decorating my room at Butler County High School.

As a reminder to other non-traditional students, I have made a Non-trad students page here:

http://www.nontradstudents.com

It's a place to get information and links that will help you navigate school this year.

Sometimes it's just good to know that you are not alone -- that other students are out there to connect with and talk to. It can really help.

Non-traditional connections

This photo looks like Kentucky to me. It's from the Morguefile site, by franthony@morguefile.com. In fact, it's the picture of the day or month, and is there when you get to the site. I'm sure that he would appreciate hearing what you think of it. He named it "Sunrise." I really like it.

Today I wanted to write about Non-traditional students (of course) and talk about their interests. What I've found by meeting and talking with many non-traditional students is that they have many and varied interests. You can't just classify a non-traditional student just by being older and in college. Of course, many have families, but not all. Some have full-time jobs, some part-time. I have met genealogy and history buffs, teachers, grad students, artists, and people with many other interests.

I think it would be good to add an interests page to the Non-traditional Students website. That way, non-traditional students could talk to other non-traditional students about things they liked, about their interests and hobbies. It's what other students do... but non-traditional students don't always have the option of hanging out at the dorm, or even talking to other students in class. I think I should wrap my mind around this. I know when I was in college the first time, it was fun to get together with other students and sing and play guitar.

That's just an example of what I am thinking about today. I think that non-traditional students need to find more in school than just the classes and the grades. They need to connect via their hobbies and interests, too. Let me know if you, readers, have any ideas about this. Thanks ahead of time.

Extra - Extra! Article by Andy Schiller makes the Nontraditional Student News!

I knew it... I just knew it. In an article HERE, Andy Schiller quotes statistics from the U.S. Department of Education. Guess what? Non-traditional students are the fastest-growing group of people enrolled in college!

Here's a quote from his article:

"As thousands of these adults return to the higher education market, they are making a huge impact. The non-traditional student is becoming more the norm in the college classroom."

We non-traditional students just KNEW this had to be a trend. I remember seeing more and more non-traditional students every semester up to last semester.

Here's what else he says:

"• The number of students taking classes online tripled to 2.2 million in the year 2002.
• The proportion of four-year colleges offering online programs grew from 84 percent to 90 percent in 2005.
• Total enrollment in all distance learning courses across the United States has more than doubled since 1995 (754,000 to 1.9 million)."

Check out this article HERE. It's on the news.searchforcolleges.com site. How interesting! I can't wait to read it all again. I agree with Mr. Schiller that colleges and universities are going to have to pay more attention to non-traditional students and their needs and wants. They are going to be an even bigger group in the future, and I think that is a good thing.

Non-traditional students and global warming

I went to see An Inconvenient Truth this week and it was so powerful. As a baby boomer, I remember the first Earth Day. The Scouts participated, and they took a whole bunch of stuff out of the Milwaukee River. Including a kitchen sink. Really.

I would recommend all non-traditional students (and traditional students!) go to see this movie. It's all about how people have been lying in the media about Global Warming. It's a sure wake-up call for everyone, students included.

I think students - and non-traditional students - can take the lead during this environmental crisis (which it is!).

The website is here to find out more:

http://www.climatecrisis.net/
you will want to turn your volume down some.

Also, you can click here to watch the trailer