The contrast of commitment levels at my school is most evident around lunchtime. The main building for instruction is called Parkhouse. It's one of the original campus buildings and has a really wide, inviting, well furnished lobby.
In the lobby is where a lot of student groups carry on their fundraisers and where four years schools, the military, and potential employers usually hold their fairs. Today, when I came in right before my 12:45 class I saw two very different scenes.
On the left, two nursing students were sitting behind a sign that read "Free Blood-Pressure Screening". They were chatting with a student, looking pleasant enough. Both the nursing students had stacks of books with them and were dressed as the health professionals you see on pamphlets and posters.
On the far right, two teenage guys were selling, believe it or not, cheap-looking, gold watches. They had them spread out on a table and were shouting for people to come examine their so-called "Sale of the day!" They didn't have any books with them.
My class was to the left but before I went there I needed to stop and make copies. The copier was behind the amateur watch dealers.
I wandered over. They ignored me, thankfully, but kept shouting to people their own age.
"The holidays are comin'! Ten dollar watches!"
I made my copies and turned around to survey the scene. Everyone is, wether or not they know it, making the same decisions that the watch dealers and the nurses are making. Are you going to succeed in the long-term, provide for a better future, or do you just want ten bucks now?
One of the bonuses of being a non-traditional student is that we are more capable of critical reflection than the average 18 year-old full timer. We can look back and understand what we've done as being right or wrong with more clarity and certainty. We can also look forward and better understand the outcomes of what we're doing now.
Take some time today to reflect on what you've done and hope to do. Thoroughly think things through before deciding on something. Be like the nurses!
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
New Poll
I have a new poll (see bottom of page). If you're still not sure what your learning style is just google 'Learning Styles' and find an age appropriate quiz!
Finals/Rewards
If you haven't already you should be thinking about spring semester. Not only thinking, dare I say, but planning. As the semester draws nearer to the close (it's almost THANKSGIVING PEOPLE!) the classes you may want to take are quickly filling up. Avoid the stress and book those courses now!
If you're graduating this semester then you are in your home stretch. It doesn't matter which degree you're getting; buy yourself a frame. Get a nice big one that people can't help noticing. Spoil yourself.
This brings me to my last point. As things get hectic and finals approach you should work out a reward for yourself. Make a mental note of a way in which you'd like to treat yourself at the end of the semester. Look forward to it. Remind yourself of it while you are waiting in line to schedule your classes, worrying about work, and your finals all at the same time. Sometimes having something less tangible to work towards (the end of a semester) isn't as much of a carrot-on-a-stick as, for example, a day at a local spa.
Stay focused and stay excited! We're almost at the Thanksgiving break!
If you're graduating this semester then you are in your home stretch. It doesn't matter which degree you're getting; buy yourself a frame. Get a nice big one that people can't help noticing. Spoil yourself.
This brings me to my last point. As things get hectic and finals approach you should work out a reward for yourself. Make a mental note of a way in which you'd like to treat yourself at the end of the semester. Look forward to it. Remind yourself of it while you are waiting in line to schedule your classes, worrying about work, and your finals all at the same time. Sometimes having something less tangible to work towards (the end of a semester) isn't as much of a carrot-on-a-stick as, for example, a day at a local spa.
Stay focused and stay excited! We're almost at the Thanksgiving break!
Sunday, November 11, 2007
What's Other?
So, in my first poll I asked what kind of non-traditional students you are. Everyone answered either working full-time or other. What is other?
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
It's like a really long flight...
I was watching an old movie recently where the main character and his wife were leaving town on a vacation. The guy, his wife, and their luggage went up to the ticket counter. They bought two tickets, paid cash, and showed no identification.
Then they went to a first-class lounge where a lot of smartly dressed people smoked and kept their ties straight even though the actors themselves probably were drinking highballs or something. Long gone are those days.
Long gone are the days where undergrads used to dress the same way. We don't even consider putting on a tie most mornings. In fact, someone gave me the same bit of advice for travel and tests once.
When on a long flight try not to dress up. In fact, dress like you're a kid going over someone's house for a sleep over. Wear slippers, carry a pillow, don't worry about your hair.
The same is true for exam taking. You should always dress for maximum comfort if you're taking an exam. Some part of us, deep down, let's go of a little tension if we're wearing pajama pants. That much less tension will only add to the overall focus you can devote to test taking.
For my first biology exam this semester I showed up in a sweatshirt, soccer shorts, flip flops. This was about three weeks ago so it wasn't all that warm. I avoided a mirror all morning and just focused on the task of the exam. I managed to sit in place very comfortably for an hour and a half, no squirming, and remained warm enough the whole time. Around me were girls in tight jeans fidgeting with heels, guys taking off and putting back on heavy looking watches, etc.
Eliminate focus on the unecessary during test taking!
Then they went to a first-class lounge where a lot of smartly dressed people smoked and kept their ties straight even though the actors themselves probably were drinking highballs or something. Long gone are those days.
Long gone are the days where undergrads used to dress the same way. We don't even consider putting on a tie most mornings. In fact, someone gave me the same bit of advice for travel and tests once.
When on a long flight try not to dress up. In fact, dress like you're a kid going over someone's house for a sleep over. Wear slippers, carry a pillow, don't worry about your hair.
The same is true for exam taking. You should always dress for maximum comfort if you're taking an exam. Some part of us, deep down, let's go of a little tension if we're wearing pajama pants. That much less tension will only add to the overall focus you can devote to test taking.
For my first biology exam this semester I showed up in a sweatshirt, soccer shorts, flip flops. This was about three weeks ago so it wasn't all that warm. I avoided a mirror all morning and just focused on the task of the exam. I managed to sit in place very comfortably for an hour and a half, no squirming, and remained warm enough the whole time. Around me were girls in tight jeans fidgeting with heels, guys taking off and putting back on heavy looking watches, etc.
Eliminate focus on the unecessary during test taking!
Monday, November 5, 2007
How Do I Learn?
It's wild to think that I was in my twenties when I first asked myself that question. I'd managed to make it through school and a number of jobs never really having taken the time to understand my learning. Learning was, for lack of a better term, something that just happened.
So, not long ago, I asked a friend how she'd managed her way through medical school. Granted, we've lived miles and miles apart since high school so our conversations and emails are always relatively cordial. But she never complained. She never mentioned the stress or the grueling hours.
When I asked her I phrased it gently. I simply said, how is it that you've managed to be so relaxed through medical school and be such a successful student?
Her retort? She said, you don't mean 'successful student', you mean 'nerd'. Of course, after the joking around was done, it was her admission that she was lucky enough to learn her learning style early on.
She explained to me that everyone has a way of learning that's best for them. Perhaps a lack of success in previous academic efforts can be attributed to learning the 'wrong' way.
Now, depending on which source you reference there's between three and five distinct leanring styles.
1. Auditory Learning: I have found that this one is my style. Auditory learners are about 25% of the population. We learn best by listening to lectures, oral presentations, and with sound in the background. It's been suggested (and I know this is true for me) that it's beneficial for auditory learners to have background noise while studying or just reading. Now I understand why I always liked having the television on while I read a book.
Interesting note: if you're an auditory/aural learner, you will probably go and tell someone about this article.
2. Kinesthetic Learning: If you're a kinesthetic learner you probably learn best by doing. You're better off acting out an activity or labratory exercise than having it simply explained for you. You're much more likely to work through an exercise and "naturally discover" the finer points. You're less likely to think through a whole process before you begin it.
3. Visual Learning: This one is exactly what it sounds like. You, as a visual learner, are best off being presented with information graphically. If you're studying a series of concepts you may try webbing terms together or referencing powerpoints on your instructors blackboard site. Things like concept maps work for you.
Here's a quiz you can take. It seems to be geared more towards kids but it should do the trick. Feel free to search around online for something else. If you find a good one, let me know about it.
http://www.educationplanner.com/education_planner/discovering_article.asp?sponsor=2859&articleName=Learning_Styles_Quiz
Happy learning!
So, not long ago, I asked a friend how she'd managed her way through medical school. Granted, we've lived miles and miles apart since high school so our conversations and emails are always relatively cordial. But she never complained. She never mentioned the stress or the grueling hours.
When I asked her I phrased it gently. I simply said, how is it that you've managed to be so relaxed through medical school and be such a successful student?
Her retort? She said, you don't mean 'successful student', you mean 'nerd'. Of course, after the joking around was done, it was her admission that she was lucky enough to learn her learning style early on.
She explained to me that everyone has a way of learning that's best for them. Perhaps a lack of success in previous academic efforts can be attributed to learning the 'wrong' way.
Now, depending on which source you reference there's between three and five distinct leanring styles.
1. Auditory Learning: I have found that this one is my style. Auditory learners are about 25% of the population. We learn best by listening to lectures, oral presentations, and with sound in the background. It's been suggested (and I know this is true for me) that it's beneficial for auditory learners to have background noise while studying or just reading. Now I understand why I always liked having the television on while I read a book.
Interesting note: if you're an auditory/aural learner, you will probably go and tell someone about this article.
2. Kinesthetic Learning: If you're a kinesthetic learner you probably learn best by doing. You're better off acting out an activity or labratory exercise than having it simply explained for you. You're much more likely to work through an exercise and "naturally discover" the finer points. You're less likely to think through a whole process before you begin it.
3. Visual Learning: This one is exactly what it sounds like. You, as a visual learner, are best off being presented with information graphically. If you're studying a series of concepts you may try webbing terms together or referencing powerpoints on your instructors blackboard site. Things like concept maps work for you.
Here's a quiz you can take. It seems to be geared more towards kids but it should do the trick. Feel free to search around online for something else. If you find a good one, let me know about it.
http://www.educationplanner.com/education_planner/discovering_article.asp?sponsor=2859&articleName=Learning_Styles_Quiz
Happy learning!
Friday, November 2, 2007
Retention, part 2
Let's talk about the three biggest barriers for non-trads. First, edging out money, is the issue of child care.
This is a universal issue. Because of this a lot of campuses have taken notice and are offering child care (usually right on campus) at a competitive rate. Ask your administrators. There's a chance your child could be on campus with you and you could pay by the hour to have them supervised by other students and school employees.
Next, and usually most obvious, is money. This one is sticky. It turns out that it's not usually a shortage of money. Rather, it's an issue of poor money management. The one class we all should've had in high school is personal money management. It's unfortunate that college campuses have traditionally been a feeding frenzy for such organizations as credit card companies. There's usually a significant financial ignorance associated with the average undergraduate. You may fit into that stereotype now, but get it under control. Many schools offer a free money management seminar at least once a semester. These seminars are not a waste of time. After all, they're about one of your favorite topics... your money! Also, and this is something I've taken advantage of, a lot of colleges offer a deferred payment plan. In the past I've broken up my tuition into five or six more manageable payments which has significantly reduced my financial stress.
Lastly, for today anyway, we'll talk about distance. In this era of Craigslist and rideshares, there's a chance you may be able to easily find a regular ride to class. Carpooling is also a way to save money on travel that could be better spent on, for example, child care while you're in class. Another thing you may want to consider is the significantly more drastic option of moving. You can, probably at one of these money management seminars, crunch the numbers and ask yourself if moving your life closer to school is a financially viable decision. Maybe, like me, you'll luck out and actually end up making more money closer to campus. Another, and final, great way around the distance issue is the advent of online courses. Although I wouldn't recommend taking all of your courses online, I wouldn't discourage splitting things up. More and more schools are trying to make this a regular option for many courses. You could significantly reduce your weekly travel time if you, say, took two online courses and one traditional course.
Look, odds are if you can come up with reasonable solutions to these three things, you'll be in great shape. Consider the options I've given you and feel free to comment with some of your own. I hope everyone has a great weekend!
This is a universal issue. Because of this a lot of campuses have taken notice and are offering child care (usually right on campus) at a competitive rate. Ask your administrators. There's a chance your child could be on campus with you and you could pay by the hour to have them supervised by other students and school employees.
Next, and usually most obvious, is money. This one is sticky. It turns out that it's not usually a shortage of money. Rather, it's an issue of poor money management. The one class we all should've had in high school is personal money management. It's unfortunate that college campuses have traditionally been a feeding frenzy for such organizations as credit card companies. There's usually a significant financial ignorance associated with the average undergraduate. You may fit into that stereotype now, but get it under control. Many schools offer a free money management seminar at least once a semester. These seminars are not a waste of time. After all, they're about one of your favorite topics... your money! Also, and this is something I've taken advantage of, a lot of colleges offer a deferred payment plan. In the past I've broken up my tuition into five or six more manageable payments which has significantly reduced my financial stress.
Lastly, for today anyway, we'll talk about distance. In this era of Craigslist and rideshares, there's a chance you may be able to easily find a regular ride to class. Carpooling is also a way to save money on travel that could be better spent on, for example, child care while you're in class. Another thing you may want to consider is the significantly more drastic option of moving. You can, probably at one of these money management seminars, crunch the numbers and ask yourself if moving your life closer to school is a financially viable decision. Maybe, like me, you'll luck out and actually end up making more money closer to campus. Another, and final, great way around the distance issue is the advent of online courses. Although I wouldn't recommend taking all of your courses online, I wouldn't discourage splitting things up. More and more schools are trying to make this a regular option for many courses. You could significantly reduce your weekly travel time if you, say, took two online courses and one traditional course.
Look, odds are if you can come up with reasonable solutions to these three things, you'll be in great shape. Consider the options I've given you and feel free to comment with some of your own. I hope everyone has a great weekend!
Thursday, November 1, 2007
Retention, part 1
Today, I stumbled across a good article that raised my eyebrows. A big issue from the college's administrative stand-point seems to be (internationally!) retention. This article broke down what the barriers were to continuous enrollment. Like with anything else, if you can identify the problem then perhaps you can find a practical way to address it.
In this post I am just going to lay out the barriers and percentages. Perhaps you can take a little time and consider the things that hold you back from performingly academically. Consider them as thoroughly as you can while you examine the statistics below. Ask yourself, how can this prevent me from going to class this week? In the next post we'll consider solutions to these barriers.
"Caring for children ranks the highest of all the barriers (43%). This is followed closely by a lack of money (42%). Other barriers include lack of employer support (31%), inconvenient location of the college (32%), lack of transportation (26%), unhappiness with evening class time (19%), difficulty with program requirements (17%), unhappiness with Saturday schedule (16%), difficulty with the English language (9%), lack of spousal support (8%), caring for elderly parents (8%), caring for grandparents/elderly relatives (6%), lack of time (6%), lack of peer support (5%), and attendance policy (1%)."
Remember, we're not alone with these issues. Sleep on 'em and I'll discuss some practical solutions tomorrow. A little careful planning and a lot of enthusiasm go a long way!
In this post I am just going to lay out the barriers and percentages. Perhaps you can take a little time and consider the things that hold you back from performingly academically. Consider them as thoroughly as you can while you examine the statistics below. Ask yourself, how can this prevent me from going to class this week? In the next post we'll consider solutions to these barriers.
"Caring for children ranks the highest of all the barriers (43%). This is followed closely by a lack of money (42%). Other barriers include lack of employer support (31%), inconvenient location of the college (32%), lack of transportation (26%), unhappiness with evening class time (19%), difficulty with program requirements (17%), unhappiness with Saturday schedule (16%), difficulty with the English language (9%), lack of spousal support (8%), caring for elderly parents (8%), caring for grandparents/elderly relatives (6%), lack of time (6%), lack of peer support (5%), and attendance policy (1%)."
Remember, we're not alone with these issues. Sleep on 'em and I'll discuss some practical solutions tomorrow. A little careful planning and a lot of enthusiasm go a long way!
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