Non-Traditional (Part 6) - A Bit About the Students

The end of my first semester back at school was a busy time, what with all the running around, studying, writing, reading, staying up late, waking up early, and ignoring this blog… and that’s nothing on what most of the students I know do.

I was so frazzled that when I woke up, I’d have a mug of coffee with breakfast, or for it. I’d stop at a 7-11 about two hundred feet away, fill up my mug, and stop again at the one across the street from SWC. Then and only then did I feel fortified to start thinking.

Don’t get me wrong. I had a lot to do outside of school, but I saw a lot of students working their tails off to ace those finals and get those grades up. I am impressed. They impressed me, and by and large, they were those students who were here for an education, not a degree.

I say again – I was impressed.

I did well. I pulled some high grades on some finals, turned in some tremendous work, and now have a GPA floating at about 4.0. I’ll be honest. There’s some strutting involved. (But only because this is the first time in recorded history that I’ve rocked a 4.0. In fact, I’ve got some teachers back in the days of yore who would have laughed their rumps off had I told them I’d ever do that well.)

I’m going to show restraint. I’m going to keep my strutting to a minimum. Because I’ve seen students do a lot more, a lot better, and with a lot more obstacles. I know students who have kids and families, are carrying an insane number of classes, who have to travel from campus to campus, who are holding down overtime jobs while they go to school, and who are taking classes and writing essays that make me say, “whut?”

That’s impressive.

Now that I find myself jumping through the same ridiculous hoops that they jump, and digging out exactly what forms the admissions and financial aid people want, and dealing with SWC’s insanely rude and backwards computer systems, and trying to do everything the administration demands, I realize…

It’s really damn impressive. Not me. Them.

I’ve got some things to say about things, believe me. But it only took me a moment to realize that I didn’t want to use this space talking about them. I wanted to use this space for something better.

There are students that still drive me crazy with their laziness, their inability to arrive on time, their dishonest, and their willingness to cheat their ways to that degree.



Like this guy.

 But this isn’t about those people. This is just my way of saying how good it is to know students who do care, who strive to succeed, who work hard, who are never late and never miss a class, are honest and honorable.

This is my way of saying, “Wow, you folks really and truly impress me.” You are the reason that professors like doing what they do. You set an example for your classmates and your colleagues. You make coming into class a joy. You are helping to make the world a better place.

Keep it up.

And speaking as that non-traditional guy who’s gone back to school to improve himself, and who probably watches you and what you do more than you realize… thank you.

Non-Traditional (Part 4)

Yep, there's quite a gap between this one and the one before - no question about it. I said I was going to try to blog as often as possible, not that I was making any guarantees.

But I'm going to keep trying.

****

It started when I asked one of my younger classmates why he was in school – an education, or a degree. Quite proudly, he answered, “an education.”

So did the next one. I asked a few more.

"I want an education,” each of them said. Though about half qualified their statement by stressing they wanted an education and a degree, or they wanted an education, but also needed credits to transfer to a four-year college. Each of them answered “education” when I made them pick one.

I knew they would.

You see, I picked those students that seemed prepared. The ones who had the textbooks early. The ones who took notes. The ones who interacted with the instructors.

I asked a couple of others. I don’t need to describe them, do I? You know which ones – the ones that curl their lashes in class, and leave in the earbuds, and can’t be bothered to show up on time, if at all, and who have a multitude of excuses as to why they showed up without notes, textbooks, or anything to write with.

They wanted degrees.

Even when I asked one of these future leaders of America what he wanted to degree in, he said, “dunno.”

It gets better. When some of those non-education-wanting degree-seekers did have an idea what they wanted to be when they got that degree, it was often one of the usual suspects:

“I’m going to be a fashion designer.”

“I want to be a musician.”

“I’m going to own my own restaurant.”

“I want to be an event planner.” Question, Ms. Future Planner of Social Engagements – shouldn’t one be on time to one’s engagements? Just a little hint.

Not that I’m knocking anyone’s dreams. I’m not. But there is a vast disconnect at any level of school between the student who sets out to seek his education and lets that help guide her path to success and the student who shows up late, snoozes under his cap, and can’t be bothered to find his book, yet is convinced he’s got a future career as a music mogul.

Gonna start a hip-hop/death mariachi record label

There’s no punchline to this one, just a bit of lingering wonderment. I recognize that this is a bit of cross-generational rupture, and you should realize that I know it.

And if you think I’m entirely wrong… try it. Find one of the slackers and ask. Or better yet, find one of those well-prepared young men and women and ask them if they think a degree or an education is more important.

I bet I know what they’ll all say.

*****

By the way, I got back my first Business test this week. Aced it – only perfect score in the class of 40 or so.

Non-Traditional (Part 3)

This is the third part of the ongoing saga in which Nick returns to the college for the first time in two decades. Read the first two parts: (Part 1) and (Part 2).

In our last thrilling episode, I mentioned that I’d talk about different lecture styles. Well, I lied. Okay, not lied. Let’s call it underestimating the amount of homework I’d need to be doing.

So let’s talk about homework. I’m going to keep it brief.

I’m estimating that I have somewhere between 15 and 20 hours of homework to do this weekend. That includes two Journalism assignments, a sixty-odd-page reading for Business, and a Business quiz to prepare for. I also need to get as much written as I can of three different pieces for a special edition of the Southwestern College Sun.

I’m certain that’s not much compared to what it will be like later in the semester. And it’s just a patch on what students who are carrying 15, 16, 18 credit hours have to do. But when I say I feel a little daunted, I mean it. I’ve recently drifted into my fourth decade of life and I’ve good a very good analytical brain – and my brain is letting me grasp the web of options in front of me.

The easiest option is the one that requires the most discipline: get the books, get started, and don’t stop. The end of the semester will come quickly, and the gulf of time between “a whole term ahead of me” and “I’m out of class time” will narrow faster than you can expect.

Do the homework as soon as possible, ask the questions you need answered, and interact with the instructors and the classes – learn.

I wish I was a little older, back when I was younger.

I’ve got more to say, but it’s going to have to wait. I have homework, you see.

Non-Traditional (Part 1)

About twenty years ago, I left college. Not with a degree or a cum laude or any of that; I just left. On Tuesday, I returned to college.

For those of you regular readers, it probably comes as no surprise that I chose to continue my continued education at Southwestern College, a school that I have championed as being far better, and much more deserving than the corrupt Governing Board it was saddled with.

But I’m not going to travel that road today. Today I’m just here to say that I – quite literally – put my money where my mouth was, and enrolled.

After a few oddly nervous days, worrying about what my return to academia would be like, I woke on Tuesday morning without a worry in the world. I got up and realized I wasn’t thinking of this as going to school; I was thinking of it as going to work.

I showered, shaved, grabbed some coffee, and glanced in the mirror to check my man-nificence one last time, then headed to work…er, school.

The first class was Business 120 – Intro to Business. It may seem odd that I was taking the absolute basic business course, but in all my previous college days, I had never taken a single class of the kind. Granted, I had written extensively about business in my freelance writing days, but I thought it might be time to actually get a little education to go with my knowledge.

Michael Van Keith is the instructor, an adjunct professor with style, charm, and magnificent hair. He engaged just about every student, even if they came in forty-five minutes late.

Which leads directly to my first rant: what the hell are people doing showing up for class half an hour late or more? On your first day? Is this a particularly unique way of making a good first impression? Because that’s not what happened. A very young student near me grumbled loud enough to be heard, “This is a business course. It’s not professional to be late.”