Reaching Lifelong Goals as a Nontraditional Student

“Enrollment skyrockets at Linn Benton Community College” I somehow missed this article in our local newspaper.   I figured it out pretty quick on Monday when I saw  students parking on the lawn because the lots were overflowing!   This term in my Non Traditional Student Journey, I am taking an extra writing class.   I’ve already met my Oregon State University requirements for writing courses, but I could not pass up WR123 Research Writing.    Being a History Major, I felt this would be a valuable class for me down the line, so I jumped on it.   During the entire term we will be writing a major research paper on the topic of our choosing.  At first, I had the idea of writing a WWI History paper, focusing in on my favorite ace, Ernst Udet.   My independent study course this term will be an annotated bibliography of all sources about him.   Should be a great plug in…  I almost started feeling guilty, as this would be a no brainer for me.   My instructor made some comments about what research writing really should be which changed my mind.    Simply regurgitating facts and information does not make for a challenge in research writing.   I have to agree here.   I do have some ideas on how I would approach a paper on a Historical subject, and the research requirements for them, but…   How about a subject that is near and dear to all of us – NON TRADITIONAL STUDENTS.   We were told to write about something we were passionate about, something that can be extensively researched, and most important, a topic that we could put our own “spin” on.    How you interpret your research is more important than just listing a bunch of facts.    So….watch this space….I will include my findings and information about Non Traditional Students here on the Reaching Lifelong Goals blog.   After all, being a Non Trad is  what this blog’s title is really all about.   I have started some preliminary research, and there does seem to be alot of good information out there.   I need to narrow down the focus of the paper and not broad brush the topic of Non Traditional Students.    Ideas have been spinning around in my head (keeping me up all night, as well) about what areas of the Non Trad Experience need to be high lighted.   Statistics of non trad populations in student bodies will be enlightening, but I would like to write about the specific needs and challenges of the Non Traditional Student.    I have bookmarked some great academic articles regarding unique teaching methods for non trads, what different institutions are doing to adapt to high populations of non trads and papers on the specific needs in educating them.   Quite a bit of meat here.  Challenging topic to say the least.    I’ll keep this topic on the front burner here on this blog to keep everyone up to date on what I learn about my fellow non traditional students.    I’m off and running on this one…next post about it should be my Thesis for the paper.   Wish me luck!

Today was the second day of Fall term here in Oregon.   Another crazy crowded day on campus.    Seemed like there were twice as many students scrambling for seats in the crowded classrooms.   I now have been to all of my registered classes, so I am up and running for the term.   Today’s additions were WR123 Research Writing and my “fun” class of History 201.   I now have the full load of classes started and I already have a ton of homework to get to.   Wow, this is a real experience this term.   I had an hour between my classes this morning, so I figured I would get some reading done in a quiet place to study….NOT!!!    Checked out the Learning Center at LBCC, it was a sea of people….only a few open chairs here and there.   Oh well, it is the second day and probably lots of people are there for help on various subjects.   It definitely was not going to be a nice quiet place to get some reading done…   So, I figured that a quick lunch would be good.   Again, the cafe on campus was packed, the poor staff looked like they were really getting hammered, guess I should not add to their problems.   Surely the Library would be a nice quiet place to study.   Wrong!   Almost all the tables in the library commons area were full of fun loving, excited and loud students.   I didn’t try to go into the deep dark recesses of the Library to find a little cubby hole, just gave up.   I realize that it is only the second day of classes and everything should settle down after the first week, BUT…..       I do not yet have any experience with the crowds of a full sized university, that will come Winter Term when I begin my two years of German at the actual Oregon State University campus.   I suspect that this story is not unique though.   The number of Non Traditional Students was evident, I plan to see if I can get the actual statistics for my institution sometime next week.   With college enrollment up here in Oregon, I am sure this is not an isolated phenomenon.    Things are tough all over….go to school!!

They ran out of room in the parking areas.   Students are parking on the grass, it looks like a country fair at my Community College.   Today was the first day of class for Fall Term.   Linn Benton Community College is stuffed to the rafters with new students.   And as I expected, there is a huge number of non traditional students!    We were told that enrollment at the college is up 25%.   Yet, last year they reduced the number of teachers, did away with the Photography and Theater Arts programs and made all kinds of budget cuts.   Even though there are a record number of students, the budget is not determined only by enrollment.   There is still budget problems that have to be handled.   I suspect this is not unique to Oregon.   Did some google searching about this and it looks to be widespread around the country.   My first day back was great, I’m excited about my English Lit class.   Early Shakespearean plays, Richard III, Romeo and Juliet, Mid Summer’s Night Dream and some of the Bard’s famous poems.   Right up my History alley!!   The only play that I am not too familiar with is Richard III.   My involvement with Albany Community Theater has given me exposure to a number of Shakespeare’s plays.    I have stage-managed a few, built the sets on others, but have not had to memorize iambic pentameter dialogue (thank god!!)    I will enjoy this class very much.   Did I ever mention…I’m having a blast being a Non Traditional Student!!

Tomorrow I’ll be in the queue for a slot in an English Composition class on Research Writing.   Hope I get in, being on the wait list for a class is a new experience for me.   Looks like this term will be very enjoyable.    Visiting before class, I met a number of Non Traditional Students.   Many of them had no idea what the term means.   This shows me that the Non Traditional Student Community needs to reach out to these students.   I plan to promote the resources that are on the Internet for fellow Non Trads.   My plan is to post some posters around campus pointing Non Trads to the various websites that are out there for them.   I suggest that as many of the bloggers and webmasters with Non Traditional Student sites do the same if possible.   We need to help get the word out to as many of our fellow students as we can.   The amount of great information online for Non Trads is very valuable for these new students who seem to be wandering aimlessly around college campus today.    Let’s get the word out!    I will do a special posting later this week specifically pointed at all the great resources available online.      Now….I have MATH HOMEWORK to get started on!!    Turn brain on, turn brain on, turn brain on….

The past month of vacation from school was refreshing.   Did not get much done around the house, but now I’m ready to turn my Non Traditional brain back on!   My Fall Term at Linn Benton Community College starts tomorrow morning at 9:00 with Math 065!    I will be finishing up my math requirements at LBCC before transferring full-time to Oregon State.   Next term, I will be bouncing back and forth between my two schools as I will begin my 2 years of German for my B.A. core requirements.  My schedule this term will be full, I’ll have my “fun” classes; History 201 and English Lit (Shakespeare!!) 201.   I will be diligent in my 4 credit MTH 065 class this term…focus, focus, focus.  As an added challenge, I will be taking a 3 credit Independent Study series in History.    Needing another class in Writing (like a hole in the head…) I am actually on a waiting list for a Research Writing class.   I feel this will be invaluable to me down the road as a History Major.   I have never had to worry about getting a class I want yet in college.   Better get used to it though.   The schedule of classes for LBCC and OSU are full, full, full…   I don’t think this phenomenon is specific only to Oregon Schools,  colleges all over are filling up due to the economic status we are in.   Which begs the question….are the schools being filled with non traditional students??   One of the first research papers I intend to do will be on this subject.   Of course, I will also blog about it here.  As my first week of fall term progresses, I will start to develop my GOALS for this term.   I think that goal setting will be one of my hot topics for a while.   Due to the high number of Non Traditional Students out there today, I feel that goal setting is one of the most important skills we can work on right away.   I am very excited about school starting again, seems like the 2nd grade all over again!!  Be sure and check back with Reaching Lifelong Goals for some great information and tips on how to deal with being an “older student” returning to college – We are Non Trads, hear us roar!   (or at least participate in class discussions….)

My fall term begins on Monday the 28th.   My wife decided that I deserved at least one last fling before hitting the books again.   We are both very interested in photography (I blog about that too…here) so a couple of days of photo travel in Oregon were planned.   Just like in 4th grade….”what I did on my summer vacation” comes to mind.   With a full load of classes during Summer Term, there was not much “summer” left.   We spent Monday and Tuesday in Southern Oregon visiting a couple of sites we have neglected over the years.   On Monday, we drove about 2 hours South of our home in the Willamette Valley to Roseburg, Oregon…   In a small town near there is a Wildlife Safari Park.   I have not been there for over 25 years, when they had first opened.   It was quite hot  and most of the animals were resting.   I did get some fantastic photos though, still going through the RAW images in Lightroom. The Wildlife Safari Park has one of the premier Cheetah breeding programs in the USA.   The big cats were quite active, but behind chain link fences (not great for photography)    When entering the Brown Bear enclosure, we saw two huge males having either fun or a big disagreement.   All in all, the Safari trip was a success and we had a very enjoyable day.   Back to the hotel for the evening and up early the next morning for a trip East into the mountains to visit Crater Lake National Park.   A very scenic drive up into the mountains along the Umpqua River which has some very nice rapids and wonderful vistas.   One detour that proved to be very photogenic was Clearwater Falls, which was a short hike into the forest. This waterfall was beautiful and we spent about an hour there.   I did some experimenting with shutter speeds and the waterfall.   Pleased with the results (still have some post processing to do…)

The High point of the whole trip was spending the day at Crater Lake.    This is one of the most beautiful spots on the North American continent.   Crater Lake is located in Southern Oregon on the crest of the Cascade Mountain range, 100 miles (160 km) east of the Pacific Ocean. It lies inside a caldera, or volcanic basin, created when the 12,000 foot (3,660 meter) high Mount Mazama collapsed 7,700 years ago following a large eruption.  Pictures are hard pressed to do this wonder justice.  After a wonderful lunch at the historic Crater Lake Lodge, we continued around the rim of the lake stopping and enjoying the beauty.   The lake is about 5 miles across and a drive around the rim takes a couple of hours (including stops for photos)  I could not have asked for a more perfect end to this summer, 500 digital photos on my computer, and just a couple of more days to get them processed before hitting the books again!!!    I have a full load of classes scheduled for Fall Term.   It is now time to turn my brain back on for the coming school year.  I am one excited Non Trad, I’ll be finishing up my Math requirements  and diving full force into my upper level classes as a History Major at Oregon State University starting Winter Term.     Sorry for the diversion from my Non Traditional Student faire, but this special couple of days was too wonderful not to share with my readers.   Tomorrow, we’ll be back on the college life track again.    Thanks for spending some quality time here with me.