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….

Posted: 09|28|09 at 6:00 pm. Filed under: Non Traditional Journey.
Tags: College Funding, Goals, History Major, Non traditional student, older student, redfokker
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