Jeanne Sjoholm Kagey is writing about her experiences as a Non Traditional Student.

Back to School after 50! started in May 2007 and is now on Chapter 7 (November 26, 2011).

Read it all below! The latest Chapter is first.

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The Non traditional Student 

Back to school after 50!

Jeanne Sjoholm Kagey

The Non-traditional Student – Chapter 7

November 26, 2011

Life gets in the way!

Stuff happens and the best laid plans of mice and men, etc, etc.  So I have run out of excuses to explain what happened on my way to a college degree.  I am finding the call of the warmer climates in the winter are strong and I am weak and the snow blower gets heavier and heavier as the snow accumulates.  Okay, I could hire it done but I do have a great machine with an electric starter and some pride that I can still do this stuff.  But whom do I have to prove anything to anymore?  And the day will come soon enough when I have to give up.

I did return to school this fall after a years’ absence and found the class interesting and a bit more challenging then I expected.  I really thought I could do this Speech Class with minimum effort but found myself struggling with the computer part of the exercise.  I also need to admit that a real formal speech is not as easy as it looks if one wants to be a success informing and captivating the audience.  I got through the first assignment with a good grade and think I held the attention of the students on my chosen subject.  I did not do as well on the written hand in outline part of that assignment and realized the any quality presentation requires time, research and effort.  Don’t even go there on any overhead projector skills I might have!  Had I put more effort into the second assignment I might not have given up but that did not happen.  I took a trip to Seattle when the class was scheduled for a break and upon my return found myself floundering and too stressed to give it a go.  So I have promised myself I will return at another date and finish what I have started.

So this past spring I was invited to accompany a family member on a trip to the Mediterranean.   How could I turn that down!  We traveled on the newly launched Queen Elizabeth for a 14-day trip with stops in 8 ports of call.  The group of retirees and friends from Northern Illinois University were among only about 80 passengers other than Brits on this ship of two thousand and we thoroughly enjoyed the company of the English.  Because of concerns about travel interruptions, our group left Chicago 2 days early and spent those days sightseeing in London.  We arrived the day after the wedding of the year and were housed in a 4 star hotel across from the stable entrance to Buckingham Palace.  As we were on the 5^th floor, we had a bird’s eye view of the stables and the comings and goings of that staff. There was enough time to get us to the theater district and see the London cast in Jersey Boys.  What a treat!  We were bused to Southampton to board our shop and sailed 2 days before we entering the Mediterranean with our first shore visit being Gibraltar.  Gibraltar has in a unique place of history and although small in size, a very important protectorate to entry into that sea.  The English are going to guard that ownership forever I am thinking.  We went ashore for tea and a guided tour around this 4-mile perimeter peninsula.  We never saw any of the famous primates but did see a very beautiful Masque side by side with a Christian church.  Shipping in this area is amazing.  Evidence of trade between Africa and Europe is everywhere.

Because of the nature of bus tours in big cities, we choose smaller venues and did some countryside tours.  Can not say enough about the beauty of the countryside, the Tuscany experience exploring a walled city over 500 years old, the sprawling city of Florence climbing valley walls following the mining of marble, the statue of David, the famous coastal regions of the Riviera of Caans and Barcelona.  I have never seen so many huge yachts as I saw in the harbor at the Caans Film Festival.  Because it was the last day of that event, it took the bus an hour to get out of the city traffic.  Need I say more as to why my traveling companion and I, both of a certain age, just enjoyed long lunches with good wine and people watching with some shopping thrown in.  

On to the next adventure when my bank account recovers from this one and back to school as well.  

Tuesday, DECEMBER 22, 2009

The Non-traditional Student – Chapter 6

Now Officially a Sophomore!

Here we are toward the end of December with my to-do list still incomplete for 2009. It has been a very busy year and the thought of checking off another year with still unaccomplished goals just wears me out.

How did this happen? Hope you and yours have this all figured out and are on to what really matters in this life.

I started 2009 normally-taking a break from my goal of a college degree having passed the algebra course and feeling that I needed some time off. The weather had another idea. When the piles of snow at the end of the drive became too high to accept anymore snow from my 10 HP snow-blower and 1 had to snow-blow out into the street before I could get the lovely white stuff out of the drive, I packed up and headed south. I made a few calls and arranged to mooch my way south the very first week of February. A good friend loaned me a GPS and I was off. 1 headed to Chicago first for lunch with old friends from Baldwin days, then spent the night with my stepmother in DeKalb before I headed to my daughter's for a weekend in St. Louis.

From there, I traveled through Kentucky just after their ice storm and although the trip was beautiful, I was so fortunate to have seen it after and not been in that storm. I spent the next week with old Ludington friends in the Blue Ridge Mountains near Franklin, N.C. I left there to my 'other daughter's who recently moved to Atlanta and followed that with a trip to Gulf Shores and another friend wintering there. I stayed there almost a week soaking up the warm sun and enjoying the community swimming pool. Now there's a place 1 could return to in the winter. Lovely beaches and a very mild climate. From there I drove the panhandle into Florida and caught up with more Baldwin friends for another week. My brother-in-law and his wife winter near the Crystal River area and I got to visit with them. I had my St. Louis daughter fly down to join me when it was time to head back north and we did that with an overnight in Atlanta to visit the sister. All in all, 1 mooched my entire trip with the exception of 3 nights in motels. What a way to travel and several of these folks actually invited me back!

This winter my plan is to stay home and I have enrolled in college for one winter semester class. I am looking at a required science class online this summer. I am now officially a sophomore. When 1 finish this science class I will only have an English requirement to fulfill before I can just take some fun classes.

I also made it to Colorado this fall, New York for a weekend visit in August with my brother and a 15-day cruise ship trip to Hawaii in October which was fun. I have been quilting a lot and making new friends along the way. Time to get serious this year and refill the coffers.

December 30, 2008

The Non-traditional Student – Chapter 5

By Jeanne Kagey

Algebra books need to come with a warning.  Somewhere in large print they ought to disclose that Algebra can make you fat!  It is tough enough to glue your posterior to a chair and keep working until the light bulb goes on in your brain without stopping every now and then for that reward in the cookie jar calling from across the kitchen table to come and get me!  We all understand the concept of carrot and stick learning.  Just do this page and you can have a reward.  So six pounds later, I got the message and earned the grade I set as a goal.  Each test score climbed as the semester progressed until I was telling people I had to get out of this course as my grades were dropping when I got a 97 on the fifth or sixth chapter test.  Yes, I was enjoying the thrill of victory over the rust residue being swept from my dormant brain cells.   This did not happen without a generous commitment of time to homework.  Our professor tells that for every hour spent in class, in order to succeed, you need to spend two hours on homework.  I think in my case you could double that and I did.  Another reason I have so much respect for the young mothers in my class juggling jobs and family while they strive to reach their goal of being accepted into the nursing program at West Shore.   In this tough economy these gals know that jobs in the health field will always be there as our older population continues to grow and need nursing care.

And then there was my Government class.  Now I lived through most of what we have studied and you would think this class would be a breeze.  Not so because I was so determined to do well in Algebra and knew if I got behind I would never catch up which resulted in my neglecting the extra time I needed to do really well in this class.  A trade off I was willing to make at this point in my life.  I did earn a B in this class and that is fine for now.  I was not able to keep up with the textbook reading but took multiple notes in class and did all the outside credits we were offered.  In this class, the professor assigned three topics for us to prepare 500 word essays during the term exams and I was not always able to remember all the nuances of each topic to write a great paper in the hour exam.  Then as exam time, only one topic would be chosen for the exam.  If I can sit in front of the computer and write and re-write I am OK but this was not as easy in class.  A Government class in college is so much different than when I was in High School.  The authors seemed to be more judgmental based on history and a much more realistic approach to learning then I remember.  Our Constitution is a living document written over two hundred years ago and interpreted in today’s light for the needs of our modern society. 

It is time to wrap up my fall semester and take some time off here.  I have this option that serious students don’t and will travel some this winter planning to return to the classroom next fall or perhaps for the summer semester.  All depends on family.  I suppose I probably need to clean some closets or drawers and if I an not careful, the basement.  I have again met some great people who have allowed me to share in their classroom experience.  I also have shared the gifts of two very good professors at West Shore, one of whom taught at the University of Wisconsin and only returned here to be near his childhood home.   We are truly blessed to have this college in our community.

The Non-traditional Student – Chapter 4

By Jeanne Kagey

Did I really know when I began this journey to achieve a college degree two years ago that I would be required to take Algebra?  Apparently just plain old math or accounting doesn’t do it in today’s world. 

And so I returned to West Shore Community College in September after a nine month absence due to travel plans and knee replacement for my last joint that was an original.  The other three have held up for almost sixteen years now and served me well.  Another consideration you need to think about when you begin this journey is how will your worn out body hold up, never mind your mind!  So I didn’t bail out on myself but signed up for two classes this fall with the plan again to take the winter off.  I may be committed but I still want the same things most seniors aspire to and that is some travel to places we have only read about.   As reality sets in, the stock market is affecting those plans on a day to day basis.

I did not sleep well the week before school knowing I would have to commit to Algebra.  I did well in High School but that was a long time ago and could I still hang in there and not embarrass myself any more than I normally do?  My first week I learned Algebra has changed since the l950’s and this wasn’t High School anymore.  I have learned that the development of Algebra to solve problems dates back to 800A.D. and was conceived by the scholars in the Middle East with over 1,000 years of tweaking since then.  Certainly enough time to confuse me with these problems.    West Shore Community College has banned the use of calculators in beginner math classes with the knowledge that you must understand what you are doing and not just follow instructions on a keyboard.  I soon learn that I can succeed in Algebra if I allot a large block of time to homework.  As there is no family other than me in this house and housework is at the very bottom of my to-do list, this is not a problem.  It soon becomes apparent that I have to get better with the simple rules about plusses and minuses.  This aspect of Algebra does not come back readily and I find myself flipping back and forth to the first chapters in the book reinforcing the most common concepts of math.  And so I survived the first test with a score in the 80’s and have amazed myself with better scores on the next four.  Only five weeks left! 

I am also in a required American Government class and what a year to take part of in this great discussion we are experiencing in our National Government.   My gifted professor has enthusiasm and has a very animated teaching style.  It is apparent he likes what he is doing.  Everyone in my class voted in this recent election!  As a class assignment in early September, we had to find and register five new voters.  Now that was a problem for me as my circle of friends have been voting for years.  With the help of these same good friends we registered a granddaughter’s boyfriend and the hired man on my step-father’s farm.  What a delight to know this was his first time to vote as he had been intimidated by the process in the past and with help, we got him to the polls on Election Day.

I cannot close this review without mentioning how great the new building is out at West Shore.  This library/ book store/ cafeteria and office center is a wonderful gathering place for students and is filled every day with refreshing chatter and activity.  It is a delight to be part of the learning process again.  

November 19, 2007

The Non traditional Student  Chapter 3

Back to school after 50!

Chapter 3 by Jeanne Kagey

The Fall-Winter semester began in September and I have committed to two classes this time.  I graduated to a tougher schedule following the initial hesitation that I could really do this.  So I am at school four days a week with one class each day.  When I do this again, I will definitely schedule the classes on the same day if possible and give myself a break at the gas pump.  When you factor that expense in with the normal school expenses, books, fees and tuition, you can only feel empathy for the serious student who is working toward a degree for a brighter future in the job market.  You don’t see many new cars in the parking lots at colleges and these older models are gas guzzlers.

It seems a requirement that everyone seeking a degree should take a computer class and so I have chosen ‘Making Computers Work for You’.  Should be a piece of cake as I have used computers with my job when I was employed, with e-mail, as church treasurer and to create news letters for different projects with which I have been involved.  Ah, but the difference is that the programs I used in the past, are just that...out of date.  Programmers would not stay employed if they did not create, upgrade and modify all existing programs and the bells and whistles on the newer versions are daunting.  As with most tools, if you don’t use it, you loose it.  But I will persevere.    The first day of class finds the room full with eager students.  Strangely enough the fellows find seating in the back and the ladies find the front rows.  I wonder what my psychology teacher would make of this.  Is it just the ladies first mentality we teach boys?  When I relate this to teacher friends, they tell me that this is a common occurrence when they attend meetings and seminars with men.  I love teachers!  They are so full of interesting facts!

We begin this computer class with Word, move on to Excel which is spread sheets, and then will finish with Power Point used to prepare overhead projection.  Word goes a little slower for me than I expected because of all the new options in the programs and Excel is not too bad.  Power Point will be fun.  We loose almost a third of our class in the first month apparently.  One student confesses to me that this is her third try at a computer class and she is in it this time to finish.  This class is not made up of all recent graduates as I find also in my Western Civilization class.  West Shore Community College serves a diverse student body.  Many of my classmates are older and seeking skills that will enhance their current jobs or provide them with the skills to try a new career.

I am loving Western Civilization.  I have read all my life and tend toward biographies and I have not thought much about early civilization since I took Latin in High School.  And then Latin was only concentrated on early Roman civilization.  We start with the Paleolithic and move quickly on to Neolithic.  Then in quick succession we spend time with the Sumerians and Egyptians.  We spend what seems forever on the Greeks, that is until we get to the Romans who flourished for almost a thousand years.  I am eager to leave the Greeks as I know I would never be able to spell let alone remember the names of the important people in this era. 

I have learned so many interesting facts for instance that when they built the pyramids they were only off by seven inches and the Egyptians always knew the Earth was round and circled the Sun.  Now what will I do with this knowledge except make small talk at cocktail parties.  When I relay this plan to my daughter she reminds me that no one has those kinds of parties any more because of the liability of drunk driving.   Well perhaps dinner table conversation then when other topics lag.

I have survived two tests so far and feel confident the grade will be good.  When I obsess over this aspect of my returning to school, my fun loving daughter reminds me that I am only doing this for the enjoyment and not the grade.  Little does she know. 

If you have not driven past West Shore lately, you are in for a surprise.  The new building and reshaped surrounding terrain are truly a marvel.  Moving day is set for January and the staff and students are eager for this rearrangement of the library to the new building making room for the music department to move closer to the stage area.  West Shore is on the move!   

September 18, 2007

The Non traditional Student  Chapter 2

Back to school after 50!

Chapter 2 by Jeanne Kagey

How did I talk myself into this in the first place?  What was I thinking?  Here I am at a place in my life when I can do all the fun things we retired folks feel we have earned the right to enjoy and I am back in school.  The first test is Thursday and will I be ready?  Exhausting any retentive brain cells after an almost 50 year lapse is truly intimidating in a class of very bright young people who could all be my grandchildren.  And these folks are here for a future ahead of them while I have merely set out to prove I can still be in the game!

The test is a true and false on the first page followed on the second page by matching words to definitions.  The later is just a matter of knowing most and by process of elimination getting the rest correct or hoping so.  It is the last part of the test that does me in.  This is multiple choice.  I am told by educators these are the hardest for students as we all have a tendency to second guess ourselves and the answers are written just close enough to fool you if you don’t really have a firm knowledge of the subject matter.  I get an 82!  It took me two days to tell anyone what I scored!  I was not in the top tier but neither am I in the bottom.  I take the second test two weeks later and score 76!  The 82 is looking better all the time!  But wait, the whole class scored lower on the second test and I am reprieved.  By the third test, I am scoring higher and get an 84!  Things are looking up.  Cannot believe I missed answering one question.  I could have had an 86!  Bad break.  The professor surprises us on the last test and it is an open book.  Who knew!  I score a 98!  Now how do you do that on an open book?  It will remain a mystery.

In the process of all this testing we are also challenged to write a term paper.  We are given our choice of subjects to write about using our acquired knowledge from this class to argue our position.  I choose ‘Road Rage’ as my topic as I had been the recipient of a never to be forgotten experience with an angry drive while my children were in the car.  The paper must incorporate psychological terms to substantiate our knowledge of what we have studied and hopefully learned.  I must have done okay on this one as I score the entire 50 points the professor allowed.  Things are going to get better and I leave the class with a B+.  The grandson tells me he was expecting an A but lets see how he does 50 years from now.  

If the truth were to be told, I had for many years yearned to get that college diploma so I could be on the same playing field as my sister and brother.  Sibling rivalry even at this age but more then that a yearning to complete something I always knew I had short changed myself out of when I choose marriage and a family at a young age.  I have attended many classes for my job in banking and when I found myself experiencing empty nest syndrome in 1976, I attended Ferris State College for an evening class or two.  Altogether I have 19 credits accumulated that will transfer toward this goal and if I stay on schedule, I can do this before I am 76.  Well, that is if the old body holds up.  Gotta get to the gym more often.  There’s always something around the corner stalking us.

Chapter 1 by Jeanne Kagey

THE NON TRADITIONAL STUDENT

The first indication that this was not going to be like any other class I had taken in the past after a 50 year absence from high school, was when my hearing aid battery began to beep letting me know it was time for a new battery.  As carefully as I could, without drawing attention to myself, I looked in my purse for the battery pack I always keep on hand, hoping I did indeed still have one battery left.  Luck was with me on this one and I managed to insert the new battery before the professor began class and I would need my hands for serious note taking. 

I had already passed my first hurdle in registration when the class I selected was canceled due to low enrollment and I had to find another that would fly.  I had purchased the book for that canceled class only the week before and now had to return it and find a new book for this Psychology class.  The bookstore refunded my $136 for books but sadly informed me that the summer Psychology class did not require a book.  Now I was in real trouble.  How was I going to keep up without a book when I would be missing 2 class lectures for a trip I had already scheduled?  Well, one thing at a time and I would adopt the Scarlet O’Hara philosophy and worry about that tomorrow.  

In opening comments for the class and as an introduction, the professor informed us of his expectations, gave us a syllabus and discussed some culture issues that he found troubling.   One of those is the need to constantly have stimulation in our lives via television, I-pods and cell phones.  He inquired if any of us ever just sit and quietly spend some time thinking and contemplating issues with these modern annoyances turned off.   I prayed that at that moment the cell phone in my pocket would remain silent having forgotten to turn it off before I entered class!

Another issue the professor addressed was attendance.  How could a serious student expect to pass a class or take full advantage of an opportunity to learn if they did not commit their full attention to and attend all classes from beginning to end.  Whoops!  That very night, my only grandson was coming on the Badger from Manitowoc to spend only one night with me on his way home in Connecticut from college in Minnesota.  Having not seen him in a year and being very pleased that he would take the time to visit grandma, this was an important event for me.  I had planned to leave class thirty minutes early to see the boat arrive.  That is until I heard the professor and prior to that was scolded by my grandson who told me I could not cut class.  My grandson’s exact quote was ‘Grandma, you can’t cut class!  I know these things.’  The kid is OK in my book.  

Now my major concern is that my handwriting improves so I can decipher the notes before they get cold.  I surely don’t want to be shown up by a bunch of kids all of whom are young enough to be my grandchildren.  First test is next week and that will separate the men from the boys, which was the expression I learned before we all felt pressure to become politically correct.

July 10, 2007

On the first test I took, I received an 84!  Not great by my standards and it took me 2 days to tell anyone what my grade was!  That was followed by the 2nd test on which all the class scored lower and I missed 2 lectures because of a pre-arranged trip to Washington DC.  The professor was kind enough to give me the notes for the lectures I would miss and I studied very hard for this 2nd test.  The material was much more in depth but the test was structured in the same manner, 1st page True or False, 2nd page match a list 15 words to answers, and 3rd page multiple choice!.  I got a 76!  Sooo, the 84 is not looking so bad after all and the next test is this week Thursday.  The Prof. will throw out the lowest score we get and I am praying for redemption!  I have a paper due next week to see if I can write something that makes sense from all this psychology I am being introduced to.

More in the next installment!

July 13, 2007

I think I got 2 points higher on last nights test from previous tests. Onward and upward.  A 50 point paper due next week.