Bucket List Goal: Finish College

I was expected to head off to college after I graduated from high school. And this made sense. After all, I was a decent student and wanted a decent future. Most of the adults in my family held college degrees, and my family could afford the expense of my education (I did not realize how blessed I was by that until trying to pay for my own kids' tuition). But the problem was I had the focus of Mr. Magoo. I had many interests, but no one all-consuming passion. My hometown was a big auto manufacturing town, and many of my high school classmates aspired to be UAW members pulling in the big bucks from GM or Chrysler. I knew I didn't want that, but I had no idea what I did want. With that solid platform, I gamely headed off to Ball State University in the Fall.

About half-way through the second grading quarter I began sleeping too much, and barely dragging myself to class. I would wake up in the middle of the night so freezing cold I would pull on extra socks, zip up my winter coat, and burrow back under the covers, still shivering. This went on for weeks as I became more sleepy and weak each day. I finally went to the infirmary, and remember telling the nurse I thought I needed to see a psychologist because I felt too depressed to go to class. The nurse took my temperature and found it was 103 degrees. Huh? After a battery of tests both at college and my home hospital, it was determined I had an advanced case of mononucleosis. Never having been sick in my life (other than the occasional cold or stomach ache), I had no idea what being really ill felt like. By the time I had finally sought help I had an enlarged spleen and other complications, and was ordered to observe weeks of bed rest. Almost as soon as my college career began (and before I could try enough electives to choose a major) I was back home in my old room wondering what in the world to do with myself.

After my recovery I began attending the local community college and working part-time at a local drug store. At this drug store, I met a newly graduated pharmacist, became engaged and married all within a year. Because that is exactly what young women who do not know what to do with themselves did back then. We moved several times during the first 6 years of our marriage, and at every location I took a couple more college classes while working full-time. By the time our first child was born, I had two years' worth of classes under my belt--just enough to substitute teach for most schools districts in my state. So that's what I did when my kids were young. Occasionally I would take a class in something that interested me, but I never did get that degree. I threw myself with gusto into parenting, held a series of newspaper correspondence jobs, and basically stopped even thinking about learning on any level higher  than Sesame Street.

Nagging Nudge

Of all the stupid things I've done in my life (and I've done some doozies), not finishing college while I was young, unencumbered and someone else was paying for it, takes the cake. I don't so much need a degree to do the things that interest me, but there is no denying the importance of that paper when one is looking for a job. There is no denying a degreed co-worker being awarded a promotion that I am more qualified for (except for that all-important piece of paper). And there has been no denying that every time one of my children graduates from college (or gets ready to go, as my baby is right now), I feel the pangs of a mom whose kids are about to pass her by. I expect my kids to pass me by with things like skateboard tricks, new math, and larger paychecks. But I'm not yet ready to concede defeat on this important societal threshold.

So how exactly does one jump back into college after being gone for, uhm, a few years? I'll never forget my sister (who returned to nursing school at age 48) telling me she sat down the first day next to a multi-pierced, tattooed young thing who looked her up and down and said, "Wow, like, you must feel really weird coming here at your age!" Well not so weird, actually. In 2001, the Association for Non-Traditional Students in Higher Learning shared that statistically, over half of all new and returning students at today's college campuses are over the age of 25. And one of the fastest growing student demographics is senior citizens. Here are some practical tips if you would like to be one of those:

• Research scholarship and financial aid opportunities. Check the links below to help find funding sources for older students. Many states offer reduced tuition for older students. Some states (Alaska, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, Vermont and Virginia) completely waive tuition for senior citizens attending public universities.
• Check out the College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) to see about testing out of 3-12 hours of college credit by using knowledge gained through life experience. Check the College Board website for further information.
• Lean heavily on your academic advisor, who is trained to help you navigate your required class schedule and maximize your academic potential.
• Ask family and friends for support. Be upfront about the fact you will not be as available as you once were, for the period of time it will take you to reach this goal.
• Take some easy classes first. Dip your toe in slowly, and establish study habits that will carry you though your course of study.
• Be sure to create a relationship with each professor--not overly friendly and familiar, but enough to make sure the professor knows you personally. Don't try to pull the 'sympathy card' by telling the professor how many other balls you are juggling. But at the same time make the professor aware of issues in your life that could interfere with your educational process.
• And above all: DON'T GIVE UP! A college education is a goal worthy of your effort and complete commitment. College grads not only have higher paychecks than non-grads, but they have also been found to enjoy better long-term health and higher life expectancy.

People with higher life expectancies are around longer to add new items to their bucket lists. That sounds like a plan to me!