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Did
those stories inspire you?
Are
you already a non-traditional student?
If
not, here is a very simple decision-making process that can
help you decide whether or not to become a non-traditional student...and
many of you may have already used it before.
I
think most non-traditional students struggle at first with the
question, "Do I want to go back to school?" Some of
us have always wanted to do this, but simply can't go forward
with it. Things always seem to get in the way, like real life,
the job, the kids, etc. etc. etc. So how does a person decide
what to do?
MAKING
A CHOICE ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT TO GO BACK TO SCHOOL
My
mother's advice has always worked for me. It can help with this
choice as well as others in your life, and it's a lot more scientific
(!) than tossing a coin would be. What do you do? You simply
take a paper and divide it into two, straight vertically down
the middle. You then list the pros and cons for each side, numbering
each one to keep it straight.
Next,
write down each reason pro or con and why you feel that way.
You can make each one as short or as long as you wish. The title
of your paper will be "Going back to School". Your
title over each column will be "Pro" and "Con".
You
simply will list each good point for going back to school on
the "pro" (or yes) side and all the bad points about
it on the "con", (or no) side. If you start to run
out of room, simply continue on the back or add more paper as
you need it.
THE
FINISHING GLANCE
You
are now going to look at your finished list. Does one side have
an overwhelmingly long bunch of reasons pro or con? Or are they
both pretty even? You can tell a lot from this first glance.
I find that most times, one side will be a LOT longer than the
other. You can see the positives and negatives so much easier
after you have listed them. Staple all the pages together if
you have more than one page.
WHEN
THE LISTS ARE THE SAME LENGTH
Well...
I think when your Pro and Con sides are exactly the same length,
you need to do this over, more thoughtfully. You have probably
forgotten to write down some pros or cons. If you simply can't
think of any more reasons pro or con, you can ask other people
in your household, relatives, or friends. They can perhaps think
of more pros and cons that you haven't thought of yet.
AFTER
YOU COME TO A CONCLUSION
Don't
let your list make your decision for you, but if you have overwhelming
"cons" right now about going back to school, maybe
your timing is wrong for now. You may be able to go back to
school later. If money problems are the main reason you can't
go back to school, you might want to research funding or apply
online at the official FAFSA site to see if you qualify for
loans or grants. Remember to think of the future, and not just
how hard it will be right now, because often it WILL be hard.
You
can also go to our
Scholarship Links right here and register at some good sites.
It can't hurt - and you might find out that going back to school
is possible for you. Contact me if
you have any questions. Good luck!
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