I have written
this entry particularly for a fellow Xangan who is taking the positive,
fulfilling step of becoming a mature undergraduate student.
Huzzah! I wrote some other mature-student advice recently, but
this piece is mainly about the special pros and cons of distance
learning. It may be useful for others who are considering the same
plan, so I am posting it for general reference. Feel free to wander off
if this is utterly irrelevant to your life!
This morning, I thought about off-campus studying as compared to the
on-campus experience. In some ways, mature student challenges are the
same whether you attend physical classes or not. In other ways,
distance learning can be trickier for an older person with an
established lifestyle and family. And of course, some older students
really need the flexibility that an online program can provide. Careful
planning and preparation, as
always, will make for the best chance of success.
You will never forget your feelings of anticipation as you get ready to
enroll in your first undergrad courses! Most people are near at least
one post-secondary institution, and would have the fullest and richest experience if they could enroll
at one of them and attend classes in person. You get face-to-face
access to your prof and other students, to on-campus advisers and
library resources. You also have a place to go, which would reinforce
your inner sense of a temporary change of vocation. A sense of belonging can raise
your spirits and help you to feel engaged and committed when the crunch
hits. Many courses are offered in the evenings to accommodate schedule
conflicts, too. And the 18-24-year-old-set aren't as scary as they look, either. 
I visited a distance-learning institution's website
and took their online tour. They attest that it's great to be able to
study "in your pyjamas" and to be at home to look after the kids, and
so on. This is quite true, but can be a
double-edged sword, depending on your circumstances.
Yes, it is nice not to commute, not to have to lug books around, and
not to absent yourself from familiar surroundings where you can be
comfortable. But if you try to be a student and yet minimize changes
to your established, everyday life, you could find it hard to make room
for school, because all your old commitments, the ones which filled or
even overfilled your life the day before you enrolled, will crowd in,
and habit alone may distract you from the solid block of time that you
will need to devote, each day, to successful studies.
I heard the old story about working in peejays when I was a freelancer,
and later when I owned and operated my own business. In fact,
if I am too casual about the atmosphere in which I work or study,
it can undermine my efficiency, my attention to detail, and the
quality of my final work product as well. I find I perform at my best
if I dress appropriately (I usually choose the infamous "business
casual") and go to a special area of the house, or to a study area at
school,
which I especially associate with this activity.
I am not saying distance studies can't be great, although possibly not as transformative or as deeply affecting to
you on a personal level as on-campus enrollment. I am saying that it does call
for some real effort on your part, and on the part of those around you,
to allow you to really be a student and not the same mom, spouse,
and/or coworker who, while taking a course here or there, is
nonetheless expected to be available and to fulfill all the usual roles
and functions.
I would discuss the implications in some
detail with everyone affected by my decision. Obviously, given the
expense and time involved, they would realize the importance of
success. I would formally re-allocate certain obligations and responsibilities
(laundry? cooking? house-cleaning?). I would set up a special
room with a door, or at least a particular area of the house, where I would engage in my studies. When there,
I would not be available. Specific times for studying each day would
help keep this predictable for others. If necessary, I would take advantage of
local institutions, e.g., public libraries or university study rooms,
as quiet refuges from distraction.
A laptop will give you more flexibility to find an isolated place to
concentrate on coursework. I mentioned laptops in my other
mature-student advice, and cannot emphasize their value enough. Don't
skimp on the tools you will need to make this experience rewarding.
These suggestions cover challenges related to emotional commitment,
time allocation, and sense of belonging. Then there is the inevitable
isolation. You may feel at times as though no one around you really
understands what you are going through. Certainly you will wish to take
advantage of all possible "virtual" ways to connect with your professor
and the other students in your classes. However, there may be
additional local opportunities to interact with people in person.
Certainly check whether some of your virtual classmates might happen to
be within easy driving distance. Mature students sometimes feel alone
even on campus, depending upon how easily they make friends. It's
surprising how amicable and helpful younger classmates can be, but
ultimately you may want to find other older students who will really
share your concerns.
Mature students, whether on or off campus, often need to hone rusty
study skills and forgotten essay-writing techniques. I wrote a while
back about the phenomenon of "over-conscientiousness" which I suffered
from last year. This prevented me from putting pen to paper on time, as
I never felt I had quite finished the preparatory work involved in
researching a paper and organizing my thoughts. Any student might face
this species of writer's block, but mature students are particularly
prey to it. They often do not feel completely comfortable with the
essay-writing process, and so they may not be able to relax and
recognize that they are in fact quite ready to proceed. Ways to combat
this and related problems include attending workshops and seminars on
essay-writing, talking to profs and other mature students, and reading
online resources. Also, read lots of relevant scholarly writing, even
if you are not required to use it in your courses. Reading essays will
help you to write them, and secondary sources will give you a deeper
understanding of the material you are studying.
If your planned degree is in English literature, then knowing a fair
amount about Shakespeare and his works will serve you well. I do not
mean to say that English studies are mostly about Shakespeare, but his
plays and poems were extremely influential to later English language
and literature, and so you
will benefit from a solid understanding of them. Of course, invest in a
complete scholarly edition of Shakespeare, such as the Riverside.
Another book I recommend is the recently published Will in the World,
by Stephen Greenblatt. This is a great read and will give you valuable
insight into Shakespeare's life and times. We actually know an
astounding amount about this author, and Greenblatt is a genius at
pulling it all together into a crystal-clear picture. Howard Bloom’s
engaging Shakespeare: The Invention of the Human contains an
interesting essay on each play and is a good way to get into
Shakespearian criticism. I also recommend planning to watch (not
necessarily read, at first) each of Shakespeare's 37 plays. That's not
so many when you think about it. This is a useful online resource for
Shakespeare study, but there are many great movie versions of his
plays, and so you can feel studious while munching popcorn in front of
the TV.
About employment during school. You may intend to work, at least
part-time, while a student. This has certainly been done with success.
However, full-time work will not mesh with full-time studies. As a
mature student who'd been out of school for over 15 years, I was
advised to take only four out of a possible five credits (admittedly,
these were third-year English credits with heavy writing requirements), even
though I had no job at all. It is reasonable to expect that you will be
a bit slow to complete coursework such as essays, and you'll want to
give yourself the extra time you may need. If you are starting in first
year, you may have no trouble with five credits plus part-time work.
But if you feel you need to continue a full-time job while taking more
than one credit at a time, then this may be a sign that it is not yet
feasible for you to go back to school. Again, my advice: don’t cheat
yourself. Do this when you can utterly throw yourself into it, heart
and soul.
As this stage of your life opens up, you may feel self-indulgent, and
consequently somewhat guilty, for focusing so much on yourself rather
than giving the time to those around you, as you are probably
accustomed to doing. Since you have time to re-organize, work to
squelch this feeling. If it ever got away from you, it could
undermine your entire academic career from the start. It is marvelous
and lucky to have an opportunity to focus on your own development. You
and everyone around you will benefit, in the long run, from this
perfectly legitimate project. Keep your own and your family's eyes on
the horizon from the start, and you will find the day-to-day challenges
liberating, rather than burdensome.
I haven't given many links to institutions or online resources in this
piece. I do have an unfinished resource list for mature students, and
I'll publish it one day. Until then, I'll happily accept suggestions for that list
via comment or Xangamail.
Later edit:
Luv2teachpk's comment to this post is a great additonal perspective on
distance learning. Personality is indeed involved, and especially for
those who have strong support at home and a demanding schedule, as she
does, an online program can be a stellar choice!
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