WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2021 - Continuing Higher Education - Part III

 WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2021 - Continuing Higher Education - Part III

First, today is the inauguration of our 46th President of the United States - Let there be peace on Earth and let it begin with me!!!

Two things:

My bias #5 - With ‘traditional-age’ students, college should help the student mature.

“College has the fountain of knowledge, where students go to drink”!!!

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A college student frequently has about 15 to 18 hours of classes a week.  A week has 168 hours.  So, a minimum of hours is spent in class!!  If you consider that the ‘average’ work-week is about 40 hours a week, that really isn’t much time in class.  

That leaves a lot of time on a student’s hands.  (The old adage “Idle Hands are the Devil’s Workshop” might come into play).

First - students need to allocate study time.  When I went to college (some 55 years ago), I allocated three hours outside of class for every hour in class.  When I taught, the general rule-of-thumb was two hours outside of class for every hour in class.  Using those figures,if a student has 15 hours of class, and studied 30 hours (two hours for each class hour), that is 45 hours - spread over seven days, that is about 6 hours a day.  If a person is awake about 16 hours a day (allocating eight hours for sleep), that leaves about ten hours a day for other things.  Sure, eating takes up some time - let's say two hours a day, still leaving about eight hours of time in a day.  And studying takes up about 6 hours a day, which still leaves time to get involved.

So, what should a student do with that time?  My answer - get involved.

Humans are different from other mammals, our young stay with their parents until they are about eighteen years old.  But, our young are rarely expected to be on their own until they graduate from high school.  Some go to college, some get jobs, and many go on to college.

In a “normal” year, being away from Mom and Dad and on a college campus can be exciting.  (And, boring).  So, my answer is still - get involved.

This is a student’s time to become independent.  I moved far enough away to become ME.  In my first semester, I studied - hard - a lot.  I didn’t want to flunk out.  And … I got good grades.  Then the second semester, I found “college life”.  I was in plays, I played in the concert (and pep) band, I joined a fraternity, I started to date.  I got active.  In the yearbook my senior year, I had one of the students with the most entries.  (By then, I had added resident hall RA, Student-Senate, Circle K, - and graduated with high honors!!!  

And, yes, in line with the second statement at the top - “College is the Fountain of Knowledge where students go to drink”, I did learn to drink socially.  I do know too many college students who let alcohol direct their lives (and too many adults with the same issue).  

 

This laid a foundation for my life.  Service, life-long learning, never settle!! For example, at Quinnipiac University, I was a faculty advisor to two groups, played in THREE symphony orchestras, was active in my church and community, was honored as a mentor, as an outstanding educator, was involved in national and international accreditation, and loved my job!!!  (And, when I retired, I wasn’t ready to “go to pasture” and relax - I had to stretch my comfort zone!!!)

Parents - encourage your student to get active - but watch over them.  If your student’s grades are suffering because of too many activities, they might have to cut back - as the ultimate goal is graduation.  Some students work (or have work-study jobs on campus).  Those can help the finances and help the student to become active.  

Another suggestion for the student - is to go to the college fitness center.  Jog, walk, run, lift weights, do aerobics, swim, get active.  

Become a life-long learner.  I can remember a little thing that has stayed with me.  During my first semester, some friends and I went to a book shop in a little strip mall.  I got a book “!01 Best Philosophers”, and a painting “The Hay Wain” by John Constable.  In my spare time, I read about philosophy and I admired the painting.  I think I have kept that life-long learner philosophy through my life - and even here in my blogs.  

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So, I’m not in college anymore.  So, what did I do yesterday?  I took a friend to get minor surgery.  I sent notes to my son and to others encouraging them.  I exercised (and got over five miles walking).  And - I even practiced my tuba!!  I listened to a novel while walking.  I did several Duolingo German lessons (I’ve ‘mastered’ the Duolingo German course, but that doesn’t mean I really know German).  I did two crossword puzzles - to keep my brain busy, I did three daily online puzzles, I looked at the Daily Art app on my phone, and listened to classical music!!  (And, I took a nice nap!!!)

My friends- you may have students in college (or grandchildren or children of friends), you may be retired - but don’t be ‘dead, without being buried’.  Keep living and loving!!

More tomorrow about my college thoughts!!!

LOVE WINS

HUGS!!!

Karen