High School Drop Out 1972
Read about the adventures of a woman who went to college after having been a drop out who hated school. [Non Traditional Experiences.]
Here I was, forty-five years old, ready to enter school again after having been away from education twenty-eight years. Also, the college was almost one and one half hours away, out in the beautiful, secluded country. Was I ready to make this major change, to live all alone and commit myself to books and memorization?
Also, what would my husband of over 30 years say or do? Do I really want to do this? Can I afford this? Will I be accepted for entry? Will I be accepted by younger college students? These are the insecurities that cluttered my mind in the contemplation of attending college for a four year degree. I decided that forty-five was not old enough to give up hope on having a better career to make higher wages than I had in the past. I was ready to explore my thirst for learning and create positive change for myself. I love changes, risks, and boldly jumping right into new, exciting endeavors, so I was thrilled for this new opportunity.
First off, I lived about one and one half miles from my daughter and her husband while I went to college all week. They were both undergrads then, and they encouraged me to go to school, so I gave it some thought and I really loved the idea! Then something told me yes, so I did all the footwork and everything fell into place for me to be there at that time and place. I packed up and moved in on campus so I could be within reach of my daughter's world as well as studying to get my degree in psychology.
Secondly, my son enrolled in the same college and he moved on campus the same day that I did. His dorm was parallel to the one that I was in, across the main campus area. I lived on the basement floor in an apartment in the sorority dorm and he lived in the men's dorm in a dorm room. We visited each other and that was really weird. He left college and went back home after a month or so and he made the decision that college was not what he needed to reach his goals.
Thirdly, I simply loved going to college. I finally felt like I had a second chance at learning because I never had the chance to go any higher than high school. And get this, I hated school and dropped out after 11th grade to get married due to love, not pregnancy. So yes, here I was entering school again and wow, I had never dreamed once that I would ever have the wonderful opportunity to get a college degree. I became a college student after having obtained my GED in 1990, in case I ever needed it. I became a what is called a non - traditional student from 2000 to 2002 at the state college in West Virginia, called West Liberty State College.
Well, here it is laid out to the world honestly about being a college student when one is just smack dab, right in the middle of life. I had fun, I hated the work, I loved the learning, I cried many times for different reasons, I was sleepless because of many tests I would take in the mornings after staying up all night to study. Yes, going back to school was very hard, very humbling, and so dang stressful to me when I had to remember massive amount of information that would somehow elude me after every test.
Likewise, my college stay was exhilarating at times, and I learned so much from some of the best professors in the area.I was like an open book about everything and the teachers loved that. I was able to give to every class what my life experience has taught me over the years. I was able to weave my new knowledge with what I all ready knew and it made me more well rounded in the end.
Furthermore, living on campus alone was a real enlightening experience. I had to be on the level of the students, blending in so I would not stick out like a sore thumb. This was a feat for my extrovert personality. I made many, many friends and was a very social creature most of the time. Almost everyone I saw I knew or they knew me from word of mouth on campus. I was considered "cool" because I am so open and straightforward. I had to be careful with that because getting into the parties could have ruined all my goals, and I had been invited to many on and off campus bars and parties. I was very well accepted and became quite popular not only with students, but with everyone everywhere on the campus. I talked to the custodians,maintenance, freshmen 18 year olds, other non traditional students, teachers, professors, employees and staff, treating all as my equals. I made some real friends that I have stayed in contact with too.
One time my best friend on campus had me laughing so hard, I think I may have wet my pants. She kept yelling a real funny ignorant word that was definitely in the George Carlin list, as loud as she could across campus about three in the morning. She had some Tequila and well, she was feeling pretty good. We had gone to a couple of dorm rooms where there were gay friends we knew from college. They had straws made of penis and testicles, and I had put one behind each one of my ears and when we left, I squeezed into the small elevator with my friend and there were four freshmen guys in their basketball outfits, and they were all real solemn and she burst out laughing and I followed suite. None of them even cracked a smile which made it even more funny. I never laughed so hard in a long time. It was so much fun to be able to be myself and act silly.
Unfortunately, I am considered disabled by some standards, but do not get any money because of my conditions.I asserted myself to find out what could be done for accommodating my special needs even though I was not declared disabled by social security standards. What I received was way more help than I ever thought I would obtain. The disability office employees were so kind and helpful. This helped me relax so that I could concentrate better on my studies.
I ended up doing extremely well in college, ending up with a GPA of over 3.8 and honors society, psychology honors society, Dean's List for the college and nationally. I had worked harder than any student I'd met. The ordeal of memorizing material to regurgitate on a test, along with moving home back and forth on week ends and semester ends, the long walks up steep hills and winding paths with loads of my belongings, the routines of day and night classes, studying all the time, etc., etc, all were taxing on me.
Finally, I was unable to complete college to obtain my degree, mainly due to financial issues as well as personal reasons, and I am not real happy about this outcome. I did give it my best shot and I have gained immensely from the experience.