Last day of holidays before term II starts

I don't know where the three weeks of vacation went!!! It was a whirlwind of Christmas preparations, visitors and viruses (the latter were unwelcome visitors!).  There was much excitement and some very happy children, and adults.  Today we are finally taking the tree down, as well as the remaining few decorations.  And yes, we are still finishing off eating the Christmas baking...

It was a strange Christmas, with most of us being sick.  I ended up in emerg on Christmas eve, as I realized I most likely had been fighting strep throat all week.  No walk-in clinics were open, our family doctor's on-call service was closed, and my good friend and neighbour, and MD, was not home.  So off I trotted to emergency for get a prescription for antibiotics, just as the last of our guests were arriving and Christmas eve dinner was almost ready.  At the hospital, my fellow patients and I were serenaded by a choir, which I must admit, as nice a gesture as it was, and I really appreciated it, it did feel somewhat strange being on the receiving end of such a gift, in a hospital.  Gastro viruses followed soon after the strep, and now pneumonia has made an appearance at our house.

I am tired.  Simply tired.  And I know that tomorrow another semester being anew, one that promises to be much more intense and a heavier work-load than the one just finished.  This term, I will have two anatomy/physiology courses, compared to the one I had last term, which was extremely intense.

Maybe part of the reason I still feel somewhat disconnected about starting another term tomorrow, is that I am still waiting for the results of first term.  It feel very unfinished, not having results yet.  I found the results of one class posted on a course website, which has since been removed, and nothing yet where final marks are to be posted.  And the university has a policy stating that "marks are considered final as of January 19".  I blasted off an email to the school today, about their lack of feedback of results...one advantage of being a second-career/mature student.  I wouldn't have done that when I was 19.  Now I'm no longer 19, and I wrote the email (polite, yet definitely to the point and expressing my views on their policies), and damn, it felt good.

My immunology/microbiology class prof has posted his lecture notes and slides, and I have already dutifully downloaded them, and even glanced through them.  It looks very interesting, but at the same time made me cringe inwardly, given that I still have zero energy when even thinking about beginning another semester.  At times I think I am just too old to be doing this now, at this stage in my life, and yet I am so grateful for the opportunity to do this at this stage in my life!  Such conflicting feelings are still part of my thinking, even 4 months into this adventure.

On a more positive note, I had a great interview with a local hospital about volunteering with them, an interview that the interviewer quickly turned discussion to my doing clinical placements there, who I will be put in touch with, and she even ended by saying that her best volunteers always get hired there.  I must say I left there feeling very happy, with the way the meeting had gone.  For some strange reason, and I'm not about to question why, I am not worried about finding work as a nurse when I graduate.  Yes, there is something I am actually not worried about!!!  The worrying part is trying to visualize actually getting through the next 7 semesters.

On another positive note, this coming semester will be much easier in many ways, compared to last term.  I have already made the transition from being a full-time professional, to a student, I have made many new friends who are great, I have figured out how to best use the materials that profs make available to students via the Internet -- something that didn't exist when I was a traditional student!  That last point was a real learning curve to be when I started nursing school, figuring out how to best use the on-line learning materials. 

So much information and supplemental learning material is available to students today, it is simply overwhelming.  I had to figure out how to make the best use of it, finding a balance between learning from the textbook, the on-line material and the lecture notes the profs post ahead of time.  All that should be much easier now, as I finally did manage to figure out how to best and most effectively use all the resources. 

There shouldn't be all the "new" experiences that September to December held.  I have now (successfully!) written mid-terms and finals, have done assignments, learned so much interesting information and learned how to balance school with family life and all the requiements that that entails!  I've found the parking spots at the school, I've volunteered at my children's school, and I've even found time to go for coffee once with a friend in four months.  That last point has to change, and I am certain it will, given how much more routine my new life will be in the second term. I was never lonely, never feeling isolated or alone in the first term -- quite the opposite! I always had lots to do with many people always around.  But there was never (OK, once!) just time to turn-off the "shoulds" and the obligations, and just relax a bit and have fun. That will definitely have to change in the coming four months, and frankly, is something that should change from here on in, in general!

Hopefully the coming four months will be simply a case of just learning the class materials, and successfully completing another term.  Hopefully I will muster up more energy and enthusiasm  once I'm in the classroom again.  And then I go back to my job on May 1, and all this may seem like it was just a dream...

Happy New Year!!!

Wow, 2012 already.  Only 3 calendar years now until my April 2015 graduation...OK, better just think about one semester at a time, as that other date seems too surreal...

Less than a week until classes begin again.  Not sure I'm quite ready for that yet!

Still waiting for the results of two classes.  Still recovering from the various viruses that invaded our family over Christmas.

Here's to health, happiness and success in the coming year. 

Cheers!

so.so.frustrated

Yesterday's class was incredibly frustrating.  I arrived a couple minutes late (mea culpa), and had to sit a bit further than I would normally choose to sit.  That being said, given a choice, I usually sit somewhere in the 5-7 rows from the front, and yesterday sat in probably row 8 or 9, so not a huge difference.

What was a huge difference, was the number of my classmates not paying attention to the lecture (and it was a doozy -- 90 minutes spent on the physics and chemistry of action potentials of nerve impulses). 

Many more people are now bringing their laptops to class, as opposed to the first weeks.  That in itself is fine, except that I see so many people using them for stuff other than accessing the prof's pre-posted lecture notes.  Yesterday there were so many Facebook sites up, photos being listed through, Tetris games played, Solitaire games played, someone near me had apparently Googled "light sabers" and was going through the various sites that Google generated for her, texting, etc. etc.

Frankly, all these things going on doesn't bug me, per se -- they're quiet activities and don't really disrupt the class.  I think they're incredibly disrespectful tasks to be doing during a lecture.  Oh yes, and then there's the other reason we go to lectures -- to listen to the prof and actually learn something.  But again, that's the individual's choice and prerogative whether they choose to learn or not. 

What frustrated me yesterday, beyond belief, was the two, extremely young, girls chatting directly in front of me for the entire lecture.  It took everything I had in me to not tap them gently on the shoulder, and suggest that they go to a coffee shop to continue their conversation.  Why were they in the lecture?  They were not taking notes, they were not listening.  They were talking, giggling, laughing so hard they had to wipe tears from their eyes and put their heads down on the table (this was the result of realizing the desk was sloped and that their pens roll down), and texting.  Nobody takes attendance at university.  They were just a distraction to everyone around them.  What did they think they were gaining by showing up?

I'm not expecting everyone to take school as seriously as I do.  Of course not.  But it just made me feel so frustrated and even bad about this second career choice.  Will people like them be my future bosses at hospitals?  I'm giving up a lot to be doing this change, and I still at times doubt myself in this choice.  I have an established career that I'm good at, that pays very well, that has a great pension, benefits and job security, where I have good friends, colleagues, managers whom I really like and respect.  Anyhow, I don't have to decide this right now.  I know I'm back in the office on May 1, 2012.  I sat there in the lecture thinking maybe I should have gone to medical school instead of nursing school.  Maybe that would be a better fit in terms of students being there because they truly want to learn the material.  But I truly do not want to be a doctor, I want to be a nurse practitioner specializing in maternal health. 

Then I looked around me, and saw other young students sitting near me, all with lecture notes printed off or studiously typing notes into their laptops.  Clearly the few totally immature ones in front of me would be considered the few 'bad apples' that tend to give entire demographic groups a bad rap.  They'll either not be around by the end of the year for flunking out (if that even still happens at university - things have so changed in terms of deadlines...that's another blog post in itself!), or will get their act together, grow up and smarten up.  And the class demographic is about 50% being 30+, and the other 50% being fresh out of high school.  So at least half the class is in a similar mindset to myself. And, most importantly, I'm building a core group of friends that are great.  :-)

Given the was they behaved yesterday during the lecture, the giggly topics of conversation I was privy to listen to, I simply cannot imagine these girls in their first clinical rotation next year, when we'll have real patients to touch and work with. 

This vent is ending.  My lesson learned from yesterday was arrive to class early, and choose where I want to sit!!!  And I guess I really need to focus on the end result of the schooling, not necessarily the process, and the fact that like-minded friends are in the program.  I need to visualize myself really working with a labouring mother, and assisting her in the safe delivery of a new life.  That's what I really want to do as my job.  More than anything else. And I've been given the opportunity to do so, even at mid-life.

Time to hit the books.  It will be a full weekend of studying.  My first exam is next week!  Ouf!

Am still so sick...caution...complaining/venting post...

It was a week ago last Thursday, that I sat through a full day of lectures shivering, even though I think I was wearing about 4 layers of clothing (never a good sign!!!).  A few days later, the head cold emerged.  By Wednesday (2 days ago) I was feeling better, but then yesterday it seemed to mutate into a chest cold.  I spent most of yesterday's marathon lecture day (I really don't like Thursdays) coughing (much to the 'appreciation' of my classmates, I'm sure) and it zapped me of all energy and brain power.

Today I'm a bit better, but did NOT have the energy to even think about driving to class, and then listening attentively.  OK, maybe I did think about going, but that expended and depleted my energy stores!

Luckily, very luckily, I now have friends in class, whom I can lean on for info for the missed class.For this, I am extremely grateful.  Merci, merci, merci.     :-)

I just want to feel like myself again. 

For the first week of class, I was a bundle of nerves and excitement, given that it was the actualization of so many years of thinking about doing this and wishing it.

During the second week of classes I was mostly a shivering heap, knowing full well I was in the early phase of fighting a nasty virus.

This week I am lethargic and coughing my lungs out.

Oh yes, and on top of all this, I feel that I have fallen so far from where I wanted to be in my studies.  And add to that, that my first mid-term exam is in less that two weeks...not a good feeling.

I just want to be my energetic, enthusiastic, 'normal' self again, who exercises on her treadmill most mornings, walks the dog before the kids leave for school and (mostly) meets the daily challenges head-on with energy to spare.

Here's to next week. There's always hope, that much I know!!!  Here's also to a full weekend of studying, to catch up on my studies.

Learning tools available online

I briefly mentioned in my last post, about the incredible number of learning tools that are available online.  These tools are specific to the textbook being used in class. 

It was somewhat frustrating to me this past week, having to spend so much time figuring out what all is 'out there' in cyberspace, that I'm supposed to be registering for, using and learning from.  It is all new to me.  My 'old' student me was just thinking I should be poring over the textbooks, memorizing as much as I can, yet there I was, spending so much time in front of the computer trying to find various items.  With spending all this time figuring out the computer part of the class, I felt like I was falling behind in my 'traditional' studying (feeling that you're falling behind in the first week of classes is not a good feeling!)

However, in the end, when all is registered for and learning tutorials completed, I am in awe of the materials available.  I have to change my approach to studying, and realize that most of my study time will be spent at the computer, rather than the textbook. 

The other 'new' to me aspect about attending university today, is the fact that the profs all post their lecture notes online, before classes.  The students print these off, and use them as the basis of their notes.  Back in my day, these notes were never available, and we were expected to just scribble frantically during each class, in a desperate attempt to get all the info down.  Now we have the luxury of being able to actually listen to the prof and write down the 'extra' tidbits of info, rather than focusing on getting the slide info written down.  This is great.

It is quite a change in approach to studying, but one that I can adapt to, and think will make for a better learning experience than I previously had when attending university the first time (so many years ago!)

Fighting my first cold of the season, as are two of my kids....sigh....so the virus cycle begins anew....

 

Whew...I survived...

Well, all I can say was that the first two days were very intense.  So much "new" to take in.  New to school again after so many years, new school, new classmates, new routine, new courses, new home routine (doing more 'domestic' stuff since I'm home more now), feels like new everything.  By the end of the first couple hours at school on Thursday, I was starting to longingly think of the comfortable, known confines of my office and work routine....to think a mere week ago I was in my safe, regular, known work environment...

But somehow I made it through those first 6 hours.  The first prof started his lecture with the 'classic' line that I'd heard and read about for years in medical classes.  We were each instructed to look at the people sitting on either side of us, and then were told that one of the three of us would no longer be in the program by the end of first year.  Something else that I heard this week and that really surprised me (I had no idea!), was the nursing school admittance ratio.  Apparently nursing school is very competitive to get into, and only one person was admitted into the program, out of every 12 applicants.

Luckily for my brain, the profs shortened their lectures somewhat on the first day, and there were some brief presentations given by upper-year students about 'best practices' based on their experiences in nursing school thus far.  We were even treated to a pizza lunch.  I had forgotten to bring my water bottle, so by the end of the second lecture, I was beyond dehydrated and my brain was full of new info, that I was a bit dazed leaving the lecture hall.  I will admit that that evening, and the next couple, I was so mentally tired that I was sound-asleep by 9 pm....

I met many new classmates, and am feeling very good about the group of us 'mature' students in the class.  I had met one classmate earlier via the Internet, and so I had someone to sit with right off from the start.  That made such a difference -- it was great.  By the first break, we were able to start mingling a bit, and I figure by the end of the day I had probably chatted with about 10 classmates.  The ages certainly vary from clearly fresh out of high school, to older than myself.  There was also a much greater number of males in the class than I figured there would be.  This is good for the profession to have a better gender mix, in my opinion.

Learning at university has also changed much since my first go-round.  Everything is online now, and profs post lecture notes, various additional learning materials, even quizzes and assignments on their websites.  The learning experience is definitely much enhanced now, and I think that is great.  

On the flip side, I was a bit surprised by the degree of 'spoon feeding' that was present.  I'm not sure if it is the expectation of the new generation (based on the questions they were asking the profs and tidbits I'd heard about the reality of high school these days), or if this is the new 'norm' that has evolved at university.  I'm not complaining, it is just an observation comparing from my earlier experiences at university.  Either way, that's the way it is, and frankly, I can just take advantage of this to further my own personal academic goals and results. 

I hope to start writing more regularly again soon, as I adapt to this new lifestyle and reality.  This is going to be great...

First Day of Classes! (the morning of...)

Well, here I am.  The day has finally arrived, after being just a wish, a thought, a dream for so many years.  Today will be my first day of classes.  And what a day it will be...6 hours of classes today! 

Off I must run, as I don't want to be late.  I will update the blog hopefully later today, given that my brain survives the extreme input of information it is about to receive!  I don't remember the last time I had so many hours of intense instruction.  Over the last decade (+!) I've attended various conferences, seminars and meetings, but their format, goals and concentration level on my part are quite different from instruction from a professor.

Here's to the first day of the rest of my life!

Onwards and upwards.

"Returning to School Syndrome Model"

I came across a very interesting study and information on the following blog:

http://nurseteeny.wordpress.com/tag/second-degree-nursing/

The author cited a study (full reference below), about the phases a 'second degree' student experiences, after having been in the workforce for a time.

The phases are summarized here, as per Nurse Teeny's blog.  The commentary that follows in the two paragraphs following the phases is also content from Nurse Teeny's blog, and I am giving the author full credit for their writing. 

I thought those two paras were extremely well written, by somebody who has been through the experience.  I think it is useful to get as much info as possible about the experience I am about to embark in!   I think I will start reading this blog regularly.

• Honeymoon – This period often coincides with the first semester of nursing school.  You’re excited about being a student again, you’re confident that you’ve made the right choice and you’re optimistic at the first signs that you might actually be able to figure this stuff out.  I remember turning to a friend halfway through one of our first clinical rotations and exclaiming, “I might really be able to do this!!!”  It was invigorating and I was in love with nursing.  The honeymoon phase is all about the romance of nursing and is critical to success because it makes you believe that this experience is worth all the challenges to come.
• Conflict – The conflict phase is tricky.  Utley-Smith et al. noticed that this period often occurs during the second semester, when clinicals get more intense and classroom material gets harder.  The skills you knew well in your life B.N. (“Before Nursing”) don’t get you as far, and the expectations are higher.  Our second semester featured part two of our Med-Surg nursing course, during which we were expected to build on the skills learned in part one and really take off.  And I did notice A LOT more conflict during this time.  More fatigue, more anxiety and much more complaining, often about issues that were out of our control.
• Reintegration – Reintegration actually begins with hostility, in many cases.  External factors are blamed when students don’t live up to their own standards of success.  I believe that in our cohort’s case, we’re still muddling through this part.  We’re all used to being really good at things – we succeeded in school and previous jobs, and we got into a very difficult nursing program.  So when the grades are less than expected and the G.P.A. doesn’t glow as we think it should, we look for culprits, whether they be administration, faculty, the program itself, or sometimes a peer.  Hence the “obnoxious” remark about my finishing exams quickly.  Hostility hopefully (and usually) evolves into positive resolution, when you figure out how to integrate “self B.N.” with “self R.N.”, and understand how you have been transformed into a nurse.

"Returning to school is difficult.  Returning to school to study nursing is even harder, especially when you have been successful in your life before nursing.  Not only do you learn extremely difficult material at a rapid, break-neck pace, but you also are thrown into a completely new culture.  And to top it all off, learning in the classroom is very different from learning to think on your feet, and in nursing school, you have to do both.

 

I also advise that you cut yourselves a little slack and realize that no matter how many A’s you got in your prereqs or how many stellar references you got from your former boss, you are starting from Square One.  The skills, the language and the culture will be foreign concepts, and you don’t have to master them right away.  But your interpersonal qualities, work ethic, and passion for providing care to others – which undoubtedly got you in to begin with – are important to hold onto.

And when you start to doubt whether you can do this, you can."

Reference*

Utley-Smith, Q., Phillips, B., & Turner, K. (2007). Avoiding socialization pitfalls in accelerated second-degree nursing education: The returning-to-school syndrome model. Journal of Nursing Education, 46(9), 423-426.

 

Nervous Nelly

My better-half actually called me this name a couple days ago.

And he was absolutely right.

(And no, "Nelly" is not my name!)  :-)

When did this happen to me?  How did this happen?  Why do I find myself worrying about and doubting things now, much more than I used to?  Is it age-related?  Did it start when I became a Mom, holding my newborn safely in my arms, and realizing how scary the world can be for my little nursling?  Is it a mindset that has become a habit?

Whatever the reason, I really don't like being this way.

A couple days ago at work, I was "worrying" out loud while chatting with a colleague, about whether or not I'd be the only one in class probably not using a laptop to take class notes with.  She's one of our younger colleagues, and is currently taking some courses at univeristy (so she's really in the know!!!)

I have a laptop, and I'll bring it with me and try it for note-taking, but I have a great self-made shorthand I honed when taking notes for my previous degrees.  So even though I can type fast, frankly, it will probably be easier for me to just write down my notes using the old-fashioned "pen and paper" method.

We had a great chat, and she told me that she uses pen and paper to take notes too.  She's in the generation that I am sure grew up 'digital', but writing is her preference.

I guess I'm already really self-conscious (in advance of classes even starting!), of not being a traditional student, and not really fitting-in.  But will something relatively insignificant like using a pen and paper to take notes really make a difference, either way, of fitting better or not?  I'm not so sure that would really make any difference.

Good attitude, friendliness and a smile will probably go a lot further.

It made me realize that I really need to stop worrying about these little things, and....
..................JUST BE MYSELF. 

Easier said than done, but as they say, realizing and admitting something is a big step in getting over it.

Battle of the Ages

Hello, I'm back to my neglected blog.  We have survived the "plague" that has infected our house for the past 2 months or so. 

We also survived our youngest having a relatively serious injury to the TMJ, upper teeth, mandible and gums, when a 'twirl' went bad and she crashed mouth-first into a solid wood coffee table.  On the positive side, I did learn a couple things from a nurse in the ER, and I also learned that I absolutely do NOT have any interest what-so-ever in being a dental nurse.  Displaced teeth just turn my stomach, particularly when the teeth belong to my child!!!

I recently happened upon the Globe & Mail article below.  It is a older, dated article, but the topic is ageless (no pun intended!!! hahaha!!!)

And I must say it made a knot in my stomach.  Upon re-reading it, it actually seems to be a relatively poorly written and researched article (this opinion is coming from a comms 'specialist'!). 

It seems as if the journalist picked specific people who had the most extreme experiences to highlight, rather than to look at the overall picture as well, i.e. how many mature students are there, what programs are they in, have schools done any surveys of mature students about their experiences, etc.

The article also talks about culinary classes and arts classes.  I have read that 'the' most popular choice for people working on a second career is nursing.  Therefore, I think that nursing should probably have a somewhat higher proportion of 'mature' students among their class composition. 

Apart from the whole "move from the secure job into the unknown" issue that I've been grappling with, the idea of going back into the classroom and not being a typical students is one of my biggest apprehensions.  I am realistic, and I know myself -- I am not intending or hoping to be going on pub crawls or hanging out in dorm rooms.  Been there, done that!

I am hoping, however, that my classmates (of all ages) are friendly, accepting and helpful....as I am.  I would love to have a small group, of 3-5 of us who are in similar life-stage situations (home, spouse, kids, dog), who I will hopefully become closer friends with.  That would be great.  And no, I am not planning to wear any of my business suits to class (there's a reference to suits in the article)...in fact, I am very much looking forward to wearing scrubs and comfortable shoes (the complete opposite of office shoes!) for the remainder of my working life as a nurse!  :-)

However, at this point in my life, I am truly going to classes to learn and to get the BScN behind my name.  Of course I want to make friends and have fun along the way, but learning is the ultimate reason for being there.  Every other aspect of my life is well established and in place, unlike the reality of kids leaving home for the first time.  

OMG, just under 4 more weeks until classes start...and 12.5 more days in the office.  And wouldn't you know it, these past few weeks are THE busiest I've been at this job for over the past two years.  Summer is typically a quieter time in our office, and I was rather hoping to just kind of glide until my September departure.  That is clearly not the case!  Lol!!! 

I don't mind one bit -- I'd rather be busy than not any day, as it makes the day go by so much faster.

And hopefully in a few weeks time, as I'm established in my new student routine, I'll be writing an update about what a great bunch of classmates I have, that we're a diverse and friendly group, and that the next few years should be great....

*****************************************************************

Battle of the ages -- at a campus near you

NADJA SAYEJ

From Tuesday's Globe and Mail

Published Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2008 9:47AM EST

Last updated Tuesday, Mar. 31, 2009 9:13PM EDT

At her back-to-school barbecue in September, Vicky Wright might have expected a food fight - but what she didn't expect was to have to fight for her food.

"I was surrounded by these, I was going to say 'obnoxious kids,' " said Ms. Wright, a student who had waited in line at Conestoga College in Kitchener, Ont., for a hamburger. "They stepped on my toes and invited their friends in line before me. They were rude, loud, had a very odd sense of what personal space is," she said. "One of the kids ran over my foot with a skateboard - I was wearing sandals."

Ms. Wright, a digital-media student, was unlike most students there. At 44, she is back on campus after 23 years in the work force, looking to sharpen her computer skills as a graphic designer.

She is one of a growing number of "mature students" - mainly in their 40s or 50s - who are dropping their day jobs to score a seat in the classroom.

According to a report released last year by the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada, the enrolment rate of mature students reached a record high in 2006. Of the 700,000 full-time undergrads in Canada, 16,000 were 35 or older.

"We have lots of people who come back to school after 20 years," said Marilyn Laiken, a professor of adult education at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto. "Sometimes they graduate from one program and go back to work, or go start another program."

But once they get back on campus, older students often find that the kids are not all right.

The younger students, riled by the look, attitude and scholarly style of their more experienced peers, are swapping stories online. Dozens of groups taking aim at mature students, with members from Melbourne to Glasgow, Toronto to Halifax, are popping up on Facebook.

"Down with mature age students!" one group posting reads. "Go back to your life and stop trying to reinvent yourself."

"Old, boring and balding" is how they are described; they are mocked for hauling their textbooks in an airport rolling bag instead of backpacks. Some complainers say the older students mention their divorces too many times, and dress inappropriately for class: "Fifty years old and think wearing a suit to class is the done thing?"

"I have this guy in my class, he's 55," said Luke Gaston, a 20-year-old culinary arts student at George Brown College in Toronto. "He repeats things. If the chef says 'debone the chicken,' he says 'debone the chicken?' ...

"It's frustrating because we're there to learn but he's there for leisure," Mr. Gaston said. "He's constantly asking questions and slowing things down. He's hindering our education."

The age-driven tension often runs high, and sometimes it can boil over in the classroom. Kristen Monteith, a 24-year-old student at Brock University in St. Catharines, Ont., found herself sticking up for another young student when an older one got catty.

"I simply looked at the mature student and said, 'I'm sorry, I didn't realize we were in junior kindergarten, I thought this was college and we were supposed to be mature about these things,' " Ms. Monteith said. "She looked at me and continued on with her work."

For instructors caught in the middle of the melee, sometimes calling a time out is the only option.

"If worst comes to worst, I'll call a snack break and call the two students over to speak to me," says Heather Jordan, a psychology professor at York University in Toronto.

"I enjoy teaching mature students, but they're less co-operative. They have an 'us versus them' attitude," said Dr. Jordan, 37.

While they may be the victims of uncalled-for attacks, the oldsters are nonetheless fighting back against the whippersnappers with their own Facebook groups. On their pages, they scold younger students for showing up late to class with hangovers and for distracting others by whispering loudly during lectures.

"You can only laugh at the Hate Mature Age Students groups because it's clearly spoilt brats that live with mummy and daddy and have no real world experience," one mature student writes.

"It's humiliating getting bullied and abused by people almost 10 years younger than you," another writes, "and then having the staff tell you that you brought it on yourself for coming to university."

Still, some school instructors do hear out the older folks.

"Some younger students go to school prematurely, and they can be a drag to have in the class if they don't want to be there," said Nicole Collins, a 46-year-old painting professor at the Ontario College of Art & Design who is a master's student in visual arts at the University of Toronto. "I've never had a mature student who doesn't want to be there. They've had to make sacrifices."

The campus divide continues outside the classroom, where mature students feel excluded from the keg parties and pub crawls.

"I found it was a bit bizarre and overwhelming, and in some cases very much like a carry-over of high school," said Shawn Rennebohm, a 37-year-old political science student at the University of Northern British Columbia in Prince George, B.C. "We want to be involved but don't want to get smashed."

In turn, the older students are carving out social groups and clubs on campus, holding events from Scrabble nights to potlucks. And as Marie Colombe de Maupeou, co-ordinator of the mature students centre at the University of Ottawa, says, they do it to meet like-minded folks and forge a community outside the cliquey confines of youthful campus life.

"They're not particularly interested in knowing 'this guy was so cute,' " she said.

Wow, Friday already.  Where has the week gone???  This has been an exceptionally busy week at work for me.  A corporate event I had been organizing for a few months took place on Tuesday.  It went very well, and I am relieved that it is over!  A few other events also took place in the latter part of this week, making it, as I said, exceptionally busy.  Busy is good -- I love being busy at work.

I am turning into an academic 'keener'.  I recently got hold of the anatomy & physiology textbook that I'll be using in the coming school year, and I can keep it until the fall.  So I have started reviewing the material.  I am very pleased (and greatly relieved!!!) that so far, what I have read has been a good review of the physiology classes I took (many) years ago during my BSc degree.  It is not so much the physiology classes I am concerned about -- actually, those I am greatly looking forward to, as I loved my physiology classes in 3rd and 4th year university. 

Rather, my concern is the memorizing of the anatomy...will my memory be what it used to me???  We shall see.  What I do remember (see, all is not lost!  LOL!) from my previous anatomy classes, is that there was an awful lot to learn in a very short period of time.  Back then, it was not only a question of learning the names of the muscles and bones (and tendons and blood vessels and...), but we also had to learn where they originated from and where they inserted into. 

And for our lab exams, we were faced with about 45 covered pans, each containing a dissected critter, and we had 30 seconds at each station to uncover the speciment, take a look at it, and write down the origin, insertion point and of course, name of the item that had the pin stuck in it.  Then on to the next station.  I'm not sure if the nursing anatomy exams will be this involved (after all, we are now doing human anatomy, not 10+ different critters like in my previous classes), but regardless, there will be a lot of memorizing to do.  And the earlier I can get learning it, the better.  It is a academic confidence boost, if nothing else.

And finally, to end this week with a quote I find inspirational, here it is below.  I know that no job will ever be 'perfect', but it would sure be nice to feel at least some of the time, that I'd be doing this work even if they didn't pay me.  That's certainly how I felt during those many hundreds of hours I've spent volunteering in various hospital departments.  Hey, I did work there, loved it and they didn't pay me.  Now I'll get to go back to that environment, and even get a salary.  Doesn't get better than that, as a job, in my books!

"Choose a job you love and you will never have to work a day in your life."
-- Confucius

Registration day today

Well, it is official.  As of this morning, I have registered for my upcoming classes for the fall and winter semesters.  I must admit, that the times, they have certainly changed, since I last registered for an undergrad program!

This morning's online registration was streamlined and efficient, with all the information about my file accessible at the click of the mouse. 

No more filling out paper forms, waiting in line, getting somebody to sign off on the form and then receiving the almost illegible bottom copy of the 3 or 4 papers that made up the form.  Remember having to "press hard with your pen when writing, as you are making multiple copies"?  Lol!  That is most definitely a thing of the past.

The schedule seems very empty, particularly in the fall term, as I have been given credit for some courses from my previous degree.  However, I must remember that there will also be lots of studying involved to fill the days, not just attending several classes.  Being a student is most definitely different than being a working person.  Once you leave work, it is done.  Once you leave class, the real work begins! 

I am also thinking of maybe working part-time for the first part of my program, until clinicals start.  Once they start, I think working at my current job will not be possible.  I have some amazing options for taking leave from my job (I have wonderful options at my current work -- I just wish I loved the work itself!!!).  However, this is all theoretical speculation at the moment, and would certainly make for a very, very full schedule.  There are also family commitment to consider, and one of my main reasons for changing careers, is to be able to have a more balanced life, where I can spend more time with my children. 

My "gut" is telling me to just move on and make this change for real, and part of me wants to return to teaching music to a few students, as a PT job while in school.  I have a degree in music, and used to teach piano a long time ago.  May be time to re-visit that option....this option would definitely be more conducive to having more family time.

It is starting to feel much more real now, at long last!!!  Whew...