January 29, 2004Wake up you guys!From a non-traditional studentBy: Terri Belafonte Man, the semester has started and already I am completely bummed. Inside the classroom I see boredom. I see people who can’t wait until the class is over, people who are too self-conscious to open their mouths, people who have never been told that absolutely every (most) things they say is important and worthwhile on some level. It looks like people who have come to bide their time. It looks like people who haven’t done the requisite work to prepare for class. What a letdown. The problem is, many students don’t seem to appreciate the opportunity they have every time they walk into a classroom. It is an opportunity to be among a diverse group of people with many things or nothing in common! It is a chance to participate in a meaningful discussion. You can and just might, make a fool of yourself, but this too is a chance to learn! C’mon-just do it- it’ll be fun! I know what you are thinking- you don’t want to sound stupid, or you didn’t come prepared. All those excuses have been used before. Don’t let that stop you. Come and listen, and from the comments being made combined with the knowledge of the class title, you already know the main gist of the course. Go from these two basic premises. Once you get out into the real world and get a job, and begin that part of your life, you will understand that the time you spend in college is like no other time in your life. So make the most of it. Get involved in your education!! Wake up and participate in your own life! As a non-traditional student, I look forward to hearing what each of you has to say. I have never felt that something uttered by a “traditional” student was not worth hearing or considering. On the other hand, I am sure there are those of you who wish some of us “non-traditionals” would shut up. As one of them, I am asking you to speak up. This might be the only chance you ever get to discuss some of these topics. Let’s work together and make it count. Thanks for reading this.
