19 April 2010

University as a Mature Student

I was very fortunate at the age of 40 to attend university. I went to Mount St. Vincent University in Nova Scotia where I took courses toward a BA with a major in Political Science. I was a visually impaired woman, single mother, 40 years old without the financial means to do so but I did it. I was a first generation university student and this was also the case with a lot of younger students.

I loved university as I encountered all kinds of information which helped me to make sense of my world. I particularly enjoyed reading the historical narrative of the feminist movement - something I'd never studied but had certainly lived through. I also enjoyed my courses in Politics where I learned about leveraging power and came to realize how little power someone like me has in the world.

Some of the challenges that I faced had to do with ensuring that my child was cared for during those times when school work made it necessary for me to be away from home. I always managed to work it out. I also commuted to and from school by bus and that added to my burden but I enjoyed studying so much that I think I would have walked to school if I had to.

The visual impairment was a tough one and it became worse later on because I was not very good at asking for help and I didn't really know what I needed or what was available. I think that there could have been some improvement in this area. There is lots of talk about accommodation of differences but people haven't quite figured out how to bridge some divides.

University is a place where students can challenge assumptions and mature students like myself like to challenge the assumptions. Sometimes professors didn't like that about us especially considering there were times when the professor had only obviously experienced life as an academic. The lived reality or "where the rubber hits the road" offers another peice of information that often needs to be put in there alongside the scientific data.

I went on to study law at Dalhousie Law School after receiving 9 credits and that is an experience that is worthy of it's own entry in my blog. I am not someone that is traditionally found at Law School and I faced some very unique challenges there. I didn't finish the degree but quit at the beginning of my 2nd year and returned to MSVU finish my BA with distinction in 2008.

For those who are considering returning to school I'd recommend it to anyone. There is so much that we don't know and even with a university education all that we really gain is the tools to dig deeper. The world has changed so much and our view is so limited. Some might say that this is a great thing and I'm not in agreement.

It was a wonderful experience and I'll write more about it later.

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