Going back to college after 30 plus years of not being in college, one finds that many things have changed.
In some ways they are better: for example, just the fact that I can take a class remotely rather than have to move there or take what is available locally is amazing (The Age Of Convenience at work again). And no more standing in lines at offices to register - or (if you remember back that far) the mad dash into the gym where instructors were sitting at tables, desperately hoping that you would be able to get the classes that you needed, paper forms in hand. One simply finds the interface, goes in, and pays the money.
In other ways of course, they are more challenging.
Clearly technology now takes a major role in education in general and online learning in particular. The initial communications are all via e-mail with links to go to this place and that place to do a thing or see a thing. Orientation, handbooks, class schedules - all is now somewhere you need to get to on the InterWeb. And not necessarily in the same place or on the same platform.
And, of course, you get another e-mail account.
It appears from first glance that most of the work I will do (other than classes) will be run through an Office360 interface. Chats and workspaces, at least from what I read, appear to be heavily employed (fortunately I have used these in previous positions at work; just not to this extent) - as well as access to the Microsoft Suite of tools (that is kind of nice). All more convenient for working from home; less convenient in that I have to "relearn" a new software suite.
Who knew re-entering college came with all this learning ahead of the actual learning?
I was shocked to see my eldest no longer has to go to the book store to buy overpriced texts for class anymore. Nearly all their course work and reading is online now. I distinctly remember heavy days of shlepping my backpack full of text books across campus thinking I should investigate working as a sherpa.
ReplyDeleteYour new experience of remote learning might open my eyes far enough to want to try a course or two again though I don't think I have any interest in a formal degree anymore.
Ed, See my comment below.
DeleteEd, that was one of my shocks as well reading up on school: I will get a code to Amazon that will give me access to the books. Part of me still thinks I should buy the texts anyway; not having physical books for school seems, well, wrong.
DeleteI think I am going to make a recurring series out of this, at least for the present. If nothing else, it can be a journal of what it is like going back to "modern" school after a 30+ year hiatus. And who knows - maybe others will be inspired like you.
It all sounds very exciting, and I give you a ton of credit for pursuing an “official” college program at this stage in your life. For those of us who enjoy structured learning but not in a formal program such as yours, the conservative Hillsdale College has many free courses available for online learning. Subjects include literature, philosophy and religion, mathematics and natural sciences, fine arts, politics, etc. Victor Davis Hanson is one of the instructors. And, TB, I just saw they have a couple course on C.S. Lewis! Think I might jump on that one since the other day I was asking you about him. I found their course on the constitution very worthwhile.
ReplyDeleteThere are other programs I’ve run across, through my library, such as Great Courses. I don’t know their leanings but I do know Hillsdale College’s so I feel comfortable with Hillsdale.
AnonJ - It is not just Hillsdale. There are several schools - I know MIT and Harvard for sure - have many of their courses online as well for free. I have heard good things about Hillsdale and have read some of the folks that teach there; I will need to give them a look.
DeleteIf you have interest, you might check out the book Ultralearning by Scott Young. It is a book on how to learn after we leave school. Highly recommended.
Best of luck TB........new tricks.....old dog.........:)
ReplyDeleteNylon12, all of this is a struggle - which is forcing me to use my mind, which probably a good thing. After all, is that not what I am here for?
DeleteTake advantage of student pricing on software. It used to be incredibly cheap to get professional suites of software.
ReplyDeleteSTxAR - That thought had occurred to me as well! I need to figure out how to get a student ID - but then I fully intend to use it.
DeleteAh yes, I do remember the long lines for registration. And a lot of walking from building to building. This is where the age of convenience produces something actually useful. :)
ReplyDeleteIt's especially nice that you are already familiar with the software they use. That would be a huge learning curve for me, especially coming from a Linux environment.