So let me tell you a little something about me. I did not go to university after completing high school. In fact I avoided it on what I perceived was advice from my guidance counsellor.
"Trades are where it is at Melissa, if you want to succeed find something that you are good at and see if there is a trade that would compliment that."
So that is what I did. I loved to cook, so I pursued an apprenticeship as a chef and I hated it. The advice of my counsellor hounded me and I would not be defeated, maybe I had not found the right trade. Back to the drawing board, I coloured my own hair and cut my friends hair all the time, maybe that was my calling, so I went to school to become a hairstylist. It quickly lost its appeal for me and I developed a pain in my hands which clinched the dream of becoming a hairstylist. If I was being honest with myself the pursuit of a trade that would interest me felt like the back up plan if university did not work out (this is not the case for trades in general, I respect and love the trades, but for me this was a truth). My interests were in careers that required a university education. You may think that my guidance counsellor was suggesting the trades because my scholastic accomplishments did not allow for university. That is not true either, I was a straight A student for the majority of high school and even with my grades wavering around low eighties in grade twelve, I could still be university material. Again I would like to point out that trades are not for individuals lacking intelligence (quite the opposite actually, my husband is a sheet metal technician and the quotes and blueprints that he works from leave me feeling flushed). This is just my experience as I know it.
So by the time that I had figured out that I was meant to be in university pursuing academia toward my career I was in my late twenties with a child, a full time job and a house to support. I started off slow, taking night courses and then moved onto distance education and online courses. I did this part time for TEN years, yep I said it, a full decade before realizing that my children would graduate university before I did. So this summer after taking an on-campus course I decided that I would return to university full time to complete my BA and pursue my Masters in Social Work. This blog is my honest account of the experience as I perceive it as a thirty-something, mother of three on campus with twenty-something experienced students.
* I'd like to take this opportunity to thank my supportive, amazing husband who has helped me to pursue this dream. *
Last week was my first week on campus and I must say that the first day I felt pretty nauseous. I showed up to my class and sat down. I was afraid to look around too much and appear uncomfortable or out of place but I was also interested to see if there were any other adult students in my class (by the way, adult students are not necessarily easy to spot I was looking for an elderly person who I could commiserate with). I was definitely a small minority in my class, most of the other students were talking about the club that they were at on the weekend, or about their parents lack of empathy or explaining to their friend why their boyfriend was not an asshole.
So here I was nervous, anxious, wondering if my fellow students would wonder who this mom was... and then my prof walked in. She was twenty-five years old if a day and I realized that not only did I need to factor that I am almost old enough to be a mother of some of the young students on campus, I am also older than most of my professors. Oh my this is going to be an interesting experience.
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