Members of the Student Government Association, as well as SGA advisor Tracy Merriman, assisted from the sidelines with the flag football game during Fall Field Day at Northeastern Technical College. Students, faculty and staff participated in games and enjoyed a hotdog lunch during Field Day.

October 4, 2011
Plus 40 & OnCampus

My how time flies! I hate using clichés, but it certainly is true that time goes by so quickly. It seems to go faster and faster as I age. I have spoken to others of my generation, and they all say the same thing. Personally, I am so glad summer is almost over. I do not do well in hot weather. I am looking forward to fall, which usually finds me being much more active.

I will start out by recounting the bad news about failing my history test with a 54. As an online class, it does require self-discipline to put enough time into it to get the desired results. I thought that I was doing fine with my discipline but found out to the contrary. I was very upset on opening the exam to find that much of what was on the study guide provided by the instructor was not even in the exam. This was contrary to what I had become accustomed to in other classes, and I had relied too much on studying the information in the study guide rather than the book. Fortunately, should one decide to take the final, which is optional, this first exam score can be dropped. I am hoping that by devoting more time to the subject I can raise my grade. It is rather difficult, as exams are given after every four chapters, so there is a great deal of information to retain. Even with it being “open book,” it can be pretty hard. I am, however, staying optimistic!

English, as I have said before, is a favorite of mine. I am getting more comfortable with dissecting stories and am learning a lot from the discussions we have in class. We have read some rather unusual stories that I probably would not have read on my own, especially since I am more of a book reader rather than a story reader. In some instances, the biographies of the authors are as interesting as the stories. The instructor usually gives a quiz after we read a story. So far, I have gotten As on all of the quizzes we’ve had. Our short essay is not due until the 10th, so I will have news of that outcome in my next column.

Spanish 101 is coming along very well. My previous exposure certainly is helping me to do well. I am very fortunate to have a knack for languages and a gift for pronunciation. Some of the students are having a difficult time, which does slow down the class. However, “You get out of it what you put into it” is very apropos for this class. I have offered to tutor one of the other students, and we may be meeting in between classes in the future. I’ve gotten As so far on all of the little quizzes we’ve taken.

We recently had Field Day, which is held every year. Classes ended at 11, and refreshments were served on campus. Many students participated and had a good time. I indulged in a hot dog and went on my way to work. This is the first Field Day I have participated in.

The Student Government Association (SGA) is having a Halloween party at the end of October, which sounds like fun. It is nice to see events planned on campus to bring students together socially. Also, the campus at Northeastern Technical College is designed with strategically placed benches, which also contributes to social gatherings of students on nice days. I like to just sit outside on a bench and read. 

See you in November with (hopefully) good news! Keep those comments coming!

Karolyn Tredeau, 64 of Ruby, entered college after taking a 40-year hiatus from formal education. She is a student at Northeastern Technical College and will write about her experiences in this column, “Plus40 & OnCampus” once a month. Karolyn can be reached at karolynt@shtc.net.

Read Karolyn's September column.