Back to college at age 71.

[Glynda]

For a couple of years I took an Italian class at a local senior center. While I did learn some helpful Italian, our instructor, a lovely 82 year old woman, who volunteered her time, is now too ill to continue.

I really want to learn Italian. Not just by memorizing travel phrases to get by while in Italy. I want to understand its structure. I want to be able to converse as well as read Italian publications. I have three main reasons for wanting to do this at this stage of life.

1. Hubby and I have the dream of someday spending months at a time in Italy, in a smaller village, near a train station to major cities and attractions.

2. While my mother continues to live with us, extensive travel is not possible so I have the opportunity to prepare for the future and get out of the house for short time periods of time and do something for myself.

3. The most important is that I have been DNA tested and of a pair, I carry one of the worst alleles/variants for late stage Alzheimers. The other of the pair is the most common and of average risk. So I am at greater risk though it's not as bad as it could be. Studies have shown that memorization, including exercise involving memorization, seems to help. I have been taking line dance lessons for exercise and memorization of the steps for about 4 years, twice a week, at the Senior Center for the same purpose.

Yes, I could be, and have been, listing to audio instruction on Italian for three years. I have the Italian for Dummies book. However, I know myself. I can be a procrastinator and I have not been, nor would I be, diligent enough on my own to achieve my goal. I need structure and a competitive environment.

South Carolina is one of many states that has a 60+tuition exemption program at publicly supported colleges and universities for senior citizens. All that is involved is the application process, the instructor's permission, a small fee of $85 and the price of the textbook, in this case $330!!

So, I am now officially enrolled at The College of Charleston for the fall semester taking Italian 101. For the past month, it's been the instructor, three young bachelor degreed music students from Chicago studying opera, 18 freshmen, and me... the old lady. I absolutely love it though studying has consumed my life. I probably average four hours or more hours a day studying. I have spent eight hours studying prior to each quiz. This stuff just doesn't stick like it used to. I was never a natural at French which I took a total of four years between high school and college.

College has changed quite a bit since I got my master's in 1975. It's quite an experience! I enjoy the comparisons. An added bonus is that I'm engaging with young people my granddaughters age and gaining insight.

I'm afraid I'm going to jinx it by saying this, but I am proud to report that so far, my grade average is 100%. We've had three quizzes in class, lots of homework which is done online along with the online listening and recording language lab, and are also graded on classroom participation. There will be a mid-term and a final exam. Most frightening is that there will be two oral presentations. Possible topics will be provided but the instructor chooses the topic on the spot. No notes allowed. The first is in her office but the last is to be done in front of the class. .

So here I am, a College of Charleston cougar. Pun intended as the mascot is the animal, the cougar.

 

[Passepartout]

Good for you, girl! You're going to do great! I'm taking a choral music class at our community college- not nearly as structured and disciplined as your Italian class, but, hey- it gets me out of the house and into the company of younger people.

 

[Karen G]

it gets me out of the house and into the company of younger people.

We get out of the house and into the company of younger people every day when we pick up our grandkids from school. They are seven and five.

But Passepartout and Glynda I think you're doing great things! Keep up the good work!

 

[Makai Guy]

@Glynda
Good on ya, girl! Gotta keep those little grey cells working.

One of the things that was high on our list when looking for a retirement location was availability of senior education. We found an "Academy for Lifelong Learning" program at our local small university campus that has filled the bill for us. We started taking classes soon after moving here. I've been involved on its Board for a number of years, plus have edited its monthly newsletter for even more years. More recently I created and continue to maintain its website.

Through this interaction we've gotten more involved with the University as a whole and do get a chance to mingle with the younger student population some. It's great, and helps keep us from getting too stodgy.

 

[Patri]

Good for you.
Sei giovane nel cuore e lo sarai mai.
I am 64 and teaching part-time at a college. I don't plan to retire soon, as I love the interaction with the students. I only started my master's program at 54, (to keep up with my husband and kids) and am so glad I did.

 

[Panina]

What an inspiration you are. It shows it is never too late to do the things you want to do. Just do them! As you have.

Never knew about the tuition program in SC. Almost at the age that I can look into it.

 

[vacationhopeful]

I used to host summer HS students from France. 3 weeks during the summer. I had some HS French .. passing with a "D" average as for learning a foreign lauguage, I am a total failure ... the "D" was a mercy grade as I was college bound.

I could NOT travel during the summer as I have construction work which I supervise. It was a riot .... these 16-19yo girls did NOT have to do any work, ate FAST FOOD for lunch everyday, usually witness a session of Eviction Court, visited Home Depot almost everyday and would spend a weekend visiting Maryland sister to see DC (usually THEN, a White House tour ... "this is really the home of the American President?")

I was invited several times to come & visit these French girls at their homes during the following Fall. I decided I had to DEFINITELY go to France to visit 2 of these girls & their homes.

I went for 2+ weeks in November. WHAT A BLAST! GREAT TRIP! The mom in Brittary would cook a French hot lunch each day for her & I .... the daughter would come home and ask her mother in French, what she made for lunch. Her response was the same each day "That is MY favorite" and her mother would promise to make it again soon for her .. there was NO LEFTOVERs. Her grocery shopping was true European ... just enough for each person who would be eating each meal.

The other family was closer to Paris ... the mother shows me the sights of Paris ... much like the tour of the Brittary invasion beaches with the prior family.

While with Paris family, I took off for a several day trip to Vienna. I just HAD to go see the Spanish Riding School. I stayed at a hostel via a booth at the train station. And I had to PROMISE my French host family to NOT go anywheres else. It seems all formal performances of the Spanish Riding School is PRE-SOLD far, far in advance. Practice sessions had NO MUSIC but the riders and horses are doing training (think of weight lifters in the tight uniforms, no music or comments, just lifting and grutting plus no order to their choice of leaps or steps or turns).

I really liked it .... lots of action. Not a packed crowd. Low key action in the arena ... I just enjoyed the time. I went back the next morning to watch again.

 

[DaveNV]

For me, life in general, and education in particular, is just like farming:

When you're GREEN, you GROW.
When you're RIPE, you ROT.

I prefer to stay GREEN.

Good luck with your schooling, and what an exciting reason to take Italian! If you can find someone who speaks fluently, you may find your conversational skills will increase substantially.

Dave

 

[rapmarks]

You know you’re going to ace that class.

 

[Beachclubmum]

Go Girl!!! Thanks for sharing your story and good for you for getting out there and doing it! I've been kicking around taking a college class next semester just to challenge myself. Had no idea about the SC over 60 tuition deal...if we move to HH full time in a couple of years I'll be just about the right age to take advantage of it. Awesome!

 

[turkel]

My son took Spanish in high school got C’s and couldn’t speak the language. Years later my Son came home and started speaking to my housekeeper of 19 years in Spanish. I was totally confused and asked him when he became fluent in Spanish. He answered when I worked at McDonalds.

McDonalds was his very first job.

 

[clifffaith]

"Classroom participation" -- the scourge of my Catholic high school years. Ace the tests and the essay assignments, get a B on my report card for non-participation. Except in Spanish where you didn't have to raise your hand to be forced to participate. Four years of high school Spanish, 8 more quarters at UCLA, including reading "the classics", and I won't say Buenos Dias to the gardener!

 

[rapmarks]

My sister is studying Italian too, and is older than you.

 

[AnnaS]

I think that is awesome! Good for you!!

 

[heathpack]

Awesome.

 

[jme]

Proud of you, my dear friend....knew you could do it.
All the best to keep up the top-of-the-class ranking. It's no shock to me.
Mona and I are looking forward to seeing you soon. CinCin

 

[x3 skier]

Ohio has the same senior deal.

Right now I’m taking Instrument Flying Ground School with a group of wannabe Airline pilots. All are working on their Private Pilot license as the first step on a very long ladder.

I’ve taken a few other classes like conversational Spanish and Tai Chi and occasionally taught an introductory Engineering class.

Cheers

 

[jackio]

That is great. You are an inspiration to the “older learners” here!

 

[PamMo]

Glynda, you are AWESOME! I love that "you're going for it" in your college Italian class and are acing it! You're an inspiration to me, and I thank you for sharing.

 

[WinniWoman]

I think it’s fantastic! You go girl! I think the more you immersed yourself in the culture and are in Italy it will make it easier to learn to field fluently.

I always thought about learning another language like Spanish or Italian but never set my mind to it.

When we move to NH we will be close to a community college and about 25 miles from a state university and so am going to take some classes in whatever interests me from time to time as I enjoy learning and the college atmosphere.

Best of luck!

 

[mentalbreak]

I admire your ambition!

And my 20 year-old self from my undergrad days cringes at the “non-trad” student breaking the curve.

My today self says “good for you, show them how it’s done!”

 

[rapmarks]

I admire your ambition!

And my 20 year-old self from my undergrad days cringes at the “non-trad” student breaking the curve.

My today self says “good for you, show them how it’s done!”

Made me remember, I was an 18 year old sophomore enrolled in Russian history which met in the evening. The class had maybe ten undergrads and forty teachers enrolled in a masters program. So intimidating!

 

[mentalbreak]

Made me remember, I was an 18 year old sophomore enrolled in Russian history which met in the evening. The class had maybe ten undergrads and forty teachers enrolled in a masters program. So intimidating!

No doubt! I specifically remember a conversation during a group study session in the dorms where we were all complaining about the adult students “actually wanting to learn” (the class content covered material needed for a professional certification exam).
So misguided!

 

[rapmarks]

No doubt! I specifically remember a conversation during a group study session in the dorms where we were all complaining about the adult students “actually wanting to learn” (the class content covered material needed for a professional certification exam).
So misguided!

Wasn’t that I didn’t want to learn, and it was interesting,but just about everything was new and it was geared to the graduate level. And I was taking five other classes too,

 

[mentalbreak]

Wasn’t that I didn’t want to learn, and it was interesting,but just about everything was new and it was geared to the graduate level. And I was taking five other classes too,

I apologize. I meant for those to be two separate thoughts. No doubt it would be intimidating as an undergrad with a majority of masters students.