College the Second Time

I never intended to get a degree when I went back to college at the age of 45. My idea at that time was to take a class or two at a time to have something worthwhile to do to combat the empty nest syndrome.

Our two oldest children had just married and the youngest was going off to college. I had to have something to do besides keeping an empty house and playing tennis. And it had to be a drastic change to take my mind off of the fact that three of the people nearest and dearest to me were not going to be around much anymore.

So during the summer I began looking at colleges. I knew we couldn’t afford Vanderbilt (and they wouldn’t take me anyway after looking at my transcript), so that narrowed it down to Belmont, Trevecca, and MTSU. Belmont was my first choice but it was not cheap, MTSU was a long commute, and Trevecca was a possibility. So off I went to the campuses to try to convince someone to overlook my grades from the first time and let them know I was serious this time around.

To my pleasant surprise, the admissions director at Belmont was an acquaintance whom I knew through my years in the tennis world. When I began presenting my case, he just kind of waved his hand and said that Belmont loved having returning students because they were so motivated. So that was that – I could go there if I wanted.

Then he asked me an interesting question: “Would you consider playing tennis for the team?” Well, I perked up because I loved the game and played several times a week. I questioned whether I would even make the team, and after assuring me that I could, he dropped the bomb. All I would have to do is to go “full time!” (none of this 1 – 2-classes-at-a-time stuff).

I almost screamed in terror! I was already scared silly to go back into the classroom, and FOUR CLASSES were almost too many for me to imagine. And practicing tennis every afternoon, too? I told him I would think about it and left to do just that.

After a day or two I received a call from the tennis coach (a recent graduate not much older than my oldest child!). She began talking enthusiastically about my playing and the other players, etc. etc. etc. When I told her my fears about the studies, she just laughed. (Why was everyone so sure that it would be a piece of cake?) And then the piece d’resistance came – “I’m pretty sure that I can get you some money.” (“Is she trying to bribe me?”) And then it dawned on me that she was actually talking about scholarship money.

That was all I needed to seal the deal. I jumped in with both feet and didn’t look back!