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| Teaching college is often a mixed bag of rewards. Sometimes my class feels more like a cafeteria, where students come and go, 1 in the middle of my lectures. Mostly these students have entered college right out of high school. College seems to them like 2 a continuation of high school, 3 the sense of newness that often drives curiosity and achievement. But there is a category of students that gives everyone reasons for 4 . They are the so- called "nontraditional students": those who, for one reason or 5 , didn't go to college when they were 18. Some years back, while calling out names from the roster (花名册) on the first day, I noticed a grayhaired woman of about 70. She was wandering in the doorway, 6 her new books like a schoolgirl. "I'm not on the roster," she volunteered. "But I was 7 if I could sit in on the first class, to see what marine (海洋) biology is about." This woman's eagerness 8 me, so I invited her to have a seat. I began the class with questions to get a(n) 9 of how much knowledge they were bringing to the course. As I questioned them about the difference between fishes and seagoing mammals, most of my new students remained 10 . But Natalie, the older woman, was on the edge of her seat, 11 answers. At the end of class, she came up to me and apologized for being the "extra" student. She said, "Will you 12 it next year?" 13 at losing her, I acted quickly to remove her 14 . "I'll see you next class." I said. Natalie turned out to be a vital and 30 student. She commuted 15 miles each way to get to school-often in the severe winter-and never missed a class. 16 this,she was enthusiastic about helping my younger students. Apparently these older students have the 17 over them. It lies in the breadth and depth of their path of life. After having 18 numerous personal and professional barriers, they have an expansive world view. 19 a return to school may, at first, be frightening for them, they tend to make it because they are 20 great trouble to put their studies into an already-full life. | ||||
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