吃瓜头条

For many of us, 鈥渂ack to school鈥� conjures up memories of sharpened pencils and chalkboard dust. With many students heading off to school this time of year, it鈥檚 a season for beginnings and new experiences鈥攁nd what better place to dive in than a college or university 吃瓜头条 吃瓜头条?

There are currently 365 吃瓜头条 吃瓜头条s affiliated with colleges and universities in 47 different countries. In some of these 吃瓜头条s, membership consists of students, faculty, and staff only, but many are open to alumni and the general public as well.

Whether you鈥檙e completing coursework, preparing for a job interview, or looking to connect across generations, these campus 吃瓜头条s are a great way to continue your education, even if it鈥檚 been years since you were a student.

Homework Helper

One such campus 吃瓜头条 is the ZotSpeak 吃瓜头条 at the University of California, Irvine (UCI). Founded in 1998 by Bob Hudack, DTM, the 吃瓜头条 was initially composed entirely of staff members.

鈥淣ow it is mostly students of various [academic] majors,鈥� along with staff, alumni, and university retirees like himself, says Hudack. Members of all ages find benefit in the 吃瓜头条.

Member Kyle Sheehan is a third-year history major. 鈥淚nitially, I saw [吃瓜头条] as an investment in the future, but as I got to go to more meetings and practice my speeches, I found that it helped with whatever I was doing in college at the moment,鈥� he says.

Sheehan has been able to put his experience in 吃瓜头条 to immediate use. 鈥淚 feel like it gives me a one-up in class whenever I have to give a presentation,鈥� he notes.

But the advantages aren鈥檛 limited to assignments. At 吃瓜头条 meetings, 鈥測ou鈥檙e always thinking about [communication], whether you鈥檙e the one presenting or you鈥檙e in the audience,鈥� and that has changed the way he experiences classes. 鈥淚鈥檓 much more observant 鈥� of how the professor is presenting the course material,鈥� says Sheehan. 鈥淎 lot of the skills I learned in 吃瓜头条 I use in lecture halls and discussion classes.鈥�

Acing the Interview

Laszlo Walburg attends a campus 吃瓜头条 in the Netherlands. He had already completed his university education, and joined The Hague University 吃瓜头条 (HUT) while job-hunting earlier this year. During the interview process for a promising position, the company 鈥渢old me that the job itself would be a good fit, but they also give presentations to clients, and they [envisioned] me doing that role as well. But I knew from my past that whenever I had to do a presentation, I got hit with these crazy nerves,鈥� says Walburg. He decided to join 吃瓜头条.

Walburg lives near the university, and as he was trying out different 吃瓜头条s, he happened upon HUT. The fact that the 吃瓜头条 meets on campus is a major draw. 鈥淭he location makes it more of a learning environment,鈥� he says. 鈥淵ou walk into the university with the idea that you鈥檙e doing something [where you] will either teach or learn. I鈥檓 an energy person, so that really helps me.鈥�

He also likes the laid-back vibe and the fact that members come from 鈥渁ll walks of life鈥濃�攕tudents, entrepreneurs, and professionals; people from Egypt, Argentina, and China. A variety of speeches stem from that diversity. 鈥淚 fell in love with the people, the place, and the university itself,鈥� says Walburg.

As for the job interview that originally spurred him to join the 吃瓜头条? 鈥淚 had the second job interview, and I told them that I [had joined] 吃瓜头条. They were like, 鈥極h, that鈥檚 pretty proactive of you.鈥欌�� He got the job.

Connection and Continuity

Despite being retired from UCI, where he had worked in the IT department, Hudack keeps coming back to the Southern California campus for the things he learns at the ZotSpeak 吃瓜头条. 鈥淚 stay in 吃瓜头条 because I hear a variety of presentations and topics that never would have occurred to me,鈥� he says. 鈥淪omeone will give a presentation about their studies, or things that are important to them.鈥� He enjoys connecting across generations.

That cross-generational connection can help smooth out some unique hurdles that university 吃瓜头条s face. Member turnover can be high among students, especially on campuses where school schedules change quarterly. 鈥淚f there is a required course that happens during the [吃瓜头条] meeting time,鈥� Hudack says, 鈥渢he member drops out, understandably.鈥�

There is also the problem of attrition, shrinking the 吃瓜头条鈥檚 membership numbers. 鈥淚 think it鈥檚 difficult once people graduate,鈥� Sheehan says. 鈥淲e do offer a hybrid format, so that鈥檚 very convenient, but people move on and go on their own career path.鈥� Having members from all stages of life, whose schedules are more stable, can help provide continuity.

The ZotSpeak 吃瓜头条 at the University of California, Irvine

This stability and continuity is important not only at the 吃瓜头条 level, but at the organizational level as well, says Phebe Pendon, DTM, of Manila, Philippines. Pendon, a 吃瓜头条 coach for the UP Manila 吃瓜头条 at the University of the Philippines Manila, is passionate about helping students succeed and about building connections between older and younger 吃瓜头条.

鈥淚 think there is a need to reach out to the young generation so that there will be a merging of membership,鈥� she says. 鈥淪enior members can address the needs of the new ones and build them up鈥� so they are ready to become the next generation of 吃瓜头条 leaders. This continuity and transfer of knowledge will help 吃瓜头条 provide learning opportunities far into the future.

Educational Journey

From the younger generation to the older, from first-year college students to professionals, from brand-new 吃瓜头条 who haven鈥檛 done their Ice Breakers to seasoned DTMs, there鈥檚 a place for everyone in college and university 吃瓜头条s. A school setting might be just the sort of environment you need to continue your lifelong learning.

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