Review
"College Life of a Retired Senior: A Memoir of Perseverance, Faith, and Finding the Way Yvonne Blackwood
LifeRich Publishing, 224 pages, (paperback) $15.99, 9781489746375 (Reviewed: March, 2023)
In College Life of a Retired Senior, Yvonne Blackwood chronicles her experience as a senior pursuing a college degree.
At 64, Blackwood—retired from her 37-year banking career and already a published author— enrolls at Toronto's York University to obtain a degree in English to improve her writing. She also hopes to stave off dementia, retain structure in her daily life, and serve as a role model to her grandchildren. Determined to succeed, she aims to graduate in six years, but unforeseen factors, including the Covid-19 pandemic and personal medical issues, pose obstacles to her plan.
Prior to her first day, Blackwood practices taking on and off a backpack that she newly purchased to look more in style with the young students. Intrigued by generational differences, she wants to fit in without her age being her defining identity. Although at first taken aback by the pervasive use of online technologies, she soon learns to make PowerPoint slideshows and to create a podcast.
This willingness to break out of her comfort zone makes Blackwood an appealing figure. Upon receiving any disappointing grade, she buckles down harder. Even when hospitalized for two months after cancer surgery, she carries on, bolstered by the help of friends and her faith.
Using straightforward, clear writing, Blackwood recounts each phase of her journey. She describes her professors and classmates, and offers extended accounts of what she learned in her classes. These passages will engage readers to the extent that they are interested in the subject. For example, those interested in English literature will find thought-provoking passages about books and authors, but might be bogged down by Blackwood's recitation of facts learned in her environmental pollution class—and vice versa.
Nevertheless, Blackwood's appealing attitude and resilience keep readers turning pages, rooting for her success. Ultimately, this is an inspiring story of an older woman's quest for knowledge. A Reader's Guide is included to spark discussion."—Blue Ink Review
From the Author
A Smorgasbord of Things to Learn
"I've always loved the first day of school better than the last day of school. First are best because they are beginnings." —Jenny Han
The Academic Calendar for the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies spelt out clearly, in black and white, the requirements to earn an English degree. Besides obtaining the mandatory thirty credits in English courses, you must obtain six credits in natural science, and nine credits of approved general education courses in the social science or humanities categories, and six credits approved in general education courses in the opposite category to the nine-credit course in social science or humanities already taken. You also had to obtain a GPA of at least 4.00.
The word "science" in natural science made me nervous. "I know little about science," I moaned. The last time I took a science course was during my high school years, many moons ago. The subject was biology. I had been keen to learn about human anatomy, but the day I had to dissect a frog, I ran out of the lab with my hands covering my mouth. How could I earn a passing grade for natural science courses? The little voice inside my head (it is always there in times of stress) said, "Calm down, Yvonne, have faith." Moments like that, when doubt swirled around me, I recited my go-to Bible verses: "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." These verses have given me much strength over the years. I calmed down and focused on the two compulsory English courses that were prerequisites to proceeding with the degree.
The humanities include the study of languages, literature, history, the arts, and philosophy. It made sense to pursue studies in this field to obtain an English degree. I looked forward to exploring all or some of those areas.
Social science is the branch of science devoted to studies of societies and the relationships among individuals within those societies. The field included subjects like economics and politics. I had been a banker all my working life, so economics naturally interested me. I became actively involved in politics in the 1980s when Alvin Curling, a black brother, decided to run as a provincial member of Parliament. A groundswell of grassroots campaigners sprang up to help. I was one of them. I remained interested in politics at the macro level. I felt that exploring courses in social science should prove stimulating.
It mattered not which courses I had to take; I was hell-bent on obtaining the English degree, convinced by my colleague, Olga, that it would help me to add texture to my writing. York U.'s motto is Tentanda via, "the way must be tried." Whatever proved to be the way, I intended to try it. What I didn't know was how much the pursuit of the degree would inform me, challenge me, satisfy me, and drive me to consider giving up on more than one occasion.
* * *
I arrived at Curtis Lecture Hall #H one cold January morning, bundled up in my new, short black winter coat, a chunky sweater, a woollen scarf wrapped around my neck, my hands clothed in thick woollen gloves, and my new backpack on my back.I was an hour early as planned. No other students had arrived. I chose a seat in the third row and placed my coat and backpack on the chair beside me. I whipped out my notebook and a pen, placing them on the desk. While waiting, I reread Rebecca Solnit's essay, "The Faraway Nearby."
Professor Blazina entered the room ten minutes before class time. He was a short man with a scraggly beard and a moustache, bald from the mid-back of his head. He wore a green army-type jacket, a black V-neck shirt, and grey corduroy pants. He seemed like someone ready to retire. He spent the first few minutes fiddling with the equipment at the front of the room in preparation for the lesson. More than sixty students had filled the hall when he began to lecture.
I was attending Introduction to Literary Study. The course outline specified that it would train students to observe, understand, and evaluate how literary texts are written and how to write effectively about literature. Three teaching assistants (TAs) supported the professor. They attended to make sure the tutorial discussions that would follow the next day connected with the lecture. During the semester, I attended classes with Professor Blazina on Thursdays and tutorials with Michelle, my TA, on Fridays. She was a petite girl, about twenty-four, with silky black hair and big, bright eyes.
Five minutes into the lecture, Professor Blazina became extremely irritated by students who insisted on keeping their cell phones on. He may have been ready to retire, but his hearing was by no means impaired. He heard every ping on the cell phones when text messages arrived. He stopped speaking, slowly surveyed the room, then said, "Listen to me. I think your parents are paying good money for you to be here. They didn't put a gun to your head. I didn't put a gun to your head, so if you don't want to be here, you can go."
He waited.
Silence filled the room. No one got up to leave.
He continued the lecture.
At one point, Professor Blazina placed a slide with a list on the overhead. I was quickly jotting down the items when a male student sitting at my left held up his cell phone and snapped a picture of the list as if it were the most natural thing to do. I looked at him, and if looks could kill, he would have been stone-cold dead. I was a notetaker. The thought of snapping a picture of the professor's notes never crossed my mind. I was sitting there, writing until my fingers were about to fall off, and this boy merely snapped a picture. "You little bugger," I thought. "So, this is how the young ones do it." I was sweating, trying to copy the list before the professor changed the slide, and all he did was snap. Would he even look at the picture again? Would he read it for his review? I consoled myself that my way was better, that once at home, I would reread the list and type it. Repetition helps to retain information, and I needed to improve my retention skill.
Since most students used their laptops, tablets, or cell phones during the lectures, they continued to annoy Professor Blazina. In the midst of a lecture another day, he asked, "What is it with this texting? Is it an addiction?" Rhetorical questions, I suppose. A sprinkling of nervous laughter enveloped the room. The addicts knew who they were...
From the Back Cover
Seven years after she retired from a lengthy career in banking, Yvonne Blackwood surprised her friends and family by returning to school at age sixty-four to pursue an English degree. Her purpose was fueled by four powerful reasons—to add texture to her writing; to ward off dementia; to enhance structure in her life; and to inspire her two young grandsons to continue their education after high school. But as she stepped onto the campus of Canada's third-largest university, Blackwood had no idea of the hurdles she was about to face.
In a retelling of her journey into a new beginning, Blackwood details how, after enrolling in York University, she struggled to maintain her established lifestyle, attend class with hard-to-connect-with millennials, and face a series of challenges that included two strikes at the university, a campus lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic, and a shocking health diagnosis in her final year of studies. While leaning on the university's motto—the way must be tried—Blackwood tells an inspiring story of how she persevered and learned to rely on her faith as she bravely conquered her fears and vulnerabilities to eventually achieve her goal.
About the Author
Yvonne Blackwood is an author, award-winning short story writer, columnist, world traveler, and retired banker. Her published adult books include: Into Africa a Personal Journey; Will That Be Cash or Cuffs? Into Africa: the Return, College Life of a Retired Senior: A Memoir of Perseverance, Faith, and Finding the Way, and her debut novel, The Ambition, published September 2024. Her children's books include: Nosey Charlie Comes to Town; Nosey Charlie Goes to Court; Nosey Charlie Chokes on A Wiener! and Nosey Charlie Chokes on a Wiener Colouring Book. Yvonne has also contributed to several anthologies including Human Kindness, Canadian Voices, and WordScape. She has published articles in More Our Canada, Adelaide, InTouch and Green Prints magazines. She has written numerous articles for several newspapers including the Toronto Star.
