We are committed to the lifetime of learning mantra.  I started taking classes at NMC in 1978, taking a BASIC computer programming class in the basement of Scholar’s Hall.  After 40 years, this is likely my final semester as a full-time student.  In 2008, I retired from the Army with 33 months of education benefits, which included a hefty housing allowance for each month I was a full-time student in an accredited program.  It has taken me eight years to use up all those credits, but I left nothing for the government to take back in unused credits.  I completed classes in the renewable energy, welding, computer programming, business, water studies, and manufacturing technology programs.  I am still not sure what I want to be.   Taking these classes has been rewarding in terms of learning new material, but the real advantage is that I can apply the material I learned in one program to the material I am teaching in another.  The math for manufacturing makes more sense when I know what the other manufacturing classes require based on my experience as a student in those classes.  I believe the Open Classroom project that CIE runs promotes the same philosophy, giving instructors insight to other classes.  I just extended the open classroom period to eight years.  I recommend taking a class as an instructor from time-to-time, whether in a related field or not, to learn new material, and to experience NMC from the viewpoint of the student.  You will find that as a student, you will learn things from other students that they will not share with the instructor.  I appreciate the instructors that have had me as a student in their class, and invite them to enroll into one of mine.