Motivation to Return to School I decided at that moment that I would return to school and graduate with my bachelor?s degree. I made a promise to myself that I would finish my education. If I complete my education, I would make my parents proud of me. Plus, I want to be the first person on either side of my family to attend graduate school. Adults return to college primarily because they desire a higher paying career or a professional job. This could be a registered nurse, an elementary school teacher, a policeman or an attorney. It could also be an accountant, a journalist, a librarian, an interior decorator or a beautician (Smith, 2001). After being on the road for three years, I decided to check into returning to college at the University of Delaware and the University of Pennsylvania. Both universities informed me that I would have to retake my first two years that I had completed at Chattanooga State. I would have to commit for another four to six years of college. I did not have the time to do this. I wanted to be finished with my bachelor?s degree within two years if possible. So, later, when they realize that their choices are limited, their futures sealed or semi-gelled, they decide that school is where they need to be (Smith, 2001). I had made arrangements for an apartment before I had moved, so all I had to do was wait for the moving van to bring my furniture in. I went looking for a job and found a position with the Veterans Affairs. While I was unpacking and settling in, I filled out and submitted my paper work for UTC. After a few weeks, I received a response from UTC stating that I was accepted and could start fall semester. I was so excited about finishing my education. My major was Healthcare Administration. Older women -- those in their mid-20s and older -- returning to college make up better than half of the evening enrollments in area colleges. Nontraditional students are usually in their mid-20s to mid-40s, enrolling part time vs. full time. They generally attend evening classes and have jobs and family obligations to balance with their studies (Richards, 1999). During the meeting with my advisor, I was advised that I would take an extra ten to fifteen classes before I could graduate. I was looking at the catalog at the course I could take and the advisor told me to take my freshman classes first before getting into major classes.
Coming to college as an adult, we have many expectations and preconceptions of what college will or will not be. The expectations we have can influence our college life for the better or the worse. My experience since starting college has been an interesting one. People have misconceptions about college because they do not know what to expect. After doing some research, I have concluded that there are three major factors that are often misunderstood about college life. The first is the financial aspect of college. Second, is the relationship between the professors and students. Third is time management. These three factors play an important role in why people are afraid to go down the path to college.
Society puts too much pressure on high school students to attend a 4-year college right after graduation. Though this is an attainable goal for some, a great majority of students are not fully prepared for the demands of college. 4-year schools require an incredible amount of maturity and preparation, leaving very little room for mistakes. Schools often overlook this aspect because their main goal is to get as many students into 4-year college as possible. This is a great goal to have however they send students off to college who aren’t ready to be handle the difficult of their courses while being away from home. My senior year of high school, my family and I came to the conclusion that we were not going to be able to afford four-year college tuition. This upset me at first because I felt like all my hard work and good grades went to waste. I dreaded the thought of going to community college because my who...
The main reason people go to college is because they were always told you will have a better life if you go to college. Kids are pressured to feel that the have to go to college because, “it is the right thing to do.” Students may have different ideas on what he or she want to do with their life, but because their mentors and parents know what is best for them they might end up doing something they may not want to do.
A majority of people these days are planning or are going to college. These people have many reasons for going to college. The option of going to college is a major decision and there are many factors that are considered in making this decision. One of the many reasons of making the decision to go to college is to receive a bigger salary. Another reason is for the opportunities that become available from going to college. People also decide go to college to be better prepared and successful in the future.
Lastly, student should go to college because it sets a good example to their children and kids and they can start a tradition. According to American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, children look up to many role models but their parent and caregiver are the most important one. If they see that their parents are successful college graduates with higher degrees, they will most likely want to attend college as well. It is up to the parent to set a good example to their children.
I never would have thought I would go back to school. Especially at my age. Not that age should be a factor in doing anything. I guess I did not have enough self-confidence in myself. It could have been the environment I grew up in. One reason I had decided to go back was to help others. Another reason I enrolled in college was to gain more knowledge. And the third reason I enrolled was to have a better future. But one day, I woke up and made a promise to myself that I would never be in an abusive relationship. Well life doesn’t always go the way we plan it to go.
I have several personal reasons for returning to school. I take my personal goals very seriously. Some might say that I am my own worst critic and I am very hard on myself. I simply feel that I can and will do better and I do not settle for anything but the best out of myself. Ultimately, I have to live with myself and the decisions I make on a daily basis for the rest of my life. I must fulfill my own personal goals otherwise I am not giving myself to others completely. I have very clear and specific personal goals.
Not one single person on earth can explain why they are where they are in life in a single sentence. I used to think that I would just take a year off of school after I graduated from college. Maybe I would explore or just work a lot and save up some money so I could have a little more freedom in life. Whatever it was, I was not quite sure yet, I just really did not want to be in school for a while. Well, my plans changed when everyone I knew was telling me not to do that because I would most likely not go back. I also saw friends that were older than I was take that break, and then regret it when all of their friends were graduating without them. I changed my mind pretty quickly after hearing about and witnessing their mistakes and decided to go to college right out of high school after all. But after attending Shasta College for just a few weeks, I realized that I actually liked going to school. I found a whole new love for learning. I actually enjoyed soaking up information and learning from my professors. Looking back on my life, I'm so glad that my little idea of not going to college for a while was out weighed by all of the reasons that did cause me to go. My primary group which consists of my family and my boyfriend, the way I view myself, and the values that I hold close to me all greatly affected my decision to attend Shasta College.
Many people believe that a college education is a worthy investment. The ability to become a college graduate will result in making more money. There are more jobs in today’s society that require college degrees. College graduates develop more and better employment opportunities within earning a degree. Self-discipline is a major element in becoming a successful graduate. Also, college graduates are healthier and live longer. Adults-young and old, male and female-who have a bachelor’s degree or higher have twice the annual median income than someone with only a high school degree ("Do college graduates," 2014).
I went back to school with the simple goal of getting my degree and moving ahead in my career. School, education and obtaining my degree were always important to me, since my profession requires a bachelor degree to qualify for national certification, it was a better excuses than any to finally go to college and get the degree I had always wanted. As an adult student I put a lot of pressure on myself to do everything to the best of my ability, to keep the bar high and to go above and beyond what I even expected of myself; many times over extending my self and doing too much.
My primary reason for going to college is to have a higher chance for a more fulfilling future. I am getting my degree to be able to have a career in something I’m truly interested in, so I can have a job I won’t get tired of attending every day. Working minimum wage with long hours just to pay the rent isn’t the kind of life I look forward too. Just the thought of being successful by doing something I love is enough motivation to continue going to school and pursuing my degree; not many people get to say that they’ve accomplished that. Getting this degree will not only prepare me for my future job, but I will be qualified to get one as soon as I graduate.
This essay is a reflection on identifying, discussing and applying useful resources available to me as a returning adult student to help me perform and succeed in an online academic environment. There are three key areas of impact: stress, time management and wellness and throughout the essay I will reference two great articles on adult learning, my decision to join the gym and my results from the Holmes-Rahe Life Stress Inventory.5 By looking at stress, time management and wellness along with having candid feedback from my professor, helpful guidelines and support I will reflect on having resources on hand as an adult online student.
In Barnett and Hughes’ (2010) article that focuses on the “three important milestones” that lead to college completion, the authors dissect the best practices used across the country by colleges and high schools to get their students on the track to success in college. They found that dual enrollment of classes, which occurs when high school students are allowed to take college courses at the same time, and earn college credit upon completion, addresses the three main milestones identified. Dual enrollment also adds value for students and assists in helping students become acclimated to college. Although some states have restrictions on who can take dual enrollment, (ex. Must have a 3.0 GPA) the focus seems to be shifting away from those restrictions to target the populations that may not have been interested in post-secondary education (Barnett and Hughes, 2010).
Community colleges retention rates remain low despite their important role in providing affordable access to a degrees and certificates (Fike and Fike, 2008). Institutions offer a wide range of degrees and certificates, causing students to enter and not have a clear direction of what they want to pursue. The lack of clarity on the part of the students can lead them to take courses and jump from program to program, and eventually if they cannot figure out their career path they could drop out (Fike & Fike, 2008). Students in the community college setting need help clearly identifying their role in the college, and it is important for college administrators to help students connect to campus community (Friedman & Mandel, 2011). Friedman and Mandel (2011) further explained that students who had a clearly identified plan of courses and degree program tend to retain and persist to graduation. Therefore, it is important of colleges to offer guidance and assistance to their students in order to help retain
In “Should Everyone Go to College?” Isabel Sawhill and Stephanie Owen make a strong valid point on whether or not college is for everyone. For many students ready to leave high school, wondering whether they should attend college is an issue that may lay heavy on one teenagers mind. There are a few factors that could be a difficult decision depending on a person’s goal they are working towards. Some students jump right into the workforce after high school. Others may sign up for the military after graduation. While these are different options, research says higher education is very important. Higher education provides opportunity for students that attend college are giving a good shot of a better career later in life. Approaching graduation, a student might find themselves asking, “Why is it important to go to college?” The answer is that education is the most important growing factor in the growth of our country. Obtaining a college degree is a