Wait a second!
More handpicked essays just for you.
More handpicked essays just for you.
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Recommended: Stress management
When I decided to return to school after a fourteen year break, a lot of stressors became apparent in my life. The first known stressor that affected the added task of returning to school was work. Being that I tend to be very busy at the work place and sometime bring work home with me, it took a toll on me rather fast. The second stressor was trying to take care of the household. Trying to find time in-between cooking, cleaning, washing, and school assignments had me running around like a “chicken without a head”. The third was being a single parent and adding another task into my already busy life. My children also had to be tended to with their homework, sports, and all the things kids love to do. For all of these stressors, I found myself calling my mentor who recently retired from the military and asking his advice. By calling him and discussing my three stress issues, he and I came to some conclusions on how to deal with them in the proper way. We decided to make note of my every day task needing to be done throughout the day. We then prioritized them and set the time frames for when they had to be done on a weekly schedule. After we set a schedule up for everything, I found that I wasn’t as overwhelmed as I thought and was mainly just experiencing the initial shock of returning to school. In the process of being back in school for the first three weeks, I was told that I would have to undergo multiple surgeries for all my medical issues concerning my spine. The first one scheduled just before my second class and there was no way around it. Although I made arrangements through the school and work, I knew I was going to have it hard with the pain medication, physical limitations, the other surgeries to come, and keepin... ... middle of paper ... ...ving force for what will become of me after retirement from the Air Force. For instance, it will give me confidence and assurance that I will be marketable in the civilian job market. My hope is to one day after retirement, become a civilian manager under the military overseas. This would not only give me a satisfying job but will enable me to still give back to the younger generation in the military. Going back to school has been a stressful yet fulfilling experience, giving me an edge over present and future goals. It has opened my mind up to more possibilities and given me hope for a better future. I believe that even though there was and will be more stressors, it is what is to be considered good stressors. By doing this, I also think after my BA in Organizational Business Management, I will continue on to achieve a masters degree and broaden my education.
Going back to college after you have been out of school for quite a few years, had three children, been married, and divorced is a lot harder than I ever imagined. It takes hard work, dedication, and missing out on the little things previously taken for granted. I miss taking naps the most. I believe if you can tough it out through the worst days, you can finish school and provide a better life for your children and yourself. You need a lot of willpower and a large sense of humor.
My initial reason to enter the Air Force was a great way to pay for college which turned into a call of duty and a service commitment which has actively allowed me to contribute to the Air Force mission. Thus far I have led a joint force search and rescue effort and a multinational exercise to preserve freedom. As an F-15E instructor WSO and combat mission ready WSO I actively contribute to ensure our freedoms are preserved and the attacks of September 11, 2001 will never happen again.
Going back to school at 30 is not the same as going back to school at 20, especially when you’re a single parent with an established career. Returning to school never left my mind throughout the years, I received my associates seven years ago and between then and now a lot had changed. So many questions I asked myself; do I have the time, who can help watch my daughter, can I juggle another load, etc. I answered every one of my questions; unfortunately I gave myself excuses instead. The decision going back to school was overwhelming because it was taking up another full time job; making it a priority and possibly putting in overtime to study and do homework.
My career I chose is being a Marine General and my reason for studying this career is my dad is a Marine. He was promoted to general and I would like to be like my dad and carry it on in our family, generation to generation.
Three years ago my life drastically changed when my husband of 19 years decided he wanted a divorce. I had always been a wife and a mother and only worked part time through the majority of my marriage. Having married at 19, I never thought too much about going to college. I always thought I wanted to be a stay at home mom and never thought too much about what my life would be like once the children grew into adulthood. Now, at 41 years old, I realize how horrible a decision I made by not getting my college education sooner. Trying to go back to school while working full-time and raising two kids on my own is not fun. It’s a struggle to find that right balance of being a good student but also being a good mom. I want to make my kids proud
I had to pass jump school to attend Special Forces school where I had a slot waiting for me. I wanted to be a Special Forces ambassador in uniform so I could represent my country abroad. Special Forces trains a host nations military by teaching it essential skills. I wanted as many overseas assignments as I could get. My respect for Special Forces and my desire to be part of this elite group gave me my motivation to continue and never give up. I wanted to be in one of America’s best units.
...re you crazy? I fully understand being exhausted I share is sentiment with one returning student Monique Rizer she writes in her article When Students are Parents she states " I was exhausted every day, and finding the time and mental energy to study and do my homework often seemed an overwhelming challenge."(155)
Although it is a seemingly trivial matter, it was a time in my life where I was away from the support of my family and friends and had to confront this battle myself. Initially, I felt overwhelmed and doomed for failure. The course load was more intense than my high school work and there was a lot of material I never learned that was needed prior for a few of my classes. I struggled to keep pace with some of my other classmates and had to sacrifice a lot of free time and participation in extracurriculars to keep afloat with the material. I thought I had a good grasp on time management, but my new college schedule tested by abilities. As the fall semester progressed, I was gaining confidence and skills in arranging my time in an effective way. Moreover, I was adjusting to the new sense of independence I was giving. Before going away to school, I would run errands and do tasks by myself and felt pretty independent, but I still had the comforts and reassurance of home. At ND, I had to adapt to this new meaning of independence and feeling of uncertainty. I was able to overcome this challenging time in my life by being patient and persevering until I felt more grounded with my
The decision to enroll in graduate school came after considerable time and soul searching. While contemplating the decision to return to school I thought about life, school and work. I realized that my experience in these areas have prepared me for the challenge and I am going to succeed.
I am conscious that returning to school, will accompany stress and anxiety. However I am also aware that my decision may encourage others to overcome the fear of returning to school. I can help my peers or leaving behind the “old way of thinking and behaving” (Bais and Hayes, 2011, p.5). The strategies that help me in this transition as describe Spencer and Adam were to find a mentor who can provide support when needed and accept help from family members when in doubt or overwhelmed.
Everyone deals with stress at some point in his or her life. Most people deal with it daily. As defined in the book called Principles and Labs for Fitness and Wellness, stress is, “The mental, emotional, and physiological response of the body to any situation that is new, threatening, frightening, or exciting” (Hoeger & Hoeger, 2012). This stress is caused by a stressor, which is also known as “a stress-causing event” (Hoeger & Hoeger, 2012). Stressors can take all different forms, from moving to a new town, having a baby, or even writing a paper (Boyd, Wood, & Wood, 2011). One major stressor in life can be going to college. If not coped with properly, these stressors can leave a person with too much stress that could end up harming them mentally and physically, such as developing an illness (Boyd, Wood, & Wood, 2011). There are several ways to cope with stress. Some healthy ways to cope with stress would be practicing emotion-focused coping, building time-management techniques, and practicing meditation.
Being able to clearly understand how my job contributes to the Air Force, the Joint Environment, and the DoD is extremely satisfying. I take my work seriously because I know that what I do can have a direct impact on the military’s ability to fight and win wars. The personal achievements that I have experienced during my 22 years in the Air Force are also very gratifying. The work I did as a Security Policeman stand out the most. It was here that I went from a boy to a man in just a few short months and fully understood what it meant to be a part of the military. From humble beginnings in a small town I made the decision to enlist and take on a task bigger than myself. I had no idea what I was getting into.
This past semester has been the hardest semester so far. I had so much to on my plate. I had internship 16 hours a week, work 22 hours a week, I was taking 4 courses (a total of 15 credits), and I also have my 2 year old son. I got very little sleep, I gain 10 pound, and I was in physical pain almost every day. I am physically, mentally, and emotionally drained. This semester was difficult for me I think I was just doing too much that it overwhelmed me. Even though it was so difficult for me I’m glad I got through it. The things that I learned and did was worth
The Air Force has been a life shaping institution for me as it has been for many others. The demands and opportunities inherent to military service have given me the chance to grow and develop as an individual and team member. From the age of five, I wanted to be a fighter pilot. But as I grew up, my dream remained the same while my motivations changed greatly. Once I entered the Air Force, the experiences that I had serving were profound and life changing and my current assignment affords me the opportunity to use that experience in a joint environment to shape the way that the Army and the Air Force integrate. While the steps along the way have been many and varied, upon reflection I can see that the common thread throughout has been the ideal of service before self.
With the ending of my relationship comes a great deal of stress. With a great amount of stress, my time management skills fail. I’ve heard the saying “idle hands are the devil’s workshop”; I plan to keep myself busy, both physically and mentally. I plan on picking up a 2nd job, I’m already looking for apartments for myself and my animals. I completed my FAFSA for next year early. I registered for spring classes early. I’m back to full-time (instead of half-time like this semester) for Spring 2017. I won’t let my past poor time management skills stop me, and I certainly won’t let the ending of my relationship stop me. It’s nothing but up from