Mt Return to School

Twenty-six years ago. I began the quest to find the perfect college. As I drove down the driveway of Bay Path College, I knew this was the college I was going to attend. I was drawn to the rural setting, the beautiful campus and the small academic community. My intent for life after high school was to get my associates degree, earn some money, then begin working toward my bachelor degree. In retrospect, I did not possess the confidence or drive needed to be a good student. I struggled for the next couple of years to earn my Associates degree, however was apprehensive to commit to the time or expense it would take to continue my education. After a very long break in schooling, I now approach education with a new mindset and ready to commit

Occasionally, I sit back and think what if I hadn’t dropped out of high school. What if I had not joined the Army? What if that What if this. I was compelled to tell myself for every wrong turn, I made; it was my way to succeed in making the right turn. Life hurls a curve ball, and you have to maneuver yourself to catch it. With an unyielding mind and determination; the wrong turn can be the right one However, it is the way we were supposed to follow that curve ball with the anticipation of will I catch it, or will I drop it. Going back to school to obtain a degree will improve my quality of life, strengthen my self-esteem, and grant me knowledge to obtain exceptional opportunities.

Society has put so much emphasis on attending college after high school, making it a social norm. During the last two years of high school guidance consolers, teachers, parents and their children begin meeting and have discussions on whats next after high school. Many parents such as the ones in the study conducted by Holmstrom, Lynda Lytle plan to send their children to college after high school. One parent stated “ what kind of economic future do they have if they are not educated.” Participating parents were from different socioeconomic backgrounds, and those who’ve attending college and some that did not were in agreement that the benefits were everlasting. When asked what they received from attending college parents gave responses such as “ I was well served, it was a tremendously exciting place, along with gaining new prospective on the world, boosting self confidences and broadening and opening their minds. Other parents expressed the ability to obtain a job they were about to provide for their families along with gaining personal benefits like health care. The parents in this study were faced with the truths of having to pay for their children’s higher education and overall they were willing to go the extra mile so their children were able to go to college and not be struggling to make ends meet in the years

For the graduating high school senior each year there can be tough choices made about when and where to start college. Some have to decide if continuing their education even makes financial sense. There are many obstacles that a graduating senior must consider when making these decisions. Probably, the most difficult decision is where the funding for the continuing education will be coming from. For some, it does not make financial sense to even continue on with their education. Others face even more uncertain decisions about when to apply to a college and which college to attend. Once the decision to attend has been made, there are varying degrees of completion among the students who decide to attend. Student success depends on their support structure which can consist of family and friends to other outside resources. One can see that this time period, in a high school senior’s life, can be a perplexing and anxiety producing time.

Througout my academic career, I have learned as much about myself as I have learned in school, whether it be from high school, to community college, and my journey that lead me to Arizona State University. I can honestly say as my parents did, that I wish I would’ve tried harder in high school. I scraped by taking the easiest classes possible and choosing to take the easy way out. Looking at my transcript makes me cringe, because I know that I am capable of so much more. I wish that I would’ve taken the honor classes and tried so that I would’ve been able to apply to a college other than a community college. My time at Mohave Community College was a significant improvement from my experience in high school. Not only did I graduate with near honors (3.49), I had made the Dean’s list and Honors List for three out of my four semesters, the first time this had happened since middle school. I had never felt more motivated and focused in my life. I was taking 16 credits and prospering and had a balance of work, school, and a social life. I had never felt more proud of my self in my life. As I sit here and write this paper, I question my time here at ASU as I try to plan the nex chapter of my life. I wonder where I am supposed to go and what I am supposed to do.School for the first time had become a priority, however, it began to consume my life. I would spend hours and hours on end doing homework and studying, and although there seems to be nothing wrong with this, I wouldn’t go

There are many reasons why I decided to go back to school. Upon graduating from high school in 2007 I decided to attend trade school due to my passion for cutting hair. After I obtained my certified barber license in 2009, I began my self-employed journey into entrepreneurship along with starting community college in 2011. As a few months went by I found myself incarcerated leaving my wife and 10-month son behind. Four years slowly passed and I return home with a totally different mind state of cherishing life and taking advantage of opportunities. Therefore, in April of 2015, working as a welder, I enrolled into Bethel University as a full-time online student seeking a degree in Organization Leadership. Right after incarceration I joined a

My nontraditional postsecondary academic journey began in 2012 where I made a committed decision to attend St. Petersburg College with a major in Psychology. As the first person in my family to have the privilege to attend college, I found my motivational drive, persistence to achieve, and the inspiration to overcome many obstacles that stood in my way. I excelled in my passion as I continue on my academic path as a single mother of two children who have special needs, and having my own disabilities, as well as being an honor student and leader who remains active in serving others. Upon graduation from St. Petersburg College (SPC), I became a student at the University of South Florida St. Petersburg (USFSP) while working as a substitute teacher

When it comes to education, it is never too late for a second chance. And although returning to school as an adult may be one of the most challenging ways to advance your career, it can fortunately be one of the most rewarding. Success however, is not always guaranteed. To flourish as an adult student requires the tenacity and dedication necessary to overcome the countless obstacles that block the path of success. While the severeness of each obstacle may, financial considerations are generally a momentous dilemma for most returning adults. In addition to financial woes, time consistently outflows its limited supply when prioritizing a schedule to include school, work, and family obligations. When the stress of these elements is enhanced with tight deadlines and unyielding assignments, the whole process can feel overwhelming and futile. Still, undeterred by the unending supply of stressful situations, the rewards are tremendous for those that persevere.

The last four years have led me to realize just how big of a mistake I had made by leaving Lasell College in 2012. As it had happened, I was put on academic suspension my first semester and at the time, I was immature, unmotivated and indecisive – unable to come to terms with the rapidly shifting dynamics of my life. I was not at all prepared for adulthood; and my adolescent mentality did not cope well with my newly founded independence. I did not know what I wanted to do with my life and career – and looking back now, I am ashamed to say that I did not care. With the mistakes of my past decisions, however, comes determination – that is, my determination to undo my mistakes and rewrite my future.

To start, one reason that I have decided to come back to college is a very personal reason. I’m the baby of the family out of all 6 children. Meaning that I would be the last to do everything in life. No one in the family has ever graduated before. Therefore, I will be the first to graduate from college. I’ve always wanted to make my parents proud of me. So, I believe that me attending college would make them very proud. As a result, I want to start a new tradition in the family by being successful.

I really want them to know that anyone can go to school and get an education no matter how old. That will lead to better job opportunities and to better you. I will have the knowledge and skills by staying up late and doing homework, studying for tests, reading and passing my classes will help me graduate and get my degree. I will be getting up early in the morning going on a job which I will be proud to go on, and will be teaching the children instead of just assisting. Before returning to school I had negative thoughts in my mind that I couldn’t do it, but having a positive mind frame will help me overcome obstacles to be successful in completion of my

Having a teenage daughter is another top impetus in my desire to complete my education. My example to her as a strong confident and self-motivated woman is more valuable than anything material or monetary. When she was younger I felt hopelessness, shame and fear, when I had to be away from her for school and work. Now that she is older I think she will be inspired by and understand the decisions I am making to change our lives.

But, I had a sort of thirst for it. A yearning. An aching. I began to read anything I could find on the topics that I wanted to understand. One thing was missing. A teacher. I turned to my Dad, being a former student of Purdue University and a Wyotech graduate, and looked to him for help in my struggle to obtain the knowledge and tools to continue unlocking my imagination. He told me time and time again that he had already given me everything that he could but I continued to feel a deep sense of dissatisfaction. For me, my dreams and world filled with wonders was now behind a thick sheet of glass. At times my motivation wavered, my grades struggled, my world of wonders became clouded and gloomy. But each and every time I begin to shake and stumble, I cling to the one phrase that remained constant and unwavering through it all. “Justification for higher education.” It echoed through my life. Now I’m in the final years of my high school career, looking through the sheet of glass keeping me from my world of wonders, muttering to myself the one phrase that holds the keys to my dreams. The keys to my world filled with

I had struggled to transition from homeschool to public school in seventh grade, especially as a mixed person in Mississippi, but academics helped me find my place in new surroundings. It gave me a sense of purpose and identity for four years. The reason rejection from the Governor’s School hurt me was not because it ruined my summer plans, but because it shook that deep-rooted sense of identity. When I started focusing on serving others, however, my identity was no longer my main concern because I cared less about how smart I was and more about how I could make a difference in a few lives. When I go to college, my goal will not be to impress my professors with my brilliance but to apply the skills I learn to improve the human

College? I don't know why I am attending college at this point of my life, currently as I write this paper my Summer Break just started, as I scarcely finished my Sophomore year at Anderson High School. I guess, I could say, the reason is that my Mom compelled me to take this college class. However, I would be lying to myself, because I could've simply impeded my registration for my first college class. The true reason for me taking this course is to find the answer, I have always been the type of student to have the mindset that says, “ I will go to College.” Despite not really knowing why I wanted to go there, other than to get the education that our pessimistic society demands is crucial to be successful in life. So when I say that, I mean it in the sense that I want to know why is it that I see myself at College in every alternative future I imagine.