The Pros And Cons Of Returning To Post-Secondary Education

Going back to school has definitely been a great challenge for my family and me. I had to learn all over again, to juggle between school, work and family. Leaning how to write a paper in the APA format was initially a struggle. I am so glad that I decided on going back to school. I did not realize the difference and importance of having a BSN vs ADN degree. According to Wagner, there will be “greater opportunity for career advancement, improved prospects for job mobility and security and higher potential earning” (as cited in American Sentinel, 2013, para 2). Wagner also believes “there is no way that nurses can get all of the needed knowledge with only an ADN degree” (as cited in American Sentinel, 2013, “Greater Opportunities”, para

As an older adult who is now going back to college, I have many experiences in my life and career that have helped me appreciate how college opens more opportunities. Like Braakma, I have also experienced backbreaking manual labor jobs; moving steel beams and working in a factory on an assembly line. These experiences made me quickly realize that I wanted a different career path. When I couldn't even lift my arms at the end of the day from exhaustion and pain, I knew I wanted to pursue higher education for the opportunity to work in the computer field. Because technology constantly changes and increases, I have continually gone to school to renew my skills. As a blue-collar worker who has gone back to college several times in my adult life, I know higher education has improved my career prospects. Now, I am now attending college as an older adult to change my career path yet again. The opportunities I am pursuing in my career will only be possible with a college degree.

I selected the article, Supporting Adult-Student Persistence in Community Colleges written by Rosemary Capps. In this article Capps investigates adult-student persistence at a community college from the perspective of the student. The article analyzes institutional factors that influence adult-student persistence and discusses the impact. Non-traditional adult-students have different motivations and goals, as well as barriers that most traditional students do not encounter. Non-traditional adult-students, require more planning and lifestyle modifications than traditional students. Adult-students may have families or spouses, full-time jobs, and debts they are responsible for.

Being an undergraduate as an adult is strange. It’s at once unnerving and inspiring. It’s not a unilateral experience, but there are commonalities between adult students; there are a lot of them.

This paper is about adult learning theories. The learning theory andragogy was discussed in detail. Also, the author talked about how people structure their own learning theories. What typical views and reports for adult learning were conversed there were also views and discussions from the view of adult learner. Article stated the pressure and concerns of students who go back to school as an adult years later in comparison to going straight out of high school.

In recent years, many adults have found themselves underemployed, jobless or without the necessary tools to compete in today's job market. Therefore, deciding to return to school (or start) has become almost a necessity. Enrolling in school as an adult can be stressful. Other factors such as having a family to take care of and a house to manage, further complicate the decision. As some of today's adult students are finding out, it is doable if that person has the right mindset, strategy and support.

Getting a successful career after graduating from college has an outcome of “earning $20,000 more a year as a result of having gotten that degree” (Source F). Because all of the money spent for college would be paid off after a few years, college is worth its cost. Also, “86% [of college graduates] say that college has been a good investment for them” (Source F). Students who invest earlier for college are benefitted because they get a portion of their money back that they utilized for their education. Earning a bachelor’s degree after graduating makes college more worth it, because “workers with a bachelor’s degree [make 83 percent] more than those with only a high-school diploma” (Source D). Making 83 percent more than the young adults that did not go to college proves that

I have been working for the same company for 16 years, I really like my job. The pay is good, the benefits are incredible but there is no other positions available for me to move up. One option for me was to look for another job but my family depends on me financially. I’m the only income and having kids and insurance being so high out of pocket I just can’t afford it. I know that I can get a better job but the fear of me not making it, or not being hired right away is holding me back. After talking to my husband and kids and them pushing me to go back to school I was motivated and eager to start a new experience. My two main stressors are school work and one income family. Going back to school would bring me more bills but thinking

I really enjoyed reading your introduction. I have always been scared of college as well, but for the reason that I do not like change. I have anxiety and it makes it very hard to achieve my goals sometimes. I currently take all online classes and I really enjoy this type of learning. I hope you too can grow fond of online learning and achieve your goal of an associates in psychology. It seems to me that you have a good attitude about returning to college and I wish you the best of luck with all your classes. You have a great mindset and with that you can achieve anything you want. I think it is absolutely amazing that you will be one of the first to have a degree in your family. I would use that as motivation to achieve you

Pursuing a post-secondary education is very important because without that extra education you will not be able to get as good of a career as you would with a post-secondary education. With that extra education you have more opportunities of higher paying jobs and healthcare coverage. Also when students go to college they have a chance to listen to the Professors lecture on their personal field of study, so they know what they are talking about. With a college degree you are also open to more promotion opportunities. Also when you go into the college life it is a time where you get a big taste of the real world, you start to be independent, learn to save money and pay bills.

As a return student, there were many obstacle I remember during my two years of college however, the harder things got the more ambitious I become until I reached my goal, and successful graduating. There were many factors that came across on procuring my BA for example, I have a family of my own I hold a full-time job aside from life challenges, and daily routine to get through the day. Beforehand learning about GCU I went through two different University unsuccessfully however, that didn’t stop me luckily, I learn through my employee about GCU.

"Education is life--not a mere preparation for an unknown kind of future living…The whole of life is learning; therefore, education can have no ending. This new venture is called adult education--not because it is confined to adults but because adulthood, maturity defines its limits." (Lindeman, E.1926p.6)

Mature students’ involvement in higher education is life enhancing and vital to social mobility, but current changes to higher education fees and adult skills strategy represent a substantial risk to forthcoming partaking. This research aims at exploring the challenges faced by mature students to access higher education and the motivating factors that helps them to pursue or resume their academic studies. Whatever the motive, going to higher education as a mature student can be very gratifying, not least because it tends to be a bigger enterprise later in life and consequently the wish to excel is often heightened.

My impression of adult education has changed immensely. First and foremost, the first lesson learned that teaching adults are a separate, intensive, and long debated process. Portions of certain theories learned illustrated below. I have extended knowledge about Meizrow (Transformational Learning) and Knowles (Andragogy). The six key features of Adult Learners are:

Basically, this article by Malcolm Knowles is a conglomerate of all aspects of adult learning. It outlines aspects of adult learning, theories of adult learning, and expands on them. The main idea of this article is to create awareness on the existence of adult learning, and to help instructors of adult learning to know how to go about it successfully. Additionally, the article is of help to adult learners to enable them to learn the most they can (Knowles, 2007).