Find your motivation
The Non-Trad
Trina Morgan
Issue date: 3/30/09 Section: Opinion
I recently ran a little survey past a few nontraditional classmates, asking two questions: One, what is your primary motivation for attending or returning to school, and two, what is your biggest challenge in balancing school, family and work? Here are the responses of those I addressed.
Montez Fulton, a general studies major, has been going to school "forever," she told me. "It's a goal that I have had as long as I can remember to get my Bachelor's Degree. Having attended several different universities and accumulated over 140 credit hours, I feel I have a college education, but desire the paper that says so. I do not feel that I have lived up to my potential until I get my Bachelor's." She says her motivation has changed over the years but that her goal has remained the same.
Her biggest challenge is balancing her time between her children, spouse and school. She describes all the things she is doing throughout her day: Attending classes, studying, playing with the children, doing laundry, cooking, reading stories, teaching the baby to clap. She points out that in the list, her husband is conspicuously absent. "If you have noticed, I don't mention my husband at all. Well, he suffers the most... we don't go out to eat, we don't lie on the couch and watch movies, I am always catching up. We made this decision together and it won't always be like this."
Therese Reed said in her email, "My primary motivation for returning to school is to better myself and hopefully to better help the youth in today's world in regard to education." She says her biggest challenge is finding time to read and study the material being covered in her classes.
Michelle Miller's response to the first question was, "After struggling financially for many years, I have grown wise enough to realize that college is the way to get ahead financially in life." She adds, "The biggest challenge I face is what I should do with my kids while I attend school. Being a homeschooling mother of four is challenging enough, but throw in my college career and finding quality at-home childcare, and it turns into total chaos."
Montez Fulton, a general studies major, has been going to school "forever," she told me. "It's a goal that I have had as long as I can remember to get my Bachelor's Degree. Having attended several different universities and accumulated over 140 credit hours, I feel I have a college education, but desire the paper that says so. I do not feel that I have lived up to my potential until I get my Bachelor's." She says her motivation has changed over the years but that her goal has remained the same.
Her biggest challenge is balancing her time between her children, spouse and school. She describes all the things she is doing throughout her day: Attending classes, studying, playing with the children, doing laundry, cooking, reading stories, teaching the baby to clap. She points out that in the list, her husband is conspicuously absent. "If you have noticed, I don't mention my husband at all. Well, he suffers the most... we don't go out to eat, we don't lie on the couch and watch movies, I am always catching up. We made this decision together and it won't always be like this."
Therese Reed said in her email, "My primary motivation for returning to school is to better myself and hopefully to better help the youth in today's world in regard to education." She says her biggest challenge is finding time to read and study the material being covered in her classes.
Michelle Miller's response to the first question was, "After struggling financially for many years, I have grown wise enough to realize that college is the way to get ahead financially in life." She adds, "The biggest challenge I face is what I should do with my kids while I attend school. Being a homeschooling mother of four is challenging enough, but throw in my college career and finding quality at-home childcare, and it turns into total chaos."
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