By Brittany Bezler
With the demand for more education, many parents are starting to reconsider the idea of heading back to school, both for themselves and their families. The cost of education may be rising, but the benefits can far succeed that. Hard work seems to be a value highly needed.
“I had mixed feelings at first. I thought people my age [and older] were content in what they were doing, so initially I just took one class that I thought was interesting,” said Amy Jones, a mother of three (and grandparent of two), who decided to go back to school after her children were finished.
Although going back to school is a bit of a challenge, many parents are starting to get adjusted to how “new and improved” the way education is taught now. Seeing resources that are more readily available have made the thought of returning back to school seem more like a reality.
“Now, as the workplace is getting more competitive, challenges are brought up that students need to be prepared for,” said Lynda Smith, a mother of two, “and now, going back to school to get a better degree, I can see why our children know more than at the age we were at in school. It’s a struggle, because we’re expected to go in with some knowledge already, but we manage to learn.”
Although it may be rough, student parents often find a balancing act between school, family, and work. Juggling a home with children of their own (with their own school concerns) and finances, school can seem like an unattainable option. A huge challenge student-parents face is time pressure, often balancing multiple things at once.
“I was scared to go back, I didn’t know if my husband and I could handle my two classes and evening job in one day, but we built a system around it and quickly adapted. Now, I’m learning things that I wouldn’t have known of if I didn’t commit at all.” Jones said, who recently enhanced her load from two days of classes to three.
“A [huge] concern is making sure the children I raised are getting what they need, and putting myself in school can seem counter-productive at times, but I am also doing this for myself, because I always wanted to go back to school, I knew there was more.” said Claire Schuler, mother of one.
Contact Brittany Bezler, reporting correspondent, at bbezler@stumail.jccc.edu.