Guest Author: Dr. Kimberly Downing Robinson
Going to college can be a bit overwhelming if you’ve been out of the school routine for a while. Keeping the following in mind can help you settle in while you’re making this life-changing transition.
Invest in Yourself
As a nontraditional student, you have made a conscious decision to return to school. You understand the financial and personal cost to you and your family. While it may seem uncharacteristic for you to focus your energies on your schoolwork or campus activities, especially since you’ve been caring for your children, investing in your personal and professional future can position you and your family forward socially and financially. Setting short-term goals such as writing a college essay or completing a semester can help you fully realize your long-term academic goals.
Understand Your Worth
As a single parent, you bring a wealth of real-world experience into the college classroom – experience that informs how you handle your assignments and interact with your professors and peers. While you might not yet have decided on a major, you probably have a good idea of how you see your studies transferring over into real life and work. Deciding on a major, capitalizing on your aptitudes, and finding out what interests you most professionally will help you build on the decision you have made to invest in yourself.
And, remember, when you are feeling uncertain or anxious, you are not alone! People go back to school all the time. I did it when I was 28 years old with two small children.
Was it difficult? Sometimes… Was the laundry always done? No… But it bettered my life and my children’s view of themselves in the larger world of education and it shaped their own choices regarding careers and long-term opportunities. I wouldn’t change a thing!