Going Back to School

Going Back to School

The choice to go back to college at the age of forty-seven, after raising three children, was not a difficult decision to make. One of the many things I have learned is that the past shapes the present, and my story is a testimony to this. Like most eighteen-year-old high school graduates, I immediately started college. However, like many college freshman, I found myself away at school focused not on my education but on my social life. I made the decision to leave the university that I was enrolled in and began a full time office job, where I met my husband and twenty-eight years later I have still not achieved my undergraduate degree. I made the choice to become a stay-at-home mom in 1992; a choice that I will never regret. Since my youngest child is now a freshman in high school, I have finally decided it is time to complete my education.

The possibilities that lay ahead of me, with the beginning of school are very exciting. To restart my college education is something that I have thought about doing for a long time. Along with having the opportunity to further my knowledge, I will also be giving my family the chance for a more stable financial future. For the past ten years, I have been a preschool teacher in Methodist churches. Since my family relocated to the Wilmington area, it has become apparent that without completing my college education it will be difficult to obtain a teaching position in a quality program. The possibility of not only expanding my knowledge, but also making myself more marketable in the preschool teaching world is one aspect that has me so excited about the educational journey that I am embarking on. A bonus of me going back to school is that I will be joining a community of other like-minded adults, who are also taking the step to receive their college education.

As excited as I am about returning to school, nerves are also present. To be successful I know that it is going to take a lot of commitment and hard work, not only on my part but on the part of my family as well. One of my favorite things that I have heard all three of my children say since I enrolled is "Mom, if you need help, I will help you." There will be adjustments to everyone's life. Considering I have been a stay-at-home parent for years, my family is accustomed to me taking care of most things around the house. Now that schoolbooks are a part of my life, my family is going to have to help a lot more with the daily upkeep of our home. This will definitely be an adjustment for everyone.

My biggest concern about going back to school is that I am going to have a hard time managing my time and keeping up with schoolwork along with home life. I typically consider myself an organized person, but sometimes when I have a lot on my plate I can get bogged down. I do not want to let anyone down. My children, who are all extremely intelligent, are elated