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Fitting
College In
Options help working students carve out the time
By Marty Heator, Debra Ragland and Dianne Lindgren
Visit any community college in America and count
the strollers in the registration line. Then check out the number
of students who are obviously going to class straight from work
(hospital scrubs, business suits and work boots are a dead giveaway).
Once you've done that, you can rethink your assumption that you're
the only working parent who is thinking about going back to school.
You can also rethink your assumption that it can't be done.
The
fact is the vast majority of adults who go back to college do so
while juggling work and/or family responsibilities. And every year
at Southwestern Community College's graduation ceremony, the cheering
husbands, wives, and children of SCC graduates are living proof
that it can, indeed, be done.
The
National Center for Education Statistics reports that in 2010, 16
million students will be attending colleges and universities, over
half of whom will be adults. Common factors influencing the adult
learning experience are family commitments, work commitments and
social obligations, all of which tug at the amount of time adult
learners have to devote to other needs. Southwestern Community College
services and flexible program options can help you find time for
your education.
How
do these students do it?
Perseverance, for starters. But it doesn't hurt that community college
programs are specially geared for adult learners.
Part-timers
welcome
Part-time students are the rule, not the exception, at Southwestern
Community College, where the average class load is approximately
three classes.
Night
school is cool
If you think SCC's parking lots fill up at 8 a.m., you should see
them at 5 p.m. SCC also has Weekend College programs where classes
only meet on Friday evenings and Saturdays.
Your
living room is your lecture hall
SCC is now offering a wide selection of Internet-based courses where
you and your instructor may have miles between you but will connect
by learning.
Telecourses
also make it possible for you to earn college credit by viewing
educational programs on public television. Your TV viewing is supplemented
with campus visits to turn in and discuss assignments and complete
exams.
Apply
on-line
Now it will be easier than ever to be admitted to Southwestern.
For those who would like to apply on-line, visit the Admissions
page on SCC's website.
Help
when you need it
The Student Support Services department is one of many services
you can take advantage of if you need tutoring or some other form
of academic assistance. Other helpful places include the Learning
Assistance Center, where students can schedule one-to-one assistance
from faculty. In addition, the ideal combination of one-stop research
and academic computer lab is the campus library, known as the Learning
Resources Center, open 66 hours per week and accessible 24/7 on
the SCC website.
And,
at a time when the unprecedented demand by employers for a highly
trained and agile workforce is at an all-time high, the need for
adults attending college for the first time or returning to college
for additional training is essential. With the many demands facing
adult learners, a solution to the dilemma in its simplest form is
not a 36-hour day, but more learning options. SCC gives you those
academic options to schedule classes around demanding lifestyles.
Let's get started. Call SCC today.
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SUCCESS
Story
Alexis Bell
SCC
Student Realizes Ivy League Dreams
By: Melissa Pendergast
After
graduating from SCC with Associate degrees in Accounting and
Business Administration, maintaining a perfect 4.0 GPA and
then going on to pursue a degree from Cornell University as
a single parent of two children, Alexis Bell has one message
for anyone who feels intimidated about returning to school,
"If you believe in yourself don't let fear stop you.
Feel it, acknowledge it and move through it." Bell's
sentiment is a testament to her own experiences in life and
as a student.
Bell,
who received her GED in 1989, found herself several years
later reevaluating her career path. SCC was her answer.
"Being
a non-traditional student, single parent with two children,
attending community college prior to advancing to a university
was the bridge I needed," said Bell. "It provided
me with opportunities to succeed. It wasn't until I had done
so well-two degrees, 4.0 GPA and [participating in] five clubs-at
the community college level that I decided to continue my
education further than the two associate degrees."
Bell
credits her close relationships with instructors and the small
class sizes at Southwestern to follow her academic pursuit
with confidence.
"I
still e-mail my professors and talk to [them] at least once
a month," said Bell. "Frankly, I miss the low professor
to student ratio. At CU, in lecture the ratio is 1:600."
Cornell
University recruited Bell through her participation in Southwestern's
Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society. Upon acceptance to CU, Bell
was awarded an academic scholarship that covered out-of-state
tuition and books.
"In
just a little over one year, I will have a Bachelor of Science
Degree in Applied Economics and Management from one of the
top institutions in the country," said Bell. "I
plan to utilize my business skills in a professional work
environment which has been built with integrity as a foundation.
I want to make a difference through what I do."
And
we have no doubt she will.
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Career
Focus Table of Contents - Summer 2003
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