Challenges of a College Education and Strategies Students use to Overcome Them

Challenges of a College Education and Strategies Students use to Overcome Them
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Challenges of a College Education and Strategies Students use to Overcome Them
Profile I
The first interview was with Mary Seinfeld who graduated 3 years ago from Robert Morris University. She is currently in her late 20s. At the university, she earned a degree in Nuclear Medicine and currently works as a doctor at a large private hospital in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She faced financial challenges in paying for her educational expenses such as books and tuition. She worked an on-campus job and also applied for a student loan both of which helped her to overcome this challenge. The other challenge was feelings of homesickness since she lived within 5 hours from home. She overcame this by visiting her home at least once every month, and asking her family and friends to call or email her. She also used support groups for students at the campus to talk to other learners who also had similar experiences. What she enjoyed the most at the college was interacting with diverse students and making new friends, but if she had to get her degree again, she would choose a college that is closer to home; that is, within 2 to 3 hours to avoid the feelings of homesickness. She balanced college work, personal life and employment while in college through proper time management which entailed establishing a study plan and identifying personal time and time for working. Her advice for me to is to find a job while in college to help the financial pressure in college.
Profile II
The second interviewee was Paul Polanski. He graduated in 2012 from University of Texas at Austin with degree in Law aged 33. He is in his late 30s now working as a lawyer at small law firm in Austin, Texas. While at college, he was faced with time management challenges. He overcame this through managing his time effectively for instance by using a calendar, using a planner, and planning his time carefully. He also faced the challenge of managing commitments. As an adult college student with a family and children, balancing family, school and work was a real challenge for him. He was able to overcome this challenge through prioritizing tasks and asking for help from the school’s student support services. His advice for me is to develop time management skills for managing my time in college well. He enjoyed meeting new people and would improve on his time management if he had to get his degree again.
Profile III
The third interviewee was Janet Jenkins who is in her early 30s at the moment. She graduated from University of Phoenix in 2011 with a Nursing degree. She works as a Registered Nurse (RN) at a leading hospital in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The challenges she faced include financial challenges to pay for her books and tuition, as well as for her personal use. By getting a part-time job and applying for student loan, she...