Tan & Cardinal 05/02/2012

 http://www.otterbein360.com/index.php/article/2012/05/back_to_school

With five kids at home, running a household and shuttling between soccer, music, dance, Scouts and church, finding motivation for college classes and homework can be tough.

“It was always my goal to finish (a bachelor’s degree), and the timing was finally good,” English major Rebecca Whitney said.

Since her youngest child was starting school and her husband is an adjunct here, which is partly why she came to Otterbein, she said it is a great opportunity for her to take advantage of.

Like Whitney, I similarly wanted to return to finish my degree. I have a family, house and I’m working two full-time jobs, so taking time for school is a real balancing act.

Otterbein Director of Adult and Transfer Admission Mark Moffitt said that completion of personal goals, career opportunities and continuing lifelong learning are the top reasons he hears as to why people return to higher education.

“Usually (adult learners) are working, have family obligations and are coming back on a part-time basis,” Moffitt said. “This spring semester we have 2,853 total students; 285 are in the adult learner category.”

That category is defined as 23 years old and above, with the majority of them transferring credit from other institutions, according to Moffitt.

When I told my 5-year-old daughter about going back to school, she asked me what I wanted to be when I grow up. When I replied that I’d like to be a writer, she asked me what I really wanted to be.

I knew the answer was that I want to be a successful parent—a rather complex goal that I didn’t try to explain to my daughter. Whitney agreed.

“Success is looking back and seeing my children with good standards, well-developed goals and the determination to achieve them,” Whitney said. “My 16-year-old has confidence in me to help him because (of this). I’m managing my school work, which gives me confidence and happiness that carries over to them.”

“The fact is that if I can pull straight A’s, I can tell my kids that they can do it, too,” she said.

These rewards don’t come easily, though.

“Every student’s story is different, and the path can be a bumpy one, so we’re here to help solve their issues,” Moffitt said.

Nursing student Emily Harold said Otterbein’s hybrid class format works well for her. She lives in Crestline and works full-time for Ashland University as a clinical coordinator.

“I chose Otterbein because of its great reputation,” Harold said. “It takes about an hour and a half to get here, but since most of the classes are online, I’m able to do it.”

Harold graduates this spring and wants to continue her education, hoping to become a faculty member at Ashland.

According to Moffitt, the most popular programs for adult learners are connected to further career goals, in particular the business, communication and education programs.

“Those programs have online and evening offerings,” Moffitt said. “If you do another program, then you’ll likely mix more with traditional students.”

Mixing with traditional students provides an opportunity to engage perspectives we might not otherwise encounter.

“I think everyone is really good at treating me as an equal student. I don’t feel out of place,” Whitney said. “Unfortunately, the student life where everything happens right here on campus, those things are a challenge.”

Fellow English major Jordy Stewart is one of those traditional students.

“Most adult learners I’ve had the privilege of sharing my learning experience with have brought more depth to class discussion,” Stewart said. “They’ve experienced the ‘real world’ and bring that scope of reality into the context of academic education.”