Non Traditional Adults Essay

Colleges and university have slowly become one of the stepping stones into the working world today. People go to colleges for higher education with the intention of earning degrees in which they can use in their respective fields. Some example degrees that people pursue are Medical, Law, Business, Accounting, and Science Degrees. Through the years the idea of college was that it was optional and it was a door for better life and job. However in the modern times, it become a necessity. It all started when the colleges once single- gender institutions target specific students in their respective demographics. Today, the college market has now been divided into two major categories:

Colleges are struggling to adapt to society’s changing requirements for adults entering the work force. John Fawell laments this change and states that humans intrinsically desire to learn more for the purpose of knowing more. However, the focus has shifted away from this and has become more career-oriented. This shift is not well supported in the current college system. The education system is aware of this change and some have modified their programs, but they are too narrow and a broad college education is lost. Even though it has become almost mandatory in society, a college degree does not prepare students for a real-world work environment and is not necessary for most occupations. Many, such as lawyers or doctors, do require further education and a system that instructs them while also training the majority of the workforce would be an improvement.

In society today, a college education is often seen as a “the next step” in a young adult’s life. Whether they actually know what they would like to earn a degree in, they feel the need to continue their education as almost everyone around them is pursuing post-secondary education of some sort. It is often argued that a college education is not necessary to get ahead because of the manufacture based workforce that is up and coming in America, however, there are many benefits to having a post-secondary education such as a higher rate of pay and more job opportunities.

Adult students applying to college is more common than faculty thinks. Colleges are seeing more adults returning to college to complete a degree that they began when they were younger. The adult student is working longer in life and needs to keep up with their competition which is a younger group and better-qualified. The younger employee is technical savvy and has graduated from college with new ideas to share in the workforce. The research that will be included in this paper will focus on the conceptual framework.

Due to the ever changing landscape of the business world many employers often send their employees to attend trainings and seminars. Though this specialized training sessions are costly the return a company gets from it is worth the investment. A company that constantly sends its employees to school to acquire a fresh and new ideas has a greater advantage than a company that do not offer such benefit.

the most part. These years in a persons life have often been referred to as emerging adulthood.

1.1 Explain why working in partnership with others is important for children and young people

As an older adult who is now going back to college, I have many experiences in my life and career that have helped me appreciate how college opens more opportunities. Like Braakma, I have also experienced backbreaking manual labor jobs; moving steel beams and working in a factory on an assembly line. These experiences made me quickly realize that I wanted a different career path. When I couldn't even lift my arms at the end of the day from exhaustion and pain, I knew I wanted to pursue higher education for the opportunity to work in the computer field. Because technology constantly changes and increases, I have continually gone to school to renew my skills. As a blue-collar worker who has gone back to college several times in my adult life, I know higher education has improved my career prospects. Now, I am now attending college as an older adult to change my career path yet again. The opportunities I am pursuing in my career will only be possible with a college degree.

As the world of work becomes more complex, many workers need training to avoid losing their jobs or being passed over for promotion. Consequently, many who would not have considered college 20 or even 15 years ago are finding themselves back in school. As adults become students, employers, colleges, and workers are changing old notions about how to go about pursuing higher learning.

One of the major pieces to becoming a successful business man/woman is receiving a college education. A college degree is viewed as a necessity and is slowly becoming an unreachable goal for some people. Most believe that the cost of college has been rising and continues to rise, and that the rate of increase is outpacing that of other costs (NAICU). As the cost of college rises, families have to change their way of life to be fortunate enough to send their children to college. Along with changing how families’ live, many other problems are produced in various ways. The cost of college should be lowered because it imposes a burden on parents and their children, causes some students to alter their choice of which college to attend, and

With today’s changing world and the economy the way it is, it is not uncommon for people of all ages to enter the college setting. In fact, two-thirds of students entering the college setting are classified non-traditional (Brown, 2007). Bill (2003) found that there was an 11% increase of non-traditional student enrollment from 1991-1998 displaying 35% in 91 and 46% in 1998. These numbers have since increased according to Jacobson & Harris (2008) showing that half to 75% of undergraduates consist of the non-traditional student sitting the reasons for reentering the college setting to be economic. What exactly defines a non-traditional student and what services may they need in comparison to the traditional student.

"Middle age is when your classmates are so old and wrinkled and bald, they don’t recognize you". -Bennett Cerf     

Middle adulthood is a complex time period that requires a multidimensional outlook to understand all of the processes and changes that are taking place. The many changes during middle adulthood include physical, cognitive and social differences. Many of these changes create significant stress and it is important to understand ways of coping with the anxiety. Many of these coping mechanisms include mindfulness and cultivating a sense of self-efficacy and mastery (pg. 482). There are many changes during middle adulthood that may require stress management techniques and interventions.

Frustrated with current career options, considering a major career change or simply having a zest for learning sparks many adults to earn their Bachelor's degree. Years ago, the only way to earn a degree was within the confines of a brick and mortar classroom. Today, one can earn a degree from an institution 3000 miles away, from the comfort of one's own home! While classroom learning is always an option, many are finding it much easier to maintain their family, their career and pursue a college career at the same time by pursuing a degree via online learning. Learning via traditional classroom or online is a financial, strategic and personal decision for each student. This paper will compare and contrast these two options as well as provide a discussion on the merits and drawbacks of both. I contend that for many adults, online learning is the practical way to earn a degree while still maintaining their current lifestyle. Without the option of online learning, many adults would find it logistically challenging to return to school, stalling their opportunity to earn a degree.

Corporations with a trained workforce will have the contentious influence over companies who lack the experience, and qualified people and make the better organizational structure(Wilson, 2005). Training of company employees must happen at all levels and should be unexceptionable. It is necessary that trainers be selected to direct employees and work alongside them. By doing so will continue to help polish their experiences and possibilities. Companies will need to earmark funding for the training department. These resources have a