Non Traditional College Students

Although a proportion of colleges and universities create programs and interventions that would provide support for all students equally, the collegiate achievement gap among the racial/ethnic minority is still a pressing issue. Researchers suggest that college students from minority groups are susceptible to the five sources of chronic strain (Schneiderman, Ironson, & Siegel, 2005). For example, having a full-time job, or problems between role sets (students and parents). As such, students may struggle with finding funds for college tuition and supplies, resolving housing and safety issues, finding help them care for dependent children, and accessing healthcare. Those situations are especially true for the minority students because they may face more challenge while developing time management and coping skills.

The impact of postpartum depression causes a mother to frequently feel exhausted, emotionally empty, and guilty because she cannot show love to her baby. The mother feels overwhelmed by feelings of harming her baby and may lack the emotional energy to relate to her newborn, which prevents her from perceiving the baby’s attempts to communicate. Depressed mothers are less likely to play with, read to, or even breastfeed their baby and tend to be inconsistent in their care causing a disruption in the bonding process. Many mothers are embarrassed to get help out of shame. Postpartum depression also has an extremely high impact on the newborn. Katja Gaschler (2008) states, “three-month-old infants of depressed mothers look at their mothers less often and show fewer signs of positive emotion than do babies of mentally healthy mothers” (p. 65). Postpartum depression during the first few months of life may also cause negative effects on a child’s development including: social problems (difficulty establishing relationships, social withdrawal, and acting out destructively); behavioral problems (temper tantrums, sleep problems, hyperactivity, and aggression); cognitive problems (walking and talking late and learning difficulties); and emotional problems (low self-esteem and anxiety). The family as a whole is also greatly impacted by

According to Lupien, McEwan, Gunnar, and Heim (2009), going off to college involves significant adjustments to their daily routines; sleeping and eating habits, time-management skills, and stress levels will be altered in one way or another. First-year students have to adjust to the new school environment, different social settings, and new schedules, all without the help and guidance from their parents, who have been there for them for eighteen years. Over 30% of college freshman report that they feel overwhelmed (Klainberg, Ewing, & Ryan, 2010), where some students even opt to work as they juggle their class and work schedules. Some students work at a job or study harder than others, but they are all trying to get degrees so maybe one day they will have meaningful and significant lives. It is a constant struggle for everyone who is trying desperately to make him or herself into a success. And every college student wants to be involved in society in a positive manner, allowing contribution of their ideals and values to others.

Over many years college has been known as a main path to success, yet many students find themselves being first-generation college student and face many challenges that come with it, despite the efforts colleges make to remove this stigma. “Thirty percent of higher ed students today are the first in their family to attend college, while 24 percent-4.5 million- are both first generation and low income” (Opidee, 2015, P.1). These percentages are very high, with 30% of students attending college being the first in their family many students and their families don’t know what they’re getting themselves into when they get to school. Students find that being a first-generation college students affects them even before they start college.

I choose these four articles below because either I could relate to them, in some form or fashion, or I gained knowledge of the events as well as people in the articles. The natural plumbing article I found insightful, how infrastructure has changed so much. The Anne Frank article I did not remember her story from childhood, through this article I have been encouraged to gain more knowledge about WWII and the concentration camps. Coronel Sanders and his celebrity reign with his franchise KFC encouraged me to stay focused and not give up. Hence why I am a non-traditional college student, I want to finish something I started years ago for self-gratification. The slave sold to save Georgetown I related to because of the similarity of recently finding out about my ancestry and who is in my family lineage.

During pregnancy, there are some factors beyond the mother’s control which can have negative significances for the fetus. Maternal stress occurs when the mother is exposed to psychosocial stressors during pregnancy (Kramer et al, 2009). The mother could also develop depression during or after her pregnancy. This mental illness affects the mother’s ability to function and cope with everyday life (NIHCM, 2010), thus affecting her relationship with her baby. Recent research evidence has highlighted that there is some overlap between the symptoms of maternal depression and stress (Cheng & Pickler, 2014), and that these play a role in affecting the normal development of the fetus. However, other research has indicated that stress and depression do not harm the fetus, and in fact can be developmentally beneficial (DiPetro, 2004). In this essay, a number of symptoms of maternal stress and depression shall be addressed, and the extent to which they affect the developing fetus. First to be discussed is how the emotional stability of the mother may affect the relationship she has with her baby.

Most people assume that parenthood is pure joy, but research shows that it can also be pure misery. In the article “Bundle of Trouble”, Robin W. Simon discusses some of the advantages and disadvantages associated with parenthood. First, Simon notes that parenthood has several emotional benefits, like the prospect of being a grandparent and the satisfaction of watching a child grow up. However, Simon argues that the exorbitant cost of raising children is a major source of stress among parents. Lastly, Simon argues that there is a lack of social support (i.e. family, social institutions) to alleviate the social and economic issues associated with parenthood. One of the most significant ideas presented in the article is that raising a child

While parental support is essential for prospective first-generation college students as they apply to college, researchers have consistently found that parents of prospective first-generation college students lack the knowledge necessary to help their children through what can be a challenging process (Bell, Rowan-Kenyon & Perna, 2009; Bui & Rush, 2016; Gibbons et al., 2006; Roderick et al, 2011). As a result, prospective first-generation college students and their parents must heavily rely upon their high school counseling offices to assist them with the college application process. However, the role of high school counseling offices in regards to helping students prepare for college remains quite vague. For instance, less advantaged

Women who have previously suffered with depression prior to childbirth have a higher chance of experiencing the debilitating depression. Teenage mothers have an increased risk of postpartum depression “with prevalence estimates ranging from 26% to over 50%” (Springer). Adolescent mothers can experience the consequences of postpartum more so than non-adolescent mothers because of “their increased risk of adverse birth outcomes, low self-esteem, little social support and parenting difficulties” (Springer) at such a young age.

Postpartum Depression is depression that occurs after performing childbirth. This condition is often mistaken for the “baby blues” which has similar symptoms such as tearfulness, extreme sadness, anxiety, self-doubt, and fatigue. However, the “baby blues” goes away within a few weeks after and unlike the “baby blues”, postpartum depression can cause suicidal thoughts, difficulty making decisions, and feeling too exhausted to get out of bed for hours. If postpartum depression is not treated properly or soon enough it can drastically effect the lives of those who have developed it as well as their families. This is because a mother is a very important figure in one’s life because she is the first person that an individual ever makes an emotional connection with; she’s also the first one to play the role of supplying nourishment to her child. Consequently, “PPD can affect familial relationships and a woman’s capacity to care for and bond with her newborn. Some research indicates that young children of depressed mothers are at increased risk of delay in cognitive and language development” (McGarry, Kim, Sheng, Egger, & Baksh, 2009). Postpartum depression can take hold of a woman and her family’s life and is one of the most common complications of childbirth. However, “postpartum depression (PPD) is less frequently detected, treated, or the focus of obstetric research” (McGarry et al., 2009). This is because mothers suffering with postpartum depression are unable to seek proper

Only in recent history have significant strides been made to understand and treat postpartum depression. While the psychiatric disorder was written as long ago as 700 BC, by Hippocrates, it was not officially recognized as a medical diagnosis until the nineteenth century. Even in today’s society, individuals tend to harbor ill feelings toward postpartum depression, likely due to cultural beliefs and miseducation. According to the U.S National library of medicine postpartum depression is “moderate to severe depression in a woman after she has given birth, occurring soon after delivery or up to a year later”, (U.S National Library of Medicine, 2014). Women have been most widely identified as being impacted by postpartum depression, and for decades, research has focused on them, with limited data related to males. However, recent studies focusing on male postpartum depression, not only prove that men are affected by the disorder; potentially to the same extent as women, but also suggest that there is a likely correlation between either parent having the condition, and it consequently affecting both parents. Recent studies have found that, “prenatal and postpartum depression was evident in about 10% of men in the reviewed studies and was relatively higher in the 3- to 6-month postpartum period. Paternal depression also showed a moderate positive correlation with maternal depression” (Paulson and Bazemore, 2010, p. 1961). Given this

In recent years, United States universities have experienced a large influx of enrollees over the age of 25, a group referred to as non-traditional students. After America’s relatively recent economic troubles, nearly all citizens feel as though higher learning is an important tool for financial success. Many non-traditional students include first-time students, and more than half of the student body over the age of 25 consists of stay at home mom attending online classes.

Postpartum depression is the most common psychological complexity that occurs after childbirth (Bakhshizadeh, 2013). This form of depression has been reported to be as high as 20% (Asltoghiria, 2012). The mother will begin to experience postpartum depression between the birth of the infant and 6 to 8 weeks later (Bhati, 2015). Depending on the person, the typical length of postpartum depression ranges anywhere from two weeks to two years in length (Posmontier, 2010). It is thought that postpartum depression affects mothers of multiples at a greater incidence than mothers whom birth just one child, and the chance increases with the number of children in a multiple birth. Evidence shows that the older the mother’s age at the time of birth, shows there is no notable increase in the risk of being diagnosed with postpartum depression. Another factor that is thought to have an influence on the diagnosis of postpartum depression is income within the household. A study shows that as income goes down, the risk of having

After having a baby, life cannot be the same again. Some people may think that the baby can bring couples closer together. However, having a baby can be very tough and demanding, which challenges the best relationships. Hormonal changes and sleep deficiency can lead to postpartum depression, which affects one out of eight women during the first few months after the childbirth. Postpartum depression can be one of the most important issues involved in breakups or divorces. While all the mother’s hormones return to normal, she can be sensitive to every comment, and she may suffer from depression for a while. In addition, when the baby is born, the couple does not have as much time as they did have to spend together. Parenting keeps the couple so busy that they cannot find a moment of alone time with each other. This may have a massive impact on the new parents’ relationship, and it can pull them apart. In addition, love of a baby can blind the parents, and they may

A mother who struggles with depression post-partum is likely to expose her baby to more harmful effects. Gerhardt (2015) states that the baby of a depressed mother can find it difficult to cope with or get over stress, or they may be more fearful (p. 21). These babies also may respond to others with depression themselves, as their mother may be neglectful in their care (Gerhardt, 2015, p. 36). One of the reasons for this is because of their cortisol levels, which can fluctuate situationally. However, in infants this can affect their development (Gerhardt, 2015, p. 83) as well as their immune system (Gerhardt, 2015, p. 118), and is evidence that a mother with depression can have a significant impact on her child well beyond when the depression occurs. Additionally, Gerhardt (2015) notes that, “When they grow up, these babies of depressed mothers are highly at risk of succumbing to depression themselves.” (p.