Self Regulated Survey Report

Backing: Many people do not finish college, and many of the ones who do can’t

My decision to go back to school in the fall of 2012 was one of the hardest decisions I have ever made. I’m a stay at home mom of 4 boys with 2 of them being special needs. My oldest was born with a rare genetic condition called hereditary spastic paraplegia and my youngest son was born with a rare condition called Dravet Syndrome that requires 24/7 care. I was at a point in my life where I had lost my identity of who I was and I wanted to be me again. I made that important decision to go back to school for myself with the fear of how I was going to do it, but I knew that it was right. It took me 3 years to complete my AS but with the support of my husband and kids I was able to receive my degree. I worked hard and was able to juggle being

Higher education in America is facing many challenges, i.e., low retention, low graduation rates and less funding. Postsecondary institutions are scrambling to remain a competitive entity within society. In order to do so, students must remain in school (Talbert, 2012). The Office of the White House states (2014), educational attainment is critical to our county’s economic success. In essence, the work force is creating more jobs requiring more education and a higher level of skill than was previously achieved. Individuals with only a high school diploma will not make into the middle class sector because of

“Returning to school after so many years of not attending, to obtain a degree can be a struggle for many people throughout their life, but it also has its benefits, changes, challenges, and goals. Initially, I had planned to go to college right after high school, but due to many family problems I was unable to. It would be another eight years before I would make the decision to enroll in school. My reasons for returning to school are to higher my education, have a better career/ job, and to better my life, as well as the life of my daughter. Returning to school for me, has had its benefits, changes, challenges, and goals. In this paper, I plan to give you a brief

Taking care of myself is a reality now. No one is here to make sure I get up, make me food or give me A’s just for trying. Self sufficiency need to be a core trait of mine in college. I need to be able to take care of myself, whether getting a job or minting a solid GPA, my life is in my hands now.

Going back to school as a working adult was never apart of my ten year plan as a high school senior. Like most pstudents, I'd expected to finish school and live happily ever after while earning a living in my dream career. I never anticipated my career being far from a dream or deciding to pursue another degree, ten years after my initial decision to pursue an undergraduate degree. I'd never thought about the effect of student loans nor did

"After working 12-hour shifts in a factory, the other options have become brutally clear. When I'm back at the university, skipping classes and turning in lazy re-writes seems like a cop-out after seeing what I would be doing without school. All the advice and public-service announcements about the value of an education that used to sound trite now ring

In the fall of 2012, I enrolled in North Hennepin Community College to pursue an Associate’s Degree in Accounting and my thirst for learning was awakened. I chose accounting because I previously had a background in bookkeeping and I have always enjoyed working with numbers. My goal when I first enrolled in North Hennepin was to acquire an Associate’s Degree, and join the workforce, however as I got closer to finishing my course there I realized I wanted a Bachelors’ Degree because I enjoyed challenging myself and learning material that was critical to my career.

The transition from high school to college is a dynamic time in one’s life that parallels the change from childhood to adulthood. Both of these changes are dramatic and, as a result, feelings are difficult to put down into words. A messy combination of emotions fills the heart, surfacing in strange ways. Confident high school seniors go right back to the bottom of the chain when entering college as freshmen. These students start all over, just like entering grade school or high school for the first time. The move up from high school to college signals the switch from dependence to self-sufficiency. From a personal point of view, going through the experience of graduating high school and transferring to a residential college campus at STLCOP, made me realize I was no longer a kid and capable of making my own decisions.

Twenty-six years ago. I began the quest to find the perfect college. As I drove down the driveway of Bay Path College, I knew this was the college I was going to attend. I was drawn to the rural setting, the beautiful campus and the small academic community. My intent for life after high school was to get my associates degree, earn some money, then begin working toward my bachelor degree. In retrospect, I did not possess the confidence or drive needed to be a good student. I struggled for the next couple of years to earn my Associates degree, however was apprehensive to commit to the time or expense it would take to continue my education. After a very long break in schooling, I now approach education with a new mindset and ready to commit

This is a reflective essay concerning my READ 3423.01 with Dr. Reid in the fall of 2016. As I wrap up my first semester at Texas Women’s University I am awed and thankful. I am the first person in my family to attend University. Some find this surprising because I do come from a family that has done well professionally, but that was due to grit and personalities. The fact is, I was never even spoken to about attending college while I was growing up. I believe this is because no one before me had this experience to share or encourage. The truth is I tried my hardest to not be at school from middle school on, I just wasn’t engaged in the process. Of course, there were a few teachers I connected with, like the business and history teachers, but I hated the rules and structure of the environment. I amazedly graduated with my high school class, as my friends went away to Universities I took some classes at the community college. What I found was that when I got to pick my classes I flourished. Even the classes that others said were too hard to take during summer quarter, I excelled in those as well. As life unfolded I got married, moved out of state and had two daughters. When it was time for my daughters to attend school I was pretty apprehensive about the idea of it. I opened a preschool in a mother-in-law apartment we had on our property and decided they could learn there in a small community. That preschool led to homeschooling, and large educational co-ops. I lived in a

Coming back to school after being away for 17 years has been one of the most emotionally taxing endeavors I've experienced. My career experience was working in the quality control field. Being apart of the industry was very satisfying until the point in which the 2008 recession hit. Having to go through the uncertainty of being laid off and the frustration of trying to reenter the work force with only a high school diploma brought into focus that I needed to finish the bachelor degree I had started. While attempting to find gainful employment I took the opportunity to begin the process of transferring to a school here in California. I had originally started my degree in Lincoln, Nebraska, but moved out to California with my significant other.

“As many as one in three first-year students won't make it back for sophomore year” (“Freshmen retention rate”). It just so happened that I followed that statistic. Many colleges do not care much if students drop out or flunk out once their tuition checks have been cashed (Los Angeles Times).Growing up in a very strict household and attending private Catholic school, I was ready to spread my wings and fly. I was looking forward to that independence, my own rules and living on my own. I was enthusiastic to get started on my college journey. In my mind, I was about to live the dream. I would experience my own place to live, no rules, and get to hang out with friends! Oh, and college, too. I was not prepared to be so distracted

Occasionally, I sit back and think what if I hadn’t dropped out of high school. What if I had not joined the Army? What if that What if this. I was compelled to tell myself for every wrong turn, I made; it was my way to succeed in making the right turn. Life hurls a curve ball, and you have to maneuver yourself to catch it. With an unyielding mind and determination; the wrong turn can be the right one However, it is the way we were supposed to follow that curve ball with the anticipation of will I catch it, or will I drop it. Going back to school to obtain a degree will improve my quality of life, strengthen my self-esteem, and grant me knowledge to obtain exceptional opportunities.

The purpose behind this study will be to define how much, if any, impact DC participation levels had on college persistence. Chapter 2 will begin with a