Adult Learner Interview
Interview of First Year Adult Learner
My interview was conducted via phone with a student at Kalamazoo Valley Community College. For all purposes her name is Co-ed Cady.
STUDENT’S BACKGROUND:
Co-ed Cady is a 40 year old, recently divorced, white female which lives in Kalamazoo, MI she is originally from Anderson, IN but, moved to Kalamazoo when her husband was transferred there ten years ago. Co-ed has two children a daughter 22 and a son 19. Her main support system is in Anderson but, her children are in Kalamazoo and they are the sole reason for her still living there. Co-ed works as a receptionist at a real estate office and is currently enrolled in Kalamazoo Valley Community College, a small college in Kalamazoo, MI. The college offers …show more content…
programs which allow for students to learn a profession. She is a commute student with the college being less than ten miles from her home and work. She is currently in her second semester of college working on a two year degree in nursing which can bridge to a four year Bachelor of Science in Nursing.
Co-ed had never attended college before last spring. She had planned to attend Ball State in Muncie, Indiana after high school but an unexpected pregnancy changed her plans. Instead of fulfilling her dream of becoming an art teacher, Co-ed “settled” on being a mother. Her life revolved around her children and being “the best mom I could be.” Co-ed now considers herself “displaced” she said she no longer has hobbies and interest and lost most of her friends in the divorce. Co-ed chuckled “With college classes and working full time who has time for a social life.” She continues that college is “kicking her butt”.
Co-ed’s world was turned upside down a little over a year ago when she was served with divorce papers a week after her son graduated from high school. Within 6 months of her divorce she was enrolled in college taking six credit hours and six hours of remedial classes. Her classes are general studies which need to be completed for her nursing degree. Co-ed chose nursing after taking an assessment test which was designed to show her areas of interest. It was also a field which would allow her to support herself giving her financial freedom. Her plan is to get a job in a hospital after graduation.
DECISION TO RETURN TO SCHOOL:
Co-ed’s decision to return to school came from direct NEED. She suddenly was in the position she had to begin supporting herself. She said “It is scary after not having to work my whole life.” She knows it is a long process but is hopeful for the future. After her divorce Co-ed was lost, and after talking to some of her co-workers decided to look into going back to college. One of her co-workers suggested Kalamazoo College because her daughter attended classes there and was happy. She was told the college was smaller than a university and had a personal touch. Co-ed checked out Kalamazoo College on the internet and saw the campus was close to her work and home and offered programs in nursing and both evening and weekend classes and financial aid. Co-ed called made an appointment with an admissions advisor and within three week she was tested and applying for financial aid. In January 2016 Co-ed started her first college class.
CAMPUS INVOLVEMENT: Co-ed is not involved in the social community at school. She is aware of some campus activities but she does not participate in them “those are for the young kids” and she says she doesn’t have the time. She does read the campus newsletter and does go to the campus tutoring program. There are benefits for attending classes and she uses her student identification card for discounts wherever she can. There are some programs she would be interested in such as some exercise groups and a yoga group and if she gets some extra time she plans to look into them.
ACADEMIC EXPERIENCE/ TRANSITION:
Co-ed’s said she thought college would have been easier than it was but she had not studied in years.
She wished she would have had better study skills. Co-ed took her remedial Math and English class last semester. She passed the English but had to repeat the Math class this semester. She also took two other general studies classes. This semester she is taking the remedial Math again and three other general studies classes. This is the last attempt she gets for remedial math but she said “heck once I pass it I still have two other math classes to take and then science.” She is glad the professors are nice and that she is able to have a tutor to help her …show more content…
also.
Co-ed expressed her being upset about taking the remedial classes stating, “I was not happy when I learned I would have to take two remedial classes and not get credit for them.” “I feel like those two classes are a waste of time and a big expense”. “The math is much harder than I ever expected but I am trying. I have gone to the tutor as suggested by my professor, but I’m still having a hard time”. She is finding transitioning from mom to full-time student and bread winner very hard. Stress is now part of her everyday life worrying “I worry about grades and assignments and deadlines, sometimes it’s just too much.” Co-ed acknowledged she had unrealistic goals and thoughts of college when she began. “I was so excited and confident when I enrolled, but now…I just expected it to be a lot easier.” She stated her life consist of work, classes and studying. “I can’t say I would do this again and I wonder if it is all worth it.”
EXPECTATIONS
“When I enrolled I was as excited as could be. I was ready to take on the world. I had direction and motivation”. Co-ed never dreamed of taking remedial classes and those classes were not in her timeline. Those classes have put her a semester behind. She had read about returning to college and had the encouragement of her friends and co-workers but was not ready for the real life expectations that went with the plan. Co-ed was excited for the financial aid and any money not used for school she would get back and she was ready for the extra income she would be getting. Co-ed really hadn’t thought of them being loans at the time. She was told she would have an advocate or personal mentor which would be there for her every step of the way giving her the guidance she would need to be successful. She expected to be able to meet with her mentor whenever needed but later found out her mentor has day hours and only one evening a week and is booked up on that evening way in advance.
ACTUAL EXPERIENCE VERSES PERSONAL EXPECTATIONS
After a 3.5 hour required orientation Co-ed was excited about her future and all the services the school offered to ensure her success. As time for classes got closer an overriding feeling of doubt (could she really do this) came over her and suddenly she was worried and anxious. Once classes started she continues with feelings of insecurity but she remained focused and motivated. Co-ed is in a pod of classes with many of the same students. She expected to be in classes which were of mixed ages but instead she is the oldest in the group. Co-ed said she often feel self-conscious and like she doesn’t really fit in. Most of the other students are in their 20 and early 30’s and have young children at home. There is one male in the class and he is in his late 20’s and a veteran.
Classes have turned out to be harder than she thought. “I expected school would be a lot easier for me than it actually is. I knew it would be hard but just not this demanding.” She also though college would afford her a new social life which did not happen. Learning styles are different too instead of doing individual work lots of the work is done in groups. “I expected to take a class, read a book, take a test and write a paper.” “Some of the groups are doing better than others. My group needs help.” She wonders if she were in another group if that would help. “No one in my group is getting great grades and it brings us all down. One really smart girl left our group and went to another group.” Co-ed would like to change groups too. “Really I wish I could do the work on my own.” Some of the other students without work meet earlier in the day to study but she is not able to participate. “It’s hard not to get overwhelmed and discouraged.”
REFLECTION
“Adult Learners” encompasses a large diverse group.
Co-ed is an adult learner and meets the typical “characteristics which include: entry to college delayed, being employed full time, being financially independent, attending classes part time. (Choy 2002, 1) She is over 25 years of age or older and did not follow the conventional pattern of continuing a postsecondary immediately after completion of high school. She falls into the 56% of college students which are typically female according to (Upcraft, 19). Adult learners come to college campuses with wide ranges of backgrounds and a variety of reasons. Co-ed came back because she found herself displaced and needed to find a way to financially support herself. Unlike normal adult learners, Co-ed is attending college full-time students and working full time but she does not have a family at home that depends on her. Co-ed considers herself as a “student who works”. This places her in the 26% of students which work and go to school according to the 1999–2000 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (Berker and Horn 2003, 5) Co-ed did enrolled in a college and program which offers evening and weekend classes which she can fit into her work schedule. Other similarities to a typical adult learner include flexible class schedules to fit around her work and the fact she enrolled in a two year college where she is a commuter. The advantage she has is she is committed to getting her degree which is good and hopefully helpful in
leading to her success. She chose one of the typical fields females choose which will led her to a degree in a nursing. (Kuh, 30) She chose a two year program which she can convert into a four year degree.
There is a good chance Co-ed may “stopped out” or totally drop out of college. She like many other adult learners came to college “underprepared” for college level classes and as a result was placed in two remedial classes which was a bit of a setback for Co-ed’s plans and goals. “Of students taking remedial classes only 12% of this group earned bachelor’s degrees.” (Zafft, 2006) Co-ed at times feels discouraged and as if she is too old to have returned to school and is the oldest student in her pod of classes. Carrying a full class load and working is often overwhelming for Co-ed, this places her at risk along with other adult learners which drop out of college and falls in line with Gardner and Siegel (2001) studies which show most returning student do not make it to sophomore year. BUT, on a positive side she is a full time student which carries a higher retention rate than part time students. She is among the 64% of first year students which work full time. (Upcraft, 243) Co-ed also faces the issue that most students which enroll in a two year program never actually convert that degree to a four year degree. (Upcraft, 35).
References:
Berker, Ali, and Laura Horn. 2003. Adult Undergraduates Who Combine Employment and Postsecondary Enrollment. Washington, DC: National Center for Education Statistics.http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2003167
Choy, Susan. 2002. Findings from the Condition of Education 2002: Nontraditional Undergraduates. Washington, DC: National Center for Education Statistics.http://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/2002/analyses/nontraditional/index.asp
Gardner, J. N. (1986). The Freshman-Year Experience. The Journal of the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers, 61 (4), 261-274.
Gardner, J. N., & Siegel, M. J. (2001). Focusing on the first-year student. Priorities, 17, 1-17.
Knowles, Malcolm S. 1980. The Modern Practice of Adult Education: From Pedagogy to Andragogy. 2nd ed. New York: Cambridge Books.
Kuh, G. D., & Documenting Effective Educational Practice (Project). (2005). Student success in college: Creating conditions that matter. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass
Upcraft, M. L., Gardner, J. N., & Barefoot, B. O. (2005). Challenging and supporting the first-year student: A handbook for improving the first year of college. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Zafft, C., Kallenbach, S., Spohn, J. (2016, Dec.). Transitioning Adults to College: Adult Basic Education Program Models. World Education, Inc.
My interview was conducted via phone with a student at Kalamazoo Valley Community College. For all purposes her name is Co-ed Cady.
STUDENT’S BACKGROUND:
Co-ed Cady is a 40 year old, recently divorced, white female which lives in Kalamazoo, MI she is originally from Anderson, IN but, moved to Kalamazoo when her husband was transferred there ten years ago. Co-ed has two children a daughter 22 and a son 19. Her main support system is in Anderson but, her children are in Kalamazoo and they are the sole reason for her still living there. Co-ed works as a receptionist at a real estate office and is currently enrolled in Kalamazoo Valley Community College, a small college in Kalamazoo, MI. The college offers …show more content…
programs which allow for students to learn a profession. She is a commute student with the college being less than ten miles from her home and work. She is currently in her second semester of college working on a two year degree in nursing which can bridge to a four year Bachelor of Science in Nursing.
Co-ed had never attended college before last spring. She had planned to attend Ball State in Muncie, Indiana after high school but an unexpected pregnancy changed her plans. Instead of fulfilling her dream of becoming an art teacher, Co-ed “settled” on being a mother. Her life revolved around her children and being “the best mom I could be.” Co-ed now considers herself “displaced” she said she no longer has hobbies and interest and lost most of her friends in the divorce. Co-ed chuckled “With college classes and working full time who has time for a social life.” She continues that college is “kicking her butt”.
Co-ed’s world was turned upside down a little over a year ago when she was served with divorce papers a week after her son graduated from high school. Within 6 months of her divorce she was enrolled in college taking six credit hours and six hours of remedial classes. Her classes are general studies which need to be completed for her nursing degree. Co-ed chose nursing after taking an assessment test which was designed to show her areas of interest. It was also a field which would allow her to support herself giving her financial freedom. Her plan is to get a job in a hospital after graduation.
DECISION TO RETURN TO SCHOOL:
Co-ed’s decision to return to school came from direct NEED. She suddenly was in the position she had to begin supporting herself. She said “It is scary after not having to work my whole life.” She knows it is a long process but is hopeful for the future. After her divorce Co-ed was lost, and after talking to some of her co-workers decided to look into going back to college. One of her co-workers suggested Kalamazoo College because her daughter attended classes there and was happy. She was told the college was smaller than a university and had a personal touch. Co-ed checked out Kalamazoo College on the internet and saw the campus was close to her work and home and offered programs in nursing and both evening and weekend classes and financial aid. Co-ed called made an appointment with an admissions advisor and within three week she was tested and applying for financial aid. In January 2016 Co-ed started her first college class.
CAMPUS INVOLVEMENT: Co-ed is not involved in the social community at school. She is aware of some campus activities but she does not participate in them “those are for the young kids” and she says she doesn’t have the time. She does read the campus newsletter and does go to the campus tutoring program. There are benefits for attending classes and she uses her student identification card for discounts wherever she can. There are some programs she would be interested in such as some exercise groups and a yoga group and if she gets some extra time she plans to look into them.
ACADEMIC EXPERIENCE/ TRANSITION:
Co-ed’s said she thought college would have been easier than it was but she had not studied in years.
She wished she would have had better study skills. Co-ed took her remedial Math and English class last semester. She passed the English but had to repeat the Math class this semester. She also took two other general studies classes. This semester she is taking the remedial Math again and three other general studies classes. This is the last attempt she gets for remedial math but she said “heck once I pass it I still have two other math classes to take and then science.” She is glad the professors are nice and that she is able to have a tutor to help her …show more content…
also.
Co-ed expressed her being upset about taking the remedial classes stating, “I was not happy when I learned I would have to take two remedial classes and not get credit for them.” “I feel like those two classes are a waste of time and a big expense”. “The math is much harder than I ever expected but I am trying. I have gone to the tutor as suggested by my professor, but I’m still having a hard time”. She is finding transitioning from mom to full-time student and bread winner very hard. Stress is now part of her everyday life worrying “I worry about grades and assignments and deadlines, sometimes it’s just too much.” Co-ed acknowledged she had unrealistic goals and thoughts of college when she began. “I was so excited and confident when I enrolled, but now…I just expected it to be a lot easier.” She stated her life consist of work, classes and studying. “I can’t say I would do this again and I wonder if it is all worth it.”
EXPECTATIONS
“When I enrolled I was as excited as could be. I was ready to take on the world. I had direction and motivation”. Co-ed never dreamed of taking remedial classes and those classes were not in her timeline. Those classes have put her a semester behind. She had read about returning to college and had the encouragement of her friends and co-workers but was not ready for the real life expectations that went with the plan. Co-ed was excited for the financial aid and any money not used for school she would get back and she was ready for the extra income she would be getting. Co-ed really hadn’t thought of them being loans at the time. She was told she would have an advocate or personal mentor which would be there for her every step of the way giving her the guidance she would need to be successful. She expected to be able to meet with her mentor whenever needed but later found out her mentor has day hours and only one evening a week and is booked up on that evening way in advance.
ACTUAL EXPERIENCE VERSES PERSONAL EXPECTATIONS
After a 3.5 hour required orientation Co-ed was excited about her future and all the services the school offered to ensure her success. As time for classes got closer an overriding feeling of doubt (could she really do this) came over her and suddenly she was worried and anxious. Once classes started she continues with feelings of insecurity but she remained focused and motivated. Co-ed is in a pod of classes with many of the same students. She expected to be in classes which were of mixed ages but instead she is the oldest in the group. Co-ed said she often feel self-conscious and like she doesn’t really fit in. Most of the other students are in their 20 and early 30’s and have young children at home. There is one male in the class and he is in his late 20’s and a veteran.
Classes have turned out to be harder than she thought. “I expected school would be a lot easier for me than it actually is. I knew it would be hard but just not this demanding.” She also though college would afford her a new social life which did not happen. Learning styles are different too instead of doing individual work lots of the work is done in groups. “I expected to take a class, read a book, take a test and write a paper.” “Some of the groups are doing better than others. My group needs help.” She wonders if she were in another group if that would help. “No one in my group is getting great grades and it brings us all down. One really smart girl left our group and went to another group.” Co-ed would like to change groups too. “Really I wish I could do the work on my own.” Some of the other students without work meet earlier in the day to study but she is not able to participate. “It’s hard not to get overwhelmed and discouraged.”
REFLECTION
“Adult Learners” encompasses a large diverse group.
Co-ed is an adult learner and meets the typical “characteristics which include: entry to college delayed, being employed full time, being financially independent, attending classes part time. (Choy 2002, 1) She is over 25 years of age or older and did not follow the conventional pattern of continuing a postsecondary immediately after completion of high school. She falls into the 56% of college students which are typically female according to (Upcraft, 19). Adult learners come to college campuses with wide ranges of backgrounds and a variety of reasons. Co-ed came back because she found herself displaced and needed to find a way to financially support herself. Unlike normal adult learners, Co-ed is attending college full-time students and working full time but she does not have a family at home that depends on her. Co-ed considers herself as a “student who works”. This places her in the 26% of students which work and go to school according to the 1999–2000 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (Berker and Horn 2003, 5) Co-ed did enrolled in a college and program which offers evening and weekend classes which she can fit into her work schedule. Other similarities to a typical adult learner include flexible class schedules to fit around her work and the fact she enrolled in a two year college where she is a commuter. The advantage she has is she is committed to getting her degree which is good and hopefully helpful in
leading to her success. She chose one of the typical fields females choose which will led her to a degree in a nursing. (Kuh, 30) She chose a two year program which she can convert into a four year degree.
There is a good chance Co-ed may “stopped out” or totally drop out of college. She like many other adult learners came to college “underprepared” for college level classes and as a result was placed in two remedial classes which was a bit of a setback for Co-ed’s plans and goals. “Of students taking remedial classes only 12% of this group earned bachelor’s degrees.” (Zafft, 2006) Co-ed at times feels discouraged and as if she is too old to have returned to school and is the oldest student in her pod of classes. Carrying a full class load and working is often overwhelming for Co-ed, this places her at risk along with other adult learners which drop out of college and falls in line with Gardner and Siegel (2001) studies which show most returning student do not make it to sophomore year. BUT, on a positive side she is a full time student which carries a higher retention rate than part time students. She is among the 64% of first year students which work full time. (Upcraft, 243) Co-ed also faces the issue that most students which enroll in a two year program never actually convert that degree to a four year degree. (Upcraft, 35).
References:
Berker, Ali, and Laura Horn. 2003. Adult Undergraduates Who Combine Employment and Postsecondary Enrollment. Washington, DC: National Center for Education Statistics.http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2003167
Choy, Susan. 2002. Findings from the Condition of Education 2002: Nontraditional Undergraduates. Washington, DC: National Center for Education Statistics.http://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/2002/analyses/nontraditional/index.asp
Gardner, J. N. (1986). The Freshman-Year Experience. The Journal of the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers, 61 (4), 261-274.
Gardner, J. N., & Siegel, M. J. (2001). Focusing on the first-year student. Priorities, 17, 1-17.
Knowles, Malcolm S. 1980. The Modern Practice of Adult Education: From Pedagogy to Andragogy. 2nd ed. New York: Cambridge Books.
Kuh, G. D., & Documenting Effective Educational Practice (Project). (2005). Student success in college: Creating conditions that matter. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass
Upcraft, M. L., Gardner, J. N., & Barefoot, B. O. (2005). Challenging and supporting the first-year student: A handbook for improving the first year of college. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Zafft, C., Kallenbach, S., Spohn, J. (2016, Dec.). Transitioning Adults to College: Adult Basic Education Program Models. World Education, Inc.