These adults are, motivated by themselves, to come, which drives them in learning the skills more, a lecturer’s experiences, in working with this group of, adult graduate level students, translated…
I’d started teaching the courses on the weekends this semester, because the students in my class are regular workers, and can only make the classroom sessions on the weekends. Even though, everybody is from a different walk of life, with the various life and work experiences, but, they all carried similar expectations, reentering into the schools, carried that passion toward their master degree programs. The very first lecture, I’d used roll call to get to know my students, and wanted to know why they’re in the master programs while they’re already working.
“I want to find someone with whom I can create with”, a female student who claimed to be eligible for the government paid retirement fund told the class.
“I got drained completely by work, like that drying up sponge, needed to get recharged in school.”, a male student who looked like a habitual insomniac stated.
a group like this…
“It doesn’t seem like the trending thing to be in grad school, so I think it’s my turn to take the classes now,” a student with eyes shining aglow told.
Yep, in the past, the master programs are heated up, even the work-study programs were hot as well, and so, the various universities started, setting up the study-after-work program of graduate programs, the master programs, the MBAs, the EMBAs, even the DBA doctoral programs too. So, a lot of those who work regularly can, continue their graduate studies after work, to increase, their opportunities of getting that promotion from work. But, after this trend passed, the impact of reduced birthrate, gave the universities, the colleges a whole new challenge, the views of the society was also, no longer the same, higher degree was no longer perceived as a gem anymore. And so, the reduction of enrollment, produced a whole lot of doctoral students, and, the supply and demand became, uneven, and now, the high costs of higher education, with the sharp drop from what’s reality, suddenly, the graduate programs are reduced in the enrollments, and a lot of the schools are now, faced with closing down, or reducing their enrollment.
“So, why did you all still, come back to study?”, I’d inquired.
“Learning never stops”, an elderly woman who’d told me and the class that very first day, that she needed to bring in her young granddaughter to class told me.
Yep, learning never stop. Can’t believe, that this overly used phrase, is too fitting to describe this, current, situation. Studying is not for the sake of higher earning, that acclaimed status, but for the sole sake of, personal, enrichment, to giving oneself a brand new life, to see the world through a whole new, view, returning back to school, to fulfill one’s own, weekends, even if you have to work during the workweek. But, there were, only, a limited number of times you were given, this opportunity, to open yourselves up completely, then, to fill yourselves up slowly, bit, by bit. This sort of a determination, courage, stamina, is what made me in awe of these students who are full-time workers.
And, seeing how everybody’s working really hard on the weekends in my school, I can also only, hand in my “leave of absence” with my wife and child at home on the weekends, sacrifice a little of my family time, and, learn and grow with these, experienced-in-life students of mine then.
And so, this, is on being a professor of a weekend adult graduate program, you see these adults who already had some work experiences, coming back to school, whatever their reasons, they’re, a hell of a lot more motivated than the younger generations of students, because this is what they want to do, not because they’re supposed to enter into graduate school, to get a better job, these people are already, somewhat, established in their own lives, and they’re in the lectures, for the sakes of, enriching their lives, which makes them, that much, more motivated than the younger generations of students right now.
Life, the Obstacle Course 