by Nakita Hogans
Have you heard of Complete College Georgia? It is an initiative to get adult learners in Georgia back to school. It is projected by the year 2020 that over 60 percent of jobs in Georgia will require somewhere between a postsecondary certificate and a bachelor’s degree, but only about 42 percent of the state’s working class have that level of education. The Complete College Georgia website goes on to say that for Georgia to be competitive, we not only have to maintain our current graduation rates, but graduate an additional 250,000 working adults in the near future.
As a result, the state has instituted a number of initiatives to help adults return to school, such as Go Back Move Ahead, and for those looking for online programs, GeorgiaOnMyLine. But how do we come to the conclusion that returning to school is the right thing to do for us as working adults? Even if we conclude that it is a good thing, and something that should be part of our future plans, what does that actually look like in my life? If you are like me, you are most concerned about how to fit school in an already busy schedule. I was at sitting next to my mother-in-law at church, entering an event in my calendar on my tablet. My mother-in-law looked down to see a kaleidoscope of colors and wondered what I was doing. When I explained that was my calendar, color coded for work and personal appointments, she immediately frowned and stated, “You are doing too much!” I can’t agree with her more, but I don’t see the kaleidoscope, that is my calender, changing anytime soon. In fact I’m about to add yet another color - I’m going back to school.
Yes, I said it. I’m going back, and I’m going to find the time to do it somehow. However, going back to school is not just about time, in fact, if time was all you needed, it would be easy. College requires time, focus, motivation, commitment and grit. Finding time on my calendar is simple- just look for the white spaces and fill it in with a color. However, when you finally make it to that calendar block, where are you supposed to find the energy and focus to actually complete assignments or sit attentively through a lecture? I don't know the answer to those questions, but I know I’ve weighed my options for career growth and see the benefit of going back to school. Instead of concentrating on the how, I’ve decided to concentrate on the why. Intrinsic motivation may be the key to seeing goals achieved and can fuel the grit factor so desperately needed to take on a monumental task like going back to school.
After making the decision to go back to school, I did the hard work of really evaluating my motivation. I had to make sure it was intrinsic since I am of the opinion that true tenacity comes from within. Once my internal motivations were decided, I put them to the test by actually submitting an admissions application. For me, the letter of acceptance was the first accomplishment in what will be many more micro-goals. Setting and achieving micro-goals will be the easy part, the hardest part might be my next big decision, and that is...what color should I use on my calendar for school?
Nakita Hogans is an academic instructional support specialist for UWG|Online.
