As I am wrapping up my second set of classes at DeVry
University, I have taken some time to reflect upon what has transpired thus
far. While I’ve so far passed all of my classes, to say that it was a breeze is
far from the truth. I have had considerably more trouble that I initially
thought possible as I have struggled through classes. The thing is, it’s not
the content of the classes, not my aptitude, ability or subject knowledge; I am
re-learning how to learn.
It’s not something we often think about growing up. We’re
born in to a learning environment: Preschool, Grade School, Junior High, High
School and for some, College. The Average American will spend 12 years in
primary schooling alone, not counting preschool or college. According to the
American Center for Progress, only 50 percent of three year olds and 69 percent
of four year olds attend preschool, so you can tack on an extra two years for
roughly half of American students. Now we’re up to an average 14 years, and we
haven’t even looked at college. According to the U.S. Department of Education,
as of 2012, 41 percent of Americans ages 18 to 24 were enrolled in college, for
programs lasting two or more years. So, for nearly half of Americans, almost
one-fifth of a century is spent in a traditional educational environment.
I, on the other hand, was incredibly burnt out with
school. Upon graduating high school, I was given the ultimatum; go to college
or move out. I pleaded with my parents to let me take at least a semester off,
so I could work and take in some other aspects of life. Well, my parents’
decision ruled, so off to community college I went. I lasted only about a half
a semester, as I just wasn’t enjoying the learning experience anymore. I’m a
very hands on learner, so for me, the world held so many more learning
experiences than a classroom ever could. I ended up taking off the next
semester to work, and tried once more to enter in to the college environment.
While the second round started of much better than the first, it was not in the
plans for me to remain in school.
The events that occurred on September 11, 2001 changed my
college plans. I enlisted in the military and roughly a year later, would be on
my way overseas. From that point on, I never really considered going back to
school. On occasion, I would have the passing thought that it would be nice to
go back and get a degree. That thought, though, remained only that; a thought.
It wasn’t until about two years ago that I really seriously considered going
back to school.
In that roughly 14 year span in the professional world, I
gained countless new skills and at this point, have forgotten nearly as much as
I have learned. The one skill that I need now that I seem to have lost, though,
is my ability to learn in a school environment. While it’s true that I take all
of my classes online, I am certainly in school.
I have struggled in my reading, writing and note taking
abilities, and am finding it tough to balance my education with the rest of my
life. While I seem to be making some progress, it remains incredibly
frustrating that I am not progressing as quickly as I would like. I find it
hard to focus on my school work, as I prefer to learn by doing in the real
world. I’ve never written a report in APA format in my professional life, and I’ve
written a lot of reports! Things like that are a constant source of headache
and frustration to me.
The long and short of it is this; it is absolutely
possible to forget how to learn in a school environment. Re-learning that
process can be incredibly difficult, but if you stay the course, eventually,
you will succeed. Well, I haven’t given up yet, nor do I plan to any time soon.
References
Center for American Progress
National Center for Education Statistics
