Adult education
Introduction
An adult degree learner is any mature person taking education beyond their normal schooling days. So many reasons and circumstances may lead one to take adult education. First, in the years when they were supposed to lean, they might have been poor, which led to dropping out of school. However, others might not have seen the essence of learning at that particular time. Secondly, others go back to school to get more knowledge in their field of work. Most of them get support from the organizations they work for. This kind of education is crucial in developing both the company and the individual. Adults must acquire education because it helps them catch up with the latest technological improvements and the changing environment. Besides, most of them being experienced, education plays a role in giving them a promotion in their workplace. This translates to better salaries which improve their lives on top of added responsibilities.
Learning Objectives
Most adults who study in the university sponsor themselves financially. Besides, they also have responsibilities back at home and school as well. Therefore, most of them get distracted from studies since they try to meet all the responsibilities in addition to education. In addition, they lack enough time to study because most of the time, they are at work. Also, most of them lack quality sleeping time since they try to create time to study out of their rest schedule. To overcome these challenges, it is good for them to take study leave so that they can focus all their time in their studies.
Additionally, they should save enough money to cater for their education and other needs they might need to meet because education should not hinder their other responsibilities. They should remember that it is not only about enrolling but being an adult student entails having other expenses such as the purchase of materials and work tools, transportation expenses and other resources. They should ensure they have saved enough cash to take care of these needs.
The Main Challenges That Hinder Adults from Completing Their Degree
Adults learners face many challenges since they have to balance between education, family commitments and work. Besides, they have daily bills and expenditures that they must meet thus leading to financial constraints. Others, due to their age, they doubt if they can be able to make it in their studies (Lawrence, Merkhaal & Dodds, 2019). Also, most adult students get little or no assistance from the lecturers because they believe that adult students are skilled and responsible, which is a fallacy. These believe leads to lack of assistance from the lecturers and fellow students. In addition, due to many schedules both at the workplace and home, they lack time (Lin, 2016). It is important to note that when adults’ learners decide to learn, they may lack support from their parents, community or family members. This can be demoralizing to the student who may lead to some cutting short of their studies.
Steps A University Should take to Support Adults Complete Their Degree
For the institutions of higher education to help the adult’s learners, they should come up with programs that encourage adult learning. Both the assignments are given at school, and other teaching activities would take into consideration the interests of the adult learners. Also, the programs should put into consideration the educational background and experience of the adult (Madden & Monahan, 2019). In addition, one they do the assignment, the teachers should offer the learners immediate feedback so that they can learn from their mistakes. Besides, from time to time, the administration should emphasize the real-world benefits of education to the learners and ensure that they create deliverables which can be completed conveniently and quickly. Finally, lecturers should break down the content being taught into smaller chunks which will help these learners to comprehend the lessons quickly on top of integrating emotionally-driven content.
Steps the Community Should Take to Support Adults Complete Their Degree
It is very challenging for most adults to contemplate to go back to university and compete in their studies. The community plays a big role in ensuring that adults among the society are encouraged to go back to school. Therefore, they should make them see the relevance of education by making it more lucrative. The community should let the aspiring adult’s student understand that their education will help the community by making it more sustainable and tolerant (Brockett & Hiemstra, 2018). Besides, through education, the learners would be able to build social capital while developing social networks. Besides, adult learners shall reduce dependence on the community while developing individual skills.
The community should also let them know that education is the engine that drives the level of development of a society. That means that education is the strength of its educational, scientific and technological research systems as well as the factor that accelerates the development of information technologies and media. It is here that the importance of education for society lies, becoming a vital and essential element.
Under the preceding information, it should be noted that at the birth of this new century, there is an unprecedented need for education, escorted by an inordinate transformation of it, and a greater awareness of the fundamental importance of education for such economic and social development to which the new generations and adults must be prepared with new skills, knowledge and ideas. In this sense, the importance of education within a changing society lies in the rejuvenation and increase that it brings to human rights and the dignity of the people who make up that society, the extinction of inequalities, the strengthening of sustainable development. Consolidation of creative and emotional developments, changes in values, attitudes and behaviors.
Solutions for Adults to Complete Their Degree
For adults to complete their studies, the need to be flexible and have proper budgeting so that they can avoid financial constraints during their studies which might hinder the continuity of their studies. Furthermore, they need support from the family members and workplace. This will give them the motivation to put more effort into their studies, thus completing it (Wlodkowski & Ginsberg, 2017). They should also consider studying smart by saving time and being strategic. For them to prevent more acquisition of notes, they should continually read and practice what they learn in school.
Conclusion
Adults should ensure that they complete their university studies because it helps develop the community through the improvement the social capital. Education is one of the features that mostly influences the development and advancement of people and societies. In addition to providing knowledge and learning it enriches culture, spirit, and values which characterizes human beings. In that sense, in the social life of the community, education is essential in all facets to achieve better levels of economic growth and social welfare. It levels economic and social inequalities, promotes the social mobility of people. Besides, it will help them access better levels of employment so that they help their families. For the adults to overcome the challenges they will face in school, they should prepare adequately both financially and psychologically.
References
Brockett, R. G., & Hiemstra, R. (2018). Self-direction in adult learning: Perspectives on theory, research and practice. Routledge.
Lawrence, J. A., Merkhaal, S. S., & Dodds, A. E. (2019). Obstacles in the pathway to professional life for a Chaldean refugee woman. Widening Participation and Lifelong Learning, 21(2), 86-99.
Lin, X. (2016). Barriers and Challenges of Female Adult Students Enrolled in Higher Education: A Literature Review. Higher Education Studies, 6(2), 119-126.
Madden, T., & Monahan, S. (2019). Partnering Programs to Eliminate Obstacles to Success. The Journal of Continuing Higher Education, 67(1), 37-41.
Wlodkowski, R. J., & Ginsberg, M. B. (2017). Enhancing adult motivation to learn: A comprehensive guide for teaching all adults. John Wiley & Sons.