College is a Marathon, not a Sprint

by: Angela Veal

 

Six years ago, at age fifty, my yearning to pursue a dream I harbored since fourth grade returned… becoming a teacher. This aspiration eluded me due to my fear of college-level mathematics. I had been afraid since my first, and only, semester in higher education over three decades ago. 

To subdue the ache of my dream deferred, I explored substitute teaching. This, however, proved to be a poor substitute (pun intended) for my true calling! I was reminded of my desire to teach in my own classroom and develop relationships with my own students.

My heart sank at the thought of revisiting my nemesis mathematics, but if I wanted my dream to be a reality, I had no choice. Encouraged by my husband and his unwavering support, I enrolled in two classes at Georgia State University’s Alpharetta campus. To my chagrin, the quantitative reasoning math class proved more demanding than the algebra class from decades ago! There were times I wanted to quit, times I complained and wanted a pity party. I doubted myself frequently, but I persisted. Not only did I pass the class; I earned an A! 

Today, at fifty-six, I find myself submerged in my first full-time college semester, juggling five classes. This journey has led me to discover six pieces of advice faced by older, non-traditional college students juggling college, marriage, and family at the same time.

First: set a realistic goal That may seem small, but if I did not pass the math course, I would never get a degree. So, it was a huge deal. 

Once I passed the math class, I thought I was on Easy Street, but another subject unrelated to teaching english loomed on the horizon… a biology class. Thus, my second piece of advice: know that it is not going to be easy.

Even now, with only four more classes to finish, I am challenged with things that push me beyond my limits. Writing academic papers still makes me nervous, which brings me to my third piece of advice: use the school resources! For a while, I was not aware of the many resources available to students at Georgia State University. The Writing Studio provides tutoring services and library assistance for those mammoth research papers.

College alone is a colossal undertaking, so, my fourth piece of advice: do not overload your circuits. Know what your capabilities are and stay within the boundaries of what you can comfortably handle. 

The fifth thing I would say is build a support system. Fortunately, my husband has always been my greatest cheerleader. His encouragement and help around the house along with his crazy, unshakable belief in my abilities has been invaluable. He cooks, cleans, does laundry, and even lowers the television volume to a whisper on football Sundays when I am studying.  

Number six: be flexible. During the COVID-19 pandemic, virtual school became a reality for many students. I took a few semesters off to accommodate my son’s academic needs, as he is considered “high-functioning” on the autism spectrum. It was challenging, but we managed. Life happens and sometimes you must work around things, so remember to be flexible. 

As a mature student with life experience, I see education and its opportunities through a new lens. This journey has built my character and diminished my fear of failure. I have learned to set goals, tap into resources, and accept the challenges that come with college. I welcome my husband’s support without guilt and treasure the wisdom of not overloading myself. What they say about life is equally true about college: “It’s a marathon, not a sprint.” And I’m almost at the finish line.