L.O.L. Podcast Episode Information
Being an adult learner means you have resources and support at your fingertips! Dr.
Pamela O鈥橬eal, and Dr. Amber Anderson, hosts of the podcast, Shockers Learning Out
Loud will talk about those resources and introduce you to other adult learners as
well. We will host a variety of guests who can contribute to your success. We hope
you will join us and help contribute to the content you want to hear.
Season #3: Fall 2024
Season 3 of Shockers Learning Out Loud will be focusing on the 8 elements of Wellness. To find out more check out the journal article .
Guest: Dr. LaTonya Rease Miles: Partnerships Development Representative at ReUp Education! AKA everything first generation!
Support comes from family aka, Mom, husband, kids, and her 鈥渟quad.鈥 Different groups can do different things for you.鈥 One group or one person can鈥檛 do all things for you. It鈥檚 important to know that it鈥檚 okay to have different people for different reasons.
People come in with different amounts of capital.
How do you build capital? LT says, 鈥淭ranslate the capital you already have to the institution.鈥
We need to affirm our communities. 鈥We didn鈥檛 come in with nothing.鈥
School is not always an adult learner鈥檚 top priority. They have jobs, they have children. What happens when childcare falls through 鈥 can they bring their child(ren) into the classroom? Schools need to have more empathy, more care.
Talk to your professors 鈥 let them know what鈥檚 going on in your life.
The physical space (Adult Learning) exists.
What鈥檚 your favorite book and/or movie?
Book: by Ruth Doan MacDougall.
Movie: The Godfather I &II. (LT sees it as a first-generation narrative).
Also check out the Goofy Movie. 鈥淕oofy got laid off, ya鈥檒l.鈥 He has to go back to school with his son to get his degree. #ItsRealLife
Dr. Carolyn Speer - Director of the Office of Instructional Resources. Dr. Speer also teaches in ISLE.
Self-direction 鈥 everything here is voluntary. What are your other obligations? Recognize that everything here is voluntary. You are doing it because you want to be doing it and you are getting the things it can get for you.
Advice on technology: Just roll with it. Recognize it is not just you 鈥 it鈥檚 all of us. Expect that there is going to be a certain level of it not working. There鈥檚 a reason for that 鈥 it鈥檚 new technology. It鈥檚 not tried and true. Work on resilience.
Use blackboard.wichita.edu to get to Blackboard.
What is a browser? A piece of software on your computer, tablet, or phone that allows you to get on the internet.
Blackboard does not work well on Safari. You can download Google Chrome, Firefox, Edge. Just Google it and download it.
Become resilient. Recognize that becoming resilient takes time.
Shockers Learning Out Loud moment: 鈥淚t鈥檚 only intuitive after you learn it.鈥
Ali Levine 鈥 Microsoft Certified Trainer. Trains faculty and staff on applications. Also an adult learner!
Microsoft is a whole corporation 鈥 you will be using some of the applications you are familiar with, some you may not.
All students get a free license with Microsoft 365. Some of the greatest hits include: Excel, Word, PowerPoint, & Outlook. It also comes with online applications, Microsoft forms, or Microsoft Lists. Just look around and see what鈥檚 out there. Also comes with cloud-based storage called One Drive.
Shockers Learning Out Loud moment: Get into Word, open a document when it鈥檚 not an emergency, and give yourself permission to be curious. Look around. There are a bunch of tabs to look at. There are new tools, like Editor and a dictation tool. Editor is like Grammarly. There is also autosave. Look in the upper left, and turn on autosave. Turn it on in each document.
The thing to know about Teams is that it can mean a lot of things. When you open up Teams on your computer, you will see a bunch of different modules. There is a chat module, a calendar module, or they may use the Teams app in Teams. Pay close attention to how your instructor is using Teams.
The helpdesk is your first starting place. Check in with Wichita.edu/helpdesk. You can also contact 978-4357 or HELP, and option 1. Go to: to get your Microsoft Suite online and download the desktop applications. Go to: ITS Resources. You鈥檒l also see other software applications. There is a lot of good free stuff.
Dr. Brett Bruner - Assistant Vice President Student Success and Persistence and Interim Director of Online and Adult Learning.
Navigate is our Student Success platform. Everything that a student needs to be successful, can be found in Navigate. It continues to evolve and emerge. Think of Navigate as your one stop thing for everything student success.
It helps you find resources such as finding a study buddy. It helps you find the hours of all the places to eat at WSU. It helps you find tutoring. You can request tutoring in the app. You can reach out to your academic advisor for an appointment. It also gives you the option to raise your hand for help. You can ask for help with career exploration, or I鈥檓 struggling academically, or I鈥檓 struggling with basic needs. That will trigger emails to come very quickly to help you with whatever you need.
Shockers Learning Out Loud moment: Download the app 鈥 and raise your hand!
Marco Villela 鈥 OAL Retention Specialist. He is getting his master鈥檚 in criminal justice. Marco is working full-time and taking 12 graduate credit hours.
Environmental 鈥 where you are most productive, and/or comfortable to learn.
Make it comfortable, with a good chair, good lighting, and organization. Keep a personal item, too, like a photo of a loved one.
Some extra things to consider having in your studying environment: corkboard, whiteboard, succulent plant and music that is not distracting.
Sounds: white noise, classical music, rain sounds.
Why does it matter? Having a dedicated space helps keep a good boundary between school and everything else. That way, once you get into that space, you know it鈥檚 time to get to work.
Study plan: Set goals. Allocate times/days for classes. Do a constant review.
Free templates: Trello, Notion, Canva, Template, and Pinterest, all have free templates for studying. There are free downloads.
Talk to your family/friends/loved ones and let them know it鈥檚 your study time.
Marco can do a deep dive of your syllabus and help you with tips and tricks to help you succeed. Everybody will be different, so he will help you based on your needs and wants.
Brown Noise: what it may sound like inside an airplane.
White Noise: Like TV static.
Try experimenting with sensory elements. Maybe try reed diffuser sticks, candles, traditional diffusers and melting waxes.
Take a break: Hop on TikTok, Instagram reels, get up every hour, and take a walk. Small 10-minute breaks are best. Drink water, too.
Marco鈥檚 Shockers Learning Out Loud moment: Keep it basic, be yourself, find what works for you! Contact information: 316-978-8406
Office: 302B in the brand new Shocker Success Center
Season #2: Fall 2023 - Spring 2024
Teaches in the political science department: Political Science
Teaches in the College of Applied Studies: Applied Studies
鈥淚f people can fall in love online and never meet in real life, they can go to class
online and learn.鈥
#1: 鈥淚t鈥檚 important to walk into an online class believing this is a learning environment, that a discussion board is an environment where we can genuinely interact with other people.鈥
#2: 鈥淕et in there and read what you鈥檙e supposed to do, and if it asks you to do some reading or content, do that first, answer the question the way it asks you to, and then actually read what other people say and work to engage with them.鈥
Use AI 鈥 to start a conversation as a method to get an idea how to respond to a discussion. Chat GPT link: Google Bard AI:
鈥淵ou can have some Anonymity as you can make your profile picture be whatever you want it to be. For example you can have pictures of a dog, a cat, your children or whatever you want as your picture.鈥
鈥淭here is a kind of anonymity that being in groups a person can have that this environment doesn鈥檛 have.鈥
鈥淯ltimately the best courses are the courses that create a community of learning. Participating in that community will give you the best outcome.鈥
Many online courses are actually going to have a place that says, 鈥淪tart Here.鈥 You should start there, or a place that says, 鈥淚ntroductions.鈥
It鈥檚 typical for instructors to want to be communicated with either through email or the course messages tool in Blackboard.
Every instructor is different when it comes to due dates and discussion board posts. Some instructors take assignments late. Some do not.
Have a dedicated learning space, where it gets you in the thought of 鈥渢his is the place where I study鈥 and let your family/friends know where it is and what it looks like.
鈥淚 think the most important thing I can say about online learning is that it鈥檚 just learning.鈥
55-year-old pre-social work student Support for mental health here at Wise Clinic
鈥淚鈥檓 appreciative of this (OAL) Office. I don鈥檛 even know where I鈥檇 be if I didn鈥檛 walk through these doors.鈥
I was walking across campus, and I was like, I can鈥檛 believe it. I did it. I鈥檓 here. I actually did it.
I just had all these questions. I had no financial aid set up, I had nothing.
鈥淚 had a discussion board in one of my classes on Blackboard and I went to the discussions, and I could not figure out how to reply or start anything. I walked in and Russell goes, 鈥楧o you see where it says create thread? You just push that button and you鈥檙e on your way.鈥
And you know what? This is a perfect example of poverty brain or maybe not feeling adequate or imposter syndrome. I should not be creating anything. The word create threw me off. They don鈥檛 want me to create a thread. I鈥檓 just here to answer somebody else. And it was just such a shift in my thinking and at that point it went from, I鈥檓 not an observer, I鈥檓 a participant. I鈥檓 at the table.鈥 Osher Scholarships
Robin鈥檚 advice to other adult learners at WSU:
鈥淔ind your way into this office. You know that the people are here to support you in anyway.鈥
鈥淛ust be gentle with yourself. And know that the fact that you walked in the doors, you did it. Right there, you won.鈥
Work with Suzanne and have a success conversation
鈥淏e kind, trust the process and be grateful.鈥
Come back soon! We'll get the notes to this episode up shortly.
Notes for January podcast guest:
- Rachel Valentine Career Coach, and graduate student
- Lanie Hibbs Program Specialist, All learning experiences such as workshops and organize and coordinate events.
The Shocker Career Accelerator helps with: Time management, Career exploration, major exploration, TAP, resume building, and mock interviews.
Adult learners have accumulated many life skills, so Shocker Career Accelerator can help recognize their strengths and what they can bring to the table.
Mock interviews are fun! Adult learners know what they are doing!
Use the STAR Acronym 鈥 assess the Situation, talk about the Task, talk about the Action, talk about the Result.
鈥淥ur ideal student is not in our office just one time, it鈥檚 not a transaction, it鈥檚 a visit and conversation and more.鈥
鈥淲e want to focus on building relationships.鈥
We have a career ready journey. It鈥檚 a continuous journey. Use it as a tool. Live out potential. Three phases. Modified for everyone. Schedule a Virtual Coaching Session
Three phases in the career ready journey.
1. Need to know 鈥 know yourself and your strengths.
2. Need to experience (seek out internships)
3. Need to act 鈥 apply for jobs.
What鈥檚 out: unpaid internships. What鈥檚 in: paid internships!
Learning Out Loud moment: Taking a summer class and learning how to learn. Lanie Hibbs
Figuring out how I learn, everyone has their strengths 鈥 Rachel Valentine
How to reach the Shocker Career Accelerator: in John Bardo Center Rm. 162, will be moving to the Marcus Welcome Center.
Social Media: Find us by searching for Shocker Career Accelerator
Phone: 316-978-3600
Suzanne Bentley - Online and Adult Learning (OAL) Specialist
Suzanne 鈥 Tuned into the specific challenges the adult learner and/or the online learner has. Come at the challenges with a strengths-based approach.
WSU is a strengths based campus.
Sometimes humans tend to think about what we鈥檙e not good at. We all need to be reminded of who we are and the strengths we have. We want to hear ideas from you for workshops.
Advice: Do not compare yourself to anyone! 鈥淵our situation is your situation.鈥
Suzanne is enrolled in a life coaching program to help with our adult learners. Any adult learner wanting to help Suzanne, help others can reach out to her Suzanne.bentley@wichita.edu
What else do our students need from us? We鈥檇 love to hear from you!! Call
Suzanne has found mentors in many people she has met. She wants to meet you, too!
Learning Out Loud Moment: Learning from our students.
Phone: 316-978-8325
Email: oal@wichita.edu
Advice from our Adult Learners:
You belong. You are a student and belong in places just as much as any other student. As an adult learner at age 46 I felt like I didn't belong on campus. I have come to realize that I do belong and am working just as hard for my goals and age does not matter.
Take advantage of all of the resources available to you such as the Supplemental Instruction (SI) Sessions, academic advisors and instructor office hours.
Stay positive! It can be overwhelming trying to be an adult and go back to school, but remember you can do it! Help prove to society (especially our children or even grandchildren) just because we are an adults our dreams are still achievable! Yes we may have to work a little harder, but we too can still achieve our dreams!
Take your time even if you feel like you're already behind going back to school later in life. Enjoy learning and dont make it more stressful than it has to be. Every little bit matters, so even if you can't take all the classes, or a full load, do what you can and don't give up.
The question isn鈥檛 who is going to let me; it鈥檚 who is going to stop me. (More in Q4)
Don't forget you are you. And you have to take care of yourself and sometimes others. Take moments for your own personal mental health.
Never stop learning!
An advice to you, avoid beating yourself for not grasping knowledge easily. Find what works for you, and stick to it. Also, be open to a younger students method of learning. I learned very interesting ways to recall material, just by taking the advice of a recent High School graduate. Most importantly, meet people, shake their hand, and recall their name. I can鈥檛 say this enough, I frequently run into the same people I鈥檝e met on campus outside of campus! Build your niche, because you only have this once chance to make a connection with your education and a person.
Do not give up. It can feel so overwhelming but remember you鈥檙e goal and remember that this is only temporary.
Find other adult learners, we are going through college differently from the "normal" students. Seek advice.
Find inspiration in traditional college students. As an adult learner, I have friends who are traditional students (18-22). Though our life experiences are vastly different, there are a lot of things I learn from them, including the need to constantly be learning. College isn't the same as when I started at WSU in 2000. Engaging with current students helps me in learning new skills and staying sharp in areas of growth. Learn from those younger as well as those older.
Don鈥檛 be afraid to ask questions as an adult learner. I don鈥檛 have a statistical analysis to back this up, but I would say from my own personal experience that the best way to fully learn material is by speaking up in lecture. It can be scary to do so, because of feelings of imposter syndrome that we all get from time to time. But I have found that in most cases only one of two things happen: either someone has a similar question so asking also benefits them in addition to you or your classmate would understand it already knows the answer and it further solidifies their belief on the topic. However, someone else understanding it prior to your question doesn鈥檛 imply a classmate thinks anything negative about you. Everyone is in the lecture to learn, and if you want to feel like you鈥檙e getting the most out of your time and money, ask questions! It can only help.
Start where you are, not where you think you should be. Methods to learn fluctuate over time and are as fluid as time itself. Use what works for you and keep growing every day. You will get this. You belong just like everyone else.
Remember that you are not the only adult learner at WSU! Everyone has their own career paths and timelines. Find someone supportive of your journey to help your through!
Remember everyone learns in different ways and at different speeds. Try not to compare yourself to students who may be fresh out of high school. Do your best, use your resources and remember it is okay to ask for help whenever you need it. They just want to see you succeed!
Don't overload your schedule, keep your mental health in check!
There are advisors and tutors trained to help adult students. They can help you schedule your education around families and work commitments.
Make a schedule and stick to it. A good support system is also a must!
Make it a point to introduce yourself to your instructors as well as your success coach, the ladies in the office of adult learning, and anyone else that you might need during your time at WSU. It will make it a lot easier to ask for help when you need it, and dont ever be afraid to ask for help when you need it!!!!
Dedicate a set time to complete assignments and readings. Having a schedule helps- setting out time perhaps in the evenings is very helpful. I put my headphones on a plug away on my school work in the evenings. As an adult learner and being out of school for 20 years I was very nervous to go back to school. It is sort of like riding a bike, it's still there- just had to get back into the groove again. Note taking really help as well. I am enjoying school and learning new things! It is very rewarding not only for myself, but I am showing my children that anything is possible with hard work and dedication.
Season #1: 2022-2023
Questions and Answers
Q: What is an adult learner?
A: A student who is 24 years old or older, earning a bachelor鈥檚 degree,
Q: What is an online learner?
A: A student enrolled in an online program 鈥 many times, these students are also adult learners.
Q: What is a first generation (first gen) student?
A: A first-generation (FGEN) college student is a student whose parent(s)/legal guardian(s) have not completed a bachelor's degree. At 红领巾瓜报, they are F1RST GEN SHOCKERS.
Q: What is a learning platform?
A: A webspace or portal for educational content and resources that offers a student everything they need in one place: lectures, resources, opportunities to meet and chat with other students, and more. Definition taken from mycomputercareer.com
Q: What is Blackboard?
A: Blackboard is one of the learning platforms used in higher education, and the one WSU utilizes for their students.
Q: What is a bluebook?
A: A blue-covered booklet used for writing examinations. Definition taken from MerriamWebster.com.
Q: What is a credit hour?
A: A way of measuring how much credit a student receives for attending a course which corresponds to the hours per week spent in that course. For example, if a student enrolls in a class that meets for one hour on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, that course would be worth three credit hours.
Q: What is a cohort?
A: Students who are educated at the same period of time鈥攁 grade level or class of students (for example, the graduating class of 2004) would be the most common example of a student cohort. Definition taken from:
Terminology
BA 鈥 Bachelor鈥檚 of Arts degree. Also known as a four year degree and an undergraduate degree.
MA- Master鈥檚 of Arts degree. Also known as a graduate degree.
Graduate student 鈥 a student who has finished their undergraduate degree, enrolled in a master鈥檚 or doctoral program.
Adult learner guest: David Smith, 42 Biology Major, Minoring in Chemistry, self-appointed Adult Learning Ambassador
Quotes from David Smith:
鈥淚 wanted my own college experience. I was never going to get the traditional four year experience so, I wanted to find ways that I could pack as much college experience into my time as I could.鈥
鈥淚鈥檓 not traditional in what I want to do. I鈥檓 not getting a degree in biology or pursuing a degree in biology to get a job using that degree in biology. I love biology and I love learning and so if I can get a job where I can use it, great! If I don鈥檛, I got the degree I wanted.鈥
鈥淲hen you鈥檙e happy, it doesn鈥檛 matter what you鈥檙e doing.鈥
鈥淭he reason I knew about the Office of Online and Adult Learning first of all, was because of Orientation. And coming in as a non-traditional student, especially after so many years and never really being familiarized with WSU, it was beneficial. One of those I sat in was the Office of Online and Adult Learning and I got to listen to Pam do her spiel on the office and all that it offers and to me, it was attractive because it was a place that I could come where it wasn鈥檛 the Rhatigan.鈥
鈥淧eople will gravitate to you because you鈥檙e an adult learner, because you鈥檙e different, because you鈥檙e not their normal cohort.鈥
鈥淭here鈥檚 a lot more plusses to being an adult learner than I would say, there is being a negative, especially on campus with all the services they offer for anybody who attends.鈥
鈥淚f it鈥檚 a thought in your head to come to school, to come back to college, to get a degree, do it.鈥
Office of Online and Adult Learning
TRIO DSS Disability Support Services
SI: Supplemental Instruction 鈥 a program developed to assist students with learning material in traditionally difficult classes. It is a series of weekly review sessions for students taking certain courses. SI sessions are led by a student who has previously succeeded in the course and focus on collaborative and active learning.
Office hours: Hours set by a professor, outside of classroom hours for students to talk to a professor about the class.
Syllabus: A syllabus provides you with information specific to a course, and it also provides information about important university policies. This document should be viewed as a course overview; it is not a contract and is subject to change as the semester evolves. It often includes the schedule of assignments, exams, projects, etc. you are expected to complete over the course of the semester as well as outcomes of the course and the grading scale. Definition source
A 52 year old business major, marketing with a focus on real estate. A minor in sports management.
鈥淭his office is a big support system for a lot of us adult learners. It鈥檚 nice to know you have somewhere to go.鈥
鈥淥ur School has brilliant people in it.鈥
鈥淢y travel comes up quite a bit in most classes. Because in every class you know the first week you have to introduce yourself and it鈥檚 what I鈥檝e done in the last 20 years is travel. I鈥檝e experienced it, I鈥檝e lived it. It makes it a little more relatable, so when you hear someone, who has actually lived it and can explain int more than just what鈥檚 in the book, it makes it more 3D, so the concept comes across a little bit better. It鈥檚 not just a fantasy you鈥檙e reading in the book. It鈥檚 real life.鈥
鈥淚 think the biggest challenge for me, so far is that everyone just assumes I鈥檓 an instructor. Or, that I work here.鈥 I don鈥檛 find that many disadvantages to it, that鈥檚 probably like the only thing that bugged me.鈥
鈥淚 don鈥檛 think I鈥檝e found that many disadvantages to [being an adult learner]鈥 鈥淚 haven鈥檛 run into any real disadvantages.鈥
鈥淎 lot of people think that maybe you come in and you鈥檙e not going go to feel like you belong. And it鈥檚 not like that at all!鈥
鈥淓veryone comes in and they鈥檙e super focused. So nobody is really worried that I鈥檓 52 and I鈥檓 a grandma.鈥
So they think it鈥檚 going to be so awkward, and they鈥檙e not going to be able to focus on anything else. That鈥檚 all anyone鈥檚 going to think is that you鈥檙e the oldest person in the class and it doesn鈥檛 matter. The professors don鈥檛 care and your classmates, sure enough aren鈥檛 paying attention, it doesn鈥檛 matter and it鈥檚 great and I love it!鈥 Joe Stone Lounge
鈥淚 waited 30 years to come back to school! There is no way I鈥檓 not going to do well!鈥
鈥淚 think once I came to Orientation it became real.鈥 Orientation
鈥淭he Admissions Office is very persistent. They are very good at what they do! And they wouldn鈥檛 let up. It was text message and email, so I couldn鈥檛 forget about it, because the email was always in front of me. And then finally they were just like, 鈥榮et a date for the orientation and if you don鈥檛 like it, it鈥檚 not the end of the world鈥 and that was it. Once I walked into the orientation, it became really real. And I looked around and I was like, oh, I can do this.鈥 Office of Admissions
鈥淚 think the excitement came when I sat down with my advisor...You have to use all your resources. And that鈥檚 one really important resource to use. The advisors are there for a reason. I go twice [a semester].
She calms me down first of all, and says don鈥檛 worry about it, it doesn鈥檛 have to be now, just think about it, but it has to be done eventually, but it doesn鈥檛 have to be now. So she sees me more than once a semester and she鈥檚 very helpful and she鈥檚 an amazing resource!鈥 Advising
鈥淭hat life experience is worth it鈥檚 own degree.鈥
鈥淚 think you need first of all, to do it for yourself, and not do it for your family. Not because your dad wants you to do it or your mom wants you to be a doctor or dentist, or lawyer. You have to do it for yourself, knowing that having the degree you鈥檒l have a better life.鈥 First Generation College Students
It鈥檚 work. It鈥檚 an investment. Coming back to school is absolutely an investment. Whether you鈥檙e investing money, or you鈥檙e investing time, it鈥檚 still an investment. You just have to know it鈥檚 going to take a little sacrifice, but it鈥檚 not forever.鈥
鈥淚t鈥檚 16 weeks at a time.鈥
I was so used to being the boss, because I was, for a long time. I don鈥檛 have anyone to delegate to.鈥
Learning Out Loud moment: 鈥淚 have to do this. Sometimes it鈥檚 a bumpy road, but it always gets done.鈥
TRIO 鈥 Doesn鈥檛 stand for anything, it got its name because originally there were three programs. They are federally funded and serve students all the way from middle school to college. TRIO has been at WSU for over 50 years. Ten programs at WSU. McNair. Accepting applications now through the end of March 2023 for fall. There is a research component to the program. They accept 28 students. Not a scholarship program but can get a $2,800.00 stipend at the end.
IRB 鈥 Institutional Review Board 鈥 Focuses on ethics. Ensures your research won鈥檛 harm others.
鈥淲e want them to understand the process of research.鈥 鈥 Ashley Cervantes
鈥淚 think almost all of my students change my perspective in some way.鈥
鈥淚 have certainly learned from my students.鈥
鈥淢y returning adult students bring a lot of different perspective. I鈥檝e learned a lot from my returning adult students, seeing their lives, their expertise.鈥
鈥淥nce I got into graduate studies, it was different. My study skills worked through high school, my study skills worked through college, my undergraduate program. Once I got to graduate school, you know I really had to set aside time, so much time to read.鈥
鈥淵our natural ability can only take you so far.鈥
鈥淚 see myself in some of my students.鈥
鈥淵ou have all these paths you can take. That is almost paralyzing.鈥
鈥淪omething I try to do as McNair Director and with working with students, is affirm that you belong here. You have capacity, you have talent, you can take this opportunity to make something of it. And also, you don鈥檛 have to take a path just because it is open and in front of you. You have the choice; you can steer at this point and you can choose what you want to do.鈥
鈥淚 see a lot of returning adults come into the program. A lot of returning adult students are coming back and they鈥檙e like, I鈥檓 here now, I might as well keep going. And they come back with that clarity of a goal and they鈥檙e like, okay, I can achieve more. We can help you get there.鈥
Go to the website, or reach out to Ashley Cervantes at 316-978-3139
Episode 6: Chad Steinkamp, Director of Transfer and Adult Recruitment, Office of Admissions
Title: Busting Application & Admission Myths
Myth #1: I might be the oldest person in the class.
Fact#1: 鈥淵ou may be the oldest, but you may be the coolest.鈥
鈥淣o matter what your life looks like, you can do it. It鈥檚 very possible.鈥
Myth #2: The only student that Admissions is attracted to is a high achieving student.
Fact: #2: We do have some guidelines, but basically, we want to include all students.
鈥淚t鈥檚 really simple for adult students to get in.鈥
Myth #3: You have to have a really high ACT or SAT score.
Fact #3: You don鈥檛 need to worry about that. It doesn鈥檛 matter.
鈥淭he big thing we鈥檙e going to look at is, did you graduate high school, or did you get that GED?鈥
Myth #4: I did really poorly when I went to college the first time, now I鈥檓 not going to get accepted.
Fact #4: We have an exceptions process, we know sometimes that happens, and we have ways around it. There鈥檚 just one extra step, and that鈥檚 tell us your story.
鈥淏asically, you鈥檙e just writing down your story, what happened, why you think it happened and why you think you鈥檇 make a good student now.鈥
Myth #5: Loading up on the max course level is the best option.
Fact#5: A lot of times, adult learners start with just one class.
鈥淲e get a lot of students who aren鈥檛 ready to dive in full time.鈥
Myth #6: Work obligations, family responsibilities, etc., won鈥檛 be worth it to put on my application.
Fact #6: The only time we look at that is when we go through the exceptions process.
鈥淲ork obligations, family responsibilities are very important for scholarships, and perhaps other essays you may have to write in school.鈥
Myth #7: Receiving a rejection letter, is far more likely than getting in.
Fact: #7: That is false. We have a very high admission rate.
We want you to be students here at 红领巾瓜报.
Myth #8: I need a letter of recommendation to get in.
Fact: #8: There is no letter of recommendation required.
鈥淭here may be a letter needed for scholarship applications. And maybe another program on campus, but for general Admissions, no letter needed.鈥
Myth #9: College is too expensive.
Fact #9: There are many options to help pay for college, such as Financial Aid, scholarships, and other opportunities.
鈥淭here are so many options to help with the cost. Try not to let that be the main factor of why you don鈥檛 attend.鈥
Myth #10: Internships won鈥檛 pay anything and being an adult learner, it鈥檚 not for me.鈥
Fact #10: Most internships these days are paid, and it gives you a great opportunity to network.
鈥淚nternships have come along way. Not only do you get paid, but it gives you a chance to get out there, market yourself, and build connections in the profession you want to get into.鈥
鈥淵ou got help. You can鈥檛 do it alone. Let us help you. We will help you be successful!鈥