Being an Adult Learner - Case Study Example

October Stress and Hope: The Challenges of Taking Online s for Adult Learners The alarm screams to wake up a woman by 5 AM, and she rouses herself to face a full day of being a mother, wife, teacher, and student. Adult learners face unique difficulties as learners, particularly when they are at that stage of their lives, when they are starting families and maintaining part-time or full-time employment. Though online classes are more convenient for them, the challenges of balancing multiple roles and responsibilities can be overwhelming. In order to understand the reality of an adult learner, a mother who is taking online classes will describe her experiences. Through her activities and efforts, other online students can recognize the stresses of adult education, as well as the hope that continuing education brings. Online education presents the stress of balancing diverse roles, while facing environmental hindrances and the pressure of personal commitment to the family, although the hope of personal development and career growth, as well as support from family members, time management practices, and faith, sustain the learner’s dedication to her education. Online education presents diverse forms of stresses and one of them is the challenge of balancing family, work, education, and school demands. The student’s typical day is divided, although not neatly, among her roles as a mother, wife, teacher, and student. She wakes up at 5 AM to take a bath, and then to iron and prepare the clothes of the entire family. By 6 AM, she fixes a simple breakfast of bread, butter, milk, coffee, and cheese. At around the same time, her husband and children wake up. She balances cooking with the tasks of preparing her children. 6:30 is breakfast time, but the mother has to manage the tedious task of pulling her children to the table. Everything happens very quickly after that, from eating breakfast to fixing the children for school. It is important that by 6:45 AM, everyone is ready to go out to their own businesses. The mother rushes to her car because as a part-time teacher, she must get to school by 7 AM. Once in school, her life as a teacher starts, until she scrambles to become a mother again by the afternoon. At home, she has to fix dinner and clean the house. After dinner, the mother turns into a wife, and then after that, she must become a student. She logs in to Penn Foster College online to access her classes and connect with her instructor and college associates. She reads her e-mails, does assignments, and prepares for the next day. Her mind and body are exhausted when she goes to sleep at 11 to 12 PM. Thus, she feels the constant stress of balancing conflicting roles. As if the act of balancing these roles is not enough, the student struggles with environmental impediments and the pressures of being a family woman. Most of the time, the roads are congested with traffic. This can seriously ruin her schedule, if she becomes late for school or late to come home. With traffic comes air pollution. The stench of smoke and heat increase the level of morning and afternoon stress. Furthermore, life is hard and she and her husband have to work to pay their house, car, and student loans. As a result, they need nanny services to support their childrearing responsibility. The cost and availability of a good nanny, however, can be problematic for families with strict budgets. In addition, every now and then, the student sacrifices a part of herself to focus on one part of her, although she focuses on being a mother. Many times, she sacrifices her studies for her family, especially her children. She has a two-year old girl, whom she loves so dearly. She wants to spend more time with her, but she cannot do this all the time because she also needs to work and study. This makes her feel guilty sometimes. The guilt can result to the anxiety of being unfulfilled as a mother. Her personal commitment to prioritize her family over school produces anxiety as a student too. She wants to give her best to her classes, but she is limited in time and energy. These conflicting emotions can almost drive her to despair at times, but she manages to stay hopeful and believe in her dreams. The hope of personal development and career growth encourage her to continue her studies. Similar to other adult learners, she is the kind of person who enjoys continuous learning for the sake of it. Learning makes her feel happy. It keeps her mind active and gives her a deeper purpose in life. Moreover, her education can help her attain a better career position in school. When her children are much older, she can focus on becoming a full-time teacher. Someday, she will open her own learning center. These dreams impress the inevitability of completing her education. Thus, her education fulfills her as a student, a teacher, and as a human being, so she strives to balance every role in life without completely sacrificing her studies. The student derives inspiration from the support of her husband and family members. Her husband understands the conflicting demands of motherhood, work, and studies, so he tries to help her as much as possible in the house and with the kids. Unfortunately, his work is time-consuming, so he cannot contribute as much as he wants too in the division of household responsibilities. Still, the student is thankful that her husband supports her studies. Some husbands would prefer to not have their wives study because of the consequences it will have on their marriage and family. Her husband, on the contrary, believes that it is in their best interest if she finishes her courses. She finds this support important in having hope, despite the immense tradeoffs that she sometimes have to deal with. Moreover, the student has family members, who help take care of her children, when they are both working, and when she has assignments and exams. In addition to family support, the student uses time management practices to pursue her goals in life. She keeps a diary that helps her plan her schedules and determines the best time allocation for her daily tasks. Finally, the student has faith in God, which inspires her to continue managing her life roles and responsibilities. When she has struggles, she prays and asks God for strength and endurance. And He always answers with positive emotions and happenings. Being an adult learner is not an easy task because of the need to balance other roles and responsibilities in life. The student knows how hard it is, to be a mother, worker, and student in the modern world. Technology is not enough to help maximize her time, although it makes studying convenient and some tasks faster. Despite the existence of stressful experiences, the student manages to stick to her education because she has hope in her vision. Her education has personal meaning, as well as positive financial outcomes. It is her stepping stone to greater happiness and success. She only has to remain steadfast in her vision and hold on to it, while she holds on to her husband, children, family, and students. Read More