The Extra Load of an Adult College Student

Something I've been pondering....

Several weeks ago, I went on a trip. This trip wasn't leisurely by any means--it involved a great deal of manual labor--yet I experienced a kind of peacefulness while I was there working. For many hours, I was stuck scraping century-old paint off of 122-year-old stained glass windows, so I had some time to consider why I felt that way. I wasn't getting extra rest by any means--I was going to bed late and getting up earlier than I would at home. I wasn't lounging around by the poolside--I was sweating and sore from working hard. What was it??

Then I figured it out...I felt lighter.

No, I don't mean physically lighter, but mentally lighter. It wasn't because I was out of school, either. No, I spent the fifteen hour drive reading my Geography book and downtime during the week filling out maps, taking notes and taking tests online.

No, the reason for my "lightness" was simply because I had less to take care of that week. I was only responsible for taking care of myself (actually, I was a sponsor for a group of teenagers, but they didn't cause an ounce of trouble or need my help for the most part). I only had to worry about my mess, my meals, my needs...no one else's.

During that trip I realized how much of a load I had been carrying compared to the swinging single, young adults that I share a classroom with. Many don't have a job (I do), some don't have to worry about finances because mom & dad keep their account filled (not the case for me), they have more free time and fewer people/things to take care of than I do, etc.

I don't really think about the differences on a day-to-day basis because, when you become an adult student, it's just one more thing to add to the giant "to-do" list of everyday life. When you're married or have children, you soon realize that, like Nike, you "just do it." Your family has to eat so you have to buy groceries and cook meals. Your family needs clean clothes to wear so you just fit a load in between whatever else you are doing. Your kids need help with their homework or need to read to every night, so you just do it and fit in whatever else you have to do afterwards.

I don't really resent the younger students for being so carefree; I had my chance to finish my schooling while I was relatively carefree and chose not to. However, I am looking forward to the time when I feel lighter on an everyday basis. Until this summer, I guess I didn't realize what an extra burden I've taken on.

Five more months!