Continuing Education

Posted by Pam Sissons Feb 20, 2007

Recently I was speaking with a good friend of mine, and we were discussing the fact that both my 23-year old son and myself will be graduating from college at the same time. I am earning my degree through an online university, and my son is earning his through an apprenticeship program that provides him with on the job training and a great vocational degree program. During the course of our conversation, my friend brought up a story about his great-aunt. As a young woman, she had dropped out of school and gone to work for the same company where she had been for more than 30 years. Laid off at the age of 50, she found herself suddenly back in the workforce with no high school diploma. She decided to take the coursework, and went back to earn her GED. It was an extremely difficult undertaking for her but she did it. She received her diploma and was able to find a good job.

Not only did that story impress me by the sheer determination of it, but it really got me thinking about continuing education and what it really means. No matter what our age or background, we are learning all the time. Opportunities abound for us to make changes in our life, from simply trying to improve our career environment through some sort of professional development, or by changing gears completely and following an entirely new career path. What matters is that we "keep on truckin' ", so to speak!

One of the most basic skills required for adult students returning to a college level environment is writing. Fortunately, it is a skill that can be taught and improved upon simply by doing it. In my last article I discussed the general requirements for writing, and will continue to touch upon it for the next few articles as well. Just like my friends aunt showed a tremendous example of determination in earning her degree, many of us return to some sort of continuing education with the determination and focus to succeed. Writing can be a big part of that, but don't be put off by it! Like anything else, it's a learned skill that only improves with practice.

Do you have any similar stories to share? If you do, contact me, I'd love to hear them!