As an adult student who has returned to the college world, keeping my sanity has become one of the struggles of my adult life. I am not only a full-time student but also a wife and mom. I need my sanity to keep from quitting both school and life. College is hard enough when you’re just a student, but when you throw mom life on top of it, boy oh boy are you asking for difficult times. It is doable, though. You just have to keep your wits about you, make schedules, write everything down always, keep open communication with your family/support group, and remember to breathe.
Jenny Allen, Student at the University of Oklahoma
Make Space for Sanity with LifeSpace
Share your journey and why this is important to you
My journey to where I am has been a difficult one. I wasn’t told that I could be anything I set my mind on. I explained to my parents I wanted to be a musician, but there was a lack of support. After that first year in college as a young 18 year-old kid, I gave up on myself and on school. I tried to attend community college a few more times afterwards, but deep down, my heart wasn’t in it. I wasn’t doing it for me.
I went through some difficult times and after I came through them, I discovered my self-worth. Then, with my husband’s help, I made a commitment to myself, to him, and our children that I was going to go back to school and finish. At the ripe old age of 32, I had finally discovered what I wanted to do. I began working hard, both academically and personally, achieving more than many people thought I would. I’m nowhere near the greatest human being alive, but I am much closer to being a greater version of me than I ever thought possible.
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How would you like to inspire others?
I would like to inspire other people, especially older students who might be struggling to make space in their lives. It’s important to learn that money, school, and whatever else you might insert isn’t more important than life, living and being alive. Good grades aren’t everything. A good version of you is. It’s most important to remember that being a good you is what your education reflects.
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