The SNU Adult Education Blog

Planning a return to college as an adult? It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the dozens of decisions you must make, the time management challenges, and sometimes by the nagging suspicion that perhaps you’re not really cut out for this. 

One of the things you probably learned in school — a lesson that will be repeated during your return to college — is the power of fiction to help us better understand ourselves and the world around us. The right movies can help you relax with your family, remind everyone why you’re going back to school, and inspire you to keep pressing forward.

Long days and late nights of studying pay off as you cross the stage on commencement day. With a diploma in hand, you’ll finally be able to reap the benefits of all of your hard work. Landing a job post-graduation can feel like a daunting task, but it doesn’t have to be, even if you’re pursuing one of these competitive fields. 

In the fall of 2018, before COVID-19 hit, 35% of college students were enrolled in at least one distance education course. About 18% were taking all of their classes online. 

Less than two years later, as the pandemic ripped through the globe and threatened lives and livelihoods, distance education had become the norm. Adult students could juggle work and school from home, often while helping their own kids manage virtual learning and seemingly endless Zoom meetings. 

What will higher learning look like for adult students as the pandemic begins to wind down and we regain a sense of normalcy? The wisest schools will heed the lessons of the pandemic, offering students greater flexibility to honor their many commitments.

For some, choosing a Christian university is a must. For others, it’s a bonus—or maybe it just worked out that way. And you might think what makes a school Christian is simply a chosen set of beliefs. But it’s so much more than that.

If you’re considering going back to school, you need to ensure you’ve chosen a degree and career path that will serve you well for the rest of your life. An instructional design degree offers the perfect path to higher earnings if you’re interested in how people learn and how to make it better. Rest assured, your career options are not limited to education. Corporations, nonprofits, governments, and consulting firms are major employers of instructional designers.

If you want to get a degree in business administration, you probably already know that it can help you ascend the career ladder and gain credibility at work. However, like many Americans, you may be anxious about the math requirements. As many as 93% of the population experiences some level of math anxiety. For some, it’s enough to deter them from enrolling in the degree program of their dreams. 

Don’t let the fact that a bad math teacher convinced you you can’t learn deter you from the right career path. A degree in business administration requires less math than you think.

College programs for adults often offer online-only learning, even at the doctorate level. You might be wondering if an online degree can meet these standards, and the answer is a resounding yes — especially if you choose an accredited school with brick-and-mortar learning options, like SNU. Most employers now happily accept online degrees, and when you attend a traditional school online, your employer may not even know you earned your degree remotely. 

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed what many of us once took for granted. Some people were (or still are) struggling to find a job amidst furloughs and layoffs. Others who were lucky enough to keep their jobs had to adjust to a remote work environment while juggling family responsibilities. On top of all of this hardship remains the underlying uncertainty regarding the health and well-being of one’s self, family and loved ones.

A doctoral degree signals a high degree of mastery in your chosen field. It also means you’ve contributed novel scholarship via your dissertation. If you’re hoping to ascend a career ladder or break through an earnings ceiling, a doctorate could be the perfect way to do so — particularly in fields that value high levels of education or that have entry-level educational requirements. 

If you’re contemplating a return to higher education, you need a deep understanding of all that a doctoral degree requires. While this advanced training can greatly improve your career prospects, a doctorate is appealing to employers precisely because it’s so challenging.

We know what you’re thinking. How could I possibly add a degree program to everything else I have going on? You’re busy — and “busy” might be an understatement.. Demanding jobs. A young kid or two. Trying to maintain friendships and community. Caretaking for loved ones. Those unfinished projects around the house. Health challenges. A global pandemic. All of these things are probably what come to mind when you think about completing a degree.