Return to Class Without Leaving Your Life: How These Adult Students are Navigating Higher Ed

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There are any number of reasons adults choose not to go back to school. Work is crazy, and adding more of it to your week seems even crazier. Your kids and family need you at home, so night classes don’t seem plausible. Or, you’re just…hesitant. It’s been years since you stepped foot in a classroom, can you do it again?

The answer is yes, especially for adult students in Villanova University College of Professional Studies (CPS), and these two successful students exemplify how reaching their education goals can also work with their lives, seamlessly.

Miranda McIlrath works 40 hours a week as a customer service and sales representative at Vanguard ID Systems. She chose to enroll in Villanova’s new Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies in Administration and Management for Professionals (BIS in AMP) because she already had the real-life work experience, and she wanted a degree to help her get to the next step in her career.

Dee Wieczorek chose the same degree, but for a different reason. As a cancer survivor, she always wanted to finish the degree that her illness stalled. “Overcoming an obstacle like that can be the impetus for making major life changes,” she says. After finishing her Associate’s Degree in Business Administration, she worked as an administrative contractor. “I always knew I wanted to finish my degree, but I also wanted to leverage my 20 years of administrative experience, as well.” Now she’s doing just that and is working towards her bachelor’s through Villanova University College of Professional Studies.

Villanova University College of Professional Studies offers flexible degree and non-degree programming, a schedule that fits every schedule — from the full-time career person to the stay at home parent, with a curriculum designed for adults looking to continue their education. That’s another reason these full-time working professionals were attracted to the program.

“Villanova offers online and night courses, which have been the reasons for my success in their program,” says McIlrath. “The online courses are extremely easy to navigate, the professors are always accessible, and although the coursework is tough, it is do-able with some self-discipline and organization.”

While both students have different reasons for returning to school, they both agreed that continuing their education through Villanova’s newest degree offering would help them successfully reach their goals. So, say goodbye to these excuses and start planning your future in 2018 by packing your school bags. These women did, and they’ve never looked back.

What’s next for them? Wieczorek plans to earn enough credits through her Bachelor’s Degree program to pursue her CPA and go on to grad school. McIlrath believes her degree will help her build the confidence to push forward in her career. “With a degree, I can apply for the jobs and compete with other applicants that I previously assumed were better suited than myself,” she says.

Ready to pursue the next you? Visit cps.villanova.edu for more information.