Director's Message

by Laura Conley,
Director

Have you ever heard the phrases, a fish out of water, onion in a fruit salad or square peg in a round hole? These are colloquialisms, phrases which imply someone or something that does not quite fit. Colloquialisms aren’t considered proper language for academia, but they are acceptable for use in informal writing situations. Most are indigenous to a geographic region or culture and our American language is “chock” full of them.

In this instance, I’m using the phrases to describe how most of us feel at one time or another when we are placed in an unfamiliar situation or setting and it seems like we just don’t fit in with those around us. As adults, because we’ve lived a bit more, we have experienced this phenomenon many times. Kindergarten was probably the first big transition. Remember the reassurances our parents gave us (and many of us have given our children) when we held back at the door? As five-year olds we were unsure of what school would be like, whether or not we’d like the teacher, whether we’d find a friend or two and maybe we worried about how hard school would be, whether we could do the work. Now, fast forward to the first day of junior high or middle school and then to high school; the same feelings of trepidation showed up at each entry point. Each time you move to a new community, start a new job or enter a new relationship, the unknown always includes the caveat, will I fit in with those around me. Even when as adults we say to ourselves, we don’t need anyone, deep down at some level we really really do.

The hard part for adults is that as we mature, most of us tend not to move into new environments as often. We get set in “our ways.” We’ve set our personal and career goals and are merrily trying to achieve them. Most of the time, it takes an earth shaking event such as job loss, marriage, divorce, birth of a child or the death of someone we hold close to shake us off our established path, even if that path isn’t working that well.

Regardless of the event or path that brings you to The University of Akron, welcome. It doesn’t matter whether you are a current student, a student returning to college after an extended absence, or a student brand new to the college environment, each semester is a new beginning which brings unique challenges. For adults and nontraditional students those challenges are compounded by life. Families, jobs and other obligations must be juggled. Priorities must be set. Goals both short and long term must be adjusted on a continual basis. Still, for the most part, we approach college with the same feelings we experienced in kindergarten. Will we like the teacher? Is the class going to be difficult? Will I find anyone to connect with, talk to this term??

I can’t speak to liking the instructor, or whether the class will be difficult (college isn’t supposed to be easy); those are questions only you can answer. However, if you ask me whether you can find someone to connect to, who looks like you or has the same concerns as you; that question I can answer. YES. Look around you. Really look. There are 4,758 adult students (25 years and older) walking The University of Akron’s campus this fall. That’s over 25 percent of the student population. Add the military veterans and nontraditional students to the mix and an estimated 35 percent of the total student population is adults, nontraditional students and veterans. That is a lot of people who share some very real commonalities with you. 

The hard part is making the connection. For many adults, college is lonely. You come, attend class, do whatever is necessary to complete your assignments and then leave as quickly as you can to go to your other responsibilities. You have no time to develop the relationships which make you feel like you belong. You are too busy.

That’s where UA Adult Focus enters the picture. Adult Focus is an academic support unit. We offer advocacy, academic advising, accurate referrals both on and off campus and a scholarship notebook. Our facilities include a computer lab with technical support help and a study lounge for nontraditional students. No doubt, we are an academic department.  But academics means CONNECTION. Connecting with the course content, the instructors, tutors, fellow students and the many support services (run by people!) available to you as a student on this campus. This connection is probably the biggest lesson taught on campus. Life doesn’t work without it.

This connection doesn’t have to be time consuming. Read your e-mail, check out our Adult Focus website for activities for you and your family. Join a student organization like Adult Learners (virtual meetings online from anywhere), look for events within the major you are studying, make eye contact with someone and hold a conversation. Take the first step. You’ll never know until you do where the journey will lead you.