Why taking longer to finish your degree won’t derail your career goals: Michelle’s story

For many adult learners, returning to post-secondary education means fitting coursework into an already full life. For Michelle Ens, a Bachelor of Arts student double-majoring in Psychology and Criminology, returning to finish her degree just before turning 37 meant learning to manage competing priorities.

Between managing school hours, holidays, and summer breaks for her three young children, Michelle faced the added challenge of fitting in necessary on-campus courses alongside her online studies. Instead of rushing to match a traditional timeline, she chose to embrace a pace that works for her family.

Patience is the key in times such as these. It will be necessary to extend my schooling longer than anticipated to get the courses I need in the time I have available while my children are in school. While it is a hurdle, I began finishing my degree just before I turned 37 years of age, so a couple more semesters are not going to make or break my career goals.

Choosing flexibility over a rigid schedule allows student parents like Michelle to stay moving forward without sacrificing the moments that matter most at home. It is a reminder that Open Learning allows students to build a meaningful career path without putting family life on pause.

Along the way, Michelle has celebrated major personal victories, like putting in long study hours to earn an A in a mandatory second-year statistics course, a subject she had always struggled with in the past.

Her message to fellow students feeling overwhelmed by life or course loads is to lean on support networks, including advisors, library faculty, and peers. She reminds fellow learners that if you are in university, you are here for a purpose and have already shown your dedication. Keep yourself motivated by remembering why you began – you will only know what you achieve once you try!