Continue Your Education

I don’t just work in continuing education, I’m a CE customer!  After working in continuing ed and taking classes for more than ten years, I’ve come to realize that the term carries different meanings.   My continuing ed experience includes courses writing, cooking (that one didn’t “take”), advanced French and…a graduate degree.  I’ve come across CE students who are 18 to 80 year-olds enrolled in non-credit and credit courses, undergraduate and graduate degrees, certificates, workshops, intensives and one-offs.  The only clear definition of continuing education seems to be that it’s whatever comes after college, but only if you earn a Bachelor’s degree within four years of finishing high school without interruption, something that less than half of American undergrads manage to do.

In my case, I finished my first year of college, moved, transferred schools, changed majors, moved, transferred, did a junior year abroad, moved back and wrapped up my undergraduate degree after six years, four cities and two countries.  This is actually pretty typical and, in fact, can be considered expedient by some.  We are all familiar with the news articles about seniors finishing their college or high school diplomas.  What part of my undergraduate experience was “continuing ed”?  Graduate school was more straightforward but also took six years of part-time study while working full-time.  Was that continuing ed?

It’s pretty clear that the term “continuing education” holds differing meanings for nearly every CE student and institution.  It’s equally clear that personal and professional motivations are as varied as the courses and programs that are available under the CE banner.   I am currently enrolled in a graduate-level digital communication course.  My motivation in taking this course is to better understand the sociology and evolution of digital communication to more effectively use it in my work and life.

You may not be surprised to learn that the course involves…blogging.  In this blog, I’m interested in exploring the variety of programs that function as continuing education as well as related experiences and ideas, particularly goals for continued studies, your experiences and incorporating education into one’s life, sometimes known these days as work/life balance. 

Speaking of which, I’m thinking my next post will be entitled “The Upside of Insomnia.”