by Elina Hall

Ashley McCready is going back to school to learn about politics and the government and here is why. Have you ever wondered what it is like to go back to school as an adult? Ashley studies Political Science at the University of Illinois, Springfield where she does an online program. Students in the online course have the same professors as the on campus course, and are supported by faculty advisor and an online coordinator. In the Political Science program, they learn about the government and politics, which is how countries are ruled and the laws countries have. In the Political Science program they believe that communication skills are important. On their website it says “Both the study and the practice of politics require that students/citizens speak, write, and read well. These skills are also critical for successful careers in government, law, and business.”

When Ashley is not at school here is what she likes to do in her free time. Ashley likes to watch Marvel movies and knit, and she also likes to hang out with her family. Ashley decided to go back to school because she was upset with the political situation that the country was in and she wanted to know what was happening in the government. Ashley says that it is tricky for her to balance her personal life with her school life and sometimes she has to stay up late to do her homework. But when her kids are at school she tries to do as much studying as she can. As you can see this is what Ashley likes to do in her free time.

Here are the joys and challenges of going back to school as an adult. First, Ashley says that it is hard to balance homework with family time because Ashley is almost a full-time student. A typical day looks like this for Ashley. First, she gets up at 7:00 then she gets her kids ready for school, goes home, works on LSAT, which is entrance exam for law school. Ashley plans to apply for Seattle University law school next year. Ashley says that “school is wasted on the young” which means you might not like school as much as a kid, but when you are an adult you might appreciate it more. As you can see these are the joys and challenges of going back to school as an adult.

Ashley’s family influenced her by encouraging her to be a better human in the community and that makes her want to work hard and achieve her goals. Ashley benefits the community in many ways. She is a community activist and has done fundraising work in Seattle. She is also a political science major trying to understand how community can be made more effective. As you can see Ashley is going back to school to learn the government and politics so she can make a difference in the world.