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Returning to Texas A&M
attractive option to students
BY SUZANNE BRABECK
The Battalion
W ith more than 43,000 stu
dents in one place, people
commonly get lost in the
iowd, and individual stories are
not told. There are many non-tra-
ditional students who come to Ag-
gieland to increase their educations
and marketablitlity — after they
htive already entered the working
world and gotten a taste of what it
i| really like out there.
I Mohamed Khedhiri, a post-doc
toral student in agriculture eco
nomics, took a six-year break from
school after completing his mas
ter’s degree. In 1989 he received a
btichelor’s degree while living in
Tlnisia; three years later he re
ceived a master’s degree in Spain.
I Khedhiri said coming back to
school was even harder because
the educational systems differ in
their teaching styles and grading.
I “Here they emphasize the ex
perimental sides of things more
than the theoretical,” he said.
I Mark Fealner, a graduate stu
dent in nautical archeology, came
to A&M three years ago after grad
uating from the University of Cen-.
tral Florida in 1994.
I “I was working outside of my
field after I graduated, and I had
reached my top earning potential at
jjfoy company without a master’s
ydegree,” he said. “I got motivated
to return back to school when I vis
ited my little sister at Saint Louis
University, and I remembered how
much fun I had in college.”
I Khedhiri said it was difficult to
come back to school because of the
six-year gap in his studies.
I “Every day science changes, and
Ihad to do a lot of extra research to
get caught up before I started
school again,” he said.
B Fealner said one of the best
things about graduate school is that
it lets students focus on what in
terests them, rather than being dis
tracted by work and classes outside
of their major.
“1 was less active as an under
grad because the last two to three
years I worked full-time while I was
going to school,” he said.
Fealner said extracurricular ac
tivities still appeal to students
who have experienced life outside
of college.
“As an older student, 1 still feel
that there are enough activities
here to take advantage of,” he said.
“Everything feels accessible, and I
have met a lot of other graduate
students in various departments.”
Whether students come back to
finish their bachelor’s degrees or to
obtain additional degrees, the ben
efits are huge, though it may be an
uphill battle.
Khedhiri said students should
wait a while, then come back to
school if they do not have any mon
ey and are really struggling.
Fealner said there are many
other benefits to taking a long
break from school.
One can diversify their educa
tion and their skills through work
experience and real-world scenar
ios, he said.
“I feel my work experience
helped improve my work ethic as a
professional,” he said. “It has been
a real advantage. Now I am a real
self-starter, I work better unsuper
vised and my problem-solving
skills have improved.”
In addition to the future benefits
of higher education, some students
like the more flexible schedules
academia offers.
“The biggest thing is that I no
longer have a regimented 9-to-5
schedule,” Felaner said. “I enjoy
my freedom, but some things slip
through the cracks without [a]
structured [schedule].”
As students look forward to hol
iday breaks and vacations to re
fresh themselves, both Fealner and
Khedhiri said getting away from
school for an extended time is also
helpful for students with financial
difficulties or who are between de
grees
“As a finishing undergraduate
student, unless you know exactly
what you want, take time to fig
ure it out,” Fealner said. “I had a
really good friend who went
straight to graduate school. He
had taken out a lot of loans, and
he later dropped out of the pro
gram to pursue his real interest —
writing.”
Khediri said while few people
would argue education is not ben
eficial, taking the time to make in-
RUBEN DELUNA/Thi Battalion
formed decisions about when to re
turn to school also is important.
“The more knowledge, the more
education, and the more income
you can get, the better off you will
be,” Khedhiri said. “That’s why I
chose to continue.”
Fealner said other students
struggling with the problem of de
ciding whether to come back to
school after an extended break
should go for it.
“If you have come as far as en
rolling into college and have put in
a few semesters, you owe it to your
self to finish what you start,” Feal
ner said. “Even if it is harder, the
payoff is immense, and your op
tions widen.”
11/2
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