With more adult learners returning to higher education than ever before, Piedmont Community College (PCC) student David Godowsky recently shared some insight and advice on his journey at PCC.
Godowsky made the decision to return to college for the Fall 2023 semester at PCC to pursue his passion for law enforcement by enrolling in the Criminal Justice program. At 43, he worked a full-time job and managed his own consulting company on top of being a father and the regular responsibilities of life.
Like many adult students, time management has been the biggest challenge of returning to college. Godowsky recommends creating a structure of when to work on assignments and to not cram everything in on the weekends. His weekly schedule is to read all the material for the week’s assignments on Mondays and Tuesdays, finish small tasks like discussion boards and quizzes on Wednesdays, and work on papers and larger assignments on Fridays and Saturdays with the goal of having Sundays off.
“As David’s instructor, I remember when he first started last year that he was very worried about coming back after being out of school for a bit, learning the ropes of college now and especially adjusting to different parts of online learning,” Hillary White, Instructor, Criminal Justice Technology, said. “What was impressive and, in my opinion, has made David stand out as being a successful adult learner in my program is his communication with me as the instructor when he is confused, has ideas about the class or needs help in some way. He started communicating with me very early on and has kept that communication consistent throughout his time as a student.”
Godowsky expressed his appreciation to White for her willingness to communicate with him when he needed help and for giving thorough feedback on assignments. White encourages students to maintain regular communication with their instructors to support their academic success.
“David’s time management skills and dedication to being successful in school while still being successful in his job and personal life have been very impressive and I’m very proud to have him as a student in my program,” White said. “I can only see him continuing to be successful with his actions as one of our adult learners at PCC.”
Godowsky also recommends connecting with a fellow adult learner or an adult who has recently graduated college. He stressed the importance of having someone who can relate to the challenges of returning to college as an adult, but who can also offer sound advice. It’s also a way to help motivate others who may be struggling.
“There will be moments early on where you’re going to get frustrated and you’re going to question if it’s worth it,” Godowsky said. “The best advice is not give up or let go.”
With 30% of PCC’s students being in the 25 and older age group, PCC offers numerous resources to make enrolling as simple as possible. For a full list of these resources, visit www.piedmontcc.edu/adult.
“Start one week at a time, one course at a time and build from there,” Godowsky said.
Photo caption: David Godowsky poses for photo at PCC’s 2024 Honors Convocation after receiving the award for Outstanding Student – Criminal Justice 2023-2024
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