I am a Mechanical Engineering student at Sinclair Community College, and I work part-time as a copy editor at the Clarion student newspaper. I was recently asked to write a short piece about my experience here at Sinclair, and how I manage the day-to-day challenges of student life.
First, it is important to know that I am somewhat of an older student; I just turned 40 in August. As such, I probably have a slightly different perspective than many of the younger students who are just coming out of high school. Also, I think the backpacks got heavier.
Another thing that may influence my eccentric perspective is that I recently moved here from the West coast. Even though I have lived in the greater Cincinnati area before, I have been away for 20 years or so, and am still getting used to my new environment.
That said, I am very pleased to be back in school. I am studying mechanical engineering, but I am also learning about robots, which I find endlessly fascinating, as well as fast-paced and technical.
I feel fortunate to be able to study at Sinclair and have been uniformly impressed by the quality of the programs, the campus, faculty, staff and students.
College life can pose many challenges to students, young and old. Time management often becomes an issue, especially for those students who hold down jobs while attending classes full time. There is plenty of homework to do, and after several hours of school and work, we may not particularly feel like spending a few more hours doing homework. However, I find that hard work almost always pays off and when combined with a positive attitude, a more favorable outcome is usually the result.
Another challenge that can contribute to the time-management issue is housing and the cost that comes with it. If you live close to campus, that’s usually ideal. If you have to commute, there is the added time spent each day in the car, not to mention the costs of fuel and vehicle maintenance. Currently, I have a unique housing situation where I barter for my accommodations. Specifically, I am a mechanic and I am able to trade on my skills to pay for rent.
I like my location in Beavercreek, but it is several miles from school, so I have to commute. That takes a bite from my pocketbook in the form of added fuel costs. To alleviate that cost, I sometimes commute to school by motorcycle. I enjoy zipping around on my little Kawasaki, but the fall semester also means shorter, cooler days and wetter weather, so that solution is somewhat limited.
Perhaps a more practical commuting solution for me is to rent a smaller space within a mile or two of campus, and commute by bicycle to my classes and my part-time job with the school newspaper. That’s what I did when I studied automotive technology in Olympia, Washington back in the early 2000s, and it worked out very well. Often, weeks went by while my automobile sat unused in the driveway collecting fallen leaves.
Like Olympia, Dayton is a relatively small town and new bike paths seem to be popping up everywhere, so bike commuting is probably going to work out just fine. I recently attended a Courteous Mass ride in downtown Dayton, where I met a few of the local bicycle commuters. One of them is actually in my robotics class — Dayton is a small town, indeed.
Again, I feel fortunate to be here and like many students at Sinclair Community College, I am looking forward to what the future holds for me. Also, like many students, I thoroughly enjoy summer — as it fades away and the leaves begin to turn color, I am reminded that nothing stays the same forever and the ability to stay positive and see possibilities while adapting to life’s demands is perhaps one of the most important survival skills a person can acquire.
Remember to have fun and ride your bike once in a while.