RAYMOND โ Some students at ะยฒสอ๘ have gained more than just an hour of sleep this past week. Quite possibly, theyโve progressed toward new careers by taking evening classes to juggle day jobs and family life.
Gwendolyn Russell, an evening student at ะยฒสอ๘ Rankin Campus, is working toward an associate degree and plans to enter nursing school down the road. (ะยฒสอ๘/April Garon)
โIt gives me flexibility with my job and my children,โ said Gwendolyn Russell, 43, a Jackson mother of four who works at the Nissan plant in Canton by day and studies toward her associateโs degree by night at the Rankin Campus.
โThe support system here is great,โ said Russell, who plans to pursue a nursing degree down the road. โThere are tutors here who will sit down with you one-on-one whoโll get you what you need. They help you understand your work.โ
Registration for the spring 2017 semester is now open for current and prospective students at ะยฒสอ๘. On-campus classes for 16-week sessions and the first eight-weeks begin Jan. 9 with second eight-week classes, both on-campus and online, to begin March 6. Sixteen-week and first eight-week online classes begin Jan. 17.
A class schedule after 5 p.m. has worked out nicely for Allen Garrison, of Vicksburg, as he plots a career behind the welderโs shield.
Allen Garrison earned a career certificate through the welding program at ะยฒสอ๘ Vicksburg-Warren Campus and is working toward an associate degree. (ะยฒสอ๘/April Garon)
โThe benefit is that my wife also works days like me and can be with our daughter at night without a babysitter,โ said Garrison, who earned a career certificate through the welding program at the Vicksburg-Warren Campus and is working toward an Associate of Applied Science degree.
Students pursuing careers in medical-related fields also see benefits by having classes at night.
โIt offers a longer break in the day, with all the classes I take,โ said Richard Neal, a Utica Campus student taking pre-pharmacy courses. Fellow STEM student Caitlyn Richmond, an aspiring Veterinary Technology student currently taking core science classes, also sees benefits to taking classes in the evening.
โIt can be a better environment at night for learning,โ Richmond said.
To register for classes for any term, students must first be admitted to the college. After meeting with a counselor, new students can then register for classes. Offices are open 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday and until 6 p.m. on Tuesdays. The Admissions office can be reached at 601.857.3212 or by visiting the Admissions tab on the ะยฒสอ๘ website at .
Caitlyn Richmond, a student at ะยฒสอ๘ Utica Campus taking core science classes, likes the rhythm of an evening class. (ะยฒสอ๘/April Garon)
Richard Neal, a student at ะยฒสอ๘ Utica Campus taking pre-pharmacy classes, likes the rhythm of an evening class. (ะยฒสอ๘/April Garon)
[tweetable alt=””]Evening classes are a great way to learn while you earn[/tweetable].