EIU B.A.in General Studies Blog

Do you own your own business? Do you sell real estate?  Do you write books? Do you schedule big events?   If you’ve answered yes to any of these questions have we got exciting news to share with you!   The B.A. in General Studies (BGS) at Eastern Illinois University provides the opportunity for you to earn credit for what you know, through a variety of prior learning assessment opportunities.  Read more below to see if this is something you’d be interested in! What is Prior Learning Assessment? Prior Learning Assessment is the process of evaluating a student’s college level learning that has occurred outside the traditional classroom.  Many adults have learned things through trial and error.  Examples of prior learning include work experiences, volunteerism, and military trainings. Why is prior learning assessment important? There are several valid reasons to pursue prior learning assessment.  First, it validates knowledge learned th...

Written by Dr. Carrie Johnson, Director of EIU B.A in General Studies Program   As the administrator of a degree-completion program designed for adults wishing to complete their bachelor’s degree, I repeatedly have prospective students tell me they did not finish their degree when “I should have done it.” I reply by telling them “I would not have a job without people like them and I love my job!” Let us take a moment to discuss adult learners returning to college and dispel the myth that they are doing this at the “wrong time.”   Although most of us think of a college student as being between the ages of 18-23, this is not currently accurate in the United States; the truth is that close to 40% of today’s college students are 25 and older.  What does an adult student bring into the college classroom?  Here is a short list of pros and cons I have developed from my experience: As you can see, the strengths and challe...