Monday, May 10. 1999 The University Daily Kansan Section B·Page 3 Graduation to ease student's burden 38-year-old juggles duties, earns degree By Matt Cox Special to the Kansan Karen sat down in her Math 105 class, took off her backpack and set it on the floor. She lifted her head and began listening to the lecture. The professor, attempting to relate the past to his lecture, stopped and used an old teacher-to-student cliché. He started his statement with the phrase "You all are too young to remember this." A few students near Karen glanced at her. She just raised her eeyebrows and smiled slightly. Karen Averill, a Lansing senior majoring in music education, takes the classes that any other music education major would. But that is where the similarities end. Averill is not the typical college student. She doesn't go to fraternity parties on the weekends, nor does she involve herself in campus life. She can't. That is because Averill is a 38-year-old student, wife and mom whose dream begins when she walks down the Hill this month. walks down the hill this month. Averill, though, is not alone. According to the Office of Institutional Research and Planning, 1,407 undergraduates in Fall 1998 were older than 25. She also is one of 761 students who reported that they were married with children in Fall 1998. Averill has sacrificed time with friends and rearranged her family schedule to get her music education degree. She plans to teach elementary or middle school music classes. Averill said traditional students were very accepting and treated her as an equal. Averill's day starts at 6:30 a.m. with family duties and a 45-minute commute to Lawrence. She attends class from 9:30 a.m. until 3:20 p.m. Her studies usually have to wait until 8:30 p.m., after her family is fed and the children are tucked in. She said she often didn't finish until 1 or 2 in the morning. Averill studies every chance she gets and strives for perfect grades, but it's not always possible. With 20 credit hours of classes, it's hard for something not to suffer, she said. "I would like better grades sometimes, but there are times when I have things I need to take care of at home, and my schoolwork takes a backseat," she said. Sometimes she skips her final class to buy groceries for the family or to direct an extra church choir practice. With all this going on, sleep tended to elude her, she said. There are many times when she doesn't get to work in her studies or her job until she's helped her kids with their homework and baths, fed the family dinner and tucked everyone in. Averill started taking three hours of Kansas City Community College courses a semester at night when her boys were younger. Four years ago, she increased her time there to nine to 12 credit hours per semester. She transferred to KU two years ago as a full-time student. With this load, her time with friends has virtually disappeared, she said. "I joke saying after I get my degree, I must try and get my friends back," she said. Averill and her husband made the decision for her to go to KU together. Since then, he has picked up where she left off at home. In addition to support from her friends, she has also gotten support from her husband. She was a stay-at-home mom for nine years before she went to pursue her music degree full-time. They have had to make adjustments in the duties around the house. Although he didn't do domestic chores exactly how she used to do them, he had been a great provider, she said. In spite of the difficulties, Averill said her goals keep her going. "I believe I am more goal-oriented than some students," she said. She said that traditional students usually come to college unsure of what they want to do. Averill knew exactly what she came to school to do, and she was aware of the sacrifices she was going to have to make to achieve her degree. But she said the struggle was worth it. "It's hard to get excited when you have no time to comprehend excitement," she said. "But I am so excited to begin student teaching next year." Wednesday, May 12, 1999 Adams Alumni Center Are you a card-carrying student member? Don't miss your free finals dinner! Enjoy a delicious meal and a free back massage anytime between 5:30 - 8:00 p.m. RSVP to saagurus@falcon.cc.ukans.edu STUDENTS and COLLEGE GRADS! EARN EXTRA MONEY EARN EXTRA MONEY over summer break or before your new job starts by participating in a clinical research study! If you're in good health, taking no or few medications, & available for overnight stays, call to find out if you qualify to EARN OVER $100 PER DAY! 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