Introducing, Tyla Bottley.
Tyla comes to Realview as a 3rd year college student. She will be completing her final courses at Houston Community College, and beginning year core classes at the University of Houston. Tyla is majoring in Education. She currently works as a paraprofessional for Fort Bend ISD.
She comes to us today to share her REALview about why she values returning to college.
Realview: Why did you initially pull out of college?
Tyla: I started to fall behind, and I thought at the time I needed to focus on my full-time job. I thought a year break would help get me back on track.
Realview: What do you think was the reason or reasons you started to fall behind?
Tyla: I guess it was more of emotional trauma in the relationships around me.
Realview: Why did you decide to return to college?
Tyla: I never wanted to leave, but due to my grades I was put on academic probation. Due to the lifestyle I imagined myself in, I knew I had to finish my classes.
Realview: What adjustments did you have to make to get back into college?
Tyla: I spaced out my school workload, and I did fewer fun activities, such as hanging out with friends. I limited my communication and entertainment to focus on school.
Realview How did that effort your relationships?
Tyla: It didn’t really effort my relationships, because the people around me knew that I was trying to do what I needed to do to boost my GPA
Realview: Now that you have returned to school, how are you dealing with emotional trauma?
Tyla: I keep my workload to a minimum, so I don’t feel overwhelmed.
Realview: Are you currently working while attending school?
Tyla: Yes
Realview: Do you work part-time or full-time?
Tyla: Fulltime
Realview: How are you balancing working full-time and managing your GPA?
Tyla: By limiting the number of classes and since I work in education it is easier because during my downtown, and I took advantage of when Covid struck, I had a bit more free time to work on my online classes.
Realview: How much longer do you have to complete your bachelor’s degree?
Tyla: About a year and a half.
Realview: How do you think having a bachelor’s degree in education will affect your trajectory?
Tyla: Um, I think it is a way to start my actual adult life.
Realview: It’s funny that you reference “actual adult life.”
Can you explain what you mean by “actual adult life to our readers?”
Tyla: Um, I feel like once you are “out do know.” Like with entry-level retail jobs, you are not able to even live on your own, because it’s harder to have enough income to live. I believe you need to at least make the starting salary of a teacher to be able to live on your own.
When my sister was in school, it was easier to leave the house at 18, but with the change in economy/society, it is harder for people to be able to take of themselves. I want to be able to take care of myself without relying on others.
Realview: What would you tell a high school graduate who is considering postponing or not going to college?
Tyla: I would tell them to get you requisites out of the way, while you think about what you want to do or be, unless they are already going into a specific trade, and have already realistically evaluated how they are going to make a comfortable living.
Realview: Is there anything else you would like to share with our readers about college?
Tyla: Don’t think of college in a negative way, per se, think of it as one of the pathways you can take to become the adult you want to be. Understand that adulthood requires putting into it what you want to get out of it.