RAYMOND – Some students at Hinds have gained more than just an hour of sleep this past week. Quite possibly, they’ve progressed toward new careers by taking evening classes to juggle day jobs and family life.
Gwendolyn Russell, an evening student at Hinds Community College Rankin Campus, is working toward an associate degree and plans to enter nursing school down the road. (Hinds Community College/April Garon)
“It gives me flexibility with my job and my children,” said Gwendolyn Russell, 43, a Jackson mother of four who works at the Nissan plant in Canton by day and studies toward her associate’s degree by night at the Rankin Campus.
“The support system here is great,” said Russell, who plans to pursue a nursing degree down the road. “There are tutors here who will sit down with you one-on-one who’ll get you what you need. They help you understand your work.”
Registration for the spring 2017 semester is now open for current and prospective students at Hinds Community College. 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 welder’s shield.
Allen Garrison earned a career certificate through the welding program at Hinds Community College Vicksburg-Warren Campus and is working toward an associate degree. (Hinds Community College/April Garon)
“The benefit is that my wife also works days like me and can be with our daughter at night without a babysitter,” 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.
“It offers a longer break in the day, with all the classes I take,” 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.
“It can be a better environment at night for learning,” 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 Hinds website at www.hindscc.edu.
Caitlyn Richmond, a student at Hinds Community College Utica Campus taking core science classes, likes the rhythm of an evening class. (Hinds Community College/April Garon)
Richard Neal, a student at Hinds Community College Utica Campus taking pre-pharmacy classes, likes the rhythm of an evening class. (Hinds Community College/April Garon)
[tweetable alt=””]Evening classes are a great way to learn while you earn[/tweetable].