ABSTRACT
Students pursuing higher education in a carceral setting face a number of challenges. There is a unique difficulty in adjusting to the demands of a college schedule within the hyper-structured environment of prison. The incarcerated student occupies a space between two institutions: the college, which offers the transformative opportunity of education; and the prison, which is primarily concerned with security. Scheduled Conflict traces my journey as an incarcerated student learning to navigate the tensions between these two conflicting identities. Time management was a key component in my adjustment to incarceration, but it has become a greater determinant of my success as a student. The classroom is not prioritized by the prison administration. Routine shakedowns, fire drills, emergency head counts, and fights all slow down the process of education. These are facts of life that I, as an incarcerated student, had to account for. However, I learned to construct my life around being a student. My adjustments included a change of my cell assignment, altering my exercise and shower routine, and planning weeks ahead. The diligence that became necessary just to engage as a student, proved to be my best asset in the classroom.
