Top Tips for Adults Going Back to School

Going back to school as an adult is a big decision full of challenges and rewards. You’ll need to find a program that’s hospitable to adult learners that balances your new coursework with your current family and career obligations.

I am personally a huge fan of online courses. I love upgrading my skills, and with the huge surge in available online courses, I can find almost anything I want to learn and do so at my own pace. However, not all course are available online and some training may require time spent in person.

With the right planning, continuing your education can enhance your personal and professional future, giving you broader options and more security.

Preparing Yourself for Going Back to School

1. Select a school that’s friendly to non-traditional students. With a rocky economy and people living longer, many schools are reaching out to an expanding market of adult learners and other non-traditional students. You may be able to find schools that offer flexible scheduling, daycare, credits for work experience, and other benefits that will be helpful to you.

2. Start back gradually. You may prefer to register for a single workshop or take an online course before deciding to become a full time student. It’s a good way to test the waters and find the most affordable way to accomplish your goals.

3. Clarify your goals. Determine what you want to get out of returning to school. You may want to earn more money or start a whole new career. It’s a big investment so keep track of whether you’re getting what you paid for. See my post on how to turn dreams and goals into a reality.

4. Do your research if you’re considering a career change. Research can help you assess whether a career change makes sense for you. Read about the jobs outlook and qualifications needed in your chosen field. Talk with people who are already working in similar positions to benefit from their experience.

5. Budget your time and money. It can be challenging to finance your continuing education and balance your time between school, family, and work. Keep a calendar and monitor your priorities. Look into financial aid, grants, and ways to reduce your living expenses.

6. Brush up on your study habits. If you’ve been out of the classroom for a while, give yourself some time to adjust. Practice taking notes at a lecture or highlighting a chapter in a textbook.

Making Preparations Along With Your Family for Returning to School

1. Involve your family in your decision. Your whole family will be affected, so discuss your decision with them. Listen to their concerns and feedback.

2. Enlist your family’s support. You’ll need your family’s support to succeed, so work together as a team. Ask your children to take on additional chores and let your spouse know you appreciate their encouragement.

3. Rejoice in setting a good example for your children. If you feel uncomfortable about spending time apart from your children, take heart in the fact that you’re setting a great example. You’re demonstrating the value of upgrading your skills and knowledge and working to achieve your goals.

Making Preparations at Your Workplace for Going Back to School

1. Plan a smooth transition if you’re going back to school full time. If you decide to quit your job, give adequate notice and depart on good terms. It’s the right thing to do and you may want to use your employer as a future reference.

2. Decide what to tell your employer if you’re returning to school part time. It’s your decision whether to inform your employer about your coursework. If you think it will be viewed favorably, you may want to inform people at work and take advantage of any continuing education benefits your employer may offer.

In any case, do your best to avoid letting your schoolwork interfere with your professional commitments.

How to Get the Most Out of Your Study Time

Students are forever trying to find the best ways to study. However, with the modern complexities in society, adults are finding they need to study as well. This presents particular challenges as it’s been a long time since many adults have had to engage in studying. If your job requires you to learn, then you need to discover the best ways to study.

The first step is to find a quiet spot where you will have a minimum number of distractions. Keep the television out of this space, if possible. Let your family know this is your area for studying and to only interrupt you when it’s important.

Make sure you have adequate lighting when you are studying.

The fastest way to get tired is to read while you are struggling to see. It adds to the effort unnecessarily. Position the lights so they are not blasting light into your eyes. Focus on your study area.

Music has been shown to help with studying, but only the right types.

It’s better to listen to music that does not contain lyrics as this can cause a distraction, although some people can do this. Try it out to see if you are one of them. Classical music and jazz are good candidates as long as they don’t contain singing and lyrics. My favorite place to find music that gets me into my zone is Hemi-Sync.

Find your best platform to study.

If your preference for learning is via visual stimulation, use videos and resources with pictures. If you learn best with audio, use books-on-tape or Audible, etc. Others prefer books for their learning as they can control the medium and the pace. Experiment with the different formats and mix it up.

Take a break.

Some people try to cram a study session into several hours and wonder why they aren’t learning the material. Your mind needs to rest. In fact, you will digest the information much easier when you step away from the material.

Sleep is also a crucial aspect of studying.

Students believe they can pull all-nighters before a test, but they don’t perform as well on tests as students who are well prepared ahead of time and get sleep. Your learning is actually enhanced while sleeping.

Map out what you are going to learn and use that as the basis for your study session.

Don’t try to learn everything there is to know about a subject in one session. You may not have this luxury if you are taking formal classes, though. If so, listen to what the teacher tells you to learn.

Study with a group of people.

Many colleges require their students to form study groups. You can do this even if you aren’t going to school, but need to keep your skills up-to-date. View videos on the subject you are studying. You may find them on YouTube or websites such as Udemy.com, KhanAcademy.com, or Thinkific.com. Search forums to find people who are studying the same subject as you. Ask if there are people from these forums in your area and offer to form a study group. An alternative is to search Meetup.com for a group or start one of your own.

Going back to school as an adult can enrich your life in many ways and open up new opportunities. With careful preparation and hard work, you can make a smooth transition back to the classroom and accomplish your life goals.

Originally published at https://mindfulmysticmama.com on January 6, 2021.