Fall is here and school has started. If you’re an adult with an uncompleted degree on the back burner, the season may usher in some guilt along with its crisp air and pumpkin harvests.
Returning to school as an adult can be unbelievably complicated — and also deceivingly simple. On the one hand, it’s almost too easy to start taking (and paying for) classes in nearly any subject. Depending on the program, you may need nothing more than a credit card to enroll.
But then there’s the other end of the spectrum, where transcripts from 30 years ago are required, along with letters of recommendation, entrance exams and application essays. For students “of a certain age,” the process is complicated by the search for courses that support work and family schedules, not to mention the effort to stitch together one’s past and future careers.
Today, I will tackle the question of how to increase the adult student’s chances of success when returning to school.
Here are areas to keep your eye on as you plan for school success.
Workload management and seasonal scheduling. Unlike traditional-age college students, adult learners are fitting their studies into an already-established ecosystem of family and work. Rather than simply plopping a full courseload onto a busy life, a better plan is to evaluate current patterns at work and home and then strategize how to best incorporate your courseload.
As obvious examples, accountants might consider lighter courseloads during tax season while “hockey parents” might anticipate schedule conflicts during the sports season. Learners in all settings will find that starting with just one course helps them acclimate to the new disciplines of coursework and study.
Time management. Whatever skills you possess in this arena, you are about to find them severely challenged. Regardless of their innate organizational abilities, everyone struggles when juggling the collision of family, work and school obligations. This is another justification for starting with just one class while you strategize your logistics.
Gadgetry. Laptops and smartphones are the adult learner's best friends — except when they aren't. If you plan to use these great tools, work out the bugs long before your first class. That's also the best time to figure out your study space and other logistics, such as your commute.
Family and workplace buy-in. It's one thing for your family to congratulate you for pursuing your degree; they must also assume more responsibility while you undertake this project. All the planning in the world won't help if you consistently lose study time searching for your disorganized child's backpack or running errands for your spouse.
Similarly, if your boss or co-workers support your effort but can’t seem to flex their expectations, your path will be more difficult. Having these conversations before you launch your program will help, but you’ll almost certainly need to revisit the situation as your schoolwork continues.
School support team. In addition to family and work support, you also will blossom with support from instructors and members of the counseling department, as well as study groups from your classes. For online help, look for helpful resources, such as this website by the author of "Back to School for Grownups," Laura Gilbert: www.backtoschoolforgrownups.com.
Attitude adjustment. You undoubtedly have a great attitude already, but now it needs to be even better. Your new outlook on life needs to include equal parts humility, discipline, humor and determination. With these attributes, you will do more than survive your new regimen — you will achieve your goals, make new friends and yes, learn new things.