As an adult going back to school, you will find that returning to college is very different from when you were a straight-A student fresh out of high school. By this point in your life, you have established routines and are responsible for finances, family, and/or a full-time job.
Returning to education as an adult may feel unrealistic at times. Still, with the right planning and an understanding of the program you are going to study, going back to school as an adult is completely realistic.
Determine The Program Requirements And How They Will Affect Your Studies
While your application may be due on a certain date, real preparation can start much earlier. Adult learners need to know what their program will require and how they will balance their studies with work and family obligations.
Different programs ask different things from students, so it helps to know what you are signing up for before you start planning around it. If you are thinking about going back to school for a healthcare degree, you may already know that some programs require specific science courses before you can apply. For an accelerated nursing program, checking the ABSN prerequisites early can give you a clearer idea of what you still need to complete and how soon you may be ready to apply.
It is also worth looking beyond the admission requirements themselves. Think about the weekly schedule, how much study time the program is likely to take, and whether there are clinical or in-person commitments to work around. Having a realistic sense of the time involved can make it much easier to decide how school will fit alongside work, family, and the rest of your everyday life.
Treat Your Time Like A Limited Resource
I see so many students trying to fit in school around other responsibilities. As I said before, all responsibilities use up time. The sooner you can see how you will use your time in the weeks and months leading up to the start of your program, the better off you will be.
Instead, consider your week in its entirety. List out the following and then figure out how much time is left for school: work, commute, child care, household chores, appointments, sleep, and leisure activities. It’s a lot to juggle, but it can help you plan your school time.
Using a calendar is far better than using a long to-do list. Block-book study time, just like any other appointment, to ensure it gets enough time and becomes a habit.
Identify your most productive times of day and build your schedule around them. You will find that you can accomplish much more during those times than during other times of the day. Some people are morning people and find they are most productive in the morning, before work, while others find they are most productive in the evening, after work and family have gone to bed.
Be Realistic About Work
While it is ideal to leave work to attend school, that is not always possible. Also, while you can complete a part-time program while working full time, an intensive program can require significant adjustments to your work and academic schedule.
Talk to your supervisor about a flexible work schedule. In the months leading up to the time you begin classes, discuss the possibility of working earlier hours of the day or alternate days of work. It is possible that for periods of time during the academic year, you could work fewer hours to concentrate on your studies.
Each student will have to figure out for themselves what kind of work will fit with their studies. Sometimes people can keep working part-time while they are taking a part-time course of study. Other studies may take so much time that the student has to reduce their work to study full-time.
In addition, don’t assume you will become more productive with school. Remember, there are only so many hours in a day, and you will have to fit in studying around your other commitments.
Make Everyday Tasks Easier
Another thing to bear in mind is how to make everyday tasks easier when you are really, really busy.
In many cases, removing some routine activities and replacing them with easy-to-achieve academic practices can result in a net gain of time.
Small changes to routine can make a big difference to freeing up time for studying. Even removing a few repetitive tasks from your week could make the difference between constantly being ‘behind’ and having time to relax.
The standards you live by can be flexible at times, and during busy periods it is practical to lower some of them. Your home doesn’t have to look perfect all the time, and each meal doesn’t have to be something elaborate.
Protect Time That Has Nothing To Do With School
Sleep, exercise, time for hobbies, and time for social interaction are critical elements that need to be protected to sustain study over long periods. Adult students generally need consistent, adequate sleep to support concentration and memory during periods of heavy mental workload.
Adults returning to school have different needs than younger students. For example, adults generally need consistent, adequate sleep to support concentration, memory, and overall well-being. In particular, the heavy mental workload of studying requires rest to support productive studying.
While it’s not necessary to have hours for physical activities, for example, going for a long run, it is helpful to have small periods of time for physical activity, for example, going for a walk. It is also helpful to make time for fun activities, such as an hour or two to socialize with friends and family.
Build A Support System Before You Need One
Many adult return-to-study students struggle to ask for support because they are used to running their own lives and managing their time. Support is often available, and it is wise to use it before things start to get on top of you.
Talk openly with family and others who live with you about what your school schedule will look like. Let them know of the times when you will have schoolwork, especially when you will have exams, be on clinical placement, etc. This way, they will know what is going on with you and won’t get confused or upset because of things that are out of your control.
The same can be true of school support, such as tutors, student services, and even your instructors and fellow students. All of these can form a support network while you are studying.
Give Yourself Room To Adjust
The reality is that no matter how hard you plan, there are going to be elements of your routine that aren’t going to work. Some study sessions will be impossible to fit around your other commitments, for example.
That is why we need to check our routines from time to time, for they are not perfect. Being an adult student means having a program of study that can adapt to our routines and situations.
So, with the right expectations, preparation, and attitude to change things along the way, being an adult student doesn’t have to mean that your studies take over your life.