Becoming a student again may bring a variety of emotions and concerns to you depending on your past learning experiences, your current life situation - including family, finances and employment - as well as your clearness of goals and perception of education. When you are returning to learning after an absence of several years or more, you will probably have many concerns. Some colleges are now reporting that adults age 25 and over comprise over 50% of the college student population nationally and at nearly 25% of the undergraduates are 25 years old or above. Knowing that there will be other adult learners with whom to share experiences can make the prospect of sitting in a classroom a little easier.
You may be returning because you want to become self-supporting, change your life/career, or meeting new job requirements, there are some basic steps you can take to manage this transition easier. Beginnings are exciting and yet scary times of setting new goals, trying new experiences, and establishing new relationships. We at the Adult Education centre have outlined six strategies to help deal with transitions:
Take Control of Daily Tasks: Daily routines may produce stress, whether
in the marketplace or the home. Take responsibility for your stress and communicate
your need for help.
Exercise Daily: Daily exercise counteracts fatigue. It not only tones
the body, it improves self-image, creates energy and helps release stress. Both
aerobics (30 minutes per day, three times a week) and stretching exercises should
be practiced on a regular basis.
Eat Nutritionally: You are what you eat. Eat a wide variety of foods,
limiting your sugar, salt and fat intake. Watch the calorie intake of your diet.
Too few calories are as dangerous as too many.
Let Go: Release the past and learn to live in the present. Find productive
things to do to avoid feeling trapped.
Learn About Yourself: A proper self-concept is important. A low self-image,
thinking of yourself as worthless or unimportant, is destructive, while too
high of an opinion of yourself, thinking you are able to handle anything alone,
is stressful. Be realistic as you question your capabilities.
Develop and Maintain a Support System: You always need people in your
life to give you support. This should be a network of different people and organisations.
Many adults find studying for classes, taking exams, sitting in the classroom and asking questions of a professor younger than themselves nerve wracking. Finding other adults with whom to share these concerns can be helpful. Also, discussing a plan of study with your tutor can make a positive difference.
There are many events to participate in around the centre. Get involved and have some fun between all your studies and make this a time to remember! There are luncheons, shopping trips, Christmas parties; Santa parties are all available to you. Many are free. The notice/bulletin boards hold all the information on upcoming events. Join in and have some fun!
If your first experience in education proved to be unsuccessful you may be surprised to find that your powers of concentration and grades improve tremendously the second time around. As you commit to a course and take on the obligation of making it part of your daily routine, your determination and drive become greater.
Be forewarned: In the drive to become perfect students, some adults become so grade conscious that they won't settle for less than a 70 and lose a sense of balance in their life. More than one student has been to our office considering whether to drop a course because they are getting only a B. Losing friends and family in a search for 70 can be a mistake. Try speaking to our career guidance for help and assistance
You may feel a great surge to complete your assignments as quickly as possible and take as many subjects as possible. However, it is advisable to begin school gradually, particularly if you have been out of school for some time and/or you are employed.
Managing to be a student with all your other responsibilities as a parent, employee, spouse, and/or caregiver to ailing parents takes some readjustment of priorities, tasks, and attitudes. You may find yourself learning some new skills to gain some help when you're used to doing certain tasks yourself.
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