7 Tips for Adult Learners
How Mature Students Can Succeed at College or University
Apr 30, 2008 Laurie Pawlik-Kienlen
Going back to school as an adult learner means building new habits and breaking old ones. These seven tips for adult learners will increase the chances of academic success – and they’ll help mature college students build a routine for their families, too.
Be Honest About Discomfort
Going back to school can be intimidating for mature college students, especially if everyone seems younger and smarter. Allow feelings of fear, anxiety, or awkwardness. More importantly, adult learners should talk about their discomfort with others. Not only does verbalizing anxieties make them seem less scary, it also encourages others to share their fears. Simply hearing that others have or had the same fears and learning how they dealt with their academic obstacles, can help mature college students cope with their new “job.” This tip for adult learners can translate to success and better relationships in “real” life, too.
Set a Realistic Study Schedule
When mature college students go back to school, they must build time in for regular homework sessions (no cramming!), family, work, chores, and your own needs. If their kids are in school, mature college students can do homework when the kids do theirs. Adult learners should expect to revise their study schedules as needed, depending on assignments, work life, family life, and health. New schedules may have kinks in the beginning, but if adult learners persevere through the initial stages and revise as needed, they'll be more likely to be successful. Study schedules are an important habit of effective adult learners.
Organize the Environment
For academic success, a mature college student's study space at home doesn’t have to be huge or elaborate, but it does have to be quiet. When carving out a study area, make sure it’s well-lit, comfortable, and well-ventilated. A desk or table is necessary, and perhaps a bulletin board for upcoming due dates, motivational quotations, and funny pictures. Adult learners need to be equipped with the proper school supplies (notebooks, pens, file folders, binders, White-out, etc). They also need a computer with a good internet connection and a printer. Scanners, faxes, and photocopiers are perks for mature college students, but not usually necessary.
Find Pockets of Time
Going back to school involves finding time to read course material on the commute, during a lunch break at work, or in other spare minutes. Keep notes, assignments, or even your textbook handy at all times, to review if while waiting at the doctor’s office or bank. Adult learners can improve academic success by plucking five or ten minutes from the daily routine, which can add up to an hour or more. Plus, one of the most effective ways to study is to review for short bursts of time, and take regular breaks. Making the course material a part of daily life is a success tip for adult learners that could improve memory and boost grades!
Learn How to Write Exams
Knowing how to study for and take a test can be as important as knowing the material. Mature college students should use the school’s resources, and learn about effective test-taking strategies (eg, read over the whole exam before answering any questions, answer the easy questions first, understand the questions, watch the clock so don’t run out of time, etc). Don’t be afraid to approach the instructor if there is confusion about the material or extra information is needed. The teacher’s job is to help college students learn and succeed.
Learn to Say No
This tip for adult learners works in any aspect of a successful professional or personal life! Students may not be able to say no to a particular assignment or exam material, but they can say no to volunteer requests, favors for friends, extra work at work, or their own family. Prioritize adult education; if a mature student doesn't take their classes or degree seriously, neither will anyone else.
Line Up Your Cheering Squad
Make time for on-campus groups of people. Initiate conversations with people who went back to school and successfully balanced their work, family, and social lives (if they weren’t successful, learn from their mistakes!). If the school’s admissions advisor or career counselor was helpful and friendly, a success tip for adult learners is to stay connected with them. Avoid the nay-sayers or energy drains.
These tips for adult learners should be implemented slowly, so don’t feel pressured to apply all them all at once. When college students have mastered two or three study habits (new habits usually take 6-8 weeks to establish), it's time to choose another habit. Before they know it, they’ll be the geek in class that everyone secretly admires.
Good luck, and happy learning!
Related Reading on Going Back to School
For a list of resources for college or university students, go to 10 Helpful Articles for College Students.
Adult learners might also might also find Overcoming Fear of Success or Jobs for Psychology Graduates helpful.
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