Returning to School After Several Years

After my divorce, one of the decisions I've made was to go back to school to better my financial situation. At the time, I thought nothing of it. I was always a good student during high school and in college the little time I did attend. Of course, I could handle it now. After all I was older and wiser now. I was highly mistaken. What I found was myself not catching on as quickly as I did before and a struggle to find the time to study.

Older people are returning to college in record numbers. With the breakdown of Social Security, people are finding other ways to prepare for retirement. They are arming themselves with degrees and education for better career advancement in the hopes of making more money now to save for the future.

The problem is after years of not attending classes, older students are finding it harder to absorb the information. They have to retrain their brains to learn again. And even after that, there are other things that hinder their success in college. Time is stretched by other obligations like jobs and family. Plus, they are used to using their free time for other things like socializing, hobbies, and pretty much doing what you want. Most adults are disciplined and tackling down the grueling schedule of college will take some work but is not impossible.

In my own journey, I didn't want to struggle through four years of college on top of the other problems I have to deal with on a day-to-day basis. Plus, I didn't want to just pass, but to excel in school. Ten years of being in the workforce has taught me the harsh reality that some of my younger classmates may not be aware of; it is a very competitive and cut-throat job market out there and just being average may not be enough.

So, what do you do? These are some tips that I've found helpful:

1. Ask questions. If you don't understand something, ask the instructor either in class or out of class. College is very expensive and you pay your money for the knowledge and the degree. If you aren't absorbing the knowledge (getting what you've paid for), don't be too proud to ask for a little help.
2. Find study buddies. People learn differently. While some of the other classmates may understand a certain aspect better than you it may be because their personality type and learning style connects better with the material and how it is presented. This is why you need to be involved with a study group; people around you who will help you better grasp the material. If nothing else, my study group motivated and kept me from quitting.
3. Read on your own. Instructors do not read all the material line for line. If they did, you'll probably be asleep within minutes or there wouldn't be time to cover all the necessary material. Read the material on your own, in your spare time, and try to gather your own perception of it. You know your own learning style and sometimes it may not correspond to the instructor's teaching style. This is you will need to get your own understanding of the material presented.
4. Make more time for school. When signing up for school, I thought I was going to be able to continue my regular routine and still be successful. This wasn't the case. I couldn't have the same active social life and become a success in school. There are some people who can, but I couldn't. I had to give up a few of my weekly activities in order to study and excel in my classes. If you are finding it difficult to find the time to study, you way want to start cancelling engagements on your calendar.
5. Get organized. If you are already an organized person, get more organized. Plan and manage every second of your time. Develop a strategy for studying before sitting down with the text book. Know when, where, how, and what you want to concentrate on.

I'm sure there are hundreds of other tips floating around the internet or from material handed out at school. Find the things that work best for your schedule, learning style, and personality. Going back to college is not an overly difficult task; it is just an adjustment. You've made the right decision to get your degree; just find clear-cut ways to ensure your academic success.