Adults Going Back to School – Tips for Success

Adults Going Back to School Tips for Success & BONUS – 5 Must Have Apps for the Adult Learner!

Whether you need a new career fast, need to accelerate your career to the next level, or just want to finish your degree, there is a lot to consider for adults going back to school, especially if you have been out of school for a while.  Don’t worry though, with a little bit of preparation, organization and a “can do” attitude, you can go back to school at any stage in your life and be a successful student.  Here are some tips to help those adults going back to school.

Be organized…

Needless to say, by deciding to go back to school, your daily schedule just got a little busier.  Life is busy enough with work, home and kids.  Add school to that mix and if you are not organized, it could be pretty hard to get everything done that you need to.  Here are some basic get organized tips that might help:

• • Make and use lists of things that need to get done daily, weekly and monthly.
  • Get into a solid routine that allows you to accomplish everything you need to.  Make study/class time a priority and a habit.
  • Use a calendar to track important dates like first day of school/term, exams, homework/papers that are due, etc.
  • Check with your school to see if they offer any Adult Learner resources or training on organizing and study habits.  Your school can be a great resource for help if you use them!

Prepare your children

For the parents who are returning to school, this can be especially challenging.  Children demand a lot of time and attention.  The more you prepare them ahead of time, the better they will adapt and adjust to mommy or daddy’s new schedule.  Sit them down and have a conversation with them and explain what you are doing and why.  Of course, you will have to remind them of the why, but that’s okay.  Soon they will begin to expect you to be at class or to be at the kitchen table studying.

Prepare yourself for new classroom technology

If you have been out of school for a while (5 years or longer), then you need to prepare yourself for some for the advances technology has brought to the classroom.  This is especially true if you are taking online courses.  You may need to brush up on your computer skills in order to keep up.  Don’t panic, most schools that offer online learning also offer and introduction to online learning class or technology skills update class that will get you up to speed and comfortable with this new technology quickly.

5 must have apps for the adults going back to school

Here is a list of 5 applications for your mobile device that can make your transition back to school easier.  If you know of others, please feel free to list below and share them in the comments section below.  This list is by no means all inclusive; there are literally thousands of apps that could be of use to students.  The ones listed here are just the ones that we find, are most often a benefit to adult learners.

• • Dictionary.com – Keep a full dictionary and thesaurus on your phone!  This app also features voice activated search and text to speech feature for all words listed with a speaker icon
  • Evernote – Take notes, share notes, keep a class and study calendar, word processing, voice recording/notes, snapshots and project management.
  • StudyBlue – The digital solution for today’s Flash Cards.  Make your own flash cards, study guides and quizzes.  Then, share them with your classmates!  This app also lets you set reminders for class, exams, projects and more.  PRO TIP – Connect StudyBlue with Evernote accounts and get the most out of both apps
  • Trello – Hate group projects?  Not anymore.  With Trello you can assign tasks, create deadlines, and even collaborate with your team in real time.  Create groups, filters and assignments and update the entire project group in real time when you make a change to the project.
  • Quickoffice – Need to update a word document, spreadsheet or presentation on the fly?  No problem.  Quickoffice, which is now part of Google, gives you full mobile access to all of your files to make changes, send to print, collaborate with classmates and more.

 *Note – Some applications here charge a fee to download and/or use the applications listed above.

For more information on adults going back school, or to speak with an admissions representative and apply for career training, contact us today by visiting our Centura College Website.  You can also learn more about Centura College at our Consumer Information Disclosure page, Your right to know.

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