Going Back To School: What To Expect As An Adult Learner
So you’ve decided to go back to school. Good for you. At the beginning of every semester, at least one older student approaches me to tell me that they’ve been out of school for 20 years, and they’re worried about what to expect. They’re concerned that they may not be able to keep up with the younger students, and worried about technology, often expressing the idea that they’re not good with computers or getting around on the web. Their trepidation is understandable, but as someone who has been around higher education in one role or another for nearly 40 years, I can tell you, the basic keys to success are the same. -Dr.Dan
The Basics
As a professor, I can tell you that the reasons students do poorly in school have not changed since the days of Aristotle, either they don’t study, or they don’t turn in their work on time or at all. The only significant change over the years is that the “dog chewed up my paper” excuse has gone high-tech and morphed into “my computer crashed, and I lost my paper.” In my observation, these issues are the stuff of the younger student — those who are living on their own for the first time or haven’t had the responsibility of a family or a real job. Younger students also don’t always appreciate how much they (or somebody else) is paying for tuition, so they tend to be a bit more irresponsible than older learners. The bottom line is that if you simply follow directions, study, and do your work on time, you’ll do well in most classes — some will be hard for sure — but being timely and prepared have always been prerequisites for academic success, period.
The challenges that adult students face when it comes to the basics usually involve finding the time to study. Each semester I have a good number of students who have a family, work several jobs, and are always pressed for time — if this is the case, you have to be a self-directed learner — in other words, you have to have discipline. My advice for all students, especially busy adults, is to establish a time and place to study — something that is sustainable. Perhaps you get up earlier and study for an hour each day at the kitchen table, or if you don’t have a quiet place at home, go to the university or local public library and make it a routine. The basic rule is, and it varies widely, is that for every credit hour you are taking plan on 3 hours of studying per week. It sounds like a lot, and in some cases, the workload will be less depending upon the class, but it’s a good average number to start with.
As a self-directed adult learner, it’s important to not wait until the last minute to get started on an assignment — this isn’t so much about getting the work done on time — it’s more about giving you time to contact your instructor in case you are unclear on the assignment’s instructions. There is nothing that makes me smirk more than a student who contacts me one-hour before a deadline to ask for clarification on an assignment. The best strategy, in this case, is to read over the assignment instructions early in the week to make sure you understand the task at hand. This gives you time to contact your professor if you have any questions, and it gives you time to think about the assignment for a day or two before you get started. I can tell you from experience that as a general rule, last-minute work is usually apparent and less than optimal. Just a little planning and forethought goes a long way to being successful in college.
In addition to being self-disciplined and timely, following directions is critical. While you would think this should be a foregone conclusion, I am often surprised when students either misread — or more likely don’t read — an assignment’s directions. If I ask you to cite three sources and include an introduction, a body, and a conclusion on your assignment, then this is what you should do. This is a bigger problem with traditional, younger students than it is with adult learners, but it still happens. Along the same lines, if the assignment has a rubric posted as part of the instructions, follow it. I often grade papers by using the rubric, so in essence, you can grade your own work before you turn it in — this isn’t (well it could be) rocket science; it’s about following directions and knowing what I expect as an instructor.
Academics
One area where all students struggle is in sourcing and citations. In higher education, credible sources are scholarly sources — never, under any circumstances cite someone’s blog, a magazine, Wikipedia, or an encyclopedia as a credible source — just don’t. A scholarly source is a peer-reviewed journal article or a university press published book in most cases. Every university has a staff of librarians and clerks that want nothing more than to help you find and cite your sources — in most cases, they are underutilized and waiting to help someone like you out. University library databases are powerful tools, learn how to use them, and how to search as soon as you can, trust me, it will pay off throughout your academic experience. In addition to sourcing relevant materials, learn how to cite as well — yes, I know footnotes suck, APA, MLA, etc. are a major pain, but we use consistent formatting for a reason — so we can find what you have referenced. At most schools, either the library can help you with citations or utilize the writing center — there is no shame in asking for help with citation formatting. Even I don’t get it right, and I’ve been writing and publishing academic papers for 20 years.
When it comes to writing, the number one easiest rule is to read your paper back to yourself aloud before you turn it in. I’ve taught thousands of students over the years, and the basic grammatical (and spelling) errors are astounding; start with a simple read-back to minimize these gaffs. I also strongly suggest you use an online tool such as Grammarly to check your work. There are several services with free versions such as Grammarly that are easy to use and also check for plagiarism — which is a big deal. In higher education, we’re currently in the middle of an information literacy crisis — what you cite and how you cite gives your work credibility and shows your instructor that you know what you’re doing.
Technology
I teach both in-person (face-to-face) classes and online classes — the above rules of discipline and academics apply to both types of classes. Also, before I forget, online courses are not easier than in-person classes, at any regionally accredited college or university, they are the same both in what you learn and the time you need to spend. Adult learners seem to fear online classes because of technology, but there is nothing to worry about. Learning management systems such as Canvas or Blackboard are quite intuitive — if you can order from Amazon or get around on any social media platform, you’ll have no issue on your school’s online platform.
You will need to know how to use a word-processing application and perhaps a spreadsheet app and something like PowerPoint — as well as email, of course. Most colleges and universities provide Microsoft Office, which can accomplish anything you need to do — get familiar with Word and PowerPoint, and perhaps Excel. More and more schools are becoming Google campuses, so knowing how to get around Google Drive, Docs, Slide, and Sheets is also a good idea. I’m old(ish), and I can tell you none of this stuff is hard — ask your kids or grandkids for help if needed. All of these apps also work on your phone or pad, so take advantage of this fact if you’re waiting in line or in stopped traffic, make a note, review, or capture and idea on your mobile device. Take advantage of all that information technology, and the Internet can provide — things are so much different than they were the last time you were in school — and I would argue, better. I still remember having to leave my warm dorm room and walking across campus in freezing weather to go to the library to find a source or type a paper — those days are long gone.
Going back to school as an adult learner may be scary, but it doesn’t have to be. The rules for success in college haven’t changed much over the years. The technology is easy to master, there are plenty of resources available, and information is at your fingertips. You’re often at an advantage because adult students are generally more disciplined and appreciate the cost and value of their education more than traditional students do.
Have a great year and best of luck in your new educational adventure!
