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Getting Starting

Making the decision

The journey to higher education. Any journey starts with a spark of inspiration: It may be a hint that there is something valuable to be gained. Or a sudden insight that something is missing and must be found. Or a sense of something exciting just around the corner. But setting out on the journey requires commitment. And commitment involves posing and answering sometimes-difficult questions.

Should I go back to school? You've probably thought about it enough. But you've hesitated ... Should I? This is as far as many people get. It is indeed the hardest question to answer. And of course, no one can answer it for you.

There are many aspects to consider in the decision to return to college, but the most important is your motivation. Does your boss want you to get training for a new position? Do you need a degree in order to get a promotion? Is your partner encouraging you to finish school? Any of these can be motivators. But the most powerful motivator is your own desire to learn. A deep conviction that you will benefit from continued education will bring you closer to realizing your dreams than any outside impetus.

Listening to yourself. In the crush of daily activities and pressures, it can be hard to recognize our true motives. I know...I went back to school over and over again, and each time I thought I had a good reason. Yet each time I got sidetracked by "higher" priorities. Finally I stopped to ask myself why I bothered. Then I remembered that long ago, when I graduated from high school and went off to work, I had made a promise to myself to go to college someday. This promise was still nagging at me, just under the surface of my consciousness. It had been my primary motivator all along. I realized that I would never be satisfied until I fulfilled this promise.

Need or want? So your first step toward answering the question "Should I go back to school?" is to ask a different question: "Why do I want to go?" Your second step is to ask yet another question: "Am I ready?" Going back to school is a long-term commitment, and there will be many obstacles and distractions along the way. You will have to juggle personal, family, and job commitments at the same time. There will be some frustrations and some sacrifices. If you can accept these - if you're convinced that this is the most important thing you can do for yourself - you're ready to enter a degree program. If not, you should wait until you are ready, or consider some shorter-term alternatives to acquire the immediate skills you need.

Getting ready

Can I do it? Again, this is the wrong question. It's not "can I," but "do I want to." If you've honestly examined your motivation and have decided to go back to school, you already know you want to do it. If you want to do it, you can do it. Your commitment to yourself to get a college degree doesn't necessarily mean you'll be able to do it all at once, or as originally planned, but it significantly increases the likelihood that you'll see it through eventually.

Even if your high school or early college performance was less than stellar you can succeed as an adult student. As an adult, you have the advantage of motivation and maturity that you may have lacked as a teen. The adult education classroom environment is also more suited to many people (even some teens and younger adults!), with its emphasis on independent study, flexible class schedules and experience-based curriculum.

Starting over. If it has been a long time since you were last in school, you may wonder if you can get back into the habit of studying and test taking, or if you have the discipline to study, or if you can compete with younger students, or if your memory will be adequate. You can re-adjust to the learning environment if you'll just forget about your past school experiences! Most of the strategies you used as a younger student, however successful they were at the time, will no longer serve you well. As you begin your adult studies, you'll develop new strategies for success.

Taking the first steps

Step-by-Step. It may be tempting to rush into as many courses as you can in order to minimize the total time it will take to earn your degree. Don't do it! Especially at the beginning of your program, if you bite off more than you can chew, you won't do as well as you'd like in any course. At best, you'll wind up stressed and frustrated. At worst, you'll lose your confidence and drop out. Even if you're not working, or working only part-time, you're better off starting with only one, or at most, two courses. Take advantage of tutors and/or counselors, if necessary. It's worth the extra time upfront to consult some of the books available to guide you through preparing for exams, writing term papers, conducting research and time management. And you shouldn't minimize the value of student orientations. They may seem alien or unnecessary, but anything that gets you back into an "academic" mindset is helpful at the beginning.

Planning is key. You will be most successful if you take the time to do proper planning at the beginning.

1. Assess your situation
This is the time to be brutally honest with yourself - and your family and friends! Here are a few of my guidelines.

Time

How much time can you devote to study? Classroom time is just a small chunk of the total time you'll need to set aside. Expect to spend at least three times more for study, research, homework preparation.

When will you be able to study? Personal rhythms are important. If you feel most energetic in the morning, try to arrange your schedule to study or attend classes early. If you're more creative at night, you might set aside time to study after the kids have gone to bed.

Place

Where will you study? Set aside a private place, one that's off limits to others! If this isn't possible at home, consider using the college library. It may be less convenient, but you'll get more done.

How far are you willing and able to travel to class? If your schedule doesn't allow you to travel more than 30 minutes each way, don't pick a school 45 minutes away. You'll not only be stressed, you may well drop out.

Family

How supportive are your family and friends? Trying to convince others that you know what you're doing can take a lot of energy that would be better used in your studies. You might find it necessary to turn a deaf ear.

Will they have to adapt their schedules? This is one of the toughest issues for adult students with families. It's not hard to understand the problems faced by the person returning to school. But few appreciate the impact of this experience on the student's immediate family.

Will they fill in with household chores? In the best of all possible worlds, your family will all pitch in to help you through. Even if they don't, you must vow never to feel guilty about undone house or yard cleaning!

Employer

How supportive is your employer? There will be times - especially around mid-term and final exams - when you'll be pressured and maybe a little distracted. You'll find out quickly that an understanding boss is a blessing at these moments. If you must work around a non-supportive employer, you'll have to carefully schedule vacation times and personal days to coincide with your school schedule.

How flexible is your work schedule? It can be very frustrating to get near the end of your studies to find that the last courses you need are only offered during the afternoon. Workplace flexibility can bring you a full semester or more closer to your graduation!

Scheduling

Do you need to clear up any unfinished business before you get involved in classes? You'll soon thank yourself for eliminating as many distractions, extraneous activities and pressures as possible before you start. It's human nature to underestimate the amount of time required for major projects. Just beware of using this as an excuse to procrastinate on your studies!

Financial

How much can you afford? (It always gets down to this, doesn't it?) Your financial situation determines how many courses you can take each semester and how long it will take to get your degree. There are many options available, from low-tuition state universities to financial aid to employer tuition rebates. A realistic approach now will keep you from having to quit just when you're going strong.

Preparation

Do you need refreshers? If you've been away from school for many years, you might consider brushing up on some basic skills before you get into class. It will help you feel more confident, and you'll avoid playing catch-up in your already overloaded schedule.

2. Determine your objectives
Objectives are the concrete guidelines against which you will be able to measure your achievement. Without objectives, it's easy to lose momentum. With them, you'll stay focused and motivated by a sense of accomplishment.

Caution: Objectives are not dreams. They are quite specific. Objectives may include one or more of the following:

Performance objectives (get a grade of 3.0 or better).

Completion objectives (get a degree within 5 years).

Degree objectives (earn an Associate degree first, then a B.S. in Engineering).

Career objectives (get the credentials needed for promotion in the next 12 months).

Personal objectives (get an article published, learn to write C programs).

3. Identify and research your alternatives
Once you know where you want to go, you'll be able to map out the best way to get there. Fortunately, there are many routes to any one destination. Unfortunately, so much choice can be confusing and even intimidating. It's hard to know in advance what will work best. That's why it helps to talk to others who have been through it. Their experiences and choices won't be the same as yours, but they can provide you with invaluable insights.

You'll want to carefully evaluate all of the alternate routes before you plan your journey. It's quite possible that the best route for you is not simply the most direct. This is where you need to consider the details of your situation. Here are some options for putting together your own unique plan.

Credit or non-credit courses

Non-credit. Ease into studying by taking a non-credit course or two.

Facilitates re-entry for those who've been away from school a long time.

Fewer admissions requirements.

Less pressure to perform, since grades are not on your permanent record.

A reminder that learning can be fun. You can take whatever interests you, not just what's required.

Helps you review for various entry exams.

But non-credit courses don't count toward your degree.

Credit. Take a few classes that you know you'll like and get credit, too.

Good way to explore a new subject.

OK for basic courses, but the most interesting credit courses have prerequisites (courses that must be completed prior to taking this one).

Credits will probably be accepted toward a degree program at the same school, but may not be accepted elsewhere.

Certificate and Associate Programs

Certificate. If your objectives include specific skill training or re-training, a certificate rather than a full degree may be the answer.

Fewer entry restrictions.

Highly focused.

Shorter duration program.

If you decide later to go for a degree, especially at another school, some credits may not be transferable.

On its own, most often used for specific professional training.

Often also combined with degree program studies, to strengthen credentials in a professional area.

Associate Degree. Slice off a more manageable chunk with a "2-year" (or however long it takes to earn approximately 60 credits) program.

Designed to be more accessible.

Usually offered at Community Colleges.

Often less stringent entry requirements.

Takes care of most of the basic required classes for a Bachelor's degree program.

Completion gives a degree and a sense of accomplishment.

Credits can be applied to Bachelor's program, if taken at same college.

Most credits will be transferable to other Bachelor's programs.

Provides evidence to admissions counselors, employers, family and friends that you're able and willing to dedicate serious effort and time to completing further studies.

Often used as a stepping stone to further education, as well as to gain credentials for specific vocations.

Online, On campus or both?

Online. With the advent of the internet, online learning is more widely available and increasingly popular.

There are currently many courses, credit and non-credit offered on the internet.

There are still few complete degree programs available entirely on the internet, but expect to see more soon.

Excellent option for adults who need to juggle work and family responsibilities.

No travel time.

Much more flexible.

Many online degree programs are not yet accredited. This will change over the next few years.

Online and off. You just might get the best of both worlds with a combination of physical and virtual classes.

While the range of fully online degree programs is still quite limited, many more schools are now offering some combination of online study with classroom attendance.

This is arguably the best possible educational option. Although some subjects are particularly suited to independent study, others are more readily absorbed in a social environment.

You'll just want to make sure you know exactly the extent of the campus requirement so you can adequately plan your schedule.

Night classes or day classes

Most adult classes are held at night. Since students take only one, two or three classes each semester, colleges offer only a limited number per semester.

If you can take day classes, you'll get through sooner.

Day classes are especially helpful towards the end of your studies, when the few courses you have yet to take may not be offered for another year or more.

Day classes can be more difficult for adults. The majority of the students are younger, so the course curricula and the professors may not be as appropriate for adults.

Saturdays and weekends

Weekend classes have become increasingly popular for adults.

Good use of time, if you can get away from Saturday chores!

Good in combination with evening classes. One Saturday class doesn't kill your whole weekend, but can help you get through faster.

Great for "morning" people, who don't perform well late in the day, especially after a long day's work.

Intensive all-weekend study programs are good for students whose work schedules are unpredictable, who work shift hours or have to be on call during the week.

Accelerated classes

Some colleges offer truly committed (or crazy!) students the option of taking classes every night, as well as some weekends.

You'll get through faster. Classes meet more often, sometimes for longer periods of time, but over fewer weeks.

Since you'll usually only take one (at most, two) courses at a time, it's easier to stay focused.

There's often more camaraderie within an accelerated program than is typical in other adult programs, because you tend to stay with the same classmates through the program.

But you must consider when you'll have time to study!

4. Plan your attack

Again, take it one step at a time. It can be daunting to consider the total time and cost needed to earn a degree! Rather than jump in, break your plan into bite-sized chunks. Establish some realistic milestones. The sense of accomplishment in achieving each milestone is the best encouragement to keep you going.

Stay flexible. Each milestone gives you the opportunity to measure your performance in attaining your larger goals. It also lets you review and revise your original plan, if necessary.

Keep the end in sight. You can do it if you hold onto that vision of yourself as a college graduate, in a new job, whatever your dream.

5. Establish a timetable
Put your plan in action with a schedule. There's nothing like a deadline to mobilize energy. But be kind to yourself. If you become a slave to your schedule, you'll likely get quickly frustrated at slipped deadlines. It's important to be realistic about what you can change and what you can't. Emergencies arise, goals change, plans and schedules are made to be altered. But if you do miss a deadline, immediately set another and begin working toward it.

Finally, you must make a commitment. And remember you're not a kid any more. Despite what you may think or how you may feel today, this fact is in your favor! You're more mature, more responsible, focused, less emotional, have better concentration. More important, you bring life insights and experience to your studies. This benefits:

You, through a greater depth of understanding, and the ability to quickly put into practice new ideas and skills.

Your classmates, with a fresh outlook and a dose of realism.

Even your teachers.