1 of 16

Write now Article Tools

Page 2 of 2

find time to study.

Study at a local library if you can:

Studying as an adult cannot be done at home, particularly when cramming before examinations, unless you have a remote home office or study, in addition to a family that fully cooperates with you regarding your privacy needs (i.e they will not knock on your door for petty reasons when you are studying). Therefore, get membership to a good library nearby where you can study in silence for a few hours.

Cash in on periods of privacy:

This could mean waking up an hour earlier to review for your quiz when the house is quiet, or chucking your novels and newspapers for textbooks while riding the tube or subway to work, or taking along your class audio lectures on your iPod during your run in the park, or going to a coffee bar with your laptop to work on your assignment for an hour or so.

Do not compare yourself to younger students; just focus on doing your best:

As someone who has taught eclectic groups of teens, young adults and the elderly, the greatest factor I noticed hindering educational progress of the older students was their preoccupation with how and why the younger ones were doing better than them in tests and exams. For example, "They have more time to study", or "They do not have family responsibilities". Such comparisons not only impeded the older students' concentration in class, but also made them feel inadequate. Therefore, as an adult, when you return to school, you have to make sure you stop such negative thoughts from becoming an obstacle in your path to academic success.

The one important thing to remember is that returning to school as an adult will not be easy, and yes, the younger ones in your class will always have their sharper mental abilities and comparitively more responsibility-free lives to their advantage. However, this should not bog you down if you keep your goal in mind and work hard to honor your commitment to getting a good further education.

Learn more about this author, Sadaf Farooqi.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.

• << previous page
• 1
• 2

Add your voice

Know something about Guide to adult education?
We want to hear your view. Write now!