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Returning to college as an adult can certainly be overwhelming! Being back in a classroom will force you to use some mental "muscles" that you might not have used in a long time. You'll also need to develop some other skills that (depending on how long it's been) might not have even existed when you were in school!

Here are my Top 6 Skills For Adults Returning to College.

1. MATH SKILLS

Most degree programs include at least one math course as a core requirement. As a beginning student, you will probably need to take a math placement exam before enrolling. Generally, a placement test will evaluate your skills, and determine which level math class you should start in.

It's possible you may need to take one or more lower-level math courses before taking the course required for your program. Don't feel discouraged or insulted; this will help you in the long run. Math skills build upon each other; a solid foundation will help you succeed at higher levels.

Math Anxiety is a very real issue for many adults returning to college. Your younger classmates may be only a year or two out of high school, and much of their math skills will be fresher. Most colleges offer free tutoring sessions; take advantage of this excellent free resource!

2. READING SKILLS

Along with Math, you may have to take a placement test in Reading, to evaluate your reading skills. Based on your score, you may be advised to take a basic reading comprehension course to build up the skills you will need to succeed in your college career.

In college, there will of course be a lot of reading to do. Academic reading is very different from reading for pleasure! Not only will you need to read a lot of material quickly, you will need to to absorb it.

Ideally, you want to first skim over the material to get the general idea. Have a dictionary close by, and look up any unfamiliar words. Take notes on important points. Perhaps even keep a running list of vocabulary words (this will become a great study guide!). Then go back and read it more thoroughly.

Many textbooks will feature summaries, discussion questions, and exercises at the end of chapters. The summaries will pull together the most important points of the chapter. This is very valuable information to study from. Also, take a few minutes to work through those questions and exercises, even if they weren't assigned as homework.

If you're dead tired, and having trouble focusing, don't force yourself to keep reading. You probably won't retain anything you've read.

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