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The decision to go back to school as an adult is a life-changing one, for sure! Coming to such a major decision will of course involve sacrifices for you and your family. At the very least, you may need to re-structure a large chunk of your lifestyle, habits, and time-management.

I certainly won't tell you that all this is easy, because it's not. There will probably be moments where you feel frustrated and discouraged. When you have papers to write and kids to pick up from soccer and demands from your boss, you may even consider giving up your education dream.

I will, however, tell you that all those feelings are normal and natural. Making such a huge change in your life will take a lot of adjustment on your part (and your family's).

But how do you stay motivated? How do you remain focused? How do you manage everything?

As an adult (non-traditional) student, you already have a major advantage over your younger classmates: you are there because you WANT to be. You have consciously chosen this path. Not your parents, not your guidance counselor, not your peers. You made a conscious choice. In fact, you may have even agonized over the decision. But in the end, YOU determined that this is what you want to do. You have weighed the pros and cons, and you have made a commitment to improving your life through education.

"Maturity" may be sort of a dirty word in our youth-oriented culture, but it is something that will put you light-years ahead of your classmates. You've experienced Life-with-a-capital-L, you know what "The Real World" is like. The Real World is not some vague future time and place out there somewhere. You've lived there. You've worked some great jobs, you've worked some awful jobs. You may have raised a family. You've run a household, you've managed a budget. You've probably made some mistakes, but you have learned from each and every one of them. You have done and learned things that no 18-to-22-year-old can possibly yet know.

Most importantly, you understand the importance of education. You know that failing a course means wasting your own time and money. Nobody's paying for this. You're not taking your education for granted. It's all you, baby! Your younger classmates might not have quite made that connection. Skipping classes and turning in poorly-written last-minute papers and missing exams is for the non-motivated students. You're able to take things seriously and get it done.

As an adult, you alone know how your choice will benefit you in the long run. You alone know what you dream and desire. You alone know how badly you want to earn your degree. Make the most of that desire. Visualize yourself living the life you desire. Really see yourself accepting that degree, accepting that great new job. You deserve it, and you can do it!

Learn more about this author, Christine Conte.
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