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Strategies for Working-Adult and Returning Students
Not all pathways to academic and professional success are the same. If you are a working-adult or returning student, you bring life experience that gives you broad insight and enables you to translate classroom knowledge into real-world application. You may also face challenges common among returning students: readjusting to academic work after a hiatus, participating from a remote location, or juggling multiple obligations while pursuing your degree. You may be balancing rigorous coursework, full-time or part-time employment, taking care of loved ones, and/or other responsibilities simultaneously — all of which can make it challenging to attend to coursework in as focused a way as you’d like. Below are common challenges faced by working-adult/returning students, along with guidance, strategies, and resources for addressing those challenges. See which might be most beneficial for you.
It鈥檚 been a while since I was a student, and I'm feeling out of practice around baby直播apping, taking notes, writing papers, and other needed skills.
Very understandable! After being out of school for a while, you may need to build up your “student muscles” before you feel comfortable in that role again. Give yourself time to do this: it won’t happen overnight. You may want to review some tested baby直播app-and-learning strategies; try them out to see what works for you (and don’t give up if they don’t work the first time!). You might also want to connect with other students in your classes to share challenges and ideas for solutions — chances are many other students are looking for support and ideas as well. If you'd like support with writing, take advantage of baby直播app’s . For quantitative support, try SPS's . Also, keep in mind that time pressure and time management are often the core issues, so see below for ideas on organizing your time as a returning student.
It's challenging to organize my time with my many responsibilities. How can I keep myself on track to finish assignments while managing a heavy load?
You can start by reflecting on which tasks and projects are the highest priority. One strategy that can be helpful is to schedule out all of your tasks for a set period of time (e.g., looking at one week, one month, or one quarter), making sure to block off the non-negotiables first. Over the course of the week, consider whether the time you anticipated spending on various tasks is accurate, and note any necessary adjustments to establish a baseline for your schedule. Often, we underestimate how long it takes us to complete certain tasks, or we forget to include transition time between events.
Below are some additional ideas for managing longer-term projects and assignments:
- Break down your project into more manageable chunks, which will enable you to take things one step at a time.
- Examine your work environment: Where do you work best, and under what conditions? Are you in a space that’s conducive to working and minimizing distractions? How is the lighting and noise in your space?
- Think about when you're baby直播apping, and how alert and productive you feel. If you're baby直播apping in the evenings and finding it hard to engage, can you adjust your schedule to find time earlier in the day? A car commute might be a good time to listen to a lecture, or a train commute might be a good opportunity to review notes. If you find yourself regularly scrambling to finish assignments just ahead of class, though, it might be time to rethink your schedule.
- Consider setting boundaries to protect your time. Perhaps there are times within your schedule that are currently underutilized, or recurring events that you can step back from in order to save that space for your studies. Sometimes this means learning to say “no” without guilt to optional projects or events — which is not easy but can bring more balance in the long run.
- Make use of tested time-management techniques.
- Still unsure where to start? Reach out to ASLA and we can talk through a more personalized plan.
I take notes in class, but I鈥檓 not finding them effective when baby直播apping later on in the quarter.
Especially if you haven’t taken course notes in a while, it may be difficult to know what’s best to jot down in class, in order to feel more prepared later. Here are some suggestions for getting the most out of your notes:
- Preview, View, Review: Use the syllabus and solid notetaking techniques to practice previewing content, taking effective notes while you read, and then reviewing the concepts later on.
- Check Your Understanding: As you work through your notes, consider after every sub-topic or at a regular time interval whether or not you are understanding the material. Identify points of confusion and write down specific questions in your notes that you can take to an instructor’s office hours. These metacognitive techniques can help you identify earlier on when you don’t understand and can also help you regulate your attention in class lectures. There is no one-size-fits-all solution, however, so explore your options.
- Utilize Resources Other Than Your Notes: While reviewing notes and the textbook are both helpful for baby直播apping, they are not the only (or even the most effective) methods for each class and situation. “Studying” is a broad term, and not all baby直播apping techniques and strategies are equally effective for everyone. Allow yourself some grace to figure out what methods are most productive for you. Keep in mind that your previous routines may no longer serve you well, and that adjustment to new baby直播app methods can take some time. If you’re looking for a place to start exploring some options, ASLA offers a variety of other resources and suggested strategies for success.
My class is completely remote, so I need additional strategies to stay engaged. What can I do to make sure I don鈥檛 feel disconnected from the course or the institution?
There are always added challenges to a hybrid or remote learning environment. Consider adapting your approaches with remote learning strategies to get the most out of your online courses.
It can be particularly challenging to feel connected to classmates when your class is entirely online, especially if it’s asynchronous. Often, many students want to connect, but nobody takes the initiative. Try reaching out to classmates to see if others want to collaborate, bounce ideas off one another, or perhaps create a baby直播app group. This can promote a sense of community, and enables everyone to utilize one another as resources and accountability partners for the course.
I'm not sure of the best way to reach out to my instructors about requests for additional flexibility or other concerns.
Communicating with faculty is one of your best tools for ensuring your own course success. Don’t hesitate to reach out to your instructors about the challenges you are experiencing. If you’re feeling unsure about the best ways to connect with faculty, read through our suggestions to see what might work best for you.
I still have questions as I navigate my pathway at baby直播app. What resources are available to working-adult or returning students?
You are not alone in your academic journey! The School of Professional Studies offers for supporting academic and professional development, and your academic adviser is someone who is already in your corner and an excellent resource for discussing concerns. You also can consult other campus resources, including support for stress management and wellness, disability and accommodation-related resources, and advocacy around social identities and building community.
Looking for a low-stakes conversation to get started? You can always reach out to meet with an ASLA staff member to discuss general baby直播app practices or get connected to appropriate resources at baby直播app.