Articles On Information: Going Back to School as an Adult

Going Back to School as an Adult - Our Top 10 Tips Guide

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Taking that leap back to full- or part-time education as an 
adult can be both an exhilarating and terrifying journey. Many important
 decisions need to be considered before taking that leap, such as…</div>
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<li>How am I going to pay for my studies?</li>
<li>Do I have enough money to support my dependents and myself whilst I am studying?</li>
<li>Will this studying increase my ability to earn once 
completed, or will I be saddled with the debt that I will struggle to 
pay off?</li>
<li>or even starting at the most basic question of questions “what should I study?”</li>
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By taking your time to answer all your questions 
thoroughly, you can hopefully reach a decision which is not based on 
emotion, but a well thought out plan that will help lead you into a new 
and more positive future. Congratulations!</div>
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<a href="http://articlesoninformation.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="Back to school" border="0" height="426" src="http://media.infobarrel.com/media/image/181932_max.jpg" width="640" /></a>By utilizing our Top-10 tips to survive this new adventure, 
hopefully you can avoid any potential pit-falls by putting the right 
strategies in place ahead of time.</div>
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 1. <strong><em>Create support systems</em></strong></div>
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One of the most important aspects of successful study is 
having a support system in place from the very beginning. Whether it be 
your spouse, your parents, your children, or even your work colleagues, 
they need to be made to feel a part of your decision to return to study.
 By taking the time to explain your reasons why, and possibly even how 
it would benefit them in the long-term, having them on your side will 
most definitely be to your benefit.</div>
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 2. <strong><em>Check your finances</em></strong></div>
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Returning to study can be a tremendously expensive exercise,
 regardless of whether you plan to study full- or part-time. Not only is
 it the cost of the course, you need to factor in additional expenses 
such as stationery, text books, examination fees, additional transport 
costs (if required), as well as whether your normal income stream will 
be affected by your studying. Make sure you do your sums ahead of time; 
so no unexpected surprises can arise that will derail your plans.</div>
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 3. <strong><em>Organize, organize and organize</em></strong></div>
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Organize as much as possible ahead of time, and make sure 
you keep any organizational systems up to date. Technology can be your 
friend, utilize it fully. Create and share a Google Calendar with your 
support system, so that they are aware of upcoming exams and 
assignments. If your college has an online portal for submitting 
assignments online as opposed to in person – use it. Proper organization
 can really be the key to success or failure, and in a world bursting 
with new and free organizational apps and programs; there are no 
excuses!</div>
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 4. <strong><em>Track your achievements</em></strong></div>
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Before you start studying, create a list of your short- and 
long-term goals that you hope to achieve. Add and revise the list 
regularly as you progress. When you achieve one of your goals, reward 
yourself! It might even be as simple as creating a ‘Grown-up’s Star 
Chart’ – for every 10 stars you treat yourself to something small! By 
creating a visual representation of your progress, you will be a lot 
more aware of just how far you have travelled down the path to 
educational success.</div>
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 5. <strong><em>Accept that struggling is inevitable</em></strong></div>
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It is almost a guarantee that there will be periods when you
 are struggling and feel simply unable to manage. After all, if it 
weren’t hard, it wouldn’t be worthwhile. The key to success is not to 
wait until the problem escalates, rather to get assistance as soon as 
you are aware there is a problem. Pride needs to take a back seat to 
success, so chat to your instructors, or ask fellow students for help. 
Do what ever is necessary to overcome the problem before it becomes 
unmanageable.</div>
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 6. <strong><em>Time management</em></strong></div>
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Make a date to study – whether you need to do it once a day,
 or once a week, set aside time in your diary as you would any meeting. 
As you would respect the time others set aside to meet with you, you owe
 it to yourself to show the same respect to you and your studies. Add it
 to your Google Calendar, so others know this time is sacred.</div>
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 7. <strong><em>Create the right study environment</em></strong></div>
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As with many of us professional procrastinators, we are only
 looking for the next excuse to justify our inability to study and get 
work done. Ideally you need to create a distraction-free study 
environment, where you can study in peace. Even if it’s not possible to 
set aside an entire room, ensure that you have an area that is as far 
away as possible from the central hub of the house. Keep TVs off, cell 
phones and tablets in another room, and the door closed if possible.</div>
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 8. <strong><em>Use time wisely</em></strong></div>
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If you are lucky enough to be ahead of schedule and with no 
imminent deadlines by all means reward yourself with some time off. 
However, your best plan would be for you to use this opportunity to get 
ahead of schedule, to give yourself a head start on upcoming assignments
 and studying. </div>
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 9. <strong><em>Be honest</em></strong></div>
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Be honest with friends, family and colleagues with what you 
can and can’t do. Don’t try and be the superhero that juggles 
everything, as something is bound to get dropped. Rather, admit that 
your plate is full - that studying is a priority right now, and that you
 are unable to manage with anything additional. Those who truly care 
about you will not view this is a sign of weakness, rather they will 
respect you for what you are trying to achieve.</div>
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  10. <strong><em>Look after yourself</em></strong></div>
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Eat healthily, refrain from drinking too much alcohol, if 
possible exercise regularly, and most importantly, aim to get a good 
night sleep every night. A healthy body leads to a healthy mind, and it 
is your responsibility to take care of both. Try not to view time spent 
looking after yourself as time wasted, rather view it as an investment 
in your future.</div>
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