Tips for Adult Learners Returning to Learning

July 29, 2024 by Professional Studies Staff

As adults, deciding to return to school through online courses or in-person classes can be exciting and overwhelming. Life becomes busy and filled with commitments that require our time and energy, which makes adding courses back into our lives feel incredibly stressful and intimidating. These apprehensions are understandable but should not hold us back from furthering our education.

Our Professional Studies team has compiled a list of tips to help with the transition back into schooling;

Create a schedule

A paper or digital visual schedule can be a useful organizational tool to help you manage all your commitments.

Trial and error when you work best

How we learn best can change as we grow and go through life. It is essential to find those times that you can be focused and build your schedule around those times. This can help to form effective study habits.

Create the right/best environment

The space we are in can heavily impact your focus and productivity. Finding or creating a space where you work best will help create the mindset to study and get the most out of it. Some people may need background noise, the presence of others, or complete silence to work best, and finding that space can help us focus on our studies.

Incorporate your studies into your daily life

Engaging with your course daily can help break down your work into more attainable tasks, helping to prevent the feeling of being overwhelmed.

Consider your skills

Identify the skills you will be using during the course and reflect on your level of comfort with them. Be prepared to work on these skills before and during your studies.

Here are some skills used in educational settings that you may be using again or being introduced to:

Time management
Reading for academic purposes
Writing for academic purposes
Computer literacy
Technology tools (PowerPoint, Screen casting, Excel)
Math
Summarizing

Give yourself grace and challenge yourself

There is no such thing as a perfect student. As you figure out what works best for you, there will be some difficulties you will overcome and mistakes you will grow from; give yourself grace, you are still learning what being a successful student looks like for you.

Prioritize health, wellbeing, and balance

When you feel well, you do well. A healthy balance between your studies, other commitments, and personal time will help you out your best foot forward. Taking time for yourself and working to achieve balance will help prevent burnout, which negatively impacts many aspects of your life.

Communicate openly with your employer and other key people in your life

Sharing that you are taking courses with those around you will help establish a support system as you pursue your education. The understanding and support of others can be a source of motivation if you ever feel overwhelmed or unmotivated.

Ask for help!

You do not need to go through this alone. Asking for help is crucial to maintaining a healthy balance of all your responsibilities. You may look to loved ones, instructors, or peers you connect with in your courses for guidance on this journey.

Write down your reason “Why?” and keep it somewhere you will see it often

This could look like a note in your workspace or a reminder on your phone. Having something to remind you of your intentions for going to school can be a source of motivation for if you feel stressed and overwhelmed.

Deciding to return to learning is a big decision that you should be proud of. Adding coursework to your priorities can be stressful, but utilizing some of the tips provided can help you balance coursework and life commitments as an adult student. At Professional Studies, we understand how education can boost your career, but pursuing that education can add daunting stressors to your life. We help our students by providing online and asynchronous courses they can complete anywhere worldwide, whenever it works best for them. Our courses are taught by instructors who are experts in their fields, and you will get to collaborate and communicate with peers looking to learn, which all contribute to a fulfilling course experience.

We are here to support the return to and continuation of learning in all aspects for adult learners. Professional Studies also offers custom training workshops to meet your business’s needs. Please contact professionalstudies@queensu.ca to discuss how our workshops can best serve your workplace. Returning to learning is an investment and Professional Studies is here to support you in your learning and making your education work well for your life.