Quick Highlights:
- Returning to college can be challenging, but many resources can help you navigate adult education hurdles.
- Financial constraints are common; use FAFSA, create a budget, and seek employer tuition assistance.
- Balancing responsibilities is key; learn time management, consider online courses, and seek family support.
- Improve academic preparedness by using tutors, attending workshops, and applying professional experience to coursework.
- Develop technology skills through campus tech support, online tools, and technology-focused courses.
Table of contents
Thinking about going back to college after working for a few years? You might face some challenges, but there are strategies to help you succeed. Balancing work and school can be tough, but with the right tips, you can overcome these obstacles. This article will teach you how to manage your time, budget for tuition, and handle the demands of being a student again.
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Identifying Common Barriers
Preparing for college as an adult comes with barriers and opportunities. However, you can use the knowledge you’ve gained from life experiences to help you manage any issues that you come across. Your professional career and interpersonal insights will give you tools to navigate this change in your life.
Consider some of these obstacles that you can expect to deal with during this process.
Financial Budget: Paying for college tuition, your day-to-day necessities, and your lifestyle will play a major factor in your academic success. Create a viable plan to manage how you make and spend money during your college career.
Life Imbalance: Your professional and familial responsibilities will continue to exist after you return to college. With this in mind, it’s important for you to manage your time in a way that ensures your responsibilities are taken care of.
Coursework Overload: An academic career requires focus, attention, and hard work. If you are not properly ready to take on this task, you may find yourself overwhelmed.
Technological Ineptitude: Because it may have been a while since you worked with new hardware or software, you may feel like you’re at a disadvantage. Develop these skills before starting your degree.
Social Anxiety: As a non-traditional student, you may find it difficult to connect with your peers initially. However, your life experience can also help you make friends, establish trust, and create colleagues.
Barrier 1: Financial Constraints
Tuition, cost of living, and other related expenses are major issues for most students and may be especially difficult for non-traditional students to manage. Luckily, financial aid for adult learners is available through private institutions and public programs. Overcoming college obstacles related to finances is difficult but not insurmountable.
Think about the following advice related to managing your budget when returning to college.
- Look at the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), which provides students with grants and loans.
- Create a budget that accounts for tuition, cost of living, food, transportation, and other expenses.
- Speak with your employer to see if your company offers tuition assistance programs.
- Determine if going to college part-time would work better for your immediate financial situation.
Barrier 2: Balancing Responsibilities
One of the major returning to college barriers is the difficulty in balancing:
- an academic program
- a professional career
- caring for your family
As an older non-traditional student, other commitments and issues may arise in your life. For these reasons, time management for college students is a crucial skill you must apply to every decision.
Consider the following non-traditional student advice related to balancing work and college.
- Learn time management strategies to maximize your efficiency in any situation.
- Use online courses, which are effective for 90% of adults according to a study by Champlain College Online, to learn at home or while commuting.
- Speak with your extended family about giving you extra support when it comes to your familial duties.
- Develop strategies for returning to school and managing your responsibilities before you enroll.
Barrier 3: Academic Preparedness
Adult education challenges in college are often related to a lack of preparation. Your confidence in your professional career or role in your family may cause you to overestimate your ability to jump back into academic life. College readiness for adults can and should be practiced and prepared for like anything else.
Help yourself by learning the following academic skills for returning students.
- Make efforts to use private tutors, college tutoring programs, or online videos.
- Attend workshops to learn effective study techniques.
- Ask your academic counselor about adult learner support services that they recommend.
- Apply your professional experience to any coursework and testing you are subjected to.
Barrier 4: Technology Proficiency
Among other continuing education obstacles, you will need to navigate technological advancements. You’ve been outside academia for an extended period and may need help learning new programs and applications. One of the most common returning to college barriers is simultaneously learning new ways to complete assignments while actively working on those assignments.
Go through these technology tips for returning students to maximize your chances of success.
- Request help from campus tech support whenever you have a problem with using a device or program.
- Begin your academic career by taking courses about the technology you will use for your degree.
- Practice with free online tools, like Zotero, which helps you organize and cite research in your papers.
- Join a campus club of individuals who want to share their knowledge of technology with their peers.
Barrier 5: Psychological Factors
Some of the most oppressive adult education challenges are the anxieties and worries that you have about returning to college. As an older student, it is reasonable to be concerned about not socially fitting in with your peers. The financial stress of balancing work and college may weigh on you, especially if you are also caring for your family.
- Use counseling services if you are experiencing fear or uncertainty about overcoming college obstacles.
- Take part in social communities located at or near the college that provide you with social support.
- Maintain your ongoing relationships with family and friends outside of college.
- By overcoming your fears and anxieties, you can make friends and reach out to academic peers.
Preparing for Success
Use the above strategies for returning to school and overcoming any mental or social concerns. Before deciding on the right college for your needs, you should tour the campus and speak with city residents. You can also talk to trusted professionals in your field of interest to gain insights about the best colleges and programs for your career field.
Before you start school, you need to set clear academic goals that align with your familial and professional needs. Create a budget that works for your needs and helps you avoid taking on additional debt to pay for college. Additionally, keep in contact with your academic counselors to see what support they can offer you throughout your college career.
Moving Past Your Concerns
The best strategies for returning to school involve doing as much research and preparation as possible. Learning which adult education challenges you will face shows you what to prepare for. Overcoming college obstacles related to financial burdens, social anxieties, and other responsibilities can be done with time management skills and the confidence you have gained from your life experiences.
Once you have the right tools to overcome returning to college barriers, all you need to do is put them into practice. Balancing work and college can be difficult, but your professional colleagues are proof that you can manage it as well. You can also rely on your family to support you during this transition period as you navigate the challenges involved in going back to school as an adult.