Back to School For Adults
Written by Deb Dorchak - August 25, 2011 0 Comments
Whenever the economy takes a dive and jobs become scarce, more and more adults decide it’s time to return to school.
Picture this: You’ve been at the same job for the last 15 years. You were very good at what you did, in fact, you were completely self-taught in your field. What you learned, you learned from life experience. You don’t have a college degree, or the degree you got isn’t anything you could really use.
While you were employed, you didn’t have to think too much about education. Why should you? You have a job, you know how to do it. End of story.
That’s all well and good until the company started laying people off because there wasn’t enough work to go around. They kept you on for as long as possible, but now their options have dwindled and you’re among the last of the people to go.
Now what? Unemployment isn’t going to support you as much as you’d like. You’ll have to get a new job. Shouldn’t be that difficult, you’ve got a solid work history.
The months roll by and turn into a year. Still no job. You’ve sent out hundreds of resumes only to be told you are either over-qualified, or not qualified enough. In short, there are just no openings at all in your field of expertise.
What to Do?
This type of scenario has been a common one over the last few years. During this kind of economy, more and more adults find themselves returning to school to learn new skills or to improve old ones. Some even decide a whole new career is in order.
For some, going back to school is a scary prospect. How are they supposed to survive it? So much has changed. It’s almost as daunting as the first time around.
Fear not, O’Brave Seekers of Knowledge! Here are a few tips to help you through.
- Small Bites. Even though you don’t have a job now, you still have other obligations that fill your day. When you’re creating your class schedule, try not to overload yourself. There’s no rush. You don’t have to carry a full load each semester. Be sure to factor in not only the time in the classroom, but a few hours for study for each class you take. Keep life balanced.
- Ease On Into Learning. Look at the curriculum and decide which classes are the easiest. Start with those. Save the hard stuff for later when you’ve gotten your routine down and have the added confidence to handle them.
- Your Study Cave. If you have children or a spouse, you know how quickly the distractions can add up when you’re trying to focus on anything. Establish boundaries with your family right from the start.
- Support. Before you set foot on campus, discuss your plans with your family. Tell them why you’re going back to school and why it’s so important to you. Let them know what they can expect from you while you’re going back to school and what you expect from them in return.
- Never Give Up. You know this won’t be easy at times. You may ask yourself why you’re doing this. Everyone around you is so much younger…you don’t belong…this is stupid…NOT! Your fellow students can learn as much from you as you can from them. You’re all in the same boat. The only difference is, this time around you’re a little older and a little wiser. If you find yourself struggling to keep up, talk to one of your advisers or professors the moment you feel off balance. They’re there to help.
School can be just as fun and exciting as you remember. There’s no reason to stress yourself out by giving into the fears and insecurities running rampant in your head. You’ll meet plenty of new people, learn new things and open up the future for yourself once again. Enjoy it.
Want to learn how to conquer your fear of success and get back on track?
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