I'm not planning my graduation outfit just yet...
August 29, 2010 4:15 AM Subscribe
I'm going back to school after a 25 year break. I'm excited but increasingly nervous. What do you wish you knew when you returned to study but were out of practice? (Or when you embarked on distance education online?)
I've been considering this for quite a while and I'm very excited that I've finally made the decision and put it into action, but now that the enrolment process is underway I'm starting to worry that I've forgotten how to be a successful student over the last quarter of a century.
(And to be honest, I cruised through school as a kid. This course will demand more studious effort than I've ever had to make in my life, but I really want to do it.)
What advice would you give a mature-age student who is severely out of practice? What do you wish you had known when you embarked on serious study after years off?
If it matters: online, self paced but time limited, TAFE Diploma of Accounting.
I've been considering this for quite a while and I'm very excited that I've finally made the decision and put it into action, but now that the enrolment process is underway I'm starting to worry that I've forgotten how to be a successful student over the last quarter of a century.
(And to be honest, I cruised through school as a kid. This course will demand more studious effort than I've ever had to make in my life, but I really want to do it.)
What advice would you give a mature-age student who is severely out of practice? What do you wish you had known when you embarked on serious study after years off?
If it matters: online, self paced but time limited, TAFE Diploma of Accounting.
I learned that adult students are often better prepared and more conscientious, that my life skills make me a good student.
posted by theora55 at 6:17 AM on August 29, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by theora55 at 6:17 AM on August 29, 2010 [1 favorite]
Engage with your fellow students even if they're half your age. Really be ready to put 3x the number of contact hours into studying. Read the book before class.
I only took six years off; my biggest issue was feeling disconnected from the rest of the students. The amount of work I did normally for my job and so put into my schoolwork was really excessive in my fellow student's eyes (except the other "adult learners,") but it was beneficial. I realized after a while that during the "dorm years" I must have wasted an absolutely staggering amount of time, incidentally. It was easier to get the studying in as a 20-something commuter with a full-time job than as an 18-year-old with a part-time one.
As for distance learning: contact your teacher regularly (I mean at least weekly, and not just with technical questions about the course format,) do all of the reading early and thoroughly, be ready to look stuff up in outside sources, and treat deadlines as you would, say, a grand jury subpoena. This is also important for regular classes, but is an absolute, life or death thing for distance learners.
posted by SMPA at 6:30 AM on August 29, 2010
I only took six years off; my biggest issue was feeling disconnected from the rest of the students. The amount of work I did normally for my job and so put into my schoolwork was really excessive in my fellow student's eyes (except the other "adult learners,") but it was beneficial. I realized after a while that during the "dorm years" I must have wasted an absolutely staggering amount of time, incidentally. It was easier to get the studying in as a 20-something commuter with a full-time job than as an 18-year-old with a part-time one.
As for distance learning: contact your teacher regularly (I mean at least weekly, and not just with technical questions about the course format,) do all of the reading early and thoroughly, be ready to look stuff up in outside sources, and treat deadlines as you would, say, a grand jury subpoena. This is also important for regular classes, but is an absolute, life or death thing for distance learners.
posted by SMPA at 6:30 AM on August 29, 2010
First of all, you're gonna do well, as you've acknowledged your problems ("cruised") first time around and are clearly committed to excelling in your studies. So well done for embarking on the path; I was about your age and had the same gap when I took my first Masters (an MSc in Quantitative Finance) some twelve years ago or so.
Key things to keep in mind:
posted by Mutant at 6:32 AM on August 29, 2010 [2 favorites]
Key things to keep in mind:
- Jandasmo is spot on about reading; there will be lots of it and learning to absorb the overall thrust of a research paper without perusing every word and nuance is a critical skill to acquire.
- Time management will be key. Since there is no doubt you're a functioning adult you more than likely already possess the basic skills, at least better skills than you had twenty five years ago, but if you have any doubts get organised and get a system (I'm a GTD practitioner myself) NOW
- Pull as much forward as you can; when I took both of my masters I got the reading lists one term in advance, and typically had already completed the reading before class started. This helped me excel
- Schedule then stick to your schedule. Setup a schedule for various tasks then don't deviate from it. This helps you focus on the job at hand in controlled bursts of activity, where each task has a definite starts, a definite duration and a definite end. Remember "perfect is the enemy of good"; when its time to hand something in hand it in
- Know that it ends. No matter how intense your study, keep reminding yourself that someday its over. This has helped me deal with many a (very, very) dull subject (Im looking back none too fondly at you HR ...)
- Keep your goal in mind. If you need short term motivation remind yourself why you're studying to begin with. If you're looking to move up the career ladder and you find your enthusiasm waning take a look at jobs, jobs your new qualification will help you secure
- Time for yourself; one of the fundamental reasons why I'm able to get so much done is I always, no matter how much I've got on my plate, I always schedule downtime for myself and Mrs Mutant. This helps me separate work from play, and when I return to my studying I'm much fresher and more sharply focused than if I just slogged along, "stealing" a few minutes here and there to FaceBook or just screw around on the internet
posted by Mutant at 6:32 AM on August 29, 2010 [2 favorites]
On re-reading - does self-paced mean no teacher or fellow students? If so, find a support community (an online forum would be okay) of, preferably, people taking this course or at least accounting stuff. Engage with them frequently. Very few people, in my experience, pull this thing (organized, advanced academic coursework) off without a community to do it with. A family member who says "hey, go hit the books, I'll do the dishes" is necessary but not sufficient in terms of social support. And I say this as someone who was homeschooled.
posted by SMPA at 6:37 AM on August 29, 2010
posted by SMPA at 6:37 AM on August 29, 2010
Schedule time for studying and put it on a calendar that everyone in the house can see. I found this very helpful when working full time and going to school part time---my husband saw that I had planned to work that evening so would be less likely to interrupt me while I was working.
posted by chiefthe at 6:52 AM on August 29, 2010
posted by chiefthe at 6:52 AM on August 29, 2010
"What advice would you give a mature-age student who is severely out of practice? What do you wish you had known when you embarked on serious study after years off?"
As a community college professor (part-time), adult students are generally extremely well prepared and have no difficulty "getting back in the swing." They're hyper-conscientious, sometimes to the point of being annoying. Usually their largest problem is getting back into writing papers, which they typically haven't done in a while. (Whereas even the worst 18-year-old students have been doing that for years. They don't write GOOD papers, but they don't have a problem cranking them out.)
A friend of mine who's an adult student calls herself and students like her "Try Harders" which I think is accurate.
(Please don't contact your professor every week in an online course unless a) called for in the class or b) you have something to say. I get an UNREAL amount of e-mail from students and the last time I want is someone sucking up via e-mail and manufacturing reasons to contact me. I'm always pleased to see a relevant article or something from a student, but we do have an online discussion area for a reason, they can post there and the WHOLE class can discuss it.)
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 7:53 AM on August 29, 2010 [2 favorites]
As a community college professor (part-time), adult students are generally extremely well prepared and have no difficulty "getting back in the swing." They're hyper-conscientious, sometimes to the point of being annoying. Usually their largest problem is getting back into writing papers, which they typically haven't done in a while. (Whereas even the worst 18-year-old students have been doing that for years. They don't write GOOD papers, but they don't have a problem cranking them out.)
A friend of mine who's an adult student calls herself and students like her "Try Harders" which I think is accurate.
(Please don't contact your professor every week in an online course unless a) called for in the class or b) you have something to say. I get an UNREAL amount of e-mail from students and the last time I want is someone sucking up via e-mail and manufacturing reasons to contact me. I'm always pleased to see a relevant article or something from a student, but we do have an online discussion area for a reason, they can post there and the WHOLE class can discuss it.)
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 7:53 AM on August 29, 2010 [2 favorites]
I returned after a decade and 4 years later my only regret is not having more confidence in my ability initially. I started off tentatively, super conscientious and super prepared and breezed through it, but in retrospect I could have taken on a lot more with ease.
I picked up where I left off 10 years previously and there was no need at all to ease myself back into it. Your skills will return and it'll feel natural in no time, it's like riding a bike. I found distance learning fantastic - going at your own pace makes all the difference in my experience. Good luck.
posted by fire&wings at 8:04 AM on August 29, 2010
I picked up where I left off 10 years previously and there was no need at all to ease myself back into it. Your skills will return and it'll feel natural in no time, it's like riding a bike. I found distance learning fantastic - going at your own pace makes all the difference in my experience. Good luck.
posted by fire&wings at 8:04 AM on August 29, 2010
I'm in the U.S. (I recognized "TAFE"!) and got a B.A. at 34 and an M.A. at 50. I've suggested here before to get your non-academic life in gear before you start. As in: big house organization and development of household routines (not a massive cleaning; the organizing and routines will work fine), make your medical appointments, car maintenance, stocking up, and the like. This will make things a lot easier!
Congratulations and best of luck!
posted by jgirl at 8:21 AM on August 29, 2010
Congratulations and best of luck!
posted by jgirl at 8:21 AM on August 29, 2010
I was surprised that even for an online program, administrative things do not move at online speeds. My financial coverage took longer than expected to get in place, then my registration took WEEKS to go through, causing me once to miss the registration deadline, then have to re-submit with new starting dates. Then it took WEEKS again, missing the next deadline (but they waived the 'late registration' fee and it all worked out.)
I was not surprised (but some are) that they do not hold your hand. If you attempt to register for a class that does not help your plan in the slightest, they will take your money and register you. It's on you to make sure your course schedule is the most efficient way to get your requirements done.
In general, as a returning student, I've found that the 'lesson objectives' are more useful than just skip-over-able boilerplate. I answer the questions I'm assigned, but then additionally I look back at the objectives and make sure they accurately reflect what I know. If an objective says
posted by ctmf at 10:18 AM on August 29, 2010 [1 favorite]
I was not surprised (but some are) that they do not hold your hand. If you attempt to register for a class that does not help your plan in the slightest, they will take your money and register you. It's on you to make sure your course schedule is the most efficient way to get your requirements done.
In general, as a returning student, I've found that the 'lesson objectives' are more useful than just skip-over-able boilerplate. I answer the questions I'm assigned, but then additionally I look back at the objectives and make sure they accurately reflect what I know. If an objective says
After successfully completing the learning activities for Unit 1.1, you should be able to:I make sure I can, in fact, explain the five canons of rhetoric, even if the homework didn't include that. Makes the exams really easy, because they write the exams to the objectives, not to the assigned homework, usually.
* Explain the five canons of rhetoric.
posted by ctmf at 10:18 AM on August 29, 2010 [1 favorite]
1) Don't be afraid to ask for help. Every semester I get a few older students (either returning to school after a long layoff, or starting for the first time) who struggle, but for whatever reason, don't ask for help. Start with your professor first, if you have one, and keep asking until you get the kind of help you need. Your tuition pays for things like an Academic Skills Office, or a drop-in center - you might as well take advantage of it!
2) Don't get angry if you struggle with things that your fellow students breeze through - like how to post to the discussion board, or how to print PowerPoint slides or other administrivial or technical type tasks. If I had a nickel for every older/returning student who bitched at ME because they couldn't figure out how to upload their assignment, but had never ASKED ME FOR HELP, I would be rich.
In general, I love my students who are older, or returning to school after a long layoff. They bring so much wisdom and life experience and desire to the table.
posted by SuperSquirrel at 11:28 AM on August 29, 2010
2) Don't get angry if you struggle with things that your fellow students breeze through - like how to post to the discussion board, or how to print PowerPoint slides or other administrivial or technical type tasks. If I had a nickel for every older/returning student who bitched at ME because they couldn't figure out how to upload their assignment, but had never ASKED ME FOR HELP, I would be rich.
In general, I love my students who are older, or returning to school after a long layoff. They bring so much wisdom and life experience and desire to the table.
posted by SuperSquirrel at 11:28 AM on August 29, 2010
To add to what SuperSquirrel said, do take advantage of tech services and the academic skills people -- our tech services center offers 30-minute tutorials on Blackboard, at your convenience, with a nifty full-color four-page foldover thingie that answers all the most common questions. Our academic skills place offers a writing center, among other things, that does SUCH a good job teaching citation.
What I know about Blackboard (for example) is different than what you need to know, because I use the faculty interface and know how to do faculty things ... if students as me "how do I do X?" the other students usually have to help them if it's a student-specific thing. I can explain citation, but the writing center does SUCH a better job of it -- it's more straightforward and comprehensive than when I try, and they have guides and stuff!
And I, as faculty, take my butt down to tech services for my little "how to do this neat faculty trick on Blackboard" tutorial when they come out with new things I want to try. :)
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 2:11 PM on August 29, 2010
What I know about Blackboard (for example) is different than what you need to know, because I use the faculty interface and know how to do faculty things ... if students as me "how do I do X?" the other students usually have to help them if it's a student-specific thing. I can explain citation, but the writing center does SUCH a better job of it -- it's more straightforward and comprehensive than when I try, and they have guides and stuff!
And I, as faculty, take my butt down to tech services for my little "how to do this neat faculty trick on Blackboard" tutorial when they come out with new things I want to try. :)
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 2:11 PM on August 29, 2010
The main thing I run into whenever a returning student comes to the public library instead of the college library is that they're not aware of all the databases available to them at the college library. They don't know that libraries have changed a lot since they were in school and that there are tons of online resources (subscription or otherwise) available to them from home.
posted by bentley at 3:21 PM on August 29, 2010
posted by bentley at 3:21 PM on August 29, 2010
Response by poster: All very valuable advice, thanks so much. You've given me much food for thought. (Time management I'd considered, but brushing up on reading skills, or checking out library resources, or finding an online forum of like-minded students never occurred to me.)
I think I'm lucky that I'm doing this through the OTEN (online distance learning) branch of TAFE (our version of a community college, as far as I can gather). I've been working with them for a couple of months now as I gradually decided on what course to do and when to commit to it. So far, their information and support has been amazing and I'll certainly continue to explore and use their resources as much as possible.
I've copied, pasted and printed this thread, and stuck it on my fridge. I'm Mefi-mail y'all with my personal thanks when I graduate, I promise.
Thanks again. I'm feeling less nervous and more prepared. Now I just want to START the damned thing, already!
posted by malibustacey9999 at 4:24 PM on August 30, 2010
I think I'm lucky that I'm doing this through the OTEN (online distance learning) branch of TAFE (our version of a community college, as far as I can gather). I've been working with them for a couple of months now as I gradually decided on what course to do and when to commit to it. So far, their information and support has been amazing and I'll certainly continue to explore and use their resources as much as possible.
I've copied, pasted and printed this thread, and stuck it on my fridge. I'm Mefi-mail y'all with my personal thanks when I graduate, I promise.
Thanks again. I'm feeling less nervous and more prepared. Now I just want to START the damned thing, already!
posted by malibustacey9999 at 4:24 PM on August 30, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
The thing that surprised me the most was the amount of required reading. Books, articles, online postings, etc. One of my professors finally said "you need to learn how to 'gut' an article." So now I've learned some speed reading and techniques for getting out of a chapter or article just the essential elements.
I would say get organized with the workload early in the term and take a quick course in speed reading.
It is a great thing you are doing. Best of luck to you!
posted by Jandasmo at 5:45 AM on August 29, 2010