Advice for Adults
Returning to School

Like many adults, you may be thinking about returning to school to upgrade your credentials or get that graduate degree.  If you are a working adult concerned about how you can manage work and your studies, here's some reassuring advice for overcoming the top seven fears adult students face when returning to the classroom.

I don't have time.
For each 3-credit hour class you take, you will need to find 3 hours for class plus 6 to 9 hours for reading, studying, and library time each week. Find activities in your schedule, like watching TV, that you could replace with study time.

I can't afford it.
Look into a variety of programs and do some "consumer shopping." Ask your employer about its tuition reimbursement policy.  Search for scholarships and evaluate the cost vs. benefits of taking out a student loan for a higher level degree that would boost your earning potential significantly.

I'm too old to learn.
This is pure myth.  A number of studies have shown that adult learners perform at least as well as traditional-age students.  You should also know that approximately 7,000,000 adult students are currently enrolled in higher education institutions.  This number represents 50 percent of total higher education enrollments.

The teachers or students will be younger than I am.
The age differences that may be an issue in other settings evaporate in the classroom.  If anything, an adult in the classroom strikes fear into the hearts of some 18-year-olds because adults are often prepared, truly motivated to learn, and ready to ask good questions.

My family will have a difficult time surviving while I'm in school.
If you have done everything for them up to now, they might struggle.  Consider this an opportunity to help them become independent and self-sufficient.  Your family can only make you feel guilty if you let them.  You are not abandoning them; you are becoming an educational role model.

I will be X years old when I graduate.
When you graduate, you'll still be the same age whether you went back to school or not.  Think of what you'll have accomplished if you start sooner rather than later.

I'm afraid.
These are natural feelings when anyone encounters a new situation.  Adult students find that their fears are usually reduced once they begin classes.  Fear of trying is usually the biggest roadblock to the reentry process.

No doubt you have dreamed up a few more reasons for not returning to school--it can be scary.  Anytime anyone ventures into unknown territory, there is a risk.  Taking risks, however, is a necessary part of personal and professional growth.  You get only one life, and you alone are responsible for making the decisions that determine its course.

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