Keys to Success for Adult Learners

Transcription

1 Keys to Success for Adult Learners A mind that is stretched by a new experience can never go back to its old dimensions. Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr., former Associate Justice of the Supreme Court In these materials, you ll explore answers to the following questions: How can life experiences benefit adult learners? p. 3 What strategies will help you work smart while in college? p. 10 How do you prepare to return to college? p. 4 How can you manage academic responsibilities and handle stress? p. 20 M01_CART3164_01_SE_C01.indd 1

2 STATUS CHECK How ready are you to succeed as an adult learner? For each statement, circle the number that best describes how often it applies to you. 1 = Never 2 = Seldom 3 = Sometimes 4 = Often 5 = Always 1. My primary motivation for attending college is to achieve my personal goals I am aware that life experience has benefits for an adult learner My family and employer are supportive of me going back to school I have a quiet place to study where I will be uninterrupted I have researched the cost of college and have the resources to finance it I am comfortable seeking assistance and know what resources are available on and off campus I have developed the learning skills I need to succeed academically I am comfortable starting or joining a study group I am willing to serve as a mentor for younger students or find my own mentor I regularly practice ways to reduce my stress Each of the topics in these statements will be explored further in these materials. Note those statements for which you circled a 3 or lower. Skim these materials to see where those topics appear and pay special attention to them as you read, learn, and apply new strategies. STUDENT Profiles Lori, a daughter of Native American parents from Oregon, endured a difficult childhood and troubled teen years. Her dad traveled often for work, and with both parents battling alcoholism, Lori had to look after her younger brother and sister. When she was 15, the family was split up, with the younger kids going to foster parents and Lori moving in with her grandmother. She dropped out of high school during her sophomore year. When her best friend returned to school a year later, Lori also returned, and she accepted her diploma when she was seven months pregnant with her first of three daughters. At age 19, Lori was involved in a car wreck that left her partially paralyzed on one side. She had to relearn how to walk, dance, whistle. She regained her physical health, but the accident, coupled with her troubled youth, affected her ability to find stability in both her personal and professional life. She applied to more than 150 jobs, landing a few interviews, but in a down economy, she couldn t gain solid work. Making $6.50 an hour to clean a house and watch her grandkids, Lori finally decided she needed to take the reins on her life. She learned of the Bright Futures program at Rogue Community College, aimed at helping displaced homemakers and single parents learn job skills. She applied and was accepted into the program, but before long, she again lost focus. I am a great starter at a lot of things, Lori admits, but I don t carry through. 2 KEYS TO SUCCESS FOR ADULT LEARNERS M01_CART3164_01_SE_C01.indd 2

3 As with Lori s experience, it can be easy to set a learning goal but arduous to keep moving toward it. Challenges such as family pressures, balancing studies with work, and financing may come with going back to school as an adult. However, as an adult learner, you have experience and the wisdom that comes with it. Both are useful to you, as well as to your fellow students and instructors when you return to college. These materials will help you make use of that experience and wisdom, using them to build a feeling of confidence that will help you succeed in college and life. With a stable support system and the drive to improve, you can turn an adult learning opportunity into a life turning point. You will read more about Lori at the end of these materials. How can life experiences benefit adult learners? Not everyone who goes to college is straight out of high school or community college. You don t have to be 22 years old to imagine stepping across the stage at your college graduation, reaching out your hand, and accepting your diploma. The feeling of pride and excitement that accompanies college graduation can happen at any stage of life. In recent years, even a few grads in their nineties have walked across that stage. Adult learners are typically 25 or older. They may be employees who need additional courses to get promoted, unemployed individuals who have been laid off, parents who dropped out of or delayed attending college while taking care of their children, or people who never had a chance to go to or finish college when they were younger. The majority of adult learners have specific goals in mind to improve their employability. What all adult learners have in common is life experience. Unlike students straight out of high school, adult learners have dealt with life s many challenges: family crises, financial issues, job interviews and layoffs, debt loads, and mortgage payments. Your life experiences may even give you an edge, because they help you build qualities that are important for college and life success. Key 1 lists some of these qualities. With all these qualities you ve gained over time, don t waste your time and energy comparing yourself with younger students. Instead, think of all the things you ve already accomplished and focus on your achievements. It s a great way to get in a positive frame of mind about being a student again. DID YOU know According to a 2007 report from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), 38 percent of enrolled college students were 25 or older. The NCES has also predicted that this percentage will hold steady or increase over the next decade. 1 KEYS TO SUCCESS FOR ADULT LEARNERS 3 M01_CART3164_01_SE_C01.indd 3

4 Key 1 QUALITIES GAINED WITH LIFE EXPERIENCE QUALITY Assertiveness Ability to admit mistakes Independence Practical workplace experience Self motivation Ability to organize and prioritize Self supporting Teamwork BENEFIT More likely to address problems with courses, materials, or instructors. Willing to talk to the instructor about making improvements so student learning can take place more easily, or to address problems with an administrator if necessary. Spend less energy on what others think of them. Less afraid to try new approaches, whether they work or not. More likely to use mistakes to move forward. More likely to find ways to complete assignments. Less likely to spend time trying to solve problems on their own when they can find the right resources to help them. Less afraid to ask for help. More likely to get things done faster. Can assist other students and instructors by providing practical examples of real world problems, as well as help solve them. Offer real world insights, rather than just academic concepts. Show how concepts map to real world situations. Have specific learning goals and can operate without a lot of guidance. Are willing to stick with things and not give up. Are less likely to get distracted by social events. Know how to keep the end result in sight. Better able to manage their class schedule and assignments, carve out time to study, work on projects a little each day, and not wait until the last minute to study. Are more experienced with finding housing, paying rent and utilities, and making money. Less likely to let practical matters interfere with focus on their studies. Excel in teams and study groups. Know more about how to diffuse tempers, work with different personalities, motivate and delegate, and get things done. Less likely to blow up, call people names, or punish others. How do you prepare to return to college? Going back to school is a long term commitment with some obstacles and distractions along the way. Once you make the decision, you will have to juggle personal, family, and job commitments at the same time. As with any juggling, some balls will get dropped. Perhaps family members will get frustrated because you re not available. You may have to cut back on your hours at work, which means less money. Or you may find yourself short of time and sleep. However, these sacrifices are temporary, and you are exchanging them for one of the most important things you can do for yourself furthering your education and growing your knowledge and skills. Begin your preparation for college by understanding just how much you have to gain from your commitment. Build on that with the following steps to success for adults returning to college. Your vision: Seeing yourself with a better job and life Imagine you have already achieved your goal of getting a college degree. For a moment, visualize yourself walking across the stage, receiving your diploma. Next, see yourself performing at your best in a job interview and receiving 4 KEYS TO SUCCESS FOR ADULT LEARNERS M01_CART3164_01_SE_C01.indd 4

5 KNOW IT Analyze Yourself as an Adult Learner Think critically about your strengths and challenges as an adult learner. First, make a list of your strengths that have come specifically from your life experience since the age of 18. In other words, you would not list good athlete if that has been true all your life, but you would list good negotiator if you have developed that skill in your adult life. Now list the challenges that you are facing specifically because you are an adult learner. In other words, you would not list dyslexia if that has always been the case, but you would list items like have to maintain a full time job or am a parent of two children. Looking at your strengths and challenges as a whole, identify your top three goals for this first term. They can be in regards to academics, life management, or both KEYS TO SUCCESS FOR ADULT LEARNERS 5 M01_CART3164_01_SE_C01.indd 5