Top 5 Helpful Tips for Going Back to School As An Adult

I’m back in school! If you read my post “I hate my job” from back in August, you’re probably thinking, ” it’s about darn time! You’ve been toying with the idea of going back to school for AGES!”

And so, now that I’m a bit into my new cybersecurity program, I’d love to give you some tips on being an adult learner.

After all, we don’t have the luxury of being full-time students with only the academic calendar on our minds, do we?

So without further ado, here are my top 5 tips for going back to school as an adult!

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Table of Contents

1. Get buy-in from your loved ones.

When it comes to tips for going back to school as an adult, probably my top tip is to get buy-in from your loved ones. You’re going to need not only their support on nights when you are buried under assignments and deadlines but also their understanding when you can’t go to an event the night before a final.

You’ll need to plan date nights around exams so be sure they’re up for the challenge.

Not to mention you’ll want to brag when you rock an assignment or exam and having their support will encourage you to share and keep going strong throughout the semesters 🙂

2. Get buy-in from your job!

If you’re wanting to go back to school to further your knowledge in the same field, some companies will fund your education in exchange for promising to stick around for several years.

In the case that they won’t fund you, perhaps they’ll be willing to let you out early on days when you have an exam or big deadlines.

Always remember that if you don’t ask, the answer will always be “no” so put yourself out there because you never know what you’ll get out of it! 🙂

3. If at all possible, choose a program built for adult learners.

They go by many names:

Professional programs,
Part-time programs,
Programs for adult learners, or
Classes for lifelong learners

All of these terms generally mean that classes are overnight, on weekends, or recorded for you to watch on your own schedule. Some schools, however, may use them slightly differently so be sure to learn about the program thoroughly before signing up!

4. Don’t overload your schedule

I’m sure this sounds obvious but I promise you it isn’t. No matter how much your partner or roommates support you, there will always be house responsibilities that they need help with and it just so happens to be on the day you’re stressing an assignment.

Account for family and personal responsibilities when deciding how many classes to take at a time. After all, live-in partners, pets, and family are all very time-consuming responsibilities. As an adult going back to school, you’ll have many more responsibilities than an 18-year-old fresh out of high school.

5. Grab yourself a Kindle and buy your textbooks as audiobooks

Another one of my top tips for going back to school as an adult is to increase your productivity by multi-tasking when it’s possible. Definitely buy yourself a Kindle and grab your textbooks as digital copies. It’ll totally save your phone battery (and increase focus) to have a dedicated device and it beats carrying your books around on lunch break.

Step up your productivity even further by opting for audiobooks and listening to them at the gym or during your commute.