Going back to school is one of the proven ways of boosting your career. You don’t need to spend a fortune to pay for your education and you don’t need to spend several years of your life for it as well. Going back to school could mean taking online courses that will help you become savvier in your field.
There is no shortage of free and premium online classes. You can, for example, find something on the websites Udemy or Coursera. But often, the best courses are offered on websites that specialize in one topic. Covcell, for example, offers not just GED prep courses, they offer preparation courses for just one subject. Other websites may offer undergraduate and even graduate classes, which can help you locate, for example, the most suitable course for career like Master of Engineering.
Finding the most suitable course for your career boost might take time but it’s worth it. Before deciding about taking the course, you should check if the provider has other content related to your field, not only a prep course. You want to be sure they are experts and they “know their stuff.” You don’t want to waste your precious time on classes that are too generic or have too many useless details. When you finally choose a course, you will need to reorganize your daily life. So I would like to give you a few very useful back-to-school tips that will make your transition easier and much smoother.
Tip #1 Take it easy
Most adult students that head back to school already need to juggle home responsibilities and work obligations, and adding an educational course and assignments will not make things easier. Most of us have families to take care of and adding one additional activity will interfere significantly.
For this reason, you should not take on a heavy study load but decide on just one or two classes. Be aware that you also will have to deal with so many other things both at home and at work.
Tip #2: Make sure your family and friends support you
When you want to get back to school and you have a family, be sure to get all the support you need. This is crucial if you want to be successful. Be aware that you’ll need the help of people around you to take care of your kids if you can’t because of study assignments or some academic project. It is crucial that those around you are understanding what you need to do so they can support you optimally.
Tip #3: Be top organized
Well, this may look obvious and sound like a “duh” tip, but you’ll be surprised at the number of adult students that just don’t get their act together. If you don’t have a good plan, and if you are not well-organized, chances are you won’t succeed. Make sure you’ll have a plan to deal with all of that timely and orderly, and you need to be on top of your course load so that you won’t be falling behind. Now, this may sound pretty easy, but if you want to succeed in your educational plans, be sure to stick to your plan.
Tip # 4: Be aware of sacrifices you need to make
When you head back to school, you’ll need to make quite a few sacrifices such as missing your occasional favorite softball game. You won’t always be able always to pick up your kids at the bus stop, so when you and those around you will be aware of things like these, you may spare everybody a lot of pain and grief. When you, and those around you, are aware of and okay with the possible consequences, go ahead if you want and sign up for your preferred course. When this is not the case, this may not be the appropriate time for you to head back to school. You must have a plan that works not only for you but also for your loved ones.
Tip #5 Beware of your preconception
As adults, we have learned many things informally through on-the-job training, through talking with friends, through observation, and through trial and error. This doesn’t mean they have learned everything completely or even correctly, but it means that we have developed some preconceptions.
When information presented in the courses conflicts with a student’s preconception, learning can be delayed or distorted. In other words, students can drop their learning routine. If you notice that it happens to you, try the following steps:
- Take your time to think about it
- Check other resources
- Try to accept the new way of thinking
Going back to school as an adult can be challenging, you need to find not only the best resources for YOU but also reorganize your life. It is only natural that you will meet some obstacles in the form of your stubborn mind or just because of your busy life. But if you stick to it, and finish your education, it will boost your career.
Remember you can make it. There is no lift to success, you need to take the stairs and fight all obstacles.
About the Author: Alice Rades helps adult students boost their career at Covcell.com.
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