BackToLearn.com - Helping adults find the best college

Finding Time for School as an Adult Learner

Adult learners rarely have any extra time for their studies, which is why time-management is so critical to success!

11/17/11

One of the most difficult aspects of returning to school for many adult learners is finding ways to effectively manage their time.

By the time most adult learners decide to continue their education, they have families and /or job commitments that take up the majority of their time. It is no wonder that so many adult learners find they need to re-evaluate their daily schedules in order to make time to return to school.

Feel free to customize these tips to best fit your needs!

Start small
Break down big projects into smaller bite-sized tasks. Many times, just the thought of having to write a 30-page paper or create a business plan for a class seems daunting. This feeling of being overwhelmed can lead to unnecessary stress and anxiety.

Allow extra time to complete each assignment.
If it generally takes an hour to write a two-page paper, allow an extra half-hour for the assignment. This will help relieve the feeling of pressure we often experience when we know we are working on deadlines and will allow you to focus on the assignment instead of how much time you have left.

Start early
Analyze the syllabus for each class as soon as possible. This will help you to create a weekly schedule with planned times for reading and homework. It is very helpful to create your school schedule a month or two in advance. Having a schedule created ahead of time serves two purposes—it allows you to schedule family, fun and personal activities around your school schedule.  It also helps ensure you set aside enough time for your school-related tasks.

Dedicate a space
Create a work room that is both private and quiet. This is by far one of the most important aspects of personal time management. It is extremely difficult to create and maintain an effective schedule if you do not have an area that is your own to read and do schoolwork.

Manage interruptions
Make sure all family members know that when you are doing schoolwork, you are not to be disturbed. Having a private place to work will not be as effective if you encounter frequent interruptions by family members. Each two-minute interruption can add 10 to 20 minutes onto the amount of time it takes to complete an assignment.

It is important to remember that you should do anything that will eliminate or minimize your stress and anxiety.  It is very easy to start to feel overwhelmed, but practicing good time management will help you stay focused and on track.

Christine Javery is the manager of Student Services and Academic Advising with Distance Education at Southern New Hampshire University. She is also a Ph.D. student at Capella University and is working toward a degree in higher education leadership. Javery has been working with adult learners for more than eleven years.

Reproduced and excerpted with permission from NextStepU.com. Original article by Christine Javery.

Read more articles