The kids have now gotten old enough and you have been promising to go back and get your college degree, so now is the time. It has been more than a decade since you have sat in a college classroom and now you have to attend with fellow students who are a decade younger than you. This only adds to your stress.
But the biggest concern you have is keeping up with the world. You still have obligations at home and making sure the kids get what they need and tending house. How are you going to make all of this work and get great grades too?
The key is to have a guideline to get you prepared and ready to take on this new chapter in your life. Here is that guideline.
Use Study Aids
College professors are not all created equal. You will find some that really light your fire while others struggle to keep your pilot light burning. This can affect your grades and enthusiasm. The bottom line is you need to learn and where possible be taught by the best.
One way to accomplish this is to get your technology skills up and study lectures from the best professors in all subjects. The Great Courses app allows you to have this at your fingertips. They offer the best study helper app that you can use to help you for homework and tests when you need additional information supplied by the best teachers. It is available in the google play store now.
Come Prepared and Take Good Notes
You should bring two books with you to class at all times. One is a notebook into which you write all notes regarding what you have learned during the class. You should write clear and complete notes that you will understand easily later, and that give you as complete an understanding of the lesson as you need. You should review your notes later in that same day because often you will remember other things you can add to your notes.
You should also bring a daily planner with you to class. In it you should write any homework, projects, tests or other important class related projects that are due. Put them on the days that they are due and also put in reminders so that you will know when you are close and where you should be in terms of working on the project to insure that you get it completed on time. For tests put in the dates where you need to do intense study.
Be Sure to Ask Questions in Class
Too many students believe that when the professor speaks they should understand everything that is said. This is not the case. Everyone learns at different speeds, and professors each have different styles of teach and as a result, nearly every student will need to have things clarified in class. So you should always raise your hand and ask questions if you don’t understand something that is being taught in class. You may feel uncomfortable the first few times but it will get easier each time you do it.
Create Your Private Study Area
Create an area in your home where you can spend quiet and uninterrupted time studying. You need to make your entire family areas of this space to know that when you are there studying you are not to be disturbed. If you do not have place in your home that you can make your own, pick a place like the kitchen table and a specific time each day you will be studying and let everyone know that that room during your study time is off limits. It might take some time for them to understand how serious you are, but if you stay consistent they will eventually understand and leave you to peace and quiet and your school work.
Create a Study Group
Studying can get tedious and boring and we often find it difficult to pay attention, especially when the topic is not our favorite. One big help is to create a study group where a group of you gets together to study for exams or difficult homework. If you decide to do this make sure that you focus on studying and not gossip or you will ruin the purpose of these meetings. But if you do it properly, it can help you through tough times and subjects.