The Returning Student Survival Guide

Getting used to college courses can be particularly stressful for returning and/or non-traditional students. If you are returning to college after an extended period of time, follow these tips to help you adjust to your classes well.

Communicate Your Goals

One of the best pieces of information for college students we can give is to include your family members, friends, and employer in your plans to go back to school. In other words, make sure the important people in your life are apprised of your scholastic goals and support your endeavors. Your employer is much more likely to be understanding of your schedule constraints if you're open about the classes you're taking and the subsequent demands on your time. Similarly, your family can pitch in to help you around the house so you have time to study. You might even tell your friends about your online coursework in order to ask for their encouragement in staying on track and motivated.

Prepare a Study Space

Setting aside a room or even part of a room for your study space is important. It will help you switch from work or family mode into school mode more easily, and it will make it easier to keep track of your papers and books. Keep all of your information for college in one place, such as a file folder, bin, etc. Also remember to keep the computer you use for your online classes organized. Make a file folder for each class and designate sub-folders for assignments, syllabi, readings, and so on. If you can, you might even reserve a computer specifically for your classes that is not used by other members of your household. This will allow you to log into your classes whenever you need.

Schedule Class Time

Although you have the option to attend online classes at whatever time of day you like, you'll have the most success if you study and attend class at the same time each day. Block out an hour or two on your daily schedule to log into the online classroom, catch up on readings, engage in discussions, and complete assignments. Most instructors will provide information for college students on how much time you will need to spend in order to succeed in the course. Use this information as a guideline. Generally speaking, you should spend about three hours studying and reading for every credit hour you're taking. Remember that online classes tend to be very fast-paced, so you'll need to keep up with your work to avoid getting overwhelmed at the last minute.