Going back to school to take classes after you thought you were finished can be a daunting experience. Here are several tips adult students can benefit from, that will help them stay focused on their newfound educational journey.
1) Every adult student should learn how he or she learns.
Understanding your learning modality is critical to your success as a student.
If a teacher is using lectures to teach and you are a visual learner if is a given that you will not process the information and will soon get bored with the learning experience.
One of the best things an adult student can do to stay focused is to approach the instructor and share with them how you learn best to show the instructor you have a desire to learn.
Develop a partnership with the instructor to provide instruction in a manner that you are capable of understanding.
2) Remember why the class is important to take at this time.
Each adult student take classes for a specific purpose, therefore, the student is responsible for asking questions of the instructor to get the necessary ingredients out of the course.
The student should constantly ask the instructor how what he or she is teaching applies to the student’s profession. Interest in the subject matter grows for both the student and teacher when the practical application is achievable.
When in a class, the adult learner should practice active listening to enhance the learning experience.
3) Adult students should use the information from classroom instruction immediately after the class is over.
The quicker the student can apply lessons learned the more likely retention of the information in the intellect become.
Understanding personal learning styles help in the application of class lessons.
Because many students are working adults, this phase of learning is easy but for those students who are not currently employed providing a participatory exercise may be helpful.
4) Adult students can maintain focus better if they come to class prepared to learn.
Being an active participant can starve off boredom, sleepiness, and restlessness. Every student should be aware of his or her physical limitations and make the instructor aware of these before every class session. By doing so, the teacher may be able to make an adjustment in his or her teaching strategy to accommodate these issues.
One example of a teaching strategy change consists of breaking down the lessons to into smaller chunks that allow the students to take breaks more frequently.
Changes of this nature may require the adult student to put in more time out of class so the instructor can complete the class in the time the school allots.