As we approach the turn of a new year, resolutions become a popular topic of conversation. Everyone, it seems, wants to lose weight and eat healthier (especially after all those holiday cookies!), take more vacations, get better jobs and be happier. At College Choices for Adults, we challenge you to resolve to finish your degree – or begin working on it! – in 2012. The following are some tips for actually making this resolution stick:
- Decide what you want to study. This is important. If you simply jump into classes completely undecided, there is a higher liklihood you’ll leave college with a variety of credits and no degree. In our Guide we provide you with resources to answer the question of what to study.
- Research your options. Don’t simply enroll in the first program of study you find by a google search or limit yourself to the offerings of the closet college or university to you geographically. Check out our program search – a listing of highlighted programs from our partner institutions. Each of the programs listed will provide you with a description of what you will learn in the program and how well recent students have demonstrated they have learned those concepts and skills. But what do you do if the kind of program you’re interested in isn’t listed on our site? Use our 21 Questions to Ask Before Enrolling to make sure you fully understand the program and institution you’re considering.
- Don’t get pressured into making a quick decision. This is an important and expensive decision. Be sure you feel comfortable that you’ve weighed all of your options before enrolling.
- Make a degree plan. Once you’ve chosen a major and degree you’ll pursue and the institution you’ll attend, be sure to make a detailed plan of what courses or competencies you need in order to complete the degree. Most institutions will provide you with an advisor or mentor to help you make this plan however, it works best if you come to that meeting (whether in person or virtual) with a preliminary plan. Keep in mind your advisor or mentor should offer advice but only you know what will work best for you. If you can only take 1-2 classes a semester, don’t feel pressured to take more than you can handle. Or vice versa, if you plan on committing yourself full-time to your studies to finish more quickly, don’t feel pressured to only attend part-time.
- Prepare yourself, your family, colleagues and friends for your return to school. There are many considerations when you return or go to school, especially if you will also be balancing full-or-part-time work, a family and friends with your school work. We provide tips on how to be a successful adult learner in our Guide. But you’ll also want to make sure that the others in your life are on board to support your goal. It may mean missed recitals or a reduced travel schedule or more help with household chores. If those in your life understand why this is important to you and how they can support you, it will become a shared success.
We’d love to hear currently enrolled students tips for going to or returning to college OR questions from those of you considering going to or returning to college in the comments. Happy New Year!
