7 Tips For Getting Back To Adulthood

Do you think about going back to school now, in adulthood? In the past, this might seem like an odd or even absurd choice. That was the feeling many people had when faced with this type of initiative.

However, today someone can resume their training for many reasons. Whether out of necessity, curiosity, desire, wanting to learn… After all, in a more or less formal way, we never stop learning.

We should not think that going back to school in adulthood is the object of a failure or a bad choice. His 17-year-old “I” had to choose what he wanted to dedicate himself to for the rest of his life, whether he was 17, 37 or 57 years old. But was her teenage self really that wise to know what her adult self would want 20 or 40 years later?

Therefore, more and more people are returning to their studies or beginning to be interested in other subjects. Some do it to pursue new professional horizons, others as a pure and simple hobby.

Regardless of what motivates you, there are a number of tips that it is important to know before you start getting this project underway.

How to go back to studying in adulthood

Do you want to go back to studying as an adult? If that’s the case for you, remember that today there are many more options than the generations before us had. Today, for example, we have:

• Much more information about the training offer and greater life experience to choose what we really want to study.
• A greater number of study possibilities.
• Online and distance training is already a reality, and can greatly facilitate this process.

One of the authors who worked the most on the subject of going back to school is Isabel C. Franco, author of Going back to studying in adulthood: technique and advice . In this book, the reader finds techniques and advice that can be of great help in different areas of training:

• Persistence and learning in the face of failure and error.
• Techniques for taking good notes in the classroom, whether in person or online.
• Assimilation of guidelines to be constant, especially when we are talking about distance training.
• Memorization and active reading techniques during the study.

When we have not studied for many years, it is not always easy to return to this once familiar terrain. We have already lost our routine, and besides, the brain at a certain age no longer has the same capacity for retention and learning that it had during childhood and adolescence.

Advice for returning to study in adulthood

Continuing training is something basic for any professional. We are not just talking about higher education or university education, or even formal education. Any training course is useful for improving performance. We also talk about updating for most jobs, the famous professional recycling.

Either way, for professional reasons, for pure pleasure or for the simple fact of learning and gaining more knowledge, there are important tips that will facilitate this process, which can often become complicated.

Confidence

Age gives us autonomy, but it also brings the responsibility to be the masters of our trust. Going back to school can be a challenge for many people, so it may be necessary to regain or consolidate confidence in your abilities. In this sense, the environment can also help or hinder.

out of prejudice

It is important to leave prejudices aside, leave them as far away as possible. Every day it’s more common to see people of all ages in classrooms. Still, we have to break down the barriers that may appear, because there are still many people who see the return to study as something negative, against nature, when in fact it is exactly the opposite.

Motivation

Motivation and belief in doing the right thing are paramount. If you go back to school, go all out and enjoy the experience knowing you’ve chosen the right path for you.

Planning

Generally speaking, studying in adulthood implies that some family and work obligations must be planned in an almost millimetric way. Therefore, you must know how to organize your time well, realistically, but also without losing your rhythm.

study habits

Little by little, the study habit will be regained years after you have lost it. In any case, it is recommended to go slowly, overcoming small challenges until studying becomes part of your routine again.

Choice

It is essential to make a correct choice regarding the training we currently want. Think about what you are looking for when you go back to school. Improve your professional performance? Take on new challenges? Feed your curiosity?

The answers to these questions will help you a lot when deciding between one option or another. In this sense, it is advisable not to prolong the time allotted for the decision too much : the options are endless and can hinder our confidence and motivation.

Support

Rely on the people who matter to you, your family and your friends. There may be times when you believe you can’t handle it all. It is at these times that their help will be essential – and their absence can be fatal.

Now, get to work. Don’t let anyone tell you that going back to school as an adult is crazy, because that’s not true. It is a unique opportunity for personal and professional growth.