Yes friends, it's back-to-school time for our adult friends !
So the tips given in our previous post, "Back-to-School Tips for Pre-Teens and Teens", apply to you adults, too. :)
But adults also need to bear the following things in mind:
As an adult student, you need to maintain a delicate balancing act among your spiritual, family, work and school lives.
Where Your Spiritual Life is Concerned:
1) Like it or not, as human beings, we're spiritual beings.
The sooner we realize this, the less confusing life will be. :)
2) As an adult student, you'll need to nurture yourself spiritually...get in touch with God,continuously.
This is necessary for you to maintain balance, when competing interests of school, work and family, are being thrown at you.
This is also necessary for you to have direction in all areas of your life so that you can be at peace with the decisions you'll make.
This involves saving at least 10-15 minutes of your day to read God's word - the Bible, reflect on what God has been doing for you; to talk to Him about the things that are happening in your life and to ask Him what His purpose is for you, here on earth!
3) For Christians, you may also have to cut down on your hectic church schedule, but please don't become so busy with school, that you shut God out of your life.
Where Your Family Life is Concerned:
1) As an adult student, your family has to understand that certain things, like household chores, will have to be re-assigned, with them doing most of what you used to do.
If you have a partner, he/she will have to understand that school is very demanding and that the children, if you have any, will have to be more responsible for themselves, for you to be successful at school.
2) He/she will also have to take on some of the responsibilities that you had, so that you can do well in school.
Family talks are essential, so that the entire family understands that this is a new phase in the family's life and that each member has to do his/her part.
Please help your children to understand that you're pursuing further studies in the family's best interest, so that the family income can be improved or that you can be fulfilled in this area of your life.
3) If you go to school in the day, then you and the children can arrange to study and take breaks together...
Your partner will have to take over most of the responsibility to assist the children with homework, however, as it's impossible for you to help them with their homework while you're studying - this is especially important if you go to school at nights.
4) If you go to school at nights, it means that your partner will have to be more attentive to children's homework and study life, so that your children can balance their spiritual lives, play, extra curricular activities and other areas of their lives, too.
5) Please don't neglect your responsibilities to your partner, especially, where your love-life, is concerned.
You still need to be attentive and caring, especially in the bedroom, as your partner might resent your giving all your time to the books and not him/her.
6)You also need to spend time with your children, as they too need your attention, even though you are studying.
Where Your School Life is Concerned:
1) You must read ahead of the teacher, so that you don't fall behind in your schoolwork. This means that you should ensure that you get a Syllabus or Course Outline, so that you can know what will be covered in each class.
2) You should do your homework and do so on time, so that you can identify problem-areas early and ask the teacher/lecturer for help, in class. You may have difficulty reaching him/her outside of class.
3) Ensure that you get the contact numbers or e-mail addresses for your teachers/lecturers, so that you can ask them about anything that needs to be clarified, as well as to alert them (in the odd case) when you're not able to attend class and so that your absence is not held against you.
(Most universities take class participation seriously and if you're absent, this may be held against you.)
4) Ensure that when you work in groups, that each group member understands accountability to the group. (This means attending group meetings on time, doing group assignments on time and being prepared for group meetings.)
This is especially important when the group has imminent deliverables, as everyone has to play his/her part for the group to get good grades.
Where Your Work is Concerned:
1) Your employer should know that you are doing further studies.
This is important, as some companies demand that employees do courses or degrees, to enhance their professional development.
This will affect your ability to get management or senior management positions in your company.
You may even find that your employer is willing to pay for half to all of tuition fees if you get a B+ average or more...so please check with your Human Resources Department or with your boss, to find out what options you have, regarding this.
[Please, if your employer will pay all of your tuition fees for your entire Programme (especially a Degree) that will last 2-3 years and bond you (where you must work for the company upon completing your Programme, for the same time period), this is not a problem, ok? :)
At the end of your Programme and your bond time, you'd have had your degree (tuition-free on your part), plus the option to look elsewhere for another job, so don't go ballistic if they want to bond you.]
2) Ensure that time alloted, by your employer, for school, is given back. You are accountable to your employers. If they give you the time off to study, and require you to work back the time, the least you can do is give them back the hours you took off, ok?
3) Please keep your employer (your employer's Human Resources Department, your supervisor and boss) abreast of how you're progressing in school. This will make them more open to looking out for promotional opportunities that may open up within the company, for you, when they know that you are making strides to further your professional development.
This also makes them more open to being flexible, where accommodating your school schedule is concerned.
Please note this word of caution, here: If you have a supervisor or boss, who is not progressing educationally and you are, he/she may become jealous or feel threatened by your progress and think that you are after his/her job.
Please tread carefully here, you know the personalities of the people you work with.
If educational advancement is not appreciated or encouraged by your present employer/supervisor/boss, maybe you need to consider the option of changing Departments, Divisions, or jobs, when you've completed your studies, so that you can be in a company/Division/Department, where this is strongly encouraged and rewarded!
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We, at Girl With a Purpose Blog, are concerned about your personal and professional development...
...As such, within the month of October, we will be introducing two (2) new products that will enable you to succeed in both areas of your life, so please stay tuned for these announcements,ok? :)
Gillian
