Is it too soon to throw a little hurray! for myself? I have not yet made it to a full week of adults back to school but I haven’t shit my pants. I believe that no matter the age one is in in life you should celebrate or at least acknowledge the small victories. And not shitting one’s pants is a victory to celebrate. I had no intentions of going back to school but sometimes you find yourself going back there. Only a week in and I have learned a handful of useful things.
I found a checklist for Going Back to School as an Adult, it hits on some good points. It doesn’t mention my celebratory point, but that is okay. It also doesn’t mention some key points to consider, that I never thought of but maybe should be put out there for someone else to think on.
Audit Your Time
Determine how you’re spending your time now and whether you can take on the courses or programs in your interest. I didn’t think about this. Don’t get me wrong, I have time for school and home time for homework. I just don’t want to do homework at home. Thankfully, I am not a parent going back to school, I have no kids, and I don’t know how they manage to do it. Total props to parents who go back to school, I can see where something would get neglected. Kids aren’t getting fed tonight (I kid).
There is homework. I get home and want to make dinner and do the laundry. I will just push the homework to the side, and get to that on the weekend. Well, I feel the same way when the weekend arrives. Push that to the side.
There is No Time Like Quiet Time
The thought crossed my mind that I would knock out the homework at lunch. We are given an hour, and I bring my lunch, so I have ample time for homework productivity. The only place to sit with a desk is in the classroom. Which is right next to the office. Which is a busy, loud place. Guess I have been out of school long enough to have forgotten that I need quiet to concentrate. I cannot focus on the homework.
Today I went outside with a notebook and was able to knock out a few questions from the homework sheet. There isn’t a good place for sitting but I sat on a set of stairs. And pleasantly, it wasn’t as hot out as is has been lately. I would like to make a recommendation for a picnic table under a shade tree. Quite, outside and a place I can work.
Go Easy on Yourself
Ahhh. How does one do that? The Going Back to School as an Adult checklist mentions that you should go easy on yourself. Life happens and things come up. They say to frontload your weekly schedule so you have flexibility to adapt if something comes up. Good suggestion and I am a person who likes to get things done so I can move on to the next item on the list, but if a wrench is thrown into things I have a hard time resetting. I need more flexibility in me and I am trying to work on that.
Things I Have Learned So Far as Adults Back to School
Number one: Where the bathroom is located. Most important for me. Go out the door, through the bay, past three trailers and there she is.
Number two: We are all there to learn. We are all adults with different adult lives we are individually conducting. And learning looks different to each of us.
Number three: No one is judging. I was so worried that I would be judged or put down because I am different than most of the students in this course. No one cares.
You guys start something new and worry if you would fit in? (I thought that would go away with time).
Any adults back to school?
