Going back to school as an adult: Essential tips for navigating the transition

Going back to school as an adult can be a challenging commitment, especially after taking a long break to pursue a career and/or raise a family. But implementing a few key strategies can set you up for a successful transition.

Mary Ellen Santerre, MS, MEd, a clinical social worker at the Texas A&M Health Psychiatry and Behavioral Health Care clinic and the Telehealth Institute, shares her expertise for going back to school as an adult. Her role involves facilitating the Texas Child Health Access Through Telemedicine (TCHATT) as a behavioral health counselor for K-12 students, and she is currently pursuing certification as a licensed professional counselor (LPC).

Santerre’s personal experience of balancing a career while continuing her education highlights the challenge of returning to school as an adult. “When I finished high school, I went right to college. I went for three years and then quit. After 10 years when I did apply to go back to school, I realized I didn’t really know how to step back into it,” she said.

Now that she is settled into a routine, Santerre said her key strategies for successfully balancing school, a career and personal life are time management, stress management and building a community for your academic career.

First, however, is setting good goals. Create goals for yourself that are specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely (SMART). Specifically, define your goal based on what you need to accomplish and the purpose of accomplishing it. Measure your goal by tracking how long it will take and when you will know it’s accomplished. Establish a goal that is attainable and motivates you to reach it. Focus on the results and create a productive and relevant goal that helps you advance in some way. Lastly, define a timeframe with a deadline to create a sense of urgency for attaining the goal.

Time management

Balancing time effectively can be challenging, especially when trying to maintain a study schedule during the school year. Often students cram studying in one night or over several hours, but it’s important to digest coursework in a way that will help you retain the information.

Santerre recommends using the Pomodoro technique for studying. This method focuses on fixed time intervals to keep the mind alert. It’s a structured approach that permits a short period of studying, usually 25 minutes, followed by a short break, usually five minutes. The cycle continues until you finish your task or when you create another SMART goal. The intended outcome is to accomplish small portions of a larger project and continue the progress over time.

“Students pat themselves on the back and brag about studying for four hours straight, but the human brain can’t do that,” Santerre said.

The importance of sleep often goes unnoticed, but a consistent sleep schedule is the key to starting the day off right. Not getting enough sleep can interfere with work and school by impairing the way we learn, focus and react. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that adults get an average of seven hours or more per night to feel well rested the next day. Scheduling enough quality sleep at the right times is essential for an alert school day.

In addition to sleep, food is necessary to fuel your body and sustain energy throughout the day. Not eating a meal is like driving a car on empty. The carbohydrates, protein and fats in food provide calories to fuel and energize your body.

For foods to provide benefits, you need the right ones at the right time. Mixed meals that contain small amounts of healthy fats, along with protein and complex carbohydrates, are the foundation for an energizing diet. It’s important to limit foods high in fat, which stimulate the production of serotonin that can make you feel sluggish. Eat every few hours and incorporate healthy snacks to sustain cognitive function throughout the day.

While ensuring your basic needs for sleep and nutrition are met, it’s important to designate time for relaxation. Establish multiple routines to manage your schedule effectively. In addition to a daily routine, a weekly routine can allow for things you do less often such as chores and extracurricular activities.

Santerre recommends taking one day out of the weekend as a recovery period to unwind from schoolwork. She suggests engaging in physical activity or meditation. Even a short break, as little as 30 minutes, provides an opportunity to disconnect from the daily hustle and bustle.

“Taking a break at the same time each day is also very important. Whether it’s to take a walk or to run down the street and come back. It doesn’t matter, you just need a break,” Santerre said.

Stress management

The unexpectedness of a new environment can increase stress levels, but having a plan will help you feel more in control. Santerre encourages practicing mindfulness to reduce stress. Being mindful involves recognizing bad habits, identifying desired changes and acknowledging your struggles. To determine your academic strengths and weaknesses, Santerre suggests asking yourself three questions:

• What habits are not working for me?
• What’s something that I’m not doing that would benefit me going forward?
• What’s something I’m doing that I don’t want to do anymore?

“We are our harshest critics. We’re going to fall down and fail, but that doesn’t matter. What matters is, did you get up?” Santerre said.

Practice mindfulness by taking control of your weak moments and being kind to yourself. Set goals and priorities and remember that after each day, there is always tomorrow to try again.

A calming method Santerre suggests is to practice deep breathing. The goal of focused breathing is to help you disengage and distract from stressors. Controlled deep breaths encourage full oxygen exchange throughout the entire body, which stabilizes your blood pressure and helps you to calm down. Santerre recommends practicing deep breathing regularly, not just during times of stress, because it enhances the effectiveness during stressful moments. Her primary approach to practicing mindfulness is utilizing calming and meditation apps for their accessibility.

Building a community

In Santerre’s experience with students, she’s noticed an apprehension for utilizing university resources. “A lot of incoming or returning students have never had to study. Whether it’s a student entering university or even seniors who have attended for three years, it’s easy to get off track and feel discouraged. But if you have that community, you can support each other,” she said.

Students may feel intimidated asking for help, but building relationships can help you prepare for the challenges. Establishing connections with professors and classmates builds trust to share your struggles and successes, and utilizing student services is a great way to get ahead of your success plan. Take advantage of academic advising, university study resources and connecting with professors. Santerre recommends being proactive and reaching out for help sooner rather than later.

“Attending class is really important. You introduce yourself to the professor, you go to class and that shows them the effort you make to succeed in class, which will come in handy. It’s all about making these connections,” Santerre said.

At the end of the day, it boils down to organization and moderation. Staying organized can help you create a sustainable schedule that fulfills all necessary time commitments. Moderation applies to almost everything, even studying. Organizing your day and completing tasks at a moderate pace will help your transition back to school. Stress is inevitable, but practicing mindfulness may keep things in perspective and reduce stress levels. Remember to forgive yourself and lean on your community when the going gets rough.