A Five-part Series by Carol J. Amato
13. Accept the fact that college is not like high school. Whether you attend a traditional college/university or an accelerated program onground or online, you'll be expected to turn in your homework by the dates assigned.
Do you feel free to ignore deadlines at work? No. Would you expect your boss to accept a project that was completed past its due date or let you do another one instead? Of course not. College is no different from the workplace. There may be no "extra credit" to make up for assignments you missed.
Unless you have a real crisis (such as a death in your immediate family, you've been diagnosed with a serious disease, or you're being deployed in the military), don't expect any sympathy from your instructor/professor if you can't meet the class requirements. Even then, your instructor/professor may not show you any sympathy.
If such a crisis does occur, notify your instructor/professor immediately so you at least have a fighting chance of getting an extension on your deadlines. Notifying him/her after the assignment is due is guaranteeing doom. Nothing can be done at that point.
14. Back up all your homework. Don't let the copy/file you turn in be the only one in existence. Keep a backup on disk and a hard copy, too. You never know when you'll have to rely on them.
15. Save copies of all syllabi from your classes. If you ever decide to change schools, you may need to show the new school what was taught in each class before they will accept your units. The syllabi may be your only evidence.
16. Research all your professors ahead of time. If you get to choose your professors, check them out ahead of time on http://www.rateyourprofessor.com/. Look at the totality of the comments. One bad review may merely indicate a student who is disgruntled over a legitimately earned bad grade. If most of the comments are good, you have a winner.
Stay tuned for Part 5....
Showing posts with label adult learners. Show all posts
Showing posts with label adult learners. Show all posts
Friday, July 17, 2009
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
20 Tips for Returning to College, Part 1
A Five-part Series by Carol J. Amato
Congratulations! You’ve made the critical decision to complete your degree. Perhaps you’ve hit a ceiling at work and need a degree to go further or you want it just for your own personal benefit. Whether you have taken college classes in the past or are new to college life, you may be hesitant to enroll because you think you will feel out of place among all those 18-22-year-olds.
Don’t worry. According to the Commission on the Future of Higher Education’s 2006 report, those over 22 make up 58 percent of today’s college population. In fact, 40 percent are 25 and older. These students are called “adult learners.” Most of them work and have spouses and/or children. You will fit right in.
To ensure that your return to college is successful, keep these points in mind:
1. Have a clear idea of your major. Do you want to remain in the same career or change careers? Knowing your direction will help you choose the right school and relevant classes or program. College is expensive. Don’t waste time and money on classes that won’t further your career goals.
2. Make sure the college/university is accredited. Many companies/grad schools do not recognize undergraduate degrees from unaccredited schools. “Accreditation” means that the school’s programs have been screened and verified by the one of the arms of the Higher Learning Commission (HLC).
Accreditation doesn’t ensure that a school isn’t more interested in taking your money than giving you a good education, however. Talk to your Human Resources department to see what he/she know about the school(s). If possible, talk to other students who have gone there. Also talk to experts in your line of work to get their advice on what school you should attend.
3. Consider an accelerated program. You can take one class at a time and still finish in a reasonably short period. A traditional semester is 15-18 weeks. A semester/term in an accelerated program may be 5-8 weeks. In other words, in that 5-8 weeks, you’ll read the same number of chapters and complete the same amount of homework—or more—as the student in the 18-week semester. The upside is that you’ll get 3 units under your belt in a much shorter amount of time.
4. Weigh the options between onground and online classes. If you travel frequently with your job, have childcare issues, or live too far from a ground campus to attend classes conveniently, consider an online program. You can attend class from the comfort of your living room via your computer, no matter where you are.
Stay tuned for Part 2....
Congratulations! You’ve made the critical decision to complete your degree. Perhaps you’ve hit a ceiling at work and need a degree to go further or you want it just for your own personal benefit. Whether you have taken college classes in the past or are new to college life, you may be hesitant to enroll because you think you will feel out of place among all those 18-22-year-olds.
Don’t worry. According to the Commission on the Future of Higher Education’s 2006 report, those over 22 make up 58 percent of today’s college population. In fact, 40 percent are 25 and older. These students are called “adult learners.” Most of them work and have spouses and/or children. You will fit right in.
To ensure that your return to college is successful, keep these points in mind:
1. Have a clear idea of your major. Do you want to remain in the same career or change careers? Knowing your direction will help you choose the right school and relevant classes or program. College is expensive. Don’t waste time and money on classes that won’t further your career goals.
2. Make sure the college/university is accredited. Many companies/grad schools do not recognize undergraduate degrees from unaccredited schools. “Accreditation” means that the school’s programs have been screened and verified by the one of the arms of the Higher Learning Commission (HLC).
Accreditation doesn’t ensure that a school isn’t more interested in taking your money than giving you a good education, however. Talk to your Human Resources department to see what he/she know about the school(s). If possible, talk to other students who have gone there. Also talk to experts in your line of work to get their advice on what school you should attend.
3. Consider an accelerated program. You can take one class at a time and still finish in a reasonably short period. A traditional semester is 15-18 weeks. A semester/term in an accelerated program may be 5-8 weeks. In other words, in that 5-8 weeks, you’ll read the same number of chapters and complete the same amount of homework—or more—as the student in the 18-week semester. The upside is that you’ll get 3 units under your belt in a much shorter amount of time.
4. Weigh the options between onground and online classes. If you travel frequently with your job, have childcare issues, or live too far from a ground campus to attend classes conveniently, consider an online program. You can attend class from the comfort of your living room via your computer, no matter where you are.
Stay tuned for Part 2....
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