7 Success Tips for Mature College Students
These success tips for mature college students will help you earn better grades and achieve your education goals. If you’re going back to school after a few years — or a few decades — in the workforce or at home raising kids, you may feel a little nervous about going back to college as a mature student. These tips will help you adjust!
Before the tips, a quip:
“College is like a fountain of knowledge – and the students are there to drink.” – Anonymous.
If you’re a mature college student, chances are you won’t be there to drink – but you may be surrounding by students who are. Good old college life. These success tips for mature students will help you navigate the system, whether you’re in a big university, small local college, or a high school upgrading program. And for more tips, click on The Mature Student’s Study Guide by Catherine Dawson.
7 Success Tips for Mature Students
1. Connect with other adult learners. As a mature college student, you may feel lost in a sea of fresh young faces. The best way to achieve your goals is to find people you connect with. Join the student associations, clubs, or study groups that most interest you; chances are you’ll connect with other adult learners who are interested in the same things.
2. Don’t compare yourself to other students. Accept that you’re a mature college student. You have valuable experience, and you probably have a healthier and wiser attitude about life! Don’t compare your appearance, support system, or sense of fashion to the students around you. You’ll come up short in some ways and strong in others…but it’s pointless to compare yourself to others – and comparing yourself doesn’t help you earn good grades as a mature student.
3. Expect your family to take time to settle in. Getting your kids, spouse, and self accustomed to a new routine could take weeks or even a couple of months…so don’t get frustrated if it’s the end of September and you’re still feel like you’re not succeeding. You will achieve your goals – but it takes time!
4. Make sure you understand the academic assignments. If you aren’t clear about what the essay requirements or project guidelines are, get clarification from the professor or teacher. You may feel awkward or embarrassed that you have to ask, but that’s better than struggling with an assignment you don’t understand and failing later. This isn’t about being an mature college student — it’s a success strategy that any student can use to achieve goals. Read Tips for Student Success in College for more info.
5. Aim for excellence, not perfection. If you’re not earning the A’s you crave – or that you earned 20 years ago when you were a university student the first time – don’t beat yourself up. A huge strategy for earning good grades as a mature student is to study hard and pay attention in class, but don’t expect perfect grades.
6. Re-do essays and assignments. Re-doing university essays made me a far better writer, researcher, and student. If you get a poor grade, ask your professor or teacher if you can re-do the assignment. Even if you don’t earn extra credit (which you could also ask for), you’ll learn how to be a better student.
7. Study with your kids. Do your homework at the same time and in the same space as your kids or spouse (if he’s lucky enough to be a mature student, too!). This will create “homework time” in your family, which is a success strategy for both mature college and young elementary students.
If you have any questions or tips for mature college students, please comment below…and read 3 Tips for Cuttting College Costs if you want to save money!
