I decided to go back to school when my youngest child moved out. Suddenly, the house was just too quiet. The noise of having something to do for someone else had calmed. You see, up to this point in my life, I had worked for a paycheck. Paying bills and feeding a family of five had always been top priority. However, now I was entering a much quieter time. Sounds of a full house would give over to the sound of my own thoughts asking me, “What do I do now.”
That turned out to be going back to school for me. The decision didn’t come easy. I was filled with fears about whether I was too old or whether I would fit in. There’s the whole thing about graduating thirty-four years ago that made me afraid I just wasn’t up to it. Did I even remember anything I learned in high school or would I have to learn everything over again? This year, I am a senior in college and will be graduating in two months. I am telling you now, I could do it, and so can you.
The Benefits of Going Back to School as an Adult
Mine is a personal growth story. As I said before, most of my adult life I worked for a paycheck. The benefit of an adult education for me was to learn how to contribute to a better world in a different way that didn’t involve a rude customer or asking anyone if they want fries with that. Starting over is hard at any age. However, the benefits of continuing education for adults can open career advancement opportunities and help set an example for your children and family members.
Balancing Work, Family and School
Balancing work and school as an adult has its challenges. Many times, you have children with their own schedules that need managing. Doctor appointments and family engagements get in the way. It can be hard but is manageable with careful planning. I recommend carefully planning your work time with a calendar and sticking to it. Trust me, it’s a lot easier to stay on track than to get back on it. On the bright side, colleges know that learning how to manage time going back to school as an adult student can be a considerable challenge. Therefore, I have found there to be many resources to help those returning to school learn how to manage it.
Practical Tips for Adult Learners
One of the most important things to do when you decide to go back to school as an adult is to fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). This is a free application that can offer qualified applicants funding assistance for school and extra resources to help make your dream of returning to school as an adult a reality. Currently, the Department of Federal Student Aid is accepting applications for the 2026-2027 school year. The deadline to turn in an application is June 30, 2027, at 11:59 Central Time.
Adult learners may also find it more convenient to pursue an online or hybrid degree option. There are multiple options for those who need to earn a degree from home. One thing to note from my personal experience is that going to school online can be especially challenging. It is important to realistically consider if you will have the quiet, uninterrupted time in your home environment to get your work done and the motivation to do it when there is no standard classroom meeting.
The best tip I can offer you personally to stay motivated and be successful is to build a support team. Involve your family and friends in what you are doing, tell them why and ask them to help with assignments when they can. If you are attending on campus, meet new friends at school. When I attended orientation, I was terrified, thinking, I’m a fifty-year-old woman who was going to look like all the other kids’ grandma. Strangely enough, there are more of us old-timers out there than you would imagine. I was pleasantly surprised to find many other adult learners out there.
Take that first step. Your classroom is waiting
The most important thing you can do with any new venture is start. Taking the first step is always scary. The second is easier. Pretty soon you will be snowballing toward graduation with only a few weeks to go like me. My best advice for getting started is to fill out the FAFSA as early as possible and scheduling an appointment to speak to an admissions counselor at the school you would like to attend. It has been my experience that college counselors and professors are happy to help you make the right decisions for you. In any case, I hope you are successful on your path to achieve life-long learning and a better you!
Resources
Free Application for Federal Student Aid