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Start Slow, Start Smart

**This content is excerpted from the Guerilla Manual for Adult College Students. To learn more about the book or author visit AdultStudents.com .

"But when you get that first A on a paper you say, I can do this. I can build on what I did with this paper.... and I can probably go on from there to do anything I want to. Each semester I tend to set my goals a little higher as far as my grades are concerned."
Linda W., 41, started at her local community college in 1979 and earned her Associate's degree in 1997. She earned her Bachelor's degree in the Spring of 1999.

Go slow at first until you figure it out.

If you've been away from organized learning for any length of time, say since high school, getting back into the classroom is going to be a shock to your nervous system. You'll be sitting still for hours on end, and listening to someone who might be less than captivating (this is not MTV or prime-time television). You'll be asked to concentrate on material that might seem slightly mysterious at best, boring at worst. And you'll be responsible for turning in assignments and researching papers, etc.

Recommendation:

Take just one course. And make it a course on a subject that you are interested in. If you have some background in the material, that's even better.

What you're trying to do here is build up your self-esteem and confidence. College is not that hard. There are more than 7.5 million adult students sitting in classes and taking courses as you read this. Many millions more have successfully completed college while still working, tending to a family, having something of a social life and shouldering all the rest of the responsibilities of being an adult.

The standard advice from everyone connected with returning adult students is this: start slow. Take one course. A course where you have a very high probability of succeeding. One that will be interesting, relatively easy to do the work in. And fun! That's very important, at least for this first class. You've got to be able to enjoy this first experience.

"Just have confidence in yourself, take it slow, and roll with the punches."
Ann H., 33, started at her community college in 1992. She earned her Bachelor's degree in May 1998 and went on for her Master's.

A few hints about what to look for in your first class

Some types of classes will be better than others as starter classes. For instance, courses that run during regular length semesters will probably be a bit easier to handle, at least for the neophyte student. A 16-week course meets about three hours a week, or roughly 48 hours of total class time. The same course in a 6-week summer semester will give you an eight-hour-a-week class that still has to cover the same material and will require you to do the same amount of work in about one third the time.

You can see the problem. This acceleration is hard enough to cope with if you are an experienced student. Don't set yourself up to fail by taking a condensed class right away. They just move too quickly.

Also try to make your first class one that will count toward your degree. There's no point in wasting this time and money if you can get it to count. Almost all the entry-level, "101" type classes can be used to fulfill degree requirements. These are often tagged with words like "Introduction to", "Beginning", "Basic", "Elementary", etc. English, Psychology, Math, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Physical Education, Sociology, and History are some of the courses you are likely to find in this category.

Courses that you have some background in are also excellent candidates for starter classes, but be aware that these may not count toward your degree. If you have always enjoyed working on your own car, for example, an Introduction to Automotive Technology class might be a good, fun, interesting choice. Maybe your hobby is decorating your home. If so, Beginning Interior Design would be a good place to start.

The point is to get started in a class where you will succeed. Some school, college, business or organization in your town is offering a class that could easily be the start of your college career. That class will be fun and interesting. The work will be fairly straightforward, and the instructor will work with you to help you get over your apprehension and see that you succeed.

"There's no such thing as failing except if you do not try. So if you want to get into school and you don't because you're afraid, then you fail."
Bette B., 40 and the mother of two teenagers, worked 23 hours a week, went to school full time, and carried a 4.0 GPA. She earned her Associate's degree in the Spring of 1999 and her Bachelor's a couple of years later. She has plans for a Master's.

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