Back to Study Hacks: 7 Shortcuts to Success

Are you ready to go back to study? Making the leap can be daunting. Instead, try asking yourself: Am I ready to keeping doing the same thing I’ve been doing for years? Tomorrow, and the day after, and the year after that?

I’ve started a course after a break from study. Twice. The first time, I completed a Diploma of Photography, and the second time, I embarked on a Bachelor of Arts. Sure, it’s exciting, but to say I was totally overwhelmed and anxious would be an understatement. It doesn’t have to be that way, though. Allow me to share what I have learned along the way – hopefully it will help you get a smooth start.

There are many plus sides to being an older student. You have experience of the wider world, enabling you to relate what you learn to reality. You will have better communication, and conduct yourself more professionally, and maybe even take a more proactive approach to learning.

With these 7 tips, you’ll be launching straight to the top of your class in no time.

Going back to study is a big commitment. Courses can be years long and quite expensive. That’s why it can be a good idea to enrol in a short course first.

Short courses can get you prepared for a longer course, especially if you’ve been away from study for a long time. They’ll boost your confidence. You may also find that the main thing you wanted to learn is covered in the short course.

For instance, when I decided to study a Diploma of Photography a few years out of high school, I was daunted by the application process. So I took a one-week portfolio preparation short course. It helped me get ready for the applications and make a far better portfolio. Further, it helped me see what it would be like to study this subject, and it encouraged me to decide to pursue it.

Don’t make it harder for yourself than it has to be. For many of us, returning to study means we have life commitments that school leavers don’t have to think about, like jobs, families, and long commutes. Full-time hours are demanding. 48 hours a week demanding. That’s more than a full-time job. Sure, it might not always require that much of your time, but when the assessments start piling up, you’re going to feel the crunch.

You’ve got the option of part-time or flexible and work while you study. So take it!

Even if you take three subjects instead of four, you’ll still qualify as a full-time student and get the same concessions. Many institutions also offer subjects over the summer or winter. So you’ll graduate at the same time everyone else does, with less stress. After all, who really needs three month uni holidays?

If you have some idea of the topics you’ll be covering, do yourself a favour. Prep your brain for maximum learning by giving it some context first.

Nobody likes to feel like they don’t know what a teacher is talking about. A quick Youtube search of your topic will give you a big picture view before you get into the details.

Alternately, if you prefer reading, see if you can find a book called ‘Introduction to [whatever you’re studying]’ to flip through. It’ll get you thinking about the topic in advance, which is great because it’s much easier to remember things when you’ve heard about them before.

If you get organised before the term starts, you will feel much more confident. I know my organisational skills were a little rusty when I went back to uni, but once I got up to speed things were much less stressful.

Whether you prefer digital or analog, get the following things up ASAP:

If you’re like me, and you’re naturally un-gifted at time management, go and read The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey. It’s an oldie but a goodie, and super helpful for the chronically frazzled. People now tell me I’m ‘really organised’, something I would never have dreamed of a few years ago.

Find some students who have completed the course recently, or who are further along than you. Take every opportunity you get to talk to them!

They usually always have helpful hints relevant to the course. They can help you navigate the teachers, prepare for assessments the right way, and show you how to get the most out of your classes.

Have you studied before? You might be able to get credit for units completed in another course. Even if you think it won’t be relevant, talk to the course advisor or a faculty member. You could be surprised!

When enrolling in my Bachelor of Arts course, I found that four subjects from my photography degree counted as electives, shortening my study time by half a year. Seems unlikely, but it’s true.

It’s easy to feel like the odd one out when you’re returning to study. You might worry that everyone else will be much younger than you. However, looking around the classroom, you may recognise that the group is much more varied than you’d think!

According to the most recent statistics from the Australian Department of Education and Training, over 36% of commencing students are age 25 or over, and nearly 25% over age 30.

The key is to be friendly and open, keeping an open mind about whom you may meet. The best friends can turn up in expected places. Having someone to share your study experience with makes it much more fun.

You can do this!

Studying as a mature age student can be incredibly rewarding. With your life experience and transferable skills, you’ll be scoring top marks in no time and opening up new opportunities.

It’s never too late to go back, but there’s no time like the present.