Additional Resources for Adult College Students
As an adult college student, you may often be pressed for time, especially if you are juggling work and family responsibilities on top of finding time to study. With this guide, we aim to help take the guesswork out of finding valuable online resources that can assist you with your studies.
Study and Test-Taking Resources for College Students
Studying Tips and Tools
These are some of the most popular online study tools for college students. Some of them are free, while others may charge a subscription fee:
- Saylor. This resource provides you with free and open classes on numerous subjects that can be learned at your own pace. Saylor has a selection of over 300 courses.
- Getting Smart. Getting Smart features sections of resources that cover learning, the use of educational technology, and tools for improving leadership.
- Study Guides and Strategies. This website provides tools for learning, researching, and writing. It also gives you access to valuable information for project management.
- StudyBlue. StudyBlue has one of the fastest-growing online libraries. It offers you several study tools, including study guides, review sheets, quizzes, and flashcards.
- Coursera. This resource contains educational materials prepared by university tutors from some of the most prestigious institutions for many disciplines. It is popular among university and college students. Pricing ranges from $29-$99 per course.
- KnowledgeNet. This website is extremely useful as a resource to learn about any IT-related subject. Adult students who may have been left behind in the field of computer technology will find this especially valuable. Individual subscriptions are offered on a yearly or monthly basis.
- Open Culture. Open Culture offers a wealth of free content that’s applicable for completing projects and writing papers. You will find information on almost any subject on this website.
- Gutenberg. This is a free online resource with over 46,000 e-books available for download. It is a source of information on a wide range of subjects and topics.
- Udemy. This popular platform offers information on a wide range of subjects through online courses. Pricing ranges from $20 to around $200 per course.
- Grade Saver. The free study guides available in Grade Saver have all been written by Harvard University students. The study materials help you to improve your grades.
Test-Taking Resources
- How to Study. This resource provides many free study resources for students and teachers. It includes more than 100 articles on study tips, as well as self-assessment tests, which are useful when preparing for exams.
- Study Guide Zone. The Study Guide Zone website is full of free resources to help both undergraduates and graduates prepare for an exam. Its tools aim to help you improve your score on almost any standardized test, including those for admission, licensing, or specific vocations.
- Bookrags. With more than 6,000 study guides and more than 22,000 essays, Bookrags provides many useful study materials. It also has tools to prepare for tests, including lesson plans, answers to homework questions, e-books, and book notes. Bookrags operates on monthly or yearly subscriptions.
- Quizlet. This free resource offer tests, study games, flashcards, and many other useful tools to improve your learning process.
- TestTakingTips.com. This useful guide features easy ways to reduce test-taking anxiety.
- Test-anxiety.com. This guide on beating test-taking anxiety was written by Berkeley therapist Claire Stone, MFT. Her tips have been proved to be highly effective.
- Harvard Health Publications. This resource contains several articles on dealing with the stress associated with test taking and provides mechanisms for coping.
- University of Illinois. The university’s counseling center provides a useful guide on how to prepare for a test, ways to avoid anxiety, and methods to control stress while taking a test.
Achieving Work-Life Balance as an Adult College Students
Sometimes people have a hard time trying to balance work with their family and social lives. It may become even more difficult when you are trying to factor study time into the equation. These resources for college students may help you to balance your schedule, relieve stress and achieve the right work-life balance for your life.
If you find that juggling the many demands of work, school, and your personal life is getting out of hand, here are a few tips to help you achieve the right balance:
- Investigate your work options. You may not be aware of it, but your employer may allow you to work flexible hours or even work part of the day at home. You may be able to negotiate an arrangement that helps you balance your life by telecommuting for part of your work week.
- Enforce rules to eliminate distractions. Communicate with your family and co-workers about the times that you need to be left alone to concentrate on your tasks uninterrupted. Ensure that you get their full support by explaining what you are trying to achieve.
- Learn to say “no.” Even though the people around you may agree to not interrupt you, it will inevitably happen. Learn to stay focused on the task in front of you, and decline to take time away from it to help anyone else.
- Ban technology at certain times. Computers and mobile devices can be a distraction if you’re planning to spend quality time with family or friends. Set rules for these get-togethers.
- Guard your private time. Always factor in some private time when you can be alone to relax and de-stress. Ask your family or fellow workers to respect this.
Stress Relief Tools
These great stress-relieving tools will help you to stop stress and anxiety in their tracks. You should incorporate these tools in your daily routine for maximum effect:
- Headspace. Headspace gives you a free 10-day trial to see how the app works for you. It describes its meditation-based stress-relieving techniques as “a gym membership for your mind.” If it works for you, subscriptions start at an affordable $12.95 per month.
- Pacifica. This app uses cognitive behavioral therapy to help you change your behavior and thinking patterns. It also includes wellness and relaxation methods to improve your thoughts and mood and to control stress. Subscriptions start at $3.99 per month.
- Calm. This meditation app entails relaxing music and guided meditations to help you relax. It offers a free seven-day program, and full access costs $9.99 per month.
- Breathe2Relax. Breathe2Relax is a free smartphone app that will teach you about mindful breathing. This is often seen as the go-to line of defense when you’re placed in a stressful situation.
This is just a sample of the stress relief tools that are on the market. You can do an internet search for other tools if none of these work for you.
Following a healthy lifestyle helps tremendously to relieve stress. Make sure you eat healthy meals, exercise, and get plenty of sleep. Sleep deprivation only makes matters worse, so it’s important to manage your day to include enough sleep to keep you refreshed for the tasks you face.
Dare to Take That First Step Towards Going Back to School
Going back to school can be stressful for adult students, particularly if you are working and have family responsibilities. The worst thing you can do is try to ride it out alone. This guide has provided you with just a few of the many resources you can access to make your journey easier and give you a better chance of success.
Enroll for your degree program at a leading university and start the journey to realizing your dream. Ready to learn more about how you can start the process of going back to school for a bachelor’s, master’s, or doctorate degree? Research your options and contact an enrollment advisor today. Now is the time to your your ambition into action.
Here are some other resources to consider when going back to school:
Going Back to School for Teaching
Going Back to School for Working Adults
Going Back to School FAQ
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