The Effective and Proven Adult Learning Strategies
For adults who are planning on reentering a university, adult learning strategies are a must. It couldn’t be helped that later in life, an individual recognizes the importance of a degree. Yet the moment they enter the institution and cross paths with younger students, most feel like they don’t fit; majorly because they feel superior. This is where the uphill climb starts and the application of those strategies are needed.
Now, adults having such feeling of superiority, with “seniority rule” as an alibi, are most likely to get cocky and confident. This confidence can create a wall that may block off new things that come their way. Thus, they become close minded and cling way too much on what they previously learned and what has always worked for them. Eliminating this close-mindedness and being open to change is one of the best adult learning strategies.
Remember that learning is coming across new things and trying out new possibilities. To put it bluntly, an adult needs to empty his/her plate to give space for new things he/she is hoping to learn; it does not matter what you are used to doing back in your college days. You need to discard previous notions and brandings; challenge existing knowledge, question what is already accepted and bring out ideas.
Like every other thing in this world, being an adult also has its advantages; having to stay longer in this planet means that you’ve come across plenty of things. You can use this vast reservoir of experiences to your advantage and reinforce it with open-mindedness to make learning easier. Once you relate situations to your experiences, it will be easier to predict the outcome.
Strategy #1: When you get a little older in life, many start to have problems with memory. That is why using techniques to improve memory is vital for people who are older. My favorite method to test my memory of a subject is to “teach” what you know to your wall. Of course, I know the wall doesn’t talk back, but by saying what you know outloud will allow you to know whether you actually know the material. I’ve used this method throughout undergrad and now use it for medschool and it works wonders. I’ve always had problems with memory as I grew up, and little techniques like this have helped tremendously with my marks.
Strategy #2: Stay Organized. To help you study, start by writing your goals and commitments in your organizer. This strategy will help you void stress and conflict of schedules. My method of staying on schedule is to print out a calendar. I tape each month beside each other and put it on the wall side-by-side. I then write out all the important dates (including exams etc.) onto the calendar. Using a different color now write in what you have to study each day to keep on track. Remember, always leave a review day before each exam. As mentioned in my other articles, this review day is extremely important for your brain for recall speed and accuracy.