The point is that as an adult learner you have developed skills in your varied life experiences that have naturally prepared you to be a stronger learner today than ever before. You are more aware of your strengths and weaknesses, you know what you are interested in, and you are motivated to succeed at your goals in a way that a traditional-aged student is not.
Okay, I have to share my biggest anxiety, one that I know is shared with most adults who have been out of school for some time. What about the math? I have terrible math anxiety! How can I possibly return to that humiliation?
You’re right. This is one anxiety that is shared by many if not most people. What I would say is that it’s more about the fear of the fear than the fear of the math itself! Most adults, with a little review, are capable of doing the minimum amount of math required for graduation from most college programs. There are also tutors and learning support programs available to you for support - and maybe you are more likely as an adult to get that help than you were as a younger student.
Teens usually think asking for help is uncool. By the time we are adults we know the importance of asking for help, getting support, and working with each other. There are also many college programs, like the progressive colleges with which I am most involved, where you can show your ability to understand and do math as it relates to hands-on experiences, or study math in the context of other content areas such as sacred geometry in nature, geometric forms in art, creating charts and graphs in social sciences, or creating budgets and accounting sheets for a business enterprise.
Don’t let math be the thing that stops you. You can do it!
What about someone with a learning disability? What resources are available to them?
Quite a good number of adults who return to school have a disability of some kind, whether it is a learning disability, an attention disorder, a physical or psychiatric disorder. Again, students should not let that stop them from earning a degree.
By law, an educational institution must provide reasonable accommodations to a student with a disability - accommodations which, in effect, should level the playing field for those whose disabilities impair their cognitive functioning to a certain degree. In addition, many schools have disability offices or learning support departments with trained specialists who can help students with disabilities learn strategies specific to their strengths that will increase their chances of success.
In my experience, many adults returning to college after many years may suspect they have a disability, especially if their children are now being diagnosed with special learning needs. Some adult learners have no idea they have a learning disability, but once they start to flounder, and if they are referred to a learning specialist who can help them look at the possible reasons for weak skills, they may get the help they need.
Article comments
1 - goingback2school
Thanks..........you have no idea how I needed to hear this.....thanks so much again :)