A Guide to Time Effective Adult Education

As a working adult you may want to expand your skills in your personal and professional life. Taking the time to learn a new skill can help you meet your goals faster. The challenge for you may be finding the time. Even if you sit in a classroom or attend a class online, the time for study and application is challenging. Here are tips to help you find time to study and understand the course work.

Commute

If you commute by car to work, or take your children to school everyday, you may have over an hour that you spend in traffic. Waiting does not have to be wasted time. Are there tasks that you do everyday that do not require you to interact with others? Tasks such as cleaning, or running errands can easily be turned into study time. Use this time to study by listening.

Media

Many colleges have the professor's lectures on mp3 for download. These are updated after each class in a timely manner. Upload these lectures to your mp3 or iPod to listen often. If you are studying independently and not at an institution explore free and low cost ways to get the information that you need. Search the library for subject specific cassette tapes and cd's to listen to. Ask your librarian if they have a section of materials for sale. These sale items are acquired from community donations and discontinued books in the library's catalog. Download audio seminars and books online. Search for free podcasts on iTunes.

Find

Search out the subjects that you are learning in the library, online, and audio's available for purchase. After you find the information that is helpful to your study materials use all available time to review it. Listen often.

Application and Practice

If application is a part of understanding the material set aside extra time for practice. Schedule a specific time with yourself daily to study. An extra 20 minutes a day to study is equal to 10 hours of study within 30 days.