College Survival Tips for the Working Adult Student Returning to School

College students no longer consist of only those students continuing education after high school; many adults are returning to school to receive a degree after years in the workforce. Whether one is returning to college to expand career options, receive a promotion, set an example for one's children, or accomplish a long awaited goal of obtaining a college degree, the prospect can be quite frightening and overwhelming but the reward of that long-awaited college degree is priceless.

The following information is intended to assist in making the transition from a working adult to a college student. There are many things a new student needs to know that will increase academic success such as academic honesty in regards to plagiarism, correctly citing sources to avoid plagiarism, how to build research skills, utilizing one's personal learning style to aid in building effective study habits, reading to preserve context, and learning to manage time successfully.

Academic honesty and ethical conduct are invaluable skills, not to be taken lightly. To guard against plagiarism, one must understand that plagiarism is presenting someone else's work or ideas as one's own, or not giving credit to another's work. (Random House Webster's Dictionary, 1998) Most plagiarism is not intentional: copying word for word, not realizing this is an illegal act; paraphrasing an article without acknowledging the owner; or incorrectly citing references. Ignorance is not bliss, does not make the offense excusable, and may be punished by expulsion from school.

Follow the writing process to avoid plagiarism. This involves: well thought out planning and making detailed notes; it is essential to be clear and concise about who wrote what. One tip is to write one's own thoughts or interpretations in a different color or font than notes taken from sources. One must be well organized, by keeping good records of sources used, to prevent any doubt about idea ownership. Incorporating a source into an essay requires extensive planning and the coordination of time management.