Manging Time as an Adult Learner Essay

Being able to manage time as an adult is sometimes very difficult. Learning how to defeat this speed bump is truly easier than it looks. There are many types of learning, each with their own advantages and disadvantages. The following essay will show you the simple ways of making learning easier and more fun for adult students. Motivation is generally defined as the force that compels us to action (Scuderi, Royale 2012). Finding the motivation to learn is hard for several students. There are several ways to get motivated to learn. The first step for a student is to master their motivation. To accomplish this you create a vision of who you want to be, and then live into that picture as if it were already true (Chandler, Steve 2001). The problem with self motivation is that it is directly affected by age, marital status, and many other factors. For example, a single adult could have trouble focusing on work due to thoughts of weekend activities; where as a married adult may be focused on family time. Motivation is very important in everyday life. There are 6 different types of motivation that can be used by adult students. The first type incentive is when a person is expecting to gain some type of reward in exchange for their accomplished goals (Scuderi et al. , 2012). The second type is fear and is often used when the incentive fails to work (Scuderi et al. , 2012). The third, achievement, goes along with human nature, because people are driven to achieve goals and be the best at what they do (Scuderi et al. , 2012). Growth is the fourth type and is defined by the need to improve and expand knowledge (Scuderi et al. , 2012). The fifth type of motivation is power. According to Scuderi (2012); â€Å"the motivation of power can either take the form of a desire for autonomy or other desire to control others around us† (para. 7). The sixth type of motivation is social. This type is used by persons desire to be accepted by a specific peer group or to relate to people in their sphere of influence (Scuderi et al. , 2012). Knowing the types of motivation is important to learning, however, now it is up to the individual person to choose what type works for them. To find out what type to use is based on the social status of the person. For example, a single adult would use a different type of motivation than a married adult. Age and life experience would also be a part of the way an adult learner motivates themselves. No one can tell an adult how to motivate themselves, that is something they have to figure out themselves. The next step in preparing for college as an adult is figuring out what style of learning to use. According to Blackett & Weiss (2011); â€Å"A learning style can be defined as how you take in information, process it, and learn it† (ch. 3). The next thing to do is identify the different types of learning. The first and most common learning style is visual. Around 40% of all learners are visual learners (Blackett, K. & Weiss, P. 2011). If a student is a visual learner, they are likely to watch videos, look at pictures or graphs, even watch the body language of the instructor (Blackett & Weiss et al. , 2011). The next type of learning is the auditory learner, this covers about 30% of all learners (Blackett & Weiss et al. , 2011). These students learn best by listening to lectures or verbal directions as well (Blackett & Weiss et al. , 2011). A helpful tip for students that learn by listening is to bring an audio recorder to class. The last type of learning is the kinetic/tactile and covers around 15% of all learners (Blackett & Weiss et al. , 2011). These types of students learn best by hands-on work or physical activity (Blackett & Weiss et al. , 2011). A few ways to prepare for class with this type of learning is to; do your assignment more than once or work on one subject at a time (Blackett & Weiss et al. , 2011). Since the types of learning have been discovered, there has to be a way to ind which one works best for the individual student. Do not worry; there is a way to find out by taking a simple test. Upon completion of the test, the student should know what kind of learning style fits them best (Blackett & Weiss et al. , 2011). It is possible to have more than one learning style too. No matter what style of learning students use; these styles can change based on your personality and environment. If a student stil l has trouble learning then the student should turn to a tutor (Blackett & Weiss et al. , 2011). Now that we have learned the different types of motivation and learning, it is time to learn some tips to help as an adult learner. As Xponents. com (2012) explained Adult learners are different from their younger counterparts. They prefer to be self directed, they have accumulated a broader spectrum of life and work experience, they are goal and relevancy oriented, and they have a greater sense of immediacy than the typical high school graduate. (para. 2) One of the tips that can help adult learners is to develop time management. Making personal time to study is very important (xponents. om, 2012). A student should always treat their study time like it is class time (xponents. com, 2012). In modern times, if a person is considered a â€Å"multitasker†; more than likely that individual is looked up to. However, multitasking as an adult student can miss important information or even getting things mixed up (xponents. com, 2012). The next tip that can help you is to teach what y ou have learned to another person. It is helpful because it translates information into the persons own words and gauges others interpretation of what you have presented (xponents. com, 2012). Lastly, always look to keep learning and trying new things. A person’s brain is like a muscle, if it is not worked out enough then it can become weak (xponents. com, 2012). Students should always look to better themselves. The last bit of advice this paper will give the adult student is how to take college as a military service member. The kind of life style soldier students live can make it hard to be successful. While in the military, a student can pursue a degree or professional certification while at home, at sea, or even from a remote duty station (Military Advantage, Inc. 1999). Most of the time that soldiers are taking college courses, it will be online learning. Here are some tips to set a soldier up for success. The courses can be given by internet, video, audio, or print. So they need to make sure to test the components needed before the class starts (Military Advantage, Inc. 1999). Preparing for the class can be difficult. Single or married a soldier should talk to their roommate about certain quite times in order to complete the assigned work (Military Advantage, Inc. 1999). When the soldier is in a virtual classroom, they should still act like it is a real class room (Military Advantage, Inc. 999). The last thing is to be sure to get the course materials in advance (Military Advantage, Inc. 1999). Time management is a must for a soldier student. Married or single, the soldier needs to set up a regular study schedule that includes breaks (Military Advantage, Inc. 1999). Just because the soldier is taking online classes does not mean they cannot get tutoring, so do not try to learn everything alone (Military Advantage, Inc. 1999). If the student happens to be married then make plans with the spouse to take over some the chores around the house (Military Advantage, Inc. 999). Set aside some time on the weekend to spend with the kids or spouse, and plan ahead so there is no last minute cramming (Military Advantage, Inc. 1999). The following paper was written to inform adult students on how easy it can be to go to school for the first time, or even go back and finish. The person reading this should only take the information as a guideline and remember there is nothing wrong with asking other students or teachers for help. School can be fun if the person takes full advantage of the many ways to learn.