The Adult Student

Today we see women returning to the workforce and seeking the underpinnings of a formal education. We see adults 25-60 years of age who want to change jobs and perhaps follow an entrepreneurial dream. We have mid-managers, victimized by downsizing or right-sizing, who want to develop or refresh specific skills in such areas as computers, small business operations, or marketing, in an effort to become more competitive with other job seekers.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics:

• Over 40 percent of all undergraduates are 24 years old or older.
• The majority of these students are married with dependents other than the spouse.
• Nearly 50 percent are enrolled in 2 year institutions.
• 75 percent hold a full or part-time job during their enrollment

As adult learners you expect to see immediate value for the time and money invested in education. You seek application to your present and future career paths. In your complex, complicated life it is important that the educational institution you choose have flexible scheduling and a service-oriented faculty and staff. However, you are concerned that expediency not diminish the academic integrity of your program.

Programs at the Business Institute ...

are designed to maximize your learning experience while eliminating your time in a structured class environment. Your assignments will be both meaningful and practical. Projects are applicable to real-world situations occurring in your business life each day. Click here for more information.

Planning For Your Success

To be successful in this accelerated program it is important to develop effective study skills and work habits. Many adults returning to school find an intensity and interest level which may have been lacking in their previous educational experiences. Prioritization, time management, and study skills are critical to your academic success will bring added value to your personal and professional life as well. A module/syllabus will be provided for each course. This module contains an overview as well as the assignments and activities for each session.

• Purchase textbooks. Contact the Business Institute for information on your required textbook. [The same texts are used for both on-campus and online classes.]
• You must have the textbook to complete the course. You may buy text from alternate source, but you must have the text in your possession on the start date.
• For on-campus classes, the bookstore will also have information for your first class meeting. Be sure to select the packet based on your course section #. Course packets are also available at the Business Institute. Please call 480.425.6910 to assure availability of your materials. Complete all reading and assignments prior to the first class meeting.
• For online classes, click here for your orientation instructions.

For Fastrack Students Only :

Your portfolio is a collection of projects assembled into notebook form. At the conclusion of your program portfolios will be evaluated by a faculty team for appropriate professional standards. This becomes a record of your accomplishments and skills to be shared with current or future employers. An electronic version should be created by students in our Online program. The portfolio becomes an important supplement to your resumé in future job searches.

• Attend all scheduled class meetings. Be prompt, prepared, and expect to stay the entire class meeting.
• You must do assignments using MS Office products, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. If you do not have this software, you should drop the class now.
• Review assignments well in advance of due date. Late assignments are not accepted.
• Students who miss a class meeting will have to complete an additional assignment. Even if student misses class, homework must be submitted on time in order to be accepted.

• Your ability to communicate in writing, will factor into your grade in any online business class.
• Effective business writing is clear, concise, fact-based and specific. Your instructors are busy professionals. Do not waste their time with wordy, imprecise, hard-to-understand communications.
• Practice your written communication skills in every email and assignment you send your instructor.
• Review and edit each assignment at least three times before sending it to me. Standards for your writing will get higher as the course progresses. So if you are still making the same errors plan on seeing lower grades.
• One, Two, Three-You're home free!
  1) Write first draft.
  2) Review thoroughly later in the day making first edits. Read s l o w l y as if seeing it for the first time.
  3) Review again the next day. By this third reading you should have polished your work significantly from draft. Give yourself credit for what sounds great. Concentrate on those thorny passages that impede readability.
• Feeling brave? Have someone else read your assignment, too. Ask for their honest feedback. Give them a red pen to encourage suggestions.
• Use MS Word's spelling and grammar checker [Text menu].. Although it may be slow at first, this tool will give you unbiased feedback. Use it for every assignment. Good writing comes from practice and persistence. [Go to preferences, select spelling and grammar. Set to Formal style. Check off "check spelling' and "check grammar"]
• Choose the proper format for your letters, memos, reports, and emails. Your text shows many sample documents, which you should use in your assignments.
• Lower your shields! Don't be defensive about the comments you receive. The goal is to provide you with relevant feedback to improve your writing. Instructors read assignments as if they were your supervisor at work. "Do I want this person representing my company?"

• Accurately reading and following instructions is a life skill! Read instructions and review required formats at least twice before you start any assignment. Then review them again before you sending your work. You will lose points if your assignment is incorrect in content or format.
• "I work better under pressure!" Don't believe it! Don't procrastinate! For most of us the quality of our work goes down, the closer we get to a deadline.
• Review assignments several days before due date.
• Contact your instructors during normal working hours. Instructors are not on 24/7 schedules. Not all instructors log in on the weekends. Plan on 24 to 48 hour turn on questions. Be as specific as possible with your question. "I don't understand. Can you please explain what you want?" is not a good question.
• Off-site study skills links
  • We strongly suggest you visit Study Guides and Strategies -a site maintained by Joe Landsberger as an educational public service.
  • Here's a link for Online Student Tutorial from Grant MacEwan College which discusses the specialized study skills necessary for the online learner.