Creating a Continuing Education Action Plan
Writing a Plan for Returning to College in Preparation for Success
Oct 14, 2008
The longer you have been out of college the more preparation needed. If it has been 10 years or more, the greater the technological shock experienced. Although the teaching and learning process is still the same, the difference is in delivery and communication.
Delivery may integrate various levels of technology, from the professor websites to course management sites, such as Blackboard. Professors communicate through e-mail, bulletin boards, and listservs. Course registration and fee payment are online today.
Do not be surprised if a college does not accept transfer credits for courses you completed more than 10 years ago. Chances are you do not remember what you learned and considering the advances in knowledge and technology, you will be glad you had to retake the courses.
These important facts lead to the reason for developing a continuing education action plan. Giving yourself time to research the type of program interested in completing and what specific attributes needed to achieve your goals are important to continuing education success. The more preparatory work completed in advance, the more likely the continuing education experience will go smoothly.
Regardless of how the action plan is recorded, a yellow legal pad or spreadsheet, preparation is the key to success. It is important to use a format that you are comfortable with and makes sense to you. Outlining what you need to accomplish and prioritization steps in the action plan are recommended to keep the plan focused.
Continuing Education Action Plan
The following are the minimum recommended steps for any continuing education action plan:
- Make a list of all transcripts and letters of recommendation you need to gather; record contact information for these credentials. These will be needed for forwarding to the college you have selected.
- Develop a chronological timetable of dates for completing specifics steps, such as: dates for completing research of specific colleges and programs, dates for visiting college campuses, dates for application deadlines, dates for financial aid deadlines, etc.
- Visit your human resources manager to determine if the company will pay some or all tuition.
- After narrowing college choices, find out everything you can about the college and desired program, such as: course times and how often they are offered (all courses are not offered every semester), convenience of course times, is the college adult friendly, meet with program chair or attend program open houses, etc.
- Research admission and placement test (writing, math, etc.) polices for colleges you are considering.
- Set up a time to visit student services or continuing education student services to determine how supportive they are for adult students.
- Meet with financial aid office to determine what financial assistance you are eligible (do not forget complete and submit a FASFA by required deadlines).
- Find out exactly how many credit hours you will need to complete the desired program. It is important to get this in writing from the program advisor and registrar’s office to avoid surprises later.
- Determine if you can test out of courses for credit, based on life and work experiences.
- Determine what technological tools you will need for the program, such as: computer requirements, software requirements, etc.
