Research what it takes to achieve your goals. Speak to a lawyer about her work in bankruptcy. Shadow an optometrist as he helps others with their eye health. Observe teachers at work in their classrooms. Spend time talking to an engineer about the projects she has worked on. Decide whether the average $81,610 earned by physician assistants yearly meets your personal earning expectations. Ascertain whether the $66,950 that dental hygienists average a year will support your family. Thorough research will enable you to make a good decision about your educational and career path.
Examine your purpose and decide whether your goals for education are realistic. Determine if child care will be a problem while you are at school. Decide if you can afford to go to school right now or whether it would be better to save so for a little while. Figure out how you are going to find time to balance quality study time with the rest of the responsibilities in your life. Decide what activities you are going to drop so that you have time to study. Ask your spouse if she supports your decision to go back to school. Speak to your children about the changes that are going to occur because you are going back to school.
Make sure that your educational goals are manageable. Instead of saying that you want to graduate with a 3.75 GPA, say that you want to make it through the term with a 3.75 GPA. Accomplish tasks associated with term papers into weekly task. Week one and two of the term can be dedicated to research while week three and four can be committed to outlining the paper as well as going through the research. When assigned a reading assignment, make a daily reading schedule that will enable you to finish the assignment on time. When educational goals are not overwhelming, they are more likely to be accomplished.
Find several people who will hold you accountable for your educational success. Choose those that you trust. Have a classmate ask you weekly how your paper is coming along. Ask your best friend to call you while your favorite TV show is on to remind you that your studies are more important than the show. Request that your husband not take you out for your weekly date until you have studied for your exam. Remind yourself that when you are done, your accountability partner may be a reason why you have accomplished your educational goals.