Set up a daily study schedule. Pick a time when the house is quiet -- after the kids have gone to sleep or first thing in the morning -- and designate this as a time when you review and prepare. Make it a habit.
Get an overview. Suppose you are going to study for the GED, for example. Read the introduction, study the table of contents, and form a picture of exactly what is required for each section. Avoid the trap of jumping in and starting to work on the questions before you understand the bigger picture.
Take notes. Jot down comments during every class. Be sure to copy the annotations the teacher writes on the whiteboard. Refrain from asking the question "will this be on the test?" as it is sure to annoy your instructor.
Review your notes and class handouts as soon as you can after class. According to several studies, most information is forgotten within 20 to 60 minutes of hearing it. Before you leave class for the day, sit down in a quiet place and review the material of the day to reinforce your learning.
Avoid cramming for exams and don't leave assignments until the last minute. This is the reason to develop a daily study habit, because then you can plan for tests and papers in advance. You will also have time to edit the papers before they are due.
Set up an adult study group. Check with student services and see if there is a study group for people returning to school. If there isn't, watch for mature students like yourself and ask them if they would be interested in meeting once a week to share ideas and offer encouragement.
Identify your purpose. If you are preparing for a test or an oral examination, you have a focused purpose. This is different from doing some background reading looking for quotes to support a term paper.
Skim and then reread. Get in the habit of reading quickly, but being able to pick out relevant points. When you come to a sentence or a section that is particularly important, stop and reread.
Take detailed notes. Just as you take notes in class, get in the habit of taking notes as you read. Include the citation information so that you don't have to spend the weekend looking for that perfect quote for your paper.
Know your attention span and work to increase it. When you go back to studying, your attention span may have atrophied. When your mind wanders, stop and do something else for a while and then go back and reread. At the same time, work on your concentration skills.
Visualize what you are reading. Remember the Battle of Hastings as being 1066 by thinking of William of Normandy being part of a tapestry of that age.