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Adult learning classes: Attainable education programs and college degrees

Semester-long degree programs don’t usually work for adults. Job schedules may change day to day, but education programs usually do not. There is childcare to think about for many. Sometimes the college campus isn’t close enough to make it on time. The Beltway rush-hour traffic in Washington, DC, and even, traffic in Northern Virginia, can be brutal. You would think that these things are preventing adults from going back to college, but it’s not true. Adult learning programs are taking these factors into account and making it easy to get a degree.

The New York Times says that adults make up 40% of the higher education market. Institutions are building college programs specifically for adults in hopes of enticing them to start a new career. Potomac College courses are shorter; classes are scheduled after work hours; and, convenient locations have been established in Washington D.C. and Virginia.

Do adult learning programs, career training work?

Adult learning education can come in two forms. Accelerated classes are fewer hours spent in the classroom over less time than a traditional semester-long program. Compressed or intensive courses are the same amount of hours as a normal semester, but are held over a shorter period of time. This education format can feel like a marathon to some adults -- but it gets them to their end goal of a new career faster.

But does it work? Is this type of education effective at jump-starting careers and making school attainable for working adults? Is getting a bachelor’s degree in eighteen months sufficient training? Absolutely. The Center for the Study of Accelerated Learning at Regis University says that adults “learned as well as or better than college-age students in traditional-length courses.”

What does age bring to a classroom? The expected answer might be slow, confused and frustrated attempts at learning, but this is rarely true. Working adults are motivated, bring experience, and are able to concentrate better than normal undergraduate college students. Bringing those qualities to a classroom negate any memory problems adults attribute to their age.

Because instructors are aware of the shortened courses, they tend to be more structured, more disciplined. What are they losing? Things like class discussions, projects, and associations may be sacrificed. Some experts say people are losing time to process the information they are trying to absorb. They lose the chance to repeat educational activities and might have less time for practicing. While these things may be true, a lot depends on how the person learns best and on the institution providing the education. Potomac College, in Washington DC and Virginia, specializes in the adult learning experience.

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What kind of degree can I make a career out of?

There are a few subjects that might not do well crammed into a short time frame. Studying a language may not come easily, or may not be retained for long if it is rushed. Basics can be learned in a month, but no one will be translating books after that short amount of time. Subjects with heavy amounts of reading, like literature classes, may not adapt well to being shortened. There is simply too much information to take in that short amount of time. Science classes with labs put a lot more demand on a student and are difficult to complete with a shortened schedule.

What classes present accelerated learning well? Business, healthcare, and education. These are areas where there is direct correlation between the material studied and what the career entails. These occupations have immediate needs and people can jump into them upon completing a college degree. Potomac College is an adult learning school that equips working adult learners to make that transition.

Potomac College courses in accounting prepare students to handle tax matters and perform audits. Students who get a degree in business management can jump into management or marketing positions. Adults who’ve completed the contract management program will understand buyer-seller relationships. Information systems management will prepare adult learners to ensure network security and cyber security. A degree in international business will help adult students to understand the American business market in comparison to markets in other parts of the world. All of these careers are logical extensions of the skills learned in school and applied to real-life situations.

*NOTICE* NOT ALL PROGRAMS OFFERED AT BOTH CAMPUSES

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