Managing Your Time
Just as it was years ago, time is going to be your biggest concern. Many adult students must keep their day jobs in order to support their family, so many colleges and universities offer continuing education classes on nights and weekends that employ the same faculty as during the daytime and still count toward a degree. Adult schools and community colleges that specialize in mature learners also offer a convenient and flexible schedule, as well as such benefits as open enrollment and sliding scale fees.

For those with lots of self-discipline, distance learning might be the best option, as it lets the student set the hours. All classes are conducted over the internet, with downloadable course materials and specific times set aside for online chats with the professor--check into some programs for an idea of how they works. Internships often play an important role in career progression, so make sure that you'll be able to either tailor your schedule to fit in some related experience or adapt your current job to include some comparable practical applications.

Even if you make sure you know your stuff before returning to school, you might find yourself a little out of practice with the academic way of life in terms of study habits, critical thinking, and writing formats. A lot of schools offer "catch-up" courses in the summer to brush up students both young and old on a variety of subjects, which could save you time in the long run. Buy a style guide and try writing a few practice papers or outlines to familiarize yourself with the paper-writing process, and get ahold of last year's course syllabi, if possible, so that you can get a head start on the reading; while younger students have the liberty of reserving weeks of time to devote entirely to studying, you're going to have to work around an already well-formed life, so try to work studying into any natural stoppages in your day, such as lunch breaks and commutes. If you have family, it's a good idea to reserve a couple hours a night as "homework time," a term that both children and adults can understand as being off-limits from outside voices--and that often both can share.

...and Money
Another concern you might be facing this time around is additional financial responsibilities. While once you used to be able to work a couple shifts at the dining hall to pay for your textbooks, this time around, you've most likely got a lease or mortgage, bills, and possibly even an entire family that depends upon your income. Even if you manage to work your class schedule to allow you to have a day job, you're still going to be paying for tuition and study materials on top of all of your previous obligations, and you won't have time for an extra job.

Just as before, seek assistance from financial aid. Some schools set aside separate aid for adult learners, and some group all students together, but the key is to get in on it. Make sure to apply early, as some institutions only have a set amount available each year--and when it's gone, it's gone. Since aid is based on last year's income tax return instead of your current (and often lower) salary, some creative accounting might be needed to get the proper amount of money; sometimes it's better to defer bonuses and build up your 401(k) and IRA in order to appear as deserving as possible. When it comes time to do your taxes, take advantage of federal education tax credits, and make sure to reapply for aid every year based on your adjusted income.

That Was Then. This Is Now.
Another big issue that adult learners face is making the inevitable and unnecessary comparison of their educational experience now to their educational experience back when they started. Not only has technology changed the way that many classes are taught, but a lot of the focus on certain material has shifted in order to accommodate today's concerns, making it difficult to draw a parallel between the two. Other students often see adult learners as being on some sort of soapbox, preaching from a higher ground because of their additional years of experience, and some teachers find themselves intimidated when faced with students the same age as themselves.

Adult learners are in the fortunate position of being acutely aware of why they're in the classroom--and have no reason to feed these perceptions. Make sure all your motives are properly in place. Then just get ready to work hard!