How did you transition from being a part-time college student to attending full-time?

Hi Emily:

I was in the same situation that you are currently considering several years ago. At the time I was working in the field of law enforcement and was taking courses part time at a local college, with the goal of becoming full time and then changing careers when I received my degree.

I was successful in moving from part time to full time, and I believe there were several reasons why I was able to do this. One key I discovered is to not overload yourself with difficult classes. Like any other change in environment or life style there is always a learning curve when it comes to adjusting from a part time student to a full time one. I saw several students attempt to take very difficult and challenging courses, which required them to perform outside research and spend an enormous time in the library. This schedule did not work out very well and they ended up dropping out of school.

I saw my part time experience as establishing a base camp while climbing a mountain. You set up your academic base and background and progress higher and higher to other camps, until you eventually reach the summit. That base you establish as a part time student will eventually help you when you become a full time student. I believe a large part of successfully transitioning from part time to full time is not only in selection of classes (progressing from easier to more challenging ones), but also it is in the time of day in which you select your classes. I always attempted to select courses at times in which I could balance my class time with the time in which I needed to do study and do research. This meant selecting courses on my full time student schedule which normally ran back to back, or one class right after another. This allowed me to complete my courses (normally in the morning hours) and then progress to studying and completing homework and test preparation at mid day and the afternoon. So one element and difference between the part time schedule to a full time one was the commitment of time and resources to achieving my academic goal. Keep in mind that the pace will be stepping up in regards to completion of a degree, so it will seem like things are going a lot faster. So your overall mental focus must also be more higher in regards to completing all your academic assignments and courses. This meant that I was required to cut back on my social life and other various commitments, until my degree was finished. So check your outside responsibilities for any conflicts.

A full time schedule will definitely be more strenuous. But the overall benefits were greater than if I had stayed on a part time one and it increased my time line in completing the degree.