Suggestions to make it easier going to college after time away:

- Concentrate on managing your time better. Put channel surfing or cruising the Internet on hold for the educational duration. You will need that time for reading, writing and commuting.

- Hold regular family conferences, explaining that you'll need a little more quiet to prep for tests and more table space for writing term papers. Get family members involved, including spending some time on campus with you.

- Get to know your instructors as neighbors. Talk to them about your constraints and concerns - things like the jobs you hold and some of the experiences you bring to class. That may help with assignments and deadlines.

- Form car pools and study groups. Information shared while driving or between lectures helps with the classroom give-and-take and at test time. It saves on gasoline expenses, too.

- Term papers aren't all that daunting once you get beyond the title. Spend time at the school library getting acquainted with the resources. That includes the librarians. They can help take you where you want to go.

- If you feel overwhelmed by your course load, then slow down but don't quit. Take fewer credits per term but attend class year-round. That will ease the study burden while keeping you on schedule for graduation.

- Despite what you may have heard, education is affordable and help available at many places, ranging from local service clubs and workplaces to the school's financial aid office.

- Enjoy. Your college experience can be one of the most enriching periods of your life. Soak up campus life. Take lunch with classmates on the ivy-covered grounds; join student groups; take school-sponsored trips.

Sources: "Traditional Degrees for Nontraditional Students: How to Earn a Top Diploma from America's Great Colleges at Any Age," by Carole S. Fungaroli. Farrar Straus & Giroux. List price: $14; "Going Back to School: Survival Strategies for Adult Students," by Frank Joe Bruno, ARCO. List price: $14.95.