Life and times of an adult student

[wallwalker]

It's easy to feel a little out of place here. Probably not nearly so much as it would be at a four-year university, though - I guess I'll see about that next term.

Thinking about this because I noticed a book called Adult At-Risk Students in the library here, talking about how the setup of the university created discrimination against certain demographics (presumably older students.) I can see it, especially since I'm going after another undergraduate degree. It's easy to feel like I don't belong here when the person I usually study with is literally half my age.

I don't think it's that dire, though. I'm not even the oldest student in most of my classes. There was at least one guy four or five years older than I am in my Physics class last term; his son is taking Cal 3 at the same time that he is, and they're even studying together. (He's transferred up to the university, as far as I know; I don't know what program he's in, so I might see him there, but who knows?) I'm sure the economy is a big factor; people are losing their jobs, or trying to get out of low-paying part-time jobs by increasing their qualifications.

(It probably makes a huge difference that the book was written in 1997, before college costs went completely insane and the bottom fell out of the economy. I'm sure there's more understanding of the needs of adult students now.)

Comments

[thene]

My roommate has an odd enough time of it, and she's in her second semester at a four-year college at the ripe old age of 22. Even that 3-year gap is very weird to her, as it comes along with a lot of life differences (not least that she's an orphan). So I can only imagine! I may have to go back for a second undergrad degree myself...

[sarasa_cat]

Very belated comment. As an ex-academic, this is a trend I watched with my students over the past decade. It started with just a little bit of age spread amongst my 3rd and 4th year undergraduates and then the age spread grew, especially after the big economic crash. Given that so many of the classes we taught emphasized group projects during 3rd and 4th year, I always made a point of trying to find ways to make things work given how different priorities and work styles are for the average 20 year old vs the average 30 to 40 year old. It certainly creates challenges.