| If you are over the age of thirty and | | | | will. |
| thinking about returning to college, you | | | | |
| should know that you are not alone. Far from | | | | 6. If a course you need is offered at |
| it! | | | | inconvenient time, take it at a nearby |
| | | | college. Afterward transfer the course credit |
| Not that long ago, college students who were | | | | back to your primary college program. All |
| older than twenty-five were frequently | | | | colleges offer and accept transfer course |
| described by educators and college admissions | | | | credits. |
| officers as "non-traditional," but now more | | | | |
| and more adult students are returning to | | | | 7. Do you need financial aid? There are many |
| college than ever before. | | | | sources of scholarships, grants, and low cost |
| | | | loans for adult students. Inquire." |
| In fact, according to the F.A.Q. (Frequently | | | | |
| Asked Questions) page of Back2College.com, in | | | | It's also a good idea to review internet |
| 1970, "28 percent of all college students | | | | resources that are specifically designed to |
| were 25 years of age or older." | | | | serve the needs of adult learners, (such as |
| | | | Professor Seibert's site, and |
| In 1998 the number of adult learners had | | | | |
| increased to 41 percent. | | | | Professors Deeply Value Classroom |
| | | | Contributions of Adult Students |
| The number of students age 35 and older in | | | | |
| degree-granting institutions has soared from | | | | One of the best aspects of returning to |
| about 823,000 in 1970 to an estimated 2.9 | | | | college a little later in life is that many |
| million in 2001 - doubling from 9.6% of total | | | | professors greatly enjoy having adult |
| students to 19.2%, according to the National | | | | learners in their classrooms. For instance, |
| Center for Education Statistics." | | | | in a recent interview, Robert W. Greene, |
| | | | Ph.D., Professor Emeritus of French at the |
| Seven Valuable Tips for Returning to College | | | | State University of New York at Albany, |
| | | | stated that adult learners genuinely "want to |
| Professor Al Seibert, who has taught adult | | | | be where they are, sitting in a classroom |
| education and management psychology courses | | | | taking courses toward a degree." |
| for over thirty years at Portland State | | | | |
| University in Oregon, is the Director of The | | | | In his 30-plus years of teaching experience, |
| Resiliency Center and the co-author, along | | | | he observed that the adult learners in his |
| with Mary Karr, of The Adult Student's Guide | | | | classroom tended to "develop good study |
| to Survival & Success, 5th Edition. | | | | habits quickly, come to class prepared and |
| | | | seek to learn as much as they can in a |
| He frequently speaks to groups of newly | | | | course. In a word, they are motivated, thus |
| enrolled adult learners, and in a recent | | | | are a pleasure to teach." |
| e-mail interview, he outlined seven useful | | | | |
| tips that he always shares with them: | | | | Greene also feels that adult students often |
| | | | "show their younger classmates that being |
| "1. If you have fears and concerns write them | | | | committed to learning is a deeply satisfying |
| down. Then look to see how realistic they are | | | | way to live." |
| and develop a plan for overcoming each one. | | | | |
| For example, if you feel like you won't be | | | | Throughout his teaching career, Professor |
| able to study and compete with younger, | | | | Greene found that a great deal of learning |
| traditional students, that is an unrealistic | | | | took place in his classes that were composed |
| fear. After the first several class meetings, | | | | of both younger students and adult learners. |
| adult students calm their initial fears and | | | | Just as his younger students benefited |
| typically do better in their courses than | | | | enormously from the wisdom of their adult |
| most of the younger students. | | | | peers, Greene also observed that the younger |
| | | | students were sometimes able to remind their |
| 2. If you feel concerned about being able to | | | | adult classmates "just how exciting first |
| pass tests, go to the college bookstore and | | | | intellectual stirrings are. Witnessing this |
| look in the book section on "Study Skills." | | | | kind of mutual intellectual enrichment in a |
| These books have practical guidelines on how | | | | classroom is particularly gratifying for the |
| to study and pass tests with high grades. | | | | professor." |
| Study skills books also show how to write | | | | |
| excellent term papers. | | | | Greene acknowledges that adult students often |
| | | | have specific concerns. |
| 3. Are you uncertain about a new career | | | | |
| direction to take? The colleges in your area | | | | For instance, sometimes they "feel nervous |
| all have free career counseling services. | | | | about returning to the classroom after having |
| | | | been away from formal study for some years." |
| 4. If you worry about how much your spouse | | | | Whenever he sensed this particular anxiety in |
| and family will support your new life as a | | | | his adult students, Professor Greene would |
| college student, some books and websites have | | | | point out to them that "their maturity was |
| guidelines on how to gain their cooperation, | | | | more of an advantage than a disadvantage to |
| support, and encouragement. | | | | them, and that their very presence in the |
| | | | classroom demonstrated to one and all that |
| 5. If you are working while taking college | | | | their passion to learn and to succeed in |
| courses, ask your employer to alter your work | | | | their studies was real. |
| schedule during exam weeks. Most of them | | | | |