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