Being an adult student

Now that I am in my late 30’s it has really started to bother me that I don’t have a degree. Since I’ve come this far – I am a middle manager in my company – without it and at my age, it’ll take me forever since I only have a few credit hours from long ago. Should I even try?

Here is a true story: A single mom in her early 30’s worked as a bank teller to support her young daughter. Wanting a better future for them both, she quit her job, lived on student loans and after three years earned an undergraduate degree in zoology.

Then, she applied for, and was accepted to, medical school in 2004. After graduating in May 2009 she is a doctor and resident in emergency medicine. By the time she completes her education she will be in her early 40’s. So, what’s the morale of this story? You are going to be 40 anyway. What are you waiting for?

Sure, you might be older than a number of your classmates as was our friend the medical student. But then again, maybe not. There is an entire field of academic study devoted to continuing and adult education and a number of colleges and universities cater primarily to the nontraditional student. The largest segment of the population on a college campus is not the 18-to-24-year-olds as you might expect. In fact, between 1970 and 1993, the number of students aged 40 and older who enrolled in college has increased by 235 percent.

Being an adult student could not be any more convenient than it is today. Think about the nontraditional student even 10 years ago. Although some colleges made attending classes easier for adult working students by meeting in the evenings and on weekends, students still had go to the library, do research and spend hours taking notes out of books.

Today, you can do so many things online, even earn a degree. This option eliminates all worries about age differences because you are communicating online with professors and fellow students in chat rooms.

You can always start slowly and ease back into the rhythm of school. And remember, your birthdays will keep coming. When you turn 40, the choice whether your degree will be hanging on your wall is entirely up to you. Re-entry as an adult student has never been easier.