What sets apart adult students, often in their 40's and 50's, from their younger peers? It's more than the amount of gray hair or wrinkles -- it's the richness of the real-life experiences that they bring to the classroom. Traditional age students often wonder how what they're learning is ever going to apply to the real world. Their more mature classmates are able to relate their studies to actual work-life experiences from their own life.
Although my return to academia was in my twenties after getting married and in the process of raising two children at the time, I do remember how much more relevant the material seemed after having spent a few years in the real world. Now women are raising children and grandchildren while holding down full-time jobs and earning a degree. Some want to change professions or earn a promotion. Others are looking to re-enter the work force after staying home to raise young children. Whatever the reason, these baby boomer students are motivated! Because of the need to juggle the responsibilities of caring for family and going to work, they place a higher value on the limited time they have for class and schoolwork.
An increasing number of colleges and universities are catering to these returning students by offering support groups, on-campus childcare, evening office hours, and commuter lounges. Some schools are even offering special services that teach computer skills to students who might be intimidated by the advancement in technology since their Corolla typewriter days.
Whether changing careers or seeking advancement in their current position, adult students are much more focused than their younger classmates. For one thing, a middle-age college student has already had time to explore who she is and what she wants to do with the rest of her life. With her eyes focused on the goal, she's going after it!
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