Are you an older or “adult” student? Are you having trouble juggling all your responsibilities and finding a time and place to do your out-of-class assignments? Pay extra attention to this section. Even with all the challenges, you’ll find that college can be a life-changing experience for you.
If you’re a “returning” student—someone who might have experienced some college before—or if you are an adult living and working off campus, you might also find that college presents new challenges and opportunities. For instance, college might feel liberating, like a new beginning or a stimulating challenge or like a path to a career. Working full-time and attending college at night, on weekends, or both can mean extra stress, however, especially with a family at home.
Adult students often experience a daunting lack of freedom because of many important conflicting responsibilities. Working, caring for a family, and meeting your other commitments will compete for the time and attention it takes to do your best or even simply stay in college. You might wonder how you will ever get through college and still manage to care for your family. You might worry that they won’t understand why you have to spend time in class and studying.
Work Together
List the challenges you are facing in college. Then work with your classmates to brainstorm how you might avoid or overcome such challenges in the future.
Despite your concerns, you should know that many college professors value working with adult students because, unlike eighteen-year-old students, your life experiences have shown you how important an education can be. Adult students tend to have intrinsic motivation that comes with maturity and experience, and that motivation will compensate for any initial difficulties you might have. You will bring a unique and rich perspective to what you’re learning in your classes, a perspective that most younger students lack.