By MICHAEL CAHLIN
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The fact that more and more "older" students are using their golden (and pre-golden) years to return to school should come as no surprise. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, there were 3.2 million adults age 35 and over enrolled in degree-granting postsecondary institutions. Older adults hitting the books is yet another sign of the importance of lifelong learning: 55% of those ages 41 to 50, 41% of those 51 to 65 and 22% of those 66 and older participated in some form of adult education from 2000 to 2001.
Older students typically return to school for a smorgasbord of reasons, including specialty certifications, graduate school entrance, changing careers, improving or learning new job skills, and personal growth. What is surprising, however, is how quickly most make the same astonishing discovery I did: I'm a better student now than I was in my teenage years.
Re-Right Your Life
I had been a freelance writer for more than three decades. My publishing credits ranged from creating the blueprint for what evolved into the "For Dummies" series, to covering the Los Angeles Lakers for Basketball Weekly, to writing industry trend technology features for PC World. Then, for a story, I took a test to become a substitute teacher for Beverly Hills and Pasadena High Schools. Much to my surprise, I discovered I not only really liked teaching, but I was also really good at it.
The problem: Teaching full time anywhere -- high school or university, public or private -- required more than my 30-year-old bachelor of arts degree in journalism. I wanted to teach but my negative voice said: "You're too old to start classes again ... You'll be even older when you finish school ... You'll never find the money to pay tuition." And, the knockout punch stopper: "You weren't a great student at 18, what's going to be different now?" I quickly discovered that everything was different.
Unlike my younger self, I knew exactly what I wanted, what I needed and where to get it. In less than an hour, I reduced an Internet search to a handful of local and distance learning universities. I spoke with admissions advisors by phone or in person until I found the educational option that was right for me.
Next, I tackled the financial aspect. Once again, my preconceived notions that an almost 50-year old, white, Jewish male would never find loans or scholarships were absolutely wrong. Working with my university's financial aid department, I qualified for a low-interest loan from the U.S. Department of Education Federal Student Aid program. I also applied for -- and won -- a scholarship from my school.
In fact, once I started seriously looking, I was flabbergasted at how many financial opportunities were available for both distance learning and traditional schools. See for yourself: FinAid is loaded with financial aid information for older students. FastWeb serves up loans and scholarships available to everyone, not just your teenage nephew.
Old School Goes to New School
I was almost 50 when I entered Pepperdine University to get a master's of education, and graduated at 53. I started classes part-time -- either one or two days a week or weekends -- and worked as a full-time freelance writer and part-time substitute teacher. To my absolute astonishment, I was an exceptional student, unlike my former self that squeaked out an undergrad degree so many years ago.
What changed? I did: older, married, more settled, I knew exactly what I was working for and why. My education did not play second fiddle to dating, pledging a fraternity, staying up all night and partying. Instead, I was captivated by the subject matter and figuring out if it would really work in the world I knew.
Am I a super student? Not by any means. But talk to any adult who returned to school -- and even the younger students in the class -- and you'll hear the same thing. "Older students are more focused," explains Sara LaWall, 31, who took 10 years off before returning to graduate school. "We've been in the real world, interacted with more people, and are just more world-savvy than most 21-year-old students straight out of college."
What's more, believe it or not, grades that carried so much weight held little consequence 30 years later. After childbirth, bankruptcy, the death of a parent, divorce, job hirings and firings, I was much more interested in learning than looking for the easiest way to score that A.
Course of Action
Of course, not everything was perfect. For example, whether in class or online, I was usually the oldest student, and in most education courses, the only male. If you're uncomfortable sitting with students young enough to be your children, online classes are far more comfortable.
Also, if you're wondering whether or not you have what it takes to even finish a single class, let alone commit to a degree, most distance-learning programs offer two types of classes: asynchronous (class work can be completed at a time convenient for you so long as you meet deadlines) and synchronous (there is a scheduled class time where you're required to sign on). So if you need the flexibility to log on and learn, say, after that work project is done, or the grandkids are soundly tucked into their sleeping bags -- asynchronous distance learning lets you decide when you can attend class. It presents a much more flexible option than a fixed schedule that often conflicts with career and family.
In either case, be prepared to work. Learn to pace yourself. I found it easier to take one or two courses a semester so I could schedule several weeks off before repeating the process. It took over three years, but returning to school and getting my master's degree revitalized my life. It changed the way I think about myself, changed my views on education, and was instrumental in helping me land my dream job as the academic director at Sober College. I am working with and creating distance-learning curriculum for young adults in recovery from alcohol and drug addiction. Pink Floyd was wrong, we do need education, even if we are a little older and presumably wiser.
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