Forty-Something

Returning to school in your forties can be a huge challenge. Learning new technologies and teaching methods can be daunting tasks. Learning to think academically after being away from school for so long can be unnerving.

Going straight from high school to college is a challenge of its own. Learning what to expect and what will be expected can cause feelings of anxiety. Those stepping straight from high school into college have an early advantage. Their minds will already be accustomed to academic life. Note taking skills and homework scheduling are fresh on the brain. Also, recent high school graduates should be aware of and accustomed to using the latest technology in their coursework.

Conversely, returning to academia after a long hiatus seems to be an uphill battle. Just walking into a classroom full of classmates who are young enough to be your own children can be awkward. Having instructors who are younger is no comfort either. Note taking and test taking skills may have diminished over time, or they may feel completely foreign by this time in life.

However, the forty-something crowd may have their own advantage. Those in their forties often have a real appreciation for what the real world offers, demands, expects and what an important role education plays in the big picture. The realization of that importance generally causes most forty-somethings to be better students than their younger counterparts.

Everyday life can be a major distraction for the forty-somethings. Family life, children, financial responsibility, and work all place major demands on the time and mental resources of the forty-something but simultaneously those same things can act like a catalyst to cause the forty-something to push harder in his studies.