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Hey goons. I'm going to university for the first time as a 31-year old and obviously, I'm going to be much older than probably 98% of the other students. I'm fine with it, but I'm curious if there are other goons which have gone through the same thing, what their experience was, and if they have any tips.
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Jul 13, 2018 21:31
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Grimes posted:Hey goons. I'm going to university for the first time as a 31-year old and obviously, I'm going to be much older than probably 98% of the other students. I'm fine with it, but I'm curious if there are other goons which have gone through the same thing, what their experience was, and if they have any tips. In my experience there's no real difference in how people approached classes due to that small an age difference. The difference between grad students and undergrad students, however, is pretty intense depending on the undergrad student you're dealing with. Grad students are generally there to learn and get a job done, while undergrad students tend to be younger and tend to be there because it's expected of them and they're doing it just because it's something to do. Some of those students will be diligent and serious about stuff, and some will be doing the bare minimum. Sometimes you'll get group members who do not show up to class and expect to coast by on the backs of other members doing the job. Most of the time, in my own experience, group members stuck to their own divvied up parts of a project and were dragged down by parts of that project that they did not do, but were judged by. My tip for you would be to make sure that you're satisfied with the product that you'll be graded on, whatever it is. Also, learn the age-old rule that professors are looking for a particular answer and a particular way for it to be presented. Learning the preferred answer style of each professor can help your grade considerably. If you don't know the way in which a professor wants something presented in a paper or whatever, ask them for help. Most students never ask professors with advice on their assignments, but the professors are usually required to be available with office hours, and they generally like it when students take a genuine interest in doing well.
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Jul 15, 2018 00:02
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My experience going back to school at 28 was that there was a huge difference in how older students treated school vs kids right out of high school. You’re old enough that you’re probably spending your own money, and you’re certainly giving up higher earning years than if you and done it a decade prior. That’s not to say that you can’t have a good time, but you’re probably going to treat your work more seriously than a lot of them. School is like 10x easier than actual work, so you’ll be able to have a good time while still putting in a good amount of work. Even though you’re older, you still need to network. Some programs are more geared towards it than others, but working in groups even just for study purposes can be really beneficial, and it helps to have people you’re friendly with to work with.
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Jul 15, 2018 15:12
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I'm assuming you're planning on commuting instead of living on campus? Either way, make sure you're building a social network and getting involved on campus. You want that network for academic and social support: they know what you're going through at school, while the people at home do not. It'll also feel less isolating in class, and during down times. When it comes to getting involved it's super-beneficial to you as a student/person. Student orgs are where you can create those contacts. It's also widely-known that an involved student can be a more resilient one. Finally, being part of a student org will organically give you opportunities to work on your "soft skills" and can easily translate into interview questions.
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Jul 15, 2018 16:15
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You're so far ahead of the game just by not being straight out of high school, in my opinion. I deal with a variety of students, not in a purely academic setting mind you, and the maturity difference between a 17- or 18-year-old and someone even in their mid-20s who's already figured out the basic bits of being an adult is stunning.
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Jul 15, 2018 16:32
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Hi OP I'm a science professor and most of my students are non-traditional, our average age is 28. Echoing what others have said, older students typically are actual adults while 21 year olds are still children. Most of our students have had a day job for a decade, many have children, so they tend to have a much better work ethic and reasonable expectations. Your typical fresh-out-of-high-school student will pitch a fit when they feel they "deserve" an A but don't get it, while older students will say yeah, I did B quality work. The biggest hurdle I see for my older students is the time gap between when they last had various coursework. For example, many of our students struggle with algebra because the last time they had it was in high school a decade ago and haven't used it since so they're rusty. A few questions that might help us give you more specific advice: 1) what's your major or intended major? 2) full time or part time student? are you working while going to school? 3) are you living on campus or off? commuting? how easy is it going to be for you to get involved in campus life? 4) what is the size of the school? big university or smaller college? this is important because you might be one of hundreds of students in a class at the former, or one of twenty at the latter In general, I would stress that college is a lot harder than high school, and you will be expected to do a lot of learning on your own. A common complaint from my younger students is "why do I have to buy the textbook if you're going to test from your lectures in class?!" Because I expect you to read the material before you come to class, then I will lecture on it stressing what I think is the most important parts, then you'll have some review material and eventually exams etc. If you come to class having not read and prepared, it'll be like drinking from a firehose. You need to have some exposure and understanding or it's just too much. Come prepared. Participate in class. Raise your hand, ask questions. Even if it's the wrong answer. You'll learn better and should not worry about looking like the teacher's pet, this is your education you're paying for, gently caress 'em. I mean, don't be that guy who's always constantly asking questions and being obnoxious, but don't be the silent student in back. Probably more important than participating in class, go to office hours to get help, ask questions, and develop a relationship with your professors. We absolutely take note of students who make the effort to seek help, and those of us that actually care about teaching have no problem using our time to work with you, that's what we're here for. At big research universities, professors often don't care much about undergrads especially if you're not a major in their program. But generally, when we're at office hours we're there for you. Make use of us, we're here to be a resource to students! Develop relationships with professors in your major program, especially. Maybe not your freshman year, but definitely in your sophomore year you should start pursuing internships and research opportunities and faculty mentors will be the people that steer you into those. A professor can throw a lot of weight around to help promising students if they want to, typically they have a lot of connections in the local community and academia broadly. I teach at a small school, but I have a ton of contacts from grad school and various professional and academic organizations I can send you to with a recommendation. Be honest and straightforward with profs about deadlines and such. Hopefully you're not in the situation where you're having to turn work in late, but if it happens just shoot them an email and say "hi professor, I don't think I'll be able to turn my paper in on time, I'm overwhelmed with exams for my other classes. Would it be possible to have a two-day extension?" Not all instructors are the same obviously, but personally I'm a lot more lenient with students who are proactive and honest with me. I've seen so many bullshit excuses, I don't want to hear it and I'm not going to be sympathetic if you contact me an hour before or the day after the deadline about your dead grandma or stomach flu or how your computer ate your homework. If you're in the situation where you aren't sure if you can make a deadline, email your prof at least several days in advance and ask about the possibility of an extension. It never hurts to ask, we've all been there and most instructors will probably give you some wiggle room if you're proactive and straight-up with them. Take care of yourself, exercise regularly, join a club or two, eat and rest well. College is stressful and intensive and you'll do much better if you're not running yourself ragged. Similarly, don't procrastinate on studying for exams. As an undergrad I was terrible about that, but I developed much better habits in grad school. My personal rule was to be prepared for an exam 24-48 hours beforehand, then spend the last day or two semi-relaxing while still doing review. The worst thing you can do is stay up all night cramming because then you'll come to the exam exhausted and stressed. It's far better to be ready well in advance and come well-rested. e: I grammar gud at 5am Pellisworth fucked around with this message at 12:00 on Jul 22, 2018 |
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Jul 22, 2018 11:51
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So I have both experiences... went to college straight out of high school (well, 1 semester break), partied too long and hard, dropped out with an awesome <0.5 GPA, then went back in my 30s. To put it this way - I went from the 0.5 GPA I had when I dropped out to a 3.2 cumulative in 3 semesters, and made dean's list 2 of those 3 semesters (all A's). My cumulative is now about a 3.4. I still haven't finished, but I haven't finished more because of financial reasons at this point. I had a lot more life experience, and as others have said, in your 30s, you take things a lot more seriously. Most of my instructors were very willing to help, and seemed relieved that I was actually asking questions related to the material (aside from one tenured professor who was about to retire, though I still passed), and I've remained friends with a couple of them for several years now. The one who was about to retire just referred everything to his TAs, and when I had a family member die right before midterms, he told me to attend the funeral via Skype (wtf) if I didn't want to fail the exam. I had a couple of classes taught by grad students that were younger than me. A little awkward until we got to know each other, but they were always the most approachable. One of them was in the same boat as me - she was a non-traditional student who had come back to school in her 30s, she just happened to be working on her masters instead of her bachelors. I also wound up living on campus for one year, in my 30s. Thankfully, my university had one dorm that was apartment-style (opens to the outside). You still got a roommate assigned, but since I got accepted over winter break, I didn't have a chance to find a place to live, so I had to do the dorms. Had a roommate for the spring term, then got a single for summer and fall. I wasn't the oldest one either; there was another student in her 40s, and one in his 50s, all of us in the same boat (accepted over winter break, couldn't find an affordable place on short notice). Most of the buildings had an age limit, that particular hall didn't. I got mistaken for staff a lot though.
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Jul 23, 2018 06:15
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A whole thread for you: https://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3414017
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Jul 23, 2018 17:02
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Thanks for the responses, everyone!  This post is going to be a giant gross quote tunnel; sorry in advance.Jordan7hm posted:You’re old enough that you’re probably spending your own money, and you’re certainly giving up higher earning years than if you and done it a decade prior. Jordan7hm posted:Even though you’re older, you still need to network. Some programs are more geared towards it than others, but working in groups even just for study purposes can be really beneficial, and it helps to have people you’re friendly with to work with. Schrute Nation posted:Either way, make sure you're building a social network and getting involved on campus. Pellisworth posted:The biggest hurdle I see for my older students is the time gap between when they last had various coursework. For example, many of our students struggle with algebra because the last time they had it was in high school a decade ago and haven't used it since so they're rusty. Pellisworth posted:1) what's your major or intended major? 2) Full time, at least for the first semester. I have enough money to get me by for now, but I haven't decided if i'm going to work while going to school or just work extremely long hours in the summer. I'm a tradesman painter which offers me a lot of flexibility that other people might not have, so I'm lucky. 3) Off campus, but pretty close. It would be easy for me to get involved. 4) Just over 9000 students. I think it's pretty small, as far as universities go. I was actually accepted into a more prestigious university, but their CS program was bursting at the seams and it didn't seem like a good fit for me. Pellisworth posted:In general, I would stress that college is a lot harder than high school, and you will be expected to do a lot of learning on your own. Pellisworth posted:generally, when we're at office hours we're there for you. Make use of us, we're here to be a resource to students! Pellisworth posted:Take care of yourself, exercise regularly, join a club or two, eat and rest well. College is stressful and intensive and you'll do much better if you're not running yourself ragged. Pellisworth posted:Similarly, don't procrastinate on studying for exams. uguu posted:A whole thread for you:
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Jul 23, 2018 21:31
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Don't sweat it. I just finished a degree I started at 35, and I was never the oldest in any class. I even got involved with the student society and volunteered in an advocacy group--both of which turned out to be really useful skill sets to polish up. Being a grown-up is a huge advantage in the kind of challenges you'll encounter in university. I got hired out of my practicum placement into a job that's about a billion times better than what I was doing before. Totally worth it.
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Jul 26, 2018 00:27
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Well this thread is right up my alley. I graduated high school in 1999, dropped out of college in 2001, dropped out of college again in 2003, and got a useless associate's degree in 2007. I was an unmotivated, irresponsible little poo poo. In fact, the only reason I even got my associate's was because my wife and I had our first kid and I felt like I had to accomplish *something*. And it was just a lovely degree in general studies that isn't worth the paper it's printed on. But... then I got older. I'm turning 36 in a couple weeks and I'm about to start my senior year in secondary math education at Illinois State. I basically re-enrolled in college in 2016 as a 34 year old sophomore, but I'm motivated this time. I was tired of my life, and I needed to do something meaningful. It's loving hard, man. I have three kids, a wife, and a full time job. I drive an hour each way to go to class. If I can't get my homework done at work because I'm too busy, I don't sleep much. Any you know what? I love it. I love doing something for a change. And I'm way better at it now than I was when I was 17. I'm organized, I work hard, and I consistently succeed. I didn't do any of those things when I was younger. Sometimes being older has some advantages, too. I'm not embarrassed to ask or answer questions in a classroom environment. I hate when there's a professor up there trying and getting the silent treatment because no one wants to look stupid. I'm way too old to give a poo poo about that anymore. And my students don't intimidate me in the slightest. I honestly don't know how you can go through the student teaching program when you're 20, 21 and you're teaching a bunch of kids not much younger than you. Me, I'm 35 and those students aren't much older than my oldest kid. Sometimes I get annoyed when I see my colleagues not putting the work in that they probably should be. Most of them think that I'm some amazing mathematical wonder genius but the truth is that I work my rear end off and I have no room for failure. Then I remember how much of a stupid poo poo I was when I was their age, so I try to help out when I can. So, in short, it sucks. But it's also awesome. Sometimes I get a little bummed that I missed out on college organizations and stuff. There's a lot of meetings and colloquiums I'd like to go to but I've got my kids or work to deal with. But hey, that's life. We can't change the past, but we can work on the now, right?
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Jul 27, 2018 07:35
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I personally think it's advantageous for most people (unless they were gifted, or especially focused in high school) to wait a few years before starting university. There is a massive difference between a 17 year old, and a 25 year old with work/life experience. I wasn't as old as the posters above, but I went right to community college after high school and failed out spectacularly...out of community college. Which takes effort. However my priorities when I was 18 were video games and drinking. I had no plans for life, or expectations for myself. I was a loser who lived at home on my parents dime and worked retail 20-30 hours a week. I spent a few years working retail, then saw all my friends graduate college, start careers or masters programs, and do poo poo with their lives. I felt miserable and left out. So at 22 I re-enrolled at community college, graduated with a 4.0 and transferred to the local state school and started at 23. I felt like I was at the perfect age. As I had the maturity and focus at that point to focus on my undergrad work, but was still young enough I could attend parties, social events, ect and not feel too old or out of place. I joined a few business organizations and a history society as I was a History Major / Business minor. In my upper level courses, I felt the normal age range was mid-twenties as we had a lot of vets returning from service (this was 2008-10ish) and they made really great, mature study partners. We even had a few 30-40 year olds, and we got a long great as we all had the same focus and goals. Personally, what I learned in school didn't help me with my career, as I eventually changed industries, but it did help me mature as an individual, build confidence in myself, and learn to be a leader and take charge of my work and responsibilities. Sometimes, you don't get how important the intangibles are until you are older.
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Jul 27, 2018 17:57
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Throwing my two cents on this already-overburdened cents pile, but: I was 18 when I first went off to college then took quite a long gap before transferring and finishing — I finally graduated when I was 25. I existed in a weird space where I didn't look too "old," so most of my classmates and professors (in my small department) didn't know I was any older than the average age. Highly recommend it if you can get away with that!  I did meet a lot of other people who were around my age. You should make an effort to get to know your classmates within your major. That helped me a lot as a commuter; I wouldn't have had a social life otherwise. You can also get them to swipe you into the dining hall!!!
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Jul 27, 2018 18:59
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GIP's VetStudent thread may be a good resource for you too. https://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3803680&pagenumber=1&perpage=40 The SAL teacher vent thread is fantastic too, it's old and long but read the last 20 or 30 pages and learn how to be universally loved by instructors. (BRING A STAPLER. ALWAYS BRING A STAPLER AND ALWAYS SHARE IT LIBERALLY.) https://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3198184&pagenumber=1&perpage=40 College is harder than high school but so, so, so much easier than working. You're already ahead of 95% of your classmates simply because being there is a concious choice and not just the thing you have to do next because you're 18.
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Jul 28, 2018 00:45
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You may be older than most but I wouldn't worry about being the only person in your situation. I went back at 29 and ended up in a study group that ranged from 21 to 32.
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Jul 29, 2018 02:39
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I'm in community college for the 2nd time as well and my biggest culture shock is that there are a lot of students who aren't even out of high school taking advance placement classes. Age spread is pretty good too and it's nice to be able to approach your professors as an adult and peer rather than as a scared kid.
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Aug 8, 2018 18:33
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Every one in my course was 80 years younger than me and a complete tool. On the plus side it was easy to academically kick the poo poo out of them and graduate with all the awards.
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Aug 9, 2018 07:10
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Most college students go at 18 and most of them have no loving idea what they want to do with their lives. Chances are, at an age over a decade older than that, you know exactly why you're there and what you're after. Granted there's a good chance you'll pivot some along the way anyway but that's fine. My experience (I started at 28) was that you'll have some students that will look down on you for going later in life or think you're a weirdo for being there at all. These people of course are a minority; the majority of students don't give a poo poo if you're old. Hell I went with a few retired people. The one dude was in his 70's and was like "gently caress it, I'm taking some art classes." Another dude was a retired Navy guy in his 50's who realized that the G.I. Bill actually gives him a poo poo load of money so he figured "screw it, worst case scenario I fail out." Now he has a CS degree with good marks and programs drones for farmers. However the difference in maturity level can be unbelievably frustrating. Seeing as you'll be there with, you know, literal teenagers some of them have absolutely not achieved the level of maturity one should have before entering college. These are the worst people to have on group projects; they'll treat it like a high school project you can just kind of phone in the night before. God help you if you get a whole group of those. I really do think that going to college right at 18 is a mistake most of the time so don't feel like you're doing something weird doing it later in life.
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Aug 9, 2018 08:34
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Grimes posted:Thanks for the responses, everyone! Little bit late in responding, apologies. I think you'll be in good shape. I would just reiterate the importance of connecting with your professors, especially in your major. That doesn't mean be a brown nosing suckup, but if you need help do not hesitate to go to office hours. Chat them up, ask questions in class. We love it when sharp students show drive and ambition. There's a clear difference between trying to kiss rear end for a better grade (teens are hilariously bad and super obvious at this btw) and being an engaged student. I'm sure you know the difference. Don't just take classes, build relationships with your profs and seek internships, research, and other extra stuff. This will pay off hugely in the long run as they'll write you glowing recommendations and set you up with choice internships/jobs with potential employers. That's a big difference between kids fresh out of high school and more mature students. You've been in the workforce, you understand the importance of networking. There's a huge difference between getting an A and getting an A and also the professor knows you're a go-getter and wants to help you succeed. University profs usually have a fair amount of pull and a lot of connections. Since you're at a pretty small school, you'll have better opportunity to develop relationships than at a huge university where you're just a number to most profs. And since you're not far from campus, get involved in clubs and stuff. You need an outlet. That doesn't mean partying with the bros every night, but having some involvement with the campus culture and some recreation is important. edit: if you're ever unsure how best to approach profs, hit me up and I'd be glad to help. unrelated but I can't emphasize enough how 17-22 year olds are loving terrible at playing the game. they are awful at lying but try it anyway, and they're garbage at sucking up to their boss (professor). the reality is that college has a lot of the same dynamics as a workplace and kids fresh out of high school are absolutely clueless. Pellisworth fucked around with this message at 08:57 on Aug 9, 2018 |
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Aug 9, 2018 08:48
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Yeah I don’t think most students will care, my geology class ranged from 18-50. The only time the younger students gave a mature student poo poo was when they kept interrupting class because they were a creationist and accused the professor of lying to all the young students. So uh, don’t be a dick 
Xun fucked around with this message at 16:35 on Aug 10, 2018 |
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Aug 10, 2018 16:31
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Grimes posted:Hey goons. I'm going to university for the first time as a 31-year old and obviously, I'm going to be much older than probably 98% of the other students. I'm fine with it, but I'm curious if there are other goons which have gone through the same thing, what their experience was, and if they have any tips. I'm useless here, sorry, but thank you for posting this thread--I'm in your boat and the replies here have been really helpful!
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Aug 11, 2018 01:59
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If anyone wants to chat more about being an older student I'm in my last year of my undergrad and going to a masters program soon. Started back at a massive state school as a youthful 31. Just shoot me a pm or whatever.
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Aug 16, 2018 16:48
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tatterhood posted:I'm useless here, sorry, but thank you for posting this thread--I'm in your boat and the replies here have been really helpful! Welcome (or welcome back)! I had a 5 year break, and it felt incredible to be back. When you are there to better your life, and not just because it's the thing to do, it feels good. Also there's a good chance you are not the oldest one there. I had a 55 year old with a daughter further than him in college, and another 65+ dude in another.
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Aug 25, 2018 08:22
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I'm starting college tomorrow at 33 (Certification for medical billing and coding, will probably try and make an Associates out of it if possible once certified) and am wondering if I should immediately look into internship opportunities right out the gate? I only have courses Monday and Wednesday so I assumed an internship during the vacant days couldn't hurt. Is this a reasonable line of thought?
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Aug 26, 2018 21:18
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Dandywalken posted:I'm starting college tomorrow at 33 (Certification for medical billing and coding, will probably try and make an Associates out of it if possible once certified) and am wondering if I should immediately look into internship opportunities right out the gate? I only have courses Monday and Wednesday so I assumed an internship during the vacant days couldn't hurt. Is this a reasonable line of thought? Yeah getting an internship or relevant job would be a good idea. Don't pack your schedule too full though, you want to leave plenty of time for school work outside of class, rest, something fun. You don't wanna burn out your first semester back to school. I'm used to internships being something students do after their first year or two after they have some of the program completed, but it doesn't hurt to ask your instructors about what's available.
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Aug 27, 2018 15:16
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I just finished bachelor degree at 40. The teachers love older students, usually we get our work done, are prepared, can speak in front of groups and have confidence that comes with age. I was surprised how many younger students never had a job or weren't really sure what they were doing.
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Aug 28, 2018 00:44
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princess_peach posted:I just finished bachelor degree at 40. The teachers love older students, usually we get our work done, are prepared, can speak in front of groups and have confidence that comes with age. I was surprised how many younger students never had a job or weren't really sure what they were doing. Word! One of my tutors said she loved my stream because we actually did the work we were paying to be allowed to do.
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Aug 29, 2018 01:27
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