College is no longer just for those fresh faced students straight out of high school. College has become a pursuit by many and for working adults, although difficult, online programs can be exactly what they need.
Working Adults Have a Need
Going to school as a student fresh out of high school is one thing; returning to college as a professional adult is quite another. By the time we’re out of adolescence, most of us have grown to a newer level of maturity, responsibility, and fears. We begin to realize that some of our concerns stem from a lack of job stability or opportunity, and then we start “shoulding” all over ourselves. I should have just finished college. I should just taken night classes to stay competitive. I should go back to school. However, most adults returning to college have valid concerns that can set them up for failure before they even start. Here are some common concerns, complete with honest answers to ease your nerves.
One of the most common concerns is that adults with real world experience who are used to working with people their own age don’t want to be surrounded by people who aren’t “on their level”. They assume everyone is significantly younger than them, and can’t relate to their experience. On the contrary, colleges are filled with students from diverse age backgrounds. According to Sallie Mae, the nation’s largest college student loan company, students 22 and older make up 58% of the college population. It’s not hard to find adults returning to college who are working on the same goals as you. Even as an adult, you will learn new facts that will help you in your life.
You’re a working adult who has made the decision to go back to college. You may be thinking of an online program to get that degree that you always wanted, or perhaps your boss is sending you back to school to prepare you for advancement. However you choose to further your education, and for whatever reason, the prospect of going back to school after ten or twenty or even thirty years is very exciting.
And also a little scary! When you were in college or high school, fads and fashions were much different. Kids dressed differently and spoke differently. When you were in school no one was texting, much less Twittering. The music was different and so were the television shows. You may have the feeling that setting foot on a college campus will be like going to a foreign country, or that there will be culture shock and you’ll feel like an old fossil.