Student Story: Returning to College as an Adult Learner

It’s an experience you don’t expect to have in your 30’s. 

The bright fluorescent lighting, the overwhelming scent of a confluence and overabundance of perfumes and colognes (seriously young people, calm it down), the backpack full of textbooks tugging at your shoulders…

I was a student returning to school in my mid-30’s.  A place I vowed countless times to never return in my younger years when I (wrongfully) did not take this place as seriously as I should have. 

Like many people around the country, I started college when I turned 18, but ended up dropping out part way through obtaining degree.  For me, I could never really find a degree program that matched what I wanted to do but found an entry-level job that did.  For whatever reason, however, an increasing number of people find themselves only partially completing a degree or putting off college altogether and telling themselves that they will return or start when the time is right.

At first, I was happy with the job I left school for, but over time, I did start to feel a yearning to go back and finish my degree.  I felt a certain level of embarrassment when questioned about my education.  Sure, I had some success in the professional world and was able to develop valuable skills on my own, but I knew that I was capable of more, and I knew that I was immediately disqualified from many jobs and opportunities for advancement simply because I did not have that “piece of paper”.

Unfortunately dampening that yearning was a hesitancy.  I felt that returning to school would be embarrassing to admit to family and friends, let alone a mortifying experience to step into a classroom with gray hairs poking out of my head.  It was a hard thing to overcome but overcoming it has helped me fill a void and “catch up” professionally in a way I never could have on my own.

So, if you’re reading this as an adult putting off the start or completion of your college degree, I have some advice for when and if you decide to take the plunge and do it:

Check your ego at the door
It will happen.  You will want to interject during a class with your personal experiences from the “adult” world – but don’t.  The stereotype of the know-it-all adult student is real in my experience and being that way does nothing to help you or the rest of the class. 

It’s important to know your role:  You are a student, you’re just a little older than the majority of the people in that classroom (potentially including your professor).

However, the real world can make us forget what it’s like to be in a classroom, and it can make us feel as though we don’t need to take that setting – or the courses themselves – as seriously as we should.  You may be older, but these courses will still be difficult: You will have to work, you will have to study, and you should use lectures as an opportunity to absorb as much as you can (and that includes not interrupting the professor with your own experiences - an alarming trend I noticed among my fellow adult learners). 

Go in with an open mind and try to get the most out of your courses – you’re certainly paying enough to be there.

Get involved…as much as you can
This piece of advice depends on your time availability as it’s understood that adult learners have more on our plates than the average college student.  Generally, juggling an existing career, potentially a family, and the stresses of adult life make it difficult to involve yourself with student activities, but you should absolutely try in places it makes sense and where it can benefit you after you complete your degree.

These days, schools offer memberships in clubs that can give you access to real companies in ways that you can’t get as someone just walking in from off the street.  Opportunities to network and get your work in front of people that work in an industry you’re pursuing a career in is always valuable, so take advantage of what the school has to offer.

Here’s one tip I found valuable:  Schedule “informational interviews” with people from companies you want to work for.  If you contact someone and say you want to talk to them about their jobs as part of a college course, they’ll be more open (and likely flattered) than if you were to call as a non-student and make the same request. 

These sessions allow you to learn about the day-to-day of a job you may be pursuing, give you an inside look at a company you are interested in working for, and after the session is over, you’ll likely exchange contact information with the person you met which may be a valuable connection in the future.

Build Relationships
On that same note, you don’t have to be a complete hermit during your return to school – make friends with your fellow students.  Building relationships with other students is a form of networking no matter their age. 

Further, staff at schools generally have strong relationships with the community and the industry in which they teach.  These people are great connectors for building further relationships and are almost always willing to introduce someone who performs well in their classes to the people they know.  If you’re someone getting a fresh start in a new industry or just looking to build a foundation of connections, this opportunity to work with professors and advisors to put you in touch with businesses and businesspeople is not something you get outside of the school experience – take advantage of it.

Remember, you can do this
One very common reaction to the idea of returning to school is that, over the years, you’ve somehow lost the ability to retain information and focus on assignments to the level necessary of a college student and therefore just cannot do it…but you can.

I know I had a battle over lacking confidence when making the decision (and putting off the decision) to return to school, but I was amazed at how much it’s like “riding a bike”.  Returning to the classroom with a newer, more mature focus was game-changing and I found a ton of benefit from it.  Don’t be mistaken:  It will be difficult.  However, the hardest days at school are no harder than your hardest days at work.  You’ve dealt with more difficult things than a college course and you’ll begin to gain your confidence back with each week that goes by.

Understand what you’re getting
If you need extra motivation to get over that confidence battle, just take stock of exactly what you’re getting.  Sure, you may not need the material covered in all the courses required to complete your degree, so there may be moments where it feels tedious, but at the end of the process, you get access to a new tier of jobs and opportunities not open to you previously.  In this day in age of automated job screenings through online application sites, having that “piece of paper” is incredibly important, so keeping your eye on that prize may help you get through the tougher days.

Who knows?  You may even come out of your college experience and want more schooling.  I know that I have personally felt a renewed ambition to pursue a graduate degree as a result of my return to the classroom, and I know other recent adult learners that have done it themselves.

Stay connected to LenovoEDU Community for more Student Stories highlighting all types of the student experience from all levels.  Have a student story that you would like to share or advice for adult learners returning to school?  Leave a comment below!