Adult Students

[SpookTheHamster]

How many members of our beloved forum are adult students?

I'm studying in my first year at uni, and in the same hall as me is another first year student who is 74 years old. He's an amazing guy, if you talk to him he'll claim he's "a 20 year old trapped in a 74 year old body". He goes out more than anybody I know, you'll find him in the club 5 or 6 nights a week, dancing with an alcopop in hand and surrounded by girls.

I'm in two minds as to why he went to uni;

1) He'd always regretted not getting university education, and wanted to go before it was too late.

2) He'd always regretted not getting university girls, and wanted some action before it was too late.

Anybody else know a "mature" student of his calibre?

 

[TheAnswer]

I'm going part time now at a community college and going back for my undergraduate degree in the fall. Now, I'm less than half the age of the guy in your class, but I am barely younger than some of my professors. For me, it was realizing that I didn't want to be doing what I was doing for the rest of my life and the regrets of dropping out of uni a while back.

That said, of course I'm hoping that I'm still young looking enough to snag a younger intelligent student (although I will probably have more luck with the grad students).

 

[j26]

I'm in year 2 of a legal diploma which will lead to a barrister-at-law degree (provided I pass the exams in June and the entrance exam in August).

There's a few of retired guys in the class (50's - late 60's)

I'm in a Company law lecture at the moment...








aaaaaargh!!!!

 

[Jasonbot]

My dad's still studying. He's 47 this year and doesn't have a fulltime job. He's doing his M.Com and his M.Phil at the moment, yes, at the same time.

 

[TequilaBoobs]

im still in school, cause it sure beats working! I hope to best Dear Abby and her 40 degrees (most of them honorary) one day.

 

[mkrishnan]

I'm not quite that adult... but I am back in school after having worked in industry. I think it's great, though, stories like that gentleman.

I remember, when I was at Michigan, there was this 94-year-old emeritus in our department. One of the faculty was talking about him, and said, "I heard Dr. xxx just spent the last year learning how to program computers for the first time. When I'm his age, I want to be as active as him." Love it.

 

[bousozoku]

I've been extending one degree and getting another degree, but far too slowly.

The strange thing I've found is that I sometimes have to correct my instructors or they ask me if they're right.

If I got to 74, I'm not sure I'd be taking classes but it's possible. I don't like school particularly but I like learning.

 

[Jaffa Cake]

Anybody else know a "mature" student of his calibre?

No... but my friend's dad signs up for an evening college course each and every autumn. He never actually attends any classes, he just signs up to get a Student Union card so he can take advantage of all the places that offer discounts to students.

He's been doing it for years, and is very possibly the stingiest man I've ever met – and that's coming from a Yorkshireman.

 

[fitinferno]

There's quite a few people in my programme that I would consider mature. Some w/doctorates already! I think I may be the youngest...and it makes me worry about my marks, lol.

There was this bloke in his 60s in one of my friend's courses (undergrad). He was apparently a cool guy, but would make weird noises during the exam that would often be attributed to my friend.

 

[RedTomato]

My dad took his MA in anthropology at the age of about 50.

My gran recently took a course in Excel / Access spreadsheets at about 79 years old, and probably knows more about them than me. She uses internet banking and all, which I don't even do.

She brought her first computer just a couple of years previously. When I asked her why, she said 'There's something new in the world, and I want to learn more about it."

Hopefully I will be like them when I'm their age.

 

[it5five]

I think it's great when older students go back to University to learn.

What's really annoying though is in large lectures some of them have to raise their hands and relate some off-topic story about their kids/family/job that wastes so much time.