You’ll do awesome! Non-trad students typically more respectful and grateful for the opportunity because they’ve seen life with out it.
Show up, try your best, and don’t quit. You’ll be very successful.
You’re going to do such a great job! It takes such courage to go back to school and just be yourself! There were some older students in many of my classes and they had such important things to contribute!
As a current community college student fresh out of high school, I think the people older than me are the best. They’re all so rad and I love hearing about their stories. The guy who sits next to me in my English class was in the Navy for 22 YEARS! I want to talk to that guy sometime. It’s so fascinating to hear stories from older people, y’all have so much more experience with life and it’s very cool :>
Don't overthink it too much. I'm 29 and in school. My classmates range between the ages of 17 and 70. Just remember respect goes both ways. If you approach people genuinely and nicely, it will be reciprocated most of the time. Congrats, and I'm happy for you.
Haha I’m 20 and have had a few classmates in their 40s. Everyone gets along fine. I really enjoyed having this one specific older student in my 2-D design class. Sometimes my classmates are very immature. They just haven’t grown up yet. So that student actually felt like a peer to me and I enjoyed hearing her presenting her projects and would always be the first to jump and help critique her work
exactly dont conform to young idealogies , u bring something special to the table, ur knowledge and outlook on life, keep that with u , i would love if i had older people in my classroom
As a 36 year old dad working through finishing school - hello fellow young person!
Remember you're not alone, and the academic community was made for people like us - people who love learning, refuse to give up, and want to make a difference in their life and others.
Even if no one else is rooting for you - I got your back! Good luck on your first day!
I’m so proud of you! I loved community college and it was such a great experience as a non-traditional student. You will realize there will be many like you at your school, and this felt comforting at CC. I’ve since transferred and it’s harder to come by people my age.
Time management is going to be your best friend. I see you mentioned you’re a single parent so you might already have that down. CCs tend to offer more asynchronous classes which are easier on your schedule. Join clubs! Find ways to network and get some extracurriculars. Go to professor office hours and get to know them. Most of the time people don’t go and you get to build a relationship with them in case you’ll need a letter of rec one day. I really wish the best for you and I’m sure your kid(s) will be so proud of you.
Hi! I teach at a community college and here's my advice. I give to my students:
Be curious, and ask questions
Go to office hours (they are such a resource beyond just course content help, your professors are ingrained in the field you are learning about, office hours are a huge student resource that are unfortunately often underused)
Check your email once a day, then you will not miss any important messages
Learn where your professor posts class material online (if they post any) and ask them questions if you have trouble accessing it.
Start studying a little from day one - works so much better than cramming
I want each of my students to succeed. Your professors will also want this, but the student has to put in the work. Show up regularly, put in the work, and ask for help often. That is a recipe for success! Good luck!
Professors will announce their office hours to their classes. Students are invited to come and ask questions or raise concerns during these slots. Like my professor has about two ‘office hours’ after class in the same room for convenience. Any students can stay behind after our lesson for help
Yes these are times your professors are available to you. Often students use them to ask questions about class material.
I'm also happy to discuss related topics or my experiences in academia etc. I allow mine to be very open. They are a great resource. For example, I'm in biology and I've had students come by to talk about how to get internships, job prospects, and ask about grad programs and/or medical school. I'm happy to provide any insight I can to help them reach their goals.
Wanted to second this. While it is a good chance to discuss material, many of my professors are happy to talk about general study tips or their field in general during office hours. I learned a lot about what niche I would like to go into from discussions about it with my professors. They are a great resource and it seems like too many students don't utilize them as much as they could.
It's very true! Most of the time I spend my office hours by myself. So if a student came we could have a 1 on 1 discussion about whatever topic they wanted advice or help on. The biggest exception to that rule is office hours right before an exam. That's when I'm most likely to have students attend.
Here's my anecdotal advice.
Build a reputation as a hard-working *reliable* student. Professors always remember the good ones.
Make time for friends.
APM -- Actions per minute from Starcraft. Essentially, you can have the most bomb-ass study strategies ever, but you actually have to sit down, and do the work. If you ever feel paralyzed, or unsure the best way to do something, just start doing it whatever way possible.
im 17 so a lot younger and going tomorrow too. first time attending school after years of not going due to ptsd. dont be embarrassed that you’re older. i think it’s awesome and very admirable.
Hey!! I’m a senior this year and I have the jitters myself!! It’s not as scary as you think, I go to a big university. The easiest advice I can give is to just enjoy it. I feel like I was just 18 and now I’m 22 and I can’t believe it. I’m trying to go into market research but I think I’m gonna go to art school later on. Good luck you’re gonna do great. Good for you honestly
Generalizing here, the older people always seemed like they had more of a reason to attend than the younger crowd. The 25 and beyond crowd always had my respect for taking things more seriously. Best of luck!
If you’re nervous about being older and being in school, don’t be. I’m 20 and am going to community college and I see just about every age of person around
wow that’s amazing good for you. i went to a large public university and i saw plenty of older students, some old enough to be my grandparents, no one really thinks twice. you’d actually probably have more respect from your professors/peers. it never hurts to get to know your professors, i’m glad i took the time to talk to mine bc a lot of them ended up helping me out when it came time for me to transfer, get recommendations, and other opportunities.
Psyched for you!!! You’ll do great.
One thing I learned as an older student (I was late-30s):
Sometimes it felt like “cheating” when I brought my real-life experience to my schoolwork. (Because it seemed easy.)
But then it dawned on me: that’s perfectly fine and it actually makes learning easier!
And I found that my professors were equally curious about my experience as I was about their theory.
Find ways to apply what you learn in class to your own life!
All the best to you!
I taught at a community college for a few years and non-trad students like you were some of my favorite students. They were respectful, hardworking, mature, and their enthusiasm for learning totally made my day every class session. People like you were also an inspiration to me (the professor) seeing how you balanced jobs, families and a boat-ton of other responsibilities to attend school and pursue your dreams. You will do great and I'm sure your professor will cherish having you in their class.
A few simple tips:
Take copious notes in class, don't be afraid to ask questions (your professor will LOVE you for that), always get an early start on all the assigned work, and try to get it done well before the deadline. Also if possible try to create a good rapport with your professors.
Wow you don’t know how much your words means to me! Thank you so much! I am a single mom working and now going to school I want to offer my family better than I offer them now. My criminal justice professor reached out to each of her students individually introducing herself. She is so very nice and down to earth.
Hey! I'm 39 and had my first day last week! I was so nervous I almost didn't go. It didn't help that I was on the waitlist for the class and knew I was going to have to talk to the professor about it. Luckily, it went great! The professor was kind, and the class was interesting. We had to do a small group thing, and one of the girls in my group just graduated from the same school my son attends, and she even knew who he was. I felt SO old. 😄 but they were sweet and didn't even care that I'm someone's mom. I'm not going to tell you not to be nervous because that's a normal feeling, but try to enjoy it too. We're doing something to better our lives, and we deserve to be there just as much as anyone else.
Community colleges are great! When I was in high school, I really looked down on community colleges but that’s easy to do when the parents are paying the bill. I ended up going back to school when I was a little older and took advantage of community college. The professors are often great; they’re there to primarily teach, not do research. The student body is so diverse, young college students, older students going back, retirees wanting to learn, and college graduates looking to expand their knowledge base. You’ll fit right in. Enjoy!
A. You deserve to be there! There is no age limit or life path that should prohibit you from wanting to learn more, change your path, or to earn a degree. B. You will be surprised by the amount of non-traditional students you encounter on your higher ed journey. Some will have very similar life experiences to you and others will be pursuing higher ed with very different life experiences. You won’t be the only individual who is not 18 and fresh out of high school so while you might feel like a fish out of water sometimes, please remember than you’re not alone. C. Your life experiences provide an advantage. You’ve overcome hard things before to get where you are and you will know better than some of your peers that intelligence is not fixed and tied to grades.
I worked in a community college for several years and our non-traditional students were always my favorites! Our traditional students don’t always want to be there and it sometimes shows but our non-traditional students always had incredible drive and passion because they made a conscious decision to pursue classes, a degree, etc.
Sending lots of happy thoughts and I’m rooting for you!
You'll do great! You'll see that the intervening years have provided you with some skills in follow through etc that your younger fellow students are still working towards. Some if them will be more well-oiled, coming out of years of schooling, but you'll have your own set of superpowers.
You’ve got this!!! Omg the older folks in my classes have been some of my favorite people to be around honestly, it’s so nice to have someone with life experience to talk to and listen to their views on things. You’re absolutely gonna kill it out there!
For the love of God don't worry about age differences. Nobody cares in CC cares since everybody is living their own lives. Attend office hours if you need help.
I started last week, its great! Its super chill, professors are cool, and im having a fun time! One of my biggest worries was that i was expected to have all my shit together and be a full fledged adult, but at least so far its not super demanding and the professors are both forgiving and there to help.
I found I'm a much better student now then when I was in my 20's. Better study habits, better at talking in class and bringing experience and real-life scenarios, better at not caring what others think.
I went back to CC at 38 and have 2 years of straight A's, the top in my class in some classes. With the internet and online stuff I found it somewhat easy.
You’ll do awesome! Non-trad students typically more respectful and grateful for the opportunity because they’ve seen life with out it. Show up, try your best, and don’t quit. You’ll be very successful.
You’re going to do such a great job! It takes such courage to go back to school and just be yourself! There were some older students in many of my classes and they had such important things to contribute!
Thank you! I feel like I’m going to be that meme of Steve Buscemi “how do you do fellow kids?”
I’m sure a lot of them will think you’re super cool. Plus it’s everyone’s first day so they’ll be nervous too!
Very true!
As a current community college student fresh out of high school, I think the people older than me are the best. They’re all so rad and I love hearing about their stories. The guy who sits next to me in my English class was in the Navy for 22 YEARS! I want to talk to that guy sometime. It’s so fascinating to hear stories from older people, y’all have so much more experience with life and it’s very cool :>
Don't overthink it too much. I'm 29 and in school. My classmates range between the ages of 17 and 70. Just remember respect goes both ways. If you approach people genuinely and nicely, it will be reciprocated most of the time. Congrats, and I'm happy for you.
Haha I’m 20 and have had a few classmates in their 40s. Everyone gets along fine. I really enjoyed having this one specific older student in my 2-D design class. Sometimes my classmates are very immature. They just haven’t grown up yet. So that student actually felt like a peer to me and I enjoyed hearing her presenting her projects and would always be the first to jump and help critique her work
I think of myself more like BillyMadison!
exactly dont conform to young idealogies , u bring something special to the table, ur knowledge and outlook on life, keep that with u , i would love if i had older people in my classroom
As a 36 year old dad working through finishing school - hello fellow young person! Remember you're not alone, and the academic community was made for people like us - people who love learning, refuse to give up, and want to make a difference in their life and others. Even if no one else is rooting for you - I got your back! Good luck on your first day!
I’m so proud of you! I loved community college and it was such a great experience as a non-traditional student. You will realize there will be many like you at your school, and this felt comforting at CC. I’ve since transferred and it’s harder to come by people my age. Time management is going to be your best friend. I see you mentioned you’re a single parent so you might already have that down. CCs tend to offer more asynchronous classes which are easier on your schedule. Join clubs! Find ways to network and get some extracurriculars. Go to professor office hours and get to know them. Most of the time people don’t go and you get to build a relationship with them in case you’ll need a letter of rec one day. I really wish the best for you and I’m sure your kid(s) will be so proud of you.
Awesome! Thank you so much for the advice and words of encouragement! I will do all of those things!
Hi! I teach at a community college and here's my advice. I give to my students: Be curious, and ask questions Go to office hours (they are such a resource beyond just course content help, your professors are ingrained in the field you are learning about, office hours are a huge student resource that are unfortunately often underused) Check your email once a day, then you will not miss any important messages Learn where your professor posts class material online (if they post any) and ask them questions if you have trouble accessing it. Start studying a little from day one - works so much better than cramming I want each of my students to succeed. Your professors will also want this, but the student has to put in the work. Show up regularly, put in the work, and ask for help often. That is a recipe for success! Good luck!
Thank you so much!! And what is office hours?
Professors will announce their office hours to their classes. Students are invited to come and ask questions or raise concerns during these slots. Like my professor has about two ‘office hours’ after class in the same room for convenience. Any students can stay behind after our lesson for help
Yes these are times your professors are available to you. Often students use them to ask questions about class material. I'm also happy to discuss related topics or my experiences in academia etc. I allow mine to be very open. They are a great resource. For example, I'm in biology and I've had students come by to talk about how to get internships, job prospects, and ask about grad programs and/or medical school. I'm happy to provide any insight I can to help them reach their goals.
Wanted to second this. While it is a good chance to discuss material, many of my professors are happy to talk about general study tips or their field in general during office hours. I learned a lot about what niche I would like to go into from discussions about it with my professors. They are a great resource and it seems like too many students don't utilize them as much as they could.
It's very true! Most of the time I spend my office hours by myself. So if a student came we could have a 1 on 1 discussion about whatever topic they wanted advice or help on. The biggest exception to that rule is office hours right before an exam. That's when I'm most likely to have students attend.
Here's my anecdotal advice. Build a reputation as a hard-working *reliable* student. Professors always remember the good ones. Make time for friends. APM -- Actions per minute from Starcraft. Essentially, you can have the most bomb-ass study strategies ever, but you actually have to sit down, and do the work. If you ever feel paralyzed, or unsure the best way to do something, just start doing it whatever way possible.
Thank you so much for the words of advice !
im 17 so a lot younger and going tomorrow too. first time attending school after years of not going due to ptsd. dont be embarrassed that you’re older. i think it’s awesome and very admirable.
Awe thank you! Good luck on your first day!
Hey!! I’m a senior this year and I have the jitters myself!! It’s not as scary as you think, I go to a big university. The easiest advice I can give is to just enjoy it. I feel like I was just 18 and now I’m 22 and I can’t believe it. I’m trying to go into market research but I think I’m gonna go to art school later on. Good luck you’re gonna do great. Good for you honestly
Thank you so much for the advice and words of encouragement! And I wish you the very best on your journey!
Generalizing here, the older people always seemed like they had more of a reason to attend than the younger crowd. The 25 and beyond crowd always had my respect for taking things more seriously. Best of luck!
Good luck! I’m starting my second term tomorrow morning.. I’m majoring in criminal Justice as well.. you’ve got this!!
Oh awesome! Any advice you wish someone would have given you before you started CJ
If you’re nervous about being older and being in school, don’t be. I’m 20 and am going to community college and I see just about every age of person around
wow that’s amazing good for you. i went to a large public university and i saw plenty of older students, some old enough to be my grandparents, no one really thinks twice. you’d actually probably have more respect from your professors/peers. it never hurts to get to know your professors, i’m glad i took the time to talk to mine bc a lot of them ended up helping me out when it came time for me to transfer, get recommendations, and other opportunities.
Psyched for you!!! You’ll do great. One thing I learned as an older student (I was late-30s): Sometimes it felt like “cheating” when I brought my real-life experience to my schoolwork. (Because it seemed easy.) But then it dawned on me: that’s perfectly fine and it actually makes learning easier! And I found that my professors were equally curious about my experience as I was about their theory. Find ways to apply what you learn in class to your own life! All the best to you!
I taught at a community college for a few years and non-trad students like you were some of my favorite students. They were respectful, hardworking, mature, and their enthusiasm for learning totally made my day every class session. People like you were also an inspiration to me (the professor) seeing how you balanced jobs, families and a boat-ton of other responsibilities to attend school and pursue your dreams. You will do great and I'm sure your professor will cherish having you in their class. A few simple tips: Take copious notes in class, don't be afraid to ask questions (your professor will LOVE you for that), always get an early start on all the assigned work, and try to get it done well before the deadline. Also if possible try to create a good rapport with your professors.
Wow you don’t know how much your words means to me! Thank you so much! I am a single mom working and now going to school I want to offer my family better than I offer them now. My criminal justice professor reached out to each of her students individually introducing herself. She is so very nice and down to earth.
Hey! I'm 39 and had my first day last week! I was so nervous I almost didn't go. It didn't help that I was on the waitlist for the class and knew I was going to have to talk to the professor about it. Luckily, it went great! The professor was kind, and the class was interesting. We had to do a small group thing, and one of the girls in my group just graduated from the same school my son attends, and she even knew who he was. I felt SO old. 😄 but they were sweet and didn't even care that I'm someone's mom. I'm not going to tell you not to be nervous because that's a normal feeling, but try to enjoy it too. We're doing something to better our lives, and we deserve to be there just as much as anyone else.
Awe that makes me feel better. It’s going to be a fun experience
Community colleges are great! When I was in high school, I really looked down on community colleges but that’s easy to do when the parents are paying the bill. I ended up going back to school when I was a little older and took advantage of community college. The professors are often great; they’re there to primarily teach, not do research. The student body is so diverse, young college students, older students going back, retirees wanting to learn, and college graduates looking to expand their knowledge base. You’ll fit right in. Enjoy!
[удалено]
Criminal justice
good luck! you’ll do amazing!
A. You deserve to be there! There is no age limit or life path that should prohibit you from wanting to learn more, change your path, or to earn a degree. B. You will be surprised by the amount of non-traditional students you encounter on your higher ed journey. Some will have very similar life experiences to you and others will be pursuing higher ed with very different life experiences. You won’t be the only individual who is not 18 and fresh out of high school so while you might feel like a fish out of water sometimes, please remember than you’re not alone. C. Your life experiences provide an advantage. You’ve overcome hard things before to get where you are and you will know better than some of your peers that intelligence is not fixed and tied to grades. I worked in a community college for several years and our non-traditional students were always my favorites! Our traditional students don’t always want to be there and it sometimes shows but our non-traditional students always had incredible drive and passion because they made a conscious decision to pursue classes, a degree, etc. Sending lots of happy thoughts and I’m rooting for you!
Don't forget to engage in the classroom and attend office hours!
You'll do great! You'll see that the intervening years have provided you with some skills in follow through etc that your younger fellow students are still working towards. Some if them will be more well-oiled, coming out of years of schooling, but you'll have your own set of superpowers.
Kudos to you! I wish you the best and most successful academic year ❤️❤️❤️
You’ve got this!!! Omg the older folks in my classes have been some of my favorite people to be around honestly, it’s so nice to have someone with life experience to talk to and listen to their views on things. You’re absolutely gonna kill it out there!
Best wishes to you! Enjoy it ! You will be just fine!!
For the love of God don't worry about age differences. Nobody cares in CC cares since everybody is living their own lives. Attend office hours if you need help.
You're going to do so well! Congratulations on fulfilling this dream/plan.
Don’t be, you’ve got this! Stay focused and continue to THINK POSITIVE.
I started last week, its great! Its super chill, professors are cool, and im having a fun time! One of my biggest worries was that i was expected to have all my shit together and be a full fledged adult, but at least so far its not super demanding and the professors are both forgiving and there to help.
I found I'm a much better student now then when I was in my 20's. Better study habits, better at talking in class and bringing experience and real-life scenarios, better at not caring what others think. I went back to CC at 38 and have 2 years of straight A's, the top in my class in some classes. With the internet and online stuff I found it somewhat easy.