There are many myths about adult education colleges that keep people from applying:
1. College is only for the young. Wrong! In fact, the average college student is 27 years old. Actually many college students are more than 27 years old - age doesn't have much to do with the ability to learn, and many older students are more focused and ready to learn.
2. College is only for very smart people. Actually, many college students are of average intelligence. Why would you go to college if you already knew everything there was to know?
3. College is only for rich people. Not true. There are many ways to pay for college, including scholarships, student loans and grants. Most of the money has to be repaid, but some of it does not.
4. College is only for people who know what they want to be. Actually, college is the perfect place to figure out what you want to be when you grow up. You will find plenty of opportunities to explore.
5. College professors are less patient and understanding of older students. Not True! Many of them actually prefer older students because they are often more focused on learning and more prepared. But, professors are also understanding of the fact that many of the older students have families and jobs to juggle with the school schedule.
6. College is only for people who have a lot of free time. Actually many colleges, including Granite State College, are so flexible with their schedule that students can work around jobs, families and other commitments.
There are many other fallacies about adult college classes and many reasons you can come up with not to enroll, but any reason you might have for thinking you can't fit college into your life is easily overcome. Granite State College offers evening classes, online adult education classes and Hybrid classes which combine online and face-to-face classes. Just two classes a semester makes you a full-time student and it doesn't take long to complete your degree.
I have never found any of the professors to be impatient or condescending to the older student, in fact they are all very supportive. The advisors are very helpful in creating a game plan for you to attain your goal and in some cases you can even take the CLEP test to get the credit you need in certain classes. Of course, that takes the fun out of it for me. I prefer to actually take the classes, but it is a way to save on tuition and attain your goal that much sooner.
I have to say that most of my classes were a diverse mix of students, but more of them were over 30 than under 30, and the younger students were also very supportive and added a different viewpoint to the classes. When I recently took a class in Issues in Women's Health, it was a very mixed group - one man, three women in their early twenties, three middle-aged women and one who was over 60. It was great we had women at every stage of life, from childbearing age through menopause and beyond, plus the male take on all of the stages. It made for an interesting class.
Most of the classes I have taken at Granite State College have offered that kind of interaction. I have participated in some enlightening and valuable discussions throughout the years at GSC. The diverse ages and backgrounds of the students offer a unique opportunity for learning.
1. College is only for the young. Wrong! In fact, the average college student is 27 years old. Actually many college students are more than 27 years old - age doesn't have much to do with the ability to learn, and many older students are more focused and ready to learn.
2. College is only for very smart people. Actually, many college students are of average intelligence. Why would you go to college if you already knew everything there was to know?
3. College is only for rich people. Not true. There are many ways to pay for college, including scholarships, student loans and grants. Most of the money has to be repaid, but some of it does not.
4. College is only for people who know what they want to be. Actually, college is the perfect place to figure out what you want to be when you grow up. You will find plenty of opportunities to explore.
5. College professors are less patient and understanding of older students. Not True! Many of them actually prefer older students because they are often more focused on learning and more prepared. But, professors are also understanding of the fact that many of the older students have families and jobs to juggle with the school schedule.
6. College is only for people who have a lot of free time. Actually many colleges, including Granite State College, are so flexible with their schedule that students can work around jobs, families and other commitments.
There are many other fallacies about adult college classes and many reasons you can come up with not to enroll, but any reason you might have for thinking you can't fit college into your life is easily overcome. Granite State College offers evening classes, online adult education classes and Hybrid classes which combine online and face-to-face classes. Just two classes a semester makes you a full-time student and it doesn't take long to complete your degree.
I have never found any of the professors to be impatient or condescending to the older student, in fact they are all very supportive. The advisors are very helpful in creating a game plan for you to attain your goal and in some cases you can even take the CLEP test to get the credit you need in certain classes. Of course, that takes the fun out of it for me. I prefer to actually take the classes, but it is a way to save on tuition and attain your goal that much sooner.
I have to say that most of my classes were a diverse mix of students, but more of them were over 30 than under 30, and the younger students were also very supportive and added a different viewpoint to the classes. When I recently took a class in Issues in Women's Health, it was a very mixed group - one man, three women in their early twenties, three middle-aged women and one who was over 60. It was great we had women at every stage of life, from childbearing age through menopause and beyond, plus the male take on all of the stages. It made for an interesting class.
Most of the classes I have taken at Granite State College have offered that kind of interaction. I have participated in some enlightening and valuable discussions throughout the years at GSC. The diverse ages and backgrounds of the students offer a unique opportunity for learning.
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