Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Adult Education

I did a search on "adult education" just to see if I could find anything the might inspire, inform, or enlighten me.  It's pretty slim pickin's.  There were a lot of sites devoted to combating adult illiteracy.  I'm pretty sure I'm not illiterate, but neither do I have a degree.  I'm really stuck in this hard to define position.  Though I don't have a lot of formal education, I have, in some sense, been schooled by life, and through independent study.  The classroom isn't the only place you can learn.

I did a search on "adult education blog" to see if anyone else had shared their experiences as an adult student.  Nope.  Not that I could find, anyway.  It looks like I'm either totally out of my element, or blazing a new trail.  I think I like the thought of trailblazer better.

I do think I will have quite a fish-out-of-water experience at the community college.  They don't get enough adult students to have a separate school for "non-traditional" students, like me.  At the class registration, there was only one other adult there that I noticed out of about twenty students.  I hope there are at least a few other adults in the classes I've signed up to take.  I deliberately signed up for night classes when I could, because I figured adults were more likely to take those classes.

Sometimes I get so overwhelmed by the prospect of what I'm doing, and think I should just give up.  But, of course, I realize that the longer I wait, the older I get, and the more awkward it will be.  When I was in my twenties, I already thought I was too old for college.  I tried to go about building a life without a degree.  It almost worked, but not quite.  And now I realize if I had done it then, it would be over with.  I'd already have a degree, and it would have been a lot less awkward.  Realizing that helps me stay on course.

The University of Pennsylvania is my real goal, though.  If I can get through the awkwardness of the community college, then I can arrive safely at the University of Pennsylvania in their school that  is specifically for adults and other non-traditional students.  I'm pretty sure it will be a better social experience for me.

Less than a month to go before classes start.

8 comments:

Beast said...

I will not say 'I understand what you are going through'...cause I do not, never been through such a situation.

However it will be great to read your future post about you getting into the University of Pennsylvania.

:)
Cheers.

Adult Student said...

Thanks, Beast. :)

Unknown said...

I take night classes at MSCD (Metropolitan State College of Denver) and students over 30 make up a large percentage of the students in all the classes I'm in. It might have something to do with the school being in the downtown of a major city, but that's been my experience.

There's a little bit of an adjustment period, but once you get in a rhythm it's all good.

Adult Student said...

Thanks, Adam. That helps to reassure me a bit.

Elliot MacLeod-Michael said...

Good luck, and trailblazer though you may very well be, you are far from the only adult pursuing a degree. Also, you are a lot more likely to do something meaningful with your degree now.
+followed

Adult Student said...

Thank you so much for your comment, and follow! :)

jamiessmiles said...

So what are you going to be when you grow up;)

Adult Student said...

I'm planning on majoring in communications which I already do have some experience and skills in.