Going back to school at an older age is becoming more prevalent in recent years. There are many reasons for this. This includes budget constraints during one's younger years, family commitments after marriage, taking care of one's children and taking care of one's elderly parent(s). I strongly believe that most of us want to learn but sometimes, circumstances do not permit it. However, every cloud has a silver lining: our circumstances change all the time, often for the better. One becomes bored at home. Our kids grow up. Our elderly parents encourage us to further our studies while becoming more independent over time.
Suddenly, we are free.
Actually, there's another activity that we can engage in in our later years: joining the workforce again. As long as ageism does not exist in the country and that employers are receptive to older workers, I believe that we are always welcome to rejoin the workforce. However, is this a good choice? In our later years, do we really want to contribute to society or do we want to further our studies? While working has the benefit of a monthly income, there's also the stress/fatigue factor. As for studying, we are given the joy of being students again (which means making new friends with similar academic interests) but it takes a toll on our income. Ultimately, it's our call. For me, I will choose to be a student and relive my childhood again.
Not to digress too much, let's shift our attention back to studying at an older age. For those of us who are eager to pick up a book again, there's always distance learning. Those of us who are using broadband at home should enjoy the ease of being connected to most educational institutions offering distance learning courses. And there are a substantial number of institutions to choose from. There are also a large variety of courses as well. Most distance learning courses offer academic materials with an online forum for interactive discussions between lecturers and students. Learning has become a breeze. With the benefit of studying from home, we are able to reduce our expenditures on accommodations overseas etc.
So what are some tips on going back to school at an older age?
Firstly, be IT-savvy. This is a very important consideration because technology and education is now almost inseparable. The use of Information Communication Technology (ICT) in the classroom is prevalent in recent years. In some educational institutions, each student works with a single laptop which they lug around in campus. Communications are mostly done through email correspondences. Instant Messaging (IM) systems are also being used in some educational institutions for real-time responses from students. Some teachers are now working from homes. Assignments are often submitted online. These are but a few examples of how technology is changing the educational landscape. I foresee that technology will play a determining factor in our learning for years to come. Hence the importance of being attuned to information technology (IT).
Next, it will be good to gather a group of like-minded friends for this endeavour. Of course, we will be able to make new friends in schools. However, nothing beats having a group of like-minded individuals who have similar interest in a particular field of study to share your understanding of the subject matter with. Studying also allows opportunities for collaboration among your friends which might likely lead to stronger relationships. Frankly, there are few of us who have worked with all of our friends, so there exists a high probability that we might discover some aspects of our friends' personalities that we have not noticed before. Conflicts due to different working/communicating style may result but aren't all relationships strengthened through positive conflicts?
Lastly, we should adopt a positive mindset. As we age, our memories may not be as good as before. The same can be said of our learning abilities. When older people are in the same classroom as the younger students, it can get downright scary and demoralising. This is especially so during the "Question and Answer" (Q & A) session where the mental agility of the young may seem daunting and intimidating at times. We should constantly encourage ourselves that we have the ability to learn and we want to learn well. We may take a longer time but we can do it. If the educational institutions permit the use of a voice recorder, it might be a good idea to use it.
Most educational institutions encourage individuals to be independent and lifelong learners, of which I feel that all of us can be one. Let us not be hindered by our age but rather, we should allow our positive life experiences to bring us to greater heights.