by Dr. G. A. Anderson

Created on: July 10, 2009   Last Updated: April 19, 2010

Perhaps for some reason, you did not have the opportunity to continue your education following high school graduation. Many of your friends and associates were "going on to school," but your plans didn't include it. Maybe you were going into military service, planning to get married and have a family, or going directly into the work force. The percentage of high school graduates in the 60s, for example, who were going to college following high school was considerably lower than the percentage today.

There is good news for today's senior citizens - those among us who didn't go in the 1960s when we were 18. Many are going to college now! They may not just "feel" like senior citizens, some actually are senior citizens in their 60s when they start college.

For some, it is to gain knowledge for the sake of having more of that treasured commodity. For some, it's to take on more responsibility at a job they've held for a long time, or to begin another endeavor there or elsewhere. Some have enough spare time that they are looking for something new and interesting to do with their time. And for others, it's the realization of a dream that never had a chance during the time their friends were starting college.

No matter what the reasons are, there are some tips for senior citizen college students that may be helpful when classes start whether in a traditional college or in online classes:

* If you are taking classes to earn a degree and have some college credits already, they must have been earned within the past ten years.

* Classes require computer and computer software knowledge, since most online classes rely heavily on material submitted online, covering the learning for that week. These written assignments make up a large percentage of your class grade.

* Most of your classmates will be in their late teens, 20s, 30s, and 40s. Occasionally you will run into someone in your age group, but that will be rare. Don't worry about this. Often, it works to your advantage. (See the next point.)

* In online classes, most colleges and universities will require a short biography or introduction that you will write on or before the first day of a new class. Playing up the advantages of a lifetime of experience will gain the respect of your classmates and your professor. Your age is really not a drawback, so emphasize the benefits of having many more years of living under your belt, and continue to point out your experience in written assignments when appropriate.

* Don't be

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