by Sandra Cole

Created on: July 14, 2009   Last Updated: July 18, 2009

Going to college at any age can be an adventure filled with excitement and fear of the unknown. If you're a senior who has decided to take classes, the feelings you feel are not that different from the ordinary entering freshman. But, as a professor of psychology for seventeen years at a community college, I can tell you that you will be very welcome within the halls of whatever college you choose to attend. Older students bring a depth of knowledge into a classroom that high school graduates haven't had time to accumulate!

Don't downplay your assets as you consider going to college. You have many advantages over that fresh-out-of-high-school eighteen year old. While he may be unsure of why he's going to college and what he wants to study, you know what you want to gain from the experience. And you have a lifetime of skills behind you, organizing your time and sequencing work into segments, multi-tasking, and coping with the ups and downs that come with any new undertaking. Because you know what you want, you can approach college with more enthusiasm and motivation than that wet-behind-the-ears youngster may have.

The Preparation Stage

But it will still be helpful to prepare for the courses ahead of you. Check with your state colleges to see which offer no- or low-cost tuition for senior citizens. Education can be a bargain at your age! You can also put your preparation time to good use if you brush up on your tech skills. Gone are the days when you had to sit in a library and hand copy notes from readings on hold. Learn to use copy machines, and definitely work on your computer skills if you feel weak in that area. Knowing how to research on line and word process your assignments will cut your study time greatly. Oftentimes your public library will have computers for you to hone your skills on if you don't own a computer. Local adult education classes and self teaching manuals will help you gain all the skills you'll need in your new endeavors.

Choosing Courses

Begin with a class that you feel will be somewhat easy for you. Maybe you've read extensively on the subject, or have learned a lot about it through your work experiences. Later, you may want to enroll in a specific program of study and meet with an advisor to map out your coursework; but first, get your foot in the door as easily as possible. Later you may want to choose courses with field trips or lab work to expand your experiences. The confidence from your first class will propel you

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