by Jessica Beagan

Created on: February 17, 2007   Last Updated: May 17, 2007

A mantra for the returning student: This IS for you. I DO belong here. Repeat as needed.

As a college instructor and doctoral student in adult education, that is my first tip for adults returning to school at an older age. Many so-called "non-traditional" students feel such consternation during the early days and weeks of their first semester back. This is because they arrive on campus and find themselves seemingly surrounded by a sea of 18 year-old MTV extras. Even worse, some of your new instructors might even be younger than you. So what do you do?

The first step to feeling like you belong is to remind yourself you have every right to higher education. We all make different choices, and the beautiful thing about American higher education is that we HAVE the opportunity to go to college when we're ready, whenever that might fit into our lives. My mother, for instance, didn't return to college to finish her Bachelor's degree until the year I started my MFA. She and my brother graduated together from the same university, and had the unique opportunity to walk across the stage to receive their diplomas together.

My mother's accomplishment was all the more special because I know how hard she fought herself, especially that first semester, spending her lunch break between classes crying in the car. She struggled with feeling so alone as a woman then in her late forties whose children were older than her classmates. We had a standing rule during those days that whenever either one of us was having a hard time adjusting to being in our new programs, we'd call the other for support.

That leads me to tip #2: find support. Your family and friends may be 100% in your corner, but if they're not going through it, they can only support you so much. And if they are NOT supportive, it is positively imperative that you DO find support in other classmates. Seek out other older students in your classes, and don't be shy. Go on over and strike up a conversation. Chances are they will be relieved that you did, and you might make some genuine connections. But don't age be the sole factor in making friends and feeling like a part of the scene. You might miss out on some very cool people who just happen to be a little younger.

Remember, EVERY new college student goes through the same paces of finding a community in their new environment. It's just easier for traditional-aged students because there are so many more opportunities for socialization on a college campus: fraternities and

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