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"Martha" (not her real name) swings by my office with a cheerful smile to ask how I'm doing, though it's been months since she was last in one of my biology classes. "How about you?" I ask, knowing that with her husband working in another state, teenage kids at home, and a long commute to the university campus, she has her hands full. But Martha is taking it all in stride and earning top grades. The big scholarship that she won, thanks to hearty recommendations from her professors, is a great help.

Martha is just one of the so-called "non-traditional" college students that I've had the pleasure of teaching over the years. Others stand out in my memory. There was "Bethany," a science-shy economics major who struggled hard for her grades, but never gave up until she understood a concept. There was "Rita," a single mother with a chronic illness and a learning disability who put a troubled past behind her and went back to school to set a good example for her children. There was "Bill," a military veteran who suffered a heart attack in the middle of the term, but recovered quickly and finished the term with a good grade.

Increasingly, colleges and universities are developing adult learning programs to accommodate the rising tide of older students. Those most likely to enroll in adult learning programs are adults with some college education who are already employed. These students are generally looking to complete a college degree to either advance in their careers or to change careers entirely. Some want to start a business and are taking business classes to that end. Courses for adult learners range from life skills or vocational classes offered at Community Colleges, to bachelor's and graduate degrees from a university.

If there is one fear that most adult learners have in common, it's, "Can I really do this?" Undergraduate adult learners fear that they will feel alone and isolated when they're old enough to be the parent of half the students in the classroom - and sometimes the instructor. Graduate students wonder if they'll make it through oral exams and writing the thesis or dissertation. Students at all levels fear that the time commitment will be too much for them.

I find, however, that my non-traditional adult students have a lot going for them. They're more organized than they think they are, owing to their years of experience in juggling work schedules, soccer games, and trips to the doctor. They often know exactly what they want to do with their degree, which

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