Thinking about going back to learn but don’t know anyone in your same boat? Here’s one adult learner, Michelle Y., who wanted to share her tips on going back to college.
Michelle left a career in journalism to train for a new career in occupational therapy. Here’s her advice:
* A larger college might be able to accommodate adult learners better by offering more classes at different times. I can’t accelerate with online and summer classes because they don’t offer them for my (and most other) program(s).
* Most professors appreciate adult learners and are understanding when family issues come up. But not all. One of my professors could have cared less when my 2-year-old (and then I) had the swine flu last November and I missed an exam. He gave me a much harder makeup exam. And he also wouldn’t let me switch labs to meet my baby-sitting needs. He just said “everyone has something—a job or kids or a personal situation, and I can’t accommodate everyone.”
* I spend more time in the lab because it takes me longer to get things into my brain—which I attribute to fewer brain cells. I have a hard time finding any time for myself at all. And I worry that my student loans are going to force me to retire later. But I do think it’s really worth it.
