When you think about returning to college as an adult, you may think of doing so for career advancement or changing careers altogether. These are both exciting prospects that should fill you with a sense of upcoming achievement. However, you may also have a little voice in the back of your mind telling you that college is not for working adults and it’s going to be tough returning to school with everything you have going on. However, here are four reasons why that little voice is misguided:
First, if you are worried about not fitting in, don’t. With today’s 21st century demands, more and more people are returning to college at every age. So, it’s very likely you won’t be the only working adult in the class, and it’s certain that you won’t be the only one on campus. Instead, think about all of the opportunities you’ll have to meet students of all ages and backgrounds that could lead to great personal and professional contacts.
Second, whether you’re going to college for the first time or returning to finish a degree, statistics show that adults perform better academically than students who have come directly from high school. But this shouldn’t surprise you. Whatever the reason adults return to college, it is because they want to, not because someone else (like their parents) wants them to. And because graduating is a personal goal, adults are more motivated and responsible when it comes to getting things done. Plus, don’t forget the benefit of bringing everything you have learned in your professional life to your studies, which actually puts you at a great advantage.
Third, by this point of life, you’ve learned about how the world works, and you know that it has its ups and its downs. Because of this, when faced with challenges in college, the working adult will be better equipped to deal with them and push through them to ultimately succeed. Your real-world experience is one of the best tools you’ll bring with you to the classroom.
Most of all, when you return to college as an adult, you do so with a goal in mind. You also return with a sense of discipline and focus that you may not have had when you were younger. At Albertus Magnus College, because we understand how valuable working adults are to our diverse culture of lifelong learners, we have programs designed specifically for working adults like you on both the undergraduate and graduate levels. So ignore that little voice in the back of your mind and visit one of our Open Houses on November 16 in East Hartford or November 18 in New Haven to see how now is exactly the right time for you to return to college!