Overcoming My Fears of Returning to College as an Adult

Overcoming My Fears of Returning to College as an Adult Many people in today’s economy are finding it very difficult to survive financially and are frantically seeking ways to overcome that threat of losing everything they have worked so hard their entire lives to achieve. Since the job opportunities are few and far between many are turning to furthering their education, but some of us from the older generation have found it can be very frightening and challenging to return to the classroom. It came to a point in my life where I needed to make a decision about where I was going to be in the future and how I was planning to get there. After researching several different options I found the appropriate and most beneficial one would be to return to college. As an adult student I had numerous responsibilities to consider when making that decision. They included having children in college, work, and maintaining the household. The time and commitment needed to complete a degree program and balance these responsibilities can be a challenge. Just the thought of returning to the classroom after so many years gave me that feeling of anxiety and panic. There were so many thoughts crossing my mind, the scariest one being my age. Knowing the majority of my classmates was going to be less than half my age made me feel out of place before I even started. With that fear and so many others still fresh in my mind I began to make the preparations, both mentally and physically, to begin my goal of obtaining a college degree. I needed help; I did not even know where to begin so I started my search for informational resources to guide me through. I came across a book, “The Adult Student’s Guide to Survival and Success” (Siebert and Karr), which turned out to be all the help I needed. Starting with a career and school selection and continuing through the steps of registration, completing the massive amount of paperwork, class scheduling, ordering books, etc. I finally completed the process with less than two weeks left before my first semester was to start. It seemed to keep my mind busy throughout the long and complicated process of getting into a college, but now that I have completed that step, I am finding the task of preparing myself mentally to be a very challenging one. I keep getting that feeling of wanting to give up, but something inside me keeps telling me to hang in there. Well here we are, the first day of school has arrived and now I am in a complete panic. I felt a sense of déjà vu, except in that past experience I was sending my children off to their first day of school, not myself. I made a point to arrive at school early so I would have plenty of time to find my first class and get situated. When I walked into that classroom it seemed very overwhelming, I was shaking from head to toe and wondering if this was all going to be worth it or should I just turn around and walk out while I still had the chance? I had absolutely no idea what to expect but I chose to stay and quickly found a seat. The seats around me began to fill and as I watched my other classmates enter the room it was actually a little intimidating, they were all so young and energetic. I wondered how I was going to relate to them academically and socially. I was asking myself so many questions, will I fit in? Will I be as smart as they are? But I soon realized that the only way I will get answers to these questions is if I actually give it a shot. Once class began and introductions were being made one by one around the room, my jittery inner feelings seemed to calm somewhat. By the time the class was over I had gained a little self-confidence and knew that it was going to take a lot of hard work and determination to obtain my degree, but nothing was going to stop me now. I managed to complete my first semester of college, very successfully I might add. It turned out that I not only passed all of my classes, I also made the President’s List. After enrolling in and completing a few summer courses I am now in my second semester and hoping to graduate by December, 2011. My exaggerated fears almost kept me from doing what I have wanted to do for so many years. The accomplishments that I have already made towards getting my degree have made me feel that I definitely made the right choice of returning to college. My advice to the older generation would be to go ahead and take that leap. “The Association for Nontraditional Students in Higher Education reports that students who are over twenty-five make up forty-seven percent of the new and returning student population on many of today 's college campuses” [ (back2college) ]. So the fear of being too old is just not an excuse anymore. I have learned a great deal from this experience and if the need arises for me to obtain a higher degree of education then there is no doubt in my mind that I will pursue it.

Works Cited Siebert, Al, PhD and Mary Karr, MS. The Adult Student’s Guide to Survival and Success. Portland: Practical PP, 2008. Print. “Going Back to College.” Back2College.com. Association for Nontraditional Students in Higher Education, Nov. 2009. Web. 28 September 2010.

Cited: Siebert, Al, PhD and Mary Karr, MS. The Adult Student’s Guide to Survival and Success. Portland: Practical PP, 2008. Print. “Going Back to College.” Back2College.com. Association for Nontraditional Students in Higher Education, Nov. 2009. Web. 28 September 2010.