Older Adults Are Heading to College in Pursuit of New Opportunities

That is the name of the 2021 PBS mini-documentary covering how non-traditional students are seeking opportunities through higher education.

I spoke on this previously when I wrote about my own reflections on being a non-traditional student and how I believe that the ‘non’ part is no longer going to be attached as it becomes normal for older adults to seek higher education.

Personally, I am a huge advocate of older adults returning to college.

Life is out of the way.

Experiences are lived.

Older adults know what they like and don’t like, so they won’t be pursuing just any degree for the sake of it.

Typically, at this point, they have a reason to go back and have an understanding of themselves to their advantage.

In the documentary, Kelly Richardson talks about how most of the younger students were just going through the motions to get through class, to get the grade, and move on to their next class, to get their degree, and move on to their career. He, on the other hand, devoured every tidbit of information he came across.

I find this relatable as I was just telling someone that I view college a whole lot differently than before. I still witness people stressing over a B- and their grades, celebrating their A’s and B’s, which is fine, but as I return, I realize none of that stuff means much to me anymore.

It’s about attaining the new skills being taught, understanding how the world works around me and in spaces that I am not privy to.

External validation was once something I struggled with but no longer have an attachment to it. I will do my best to achieve high marks, but if I happen to get a B-, I won’t be stressing because now I truly understand and respect the scale of balance.

Plus, I have other things I am working on outside of school, such as this blog that will hopefully become something over the next few years, helping others in the same rut, mindset, or space, and there is the investment fund that I am building.

As mentioned I believe older adults returning back to school have an advantage with life experience. There is a certain security within who they are, even if they are changing identities and finding themselves again.

This mini-documentary was an interesting watch and was only 8 minutes long, but the whole time I was watching, I couldn’t help but silently yell, “Yes, that is what I have been saying as well.”