Afraid of your first class?

Many adults have no idea what to expect when they start or return to college, but you have more to offer in the classroom than you may think!

Since I’m finally preparing to complete my undergraduate degree in May, I have been thinking a lot about how I got to this point. Like many people, college after high school wasn’t in my plans. I got married, had kids, jobs, etc. It wasn’t until my mid-30’s that I decided to start back and earn my degree.

The very first class I took was on a college campus in Maine. It was Freshman Seminar, and I remember feeling incredibly fearful before my first class! With three young children at home and a husband who traveled much of the time – what on earth did I think I was doing? Would I have anything in common with these young people? I hadn’t been in a classroom in forever, and had no idea what to expect. I went fully prepared to feel like a fish out of water.

Sitting in my first class, it was with great relief that I noted that I was definitely not the youngest or the oldest starting out. There were kids right out of high school, a couple of 20-somethings, one or two around my age, and two much older. It became apparent as we began to share a bit about ourselves that all of us had been pensive about coming. As that class period wore on, and each one after that, a bond began to grow in the classroom. We found that the young people had much to offer the older ones, but the adults were able to provide a breadth of knowledge and balance to the class that made it a wonderful experience.

There were many more successful classrooms after that. Even as an Honors English student in a small-group setting, I never felt out of place or awkward. I quickly came to realize that education is something that requires dimension and shared experience to be rewarding. If you're feeling strange about starting out, read my article Am I Too Old for College?

So…if you’re just starting to think about beginning college, enrichment courses, or any type of professional development as an adult, take heart! It’s a wonderfully rich and rewarding journey.