Topic: Any of you geezers gone back to school?

[Frankenkit]

I had a five-year layover between HS and tech school, out living life.  I have to say, I most enjoy working with folks who are a little bit older and have been out of 'school' for awhile.   They tend to ask the most insightful questions in class, are more driven to do their work in an efficient way, and are most open to thoughts and suggestions, working analogies and acronyms like the fun and dirty ones for cranial nerves.

The younger folks might be valuable to learn hangover cures from, but are often useless for studying help. Still, you get a good idea of what you know vs. what you don't when you teach others.

[rhos1355]

ha! try being 44 and being asked on the first day if i'm the prof.

"why yes young lady i am. and i'm afraid we must discuss your grades over vodka and fruit punch."



btw: i'm convinced more than ever college is one big money-making gaff. 

I think I can better that one, I spent a (very) short time in the 80's trying to get an agricultural qualification. Specialising in the cultivation & production of wine. (Now you geddit?) But I was working nights and thought I might join the regular 'day' stream. Well the first time I entered the class, all 16-17 yr olds, they all jumped to their feet!! LOL.
One day, because of other commitments, I had to skip classes. The next day, the biology teacher, a very arrogant man, was checking the register, calling out student's names and when he got to my name he enquired where I was the previous day (this was done without him raising his head from the register). I told him and he said he wanted an excusal letter from my parents!!
I can't I said,
why not? came the brusque reply
'cos they're both dead!!

By this time the whole class was in paroxisms of giggles.
I don't think they'll ever forget the bearded 34 yr old geezer that spent a couple of weeks in their class.

[sangyo soichiro]

Count me in!

At 17, I started working in a machine shop doing the co-op thing (where you're still a high-schooler but work for half the day for credit).  I went to a community college to complete two skilled trades, tool and die, and machine building.  Then I finished up an associates degree.  I was pretty much younger than most of my classmates except near the end of the degree.  In total, that took about 8 years.

Then work wasn't panning out (working in the machine shop got really depressing and frustrating for me), so I went to Indiana University South Bend for a bachelors degree.  I ended up getting two.  I was 26 when I started that.  IUSB is a local 4-year college that caters to the local populace, so I had some folks around my age in many of my classes, but most were younger.

Then I went to graduate school at Notre Dame for physics and astronomy.  I was 29 when I started grad school and I was the oldest of my class.  Now I'm just finishing up the doctorate and it looks like I'm going to be a physicist when I grow up.  I even think Notre Dame is going to hire me when I finish the degree.  Every one is younger than me now except the professors.  But in a way all the younger 'kids' keep me young.  I think I'm pretty 'hip,' and I may even be 'groovy.'  And I can drink with the best of them.  But I refuse to wear my hair like most of the young guys do nowadays.  That's where I draw the line.

[delay pedal]

you older folks have some good stories!