Why are so many older citizens enrolling in College?

Question

What is the point of their education? They are already retired. Even if they get their degrees, who will hire them? Should there be separate schools for senior citizens? You views, please. I mean no disrespect to those of you who are older adults. I ask out of sincerity & concern for overcrowded Colleges with a large student body that is under the age of 25.

Answer 1

At Memphis University seniors 60 and over can audit classes free of charge. I'll be utilizing the opportunity because learning makes me feel exuberant!

Answer 2

I can tell just from the tone of your question that you are not a Senior, or the question would never have been asked.

The point of the education of the Senior population is satisfaction. You see, some of us know that there is this huge world out there with many, many things that we do not know, don't even have a clue about. Now we have the time to play detective through College classes. I graduated in 2003 at the tender age of 56, at the top of my class. Then I retired from the position I was in. I didn't stay retired. The economy today won't let the Senior stay retired, they're aren't enough workers to keep it going.

Don't kid yourself, there's always someone that will hire them. However, I went into business for myself. Why should I work for someone else and give my skills for a meager wage? I'm making more now, working for myself, even with the tax base for self-employed, than I ever made working for someone else. I use my education, thank you very much. And, I'm considering getting more education, just for my own pleasure. Learning is a lifetime thing.

Separate schools? No way. If we had separate schools, who would you younger ones have to try to beat out for those high grades? We make sure you get your education, we're not slackers, we want those high grades just like you do.

Seriously, don't let overcrowded colleges concern you. They'll just raise fees and build more. At least, it gives them an excuse for charging higher fees, heaven forbid, we should ever put it into higher fees for the overpaid Administrators. You will have to excuse that last sentence, I live in California where fees have gone up a number of times in the last few years with no appreciable reason except the one stated.

The fact is Seniors love to learn - no more, no less.

Answer 3

Because they can. Knowledge is good for the soul. I am a firm believer in being a life long learner. As for the overcrowding on college campuses and large student body you need to only look to your government to see why that is as the colleges' federal funding has been significantly cut, and there are hardly any decent paying jobs with out a degree. Are you aware that approximately 90% are freshman at any given time?That means that only about 10% of the under 25 age group actually finish college. Maybe more parents should be keeping their young 18-22 year olds out of college, let them get a taste of what it is like to work for a living with out a degree like many senior citizens had to because they could not afford to go to college. In fact right now most young people can't afford college unless their parents are wealthy as the state and federal aide has been cut significantly.

In answer to your question of separate schools? Please don't be offended by my response. By all means lets segregate the elderly even more than we have already. After all the adult kids should not be burdened with having to care for them, visit with them, or even help them out with yard work. Of course they have no wisdom or knowledge from which the youth can benefit. And of course it appears to me that this generation of young people don't have any interest in intergenerational relationships. It is really kind of sad don't you think?

Answer 4

The older citizens of this world are still interested in participating in life and helping out in the world.

They are not the reason that colleges are overcrowded, colleges are overcrowded with large student bodies, literally and figuratively because of the colleges accepting too many students and not having enough faculty.

I know many so called "older citizens" who cannot afford to retire, and have had to return to college in order to stay current in the working world, and others who have returned because they were in the service during war time and never had the opportunity to finish the degrees they were trying to get when they were sent to defend our country and our freedoms. This includes adults from WWII, Korea and the Vietnam era. We had two WWII vets complete their Bachelors degrees in our community this past graduation day in June. These were people in their late eighties who were graduating with their grandchildren.

I could be considered an older student, not quite a senior citizen, although I will be there someday soon I am sure. I have multiple college degrees, and fully intend on obtaining more in any and all topics I am interested in. I work in special education, so I have to be current in everything with regards to new scientific and medical research in order to best help my students. I also work in retail management and sales and have to keep up with new technologies and even with security issues and have to continuously educate myself in those areas.

Life is learning, I know many older citizens who are leading inventors and computer experts and medical researchers and environmentalists who are working to make the world and the future better for all of us.

You do realize that the majority of inventions in the world that make all of our lives easier were invented by people who were much closer to so called retirement age than to the age of people getting degrees in their twenties.

What is the point of education for anyone? You will learn the value of education as you age, you obviously are closer to the under 25 age. No disrespect intended, as you stated.

My love of learning and love of new topics, new adventures and new challenges has grown with my age and education and I am sure that yours will as well. You may well be the "older citizen" before you have time to think about it, and will be returning to college also.

Have a good day.

Answer 5

Older people who return to college have learned the importance of learning for learning's sake, whether they plan a second career or not. I graduated from college 25 years after I started because I'd always felt badly for dropping out and having something left unfinished in my life.

Colleges separated by age? No way. The only time in your lives when you get separated by age is in grade and high school where young minds and bodies need to be protected. By college age you should be wise enough to be able to blend in the world with all people. Older people have always been on the college campus'. This is nothing new. If the colleges are over crowded, then they need to build more. Seniors wanting to expand their minds are not the problem.

Answer 6

Senior citizens are enrolling in college because they want to learn about something different and new. Not because they expect to get a job in the field they are studying. Or because they think it will advance them financially. They are doing it simply because they like to learn, have the time and patience to do so at this point in their lives, and are adventurous enough to do so. They usually genuinely love education (or did not have a chance to love it in the past).

And quite frankly, I think they add an important dimension to the classroom, offering opinion and viewpoints that are more mature and rather different from the hordes of college kids in there. The young ones can serve to learn a lot by listening, grouping up with, and befriending these older people (who know a lot more about life than they do). I see it as a really positive thing. And most young kids who are serious about their schooling are delighted to have the 'crowds' if it means we are getting a real experience in the classroom (the others don't care becauset they are too busy partying).

Answer 7

Probably because the student loans will never be paid back and the living expenses for seniors sucks right now with SSI which doesn't pay sh*t for seniors. You work 45 or 50 years and you and your employers put into the system, but when you finally get SSI you only receive one quarter of what you put in, which isn't enought to provide for a place to live let alone food for a month. And I don't blame them. If I could get out or even walk some distance without the pains I am going through now, I would do the same thing.

Answer 8

I know it may sound crazy to you, but some people actually enjoy learning. Maybe a college education is a goal they have always dreamed of achieving, but never had the time or money. Whatever their reasons, they have just as much of a right to education as anyone. Your classes are not overcrowded because of senior citizens, they are overcrowded because your university admits more people than they can accomodate.

Answer 9

Is job training the only reason for education? If so, our society is lost. Some people go because they find it interesting, and have plenty of time during retirement to enjoy the classes. Also, a lot of people never had the opportunity to go to college when they were younger and want to go just to be able to feel the accomplishment of completing a degree program.

Answer 10

ManUp, I have a college dgree and I am now retired. However, I have given great thought to going back to college.

Why? Because my brain is good and it is active and I desire to learn. Overcrowded colleges? Colleges, have always been crowded...at least since my college days!

It is true, many are under the age of twenty-five. However, many over the age of fifty, are paying for this "overcrowdedness." Therefore, I think we have earned the right to go back if we desire.