New perspectives from older pupils

Many college-age students are just here to get their degrees and
move on, but there is another demographic of students here at UCLA
who seem to have a greater appreciation for the educational and
social experiences UCLA has to offer.

It’s hard to stress how important it is to take full
advantage of the opportunities that we have available to us. The
mental and social skills we develop at UCLA should not be
considered merely a means to a degree, but as a springboard into
the continued educational development that we will experience
throughout our lives. Certain students demonstrate this
appreciation for continued education better than most.

These students are often referred to as “nontraditional
students” or “re-entry students.” More
specifically, they are adults who decide, for various reasons, to
attend university later in life than the average student. According
to a UCLA Web site, approximately one-third of college students
nationwide are over the age of 25 and thus fall into the
nontraditional category, a figure that is expected to increase.

Older, usually wiser, and full of life experience, these
students often add new perspectives to class discussions.
Furthermore, from what I can tell, they exhibit a certain zest for
education that many traditional students lack. Whether they are
gaining a degree or just taking classes to keep their minds sharp,
the older students certainly seem excited to be here.

Many of these students choose to audit classes for their own
personal edification. Others are here to graduate and use their
degrees to further their careers.

One such student is Mary Davidson, a 49-year-old English
student, in her senior year at UCLA. Davidson, a mother of four,
has a home in Hemet, a commute of close to 100 miles. To remedy
this problem, she lives during the week in the campus housing on
Hilgard Avenue and goes home on the weekends. Living this double
life has been one of the hardest things to adjust to, Davidson
said: “I only get to see my family on the weekends ““
and I usually have to study on the weekends. Sometimes it’s
hard to just be a family.”

Still, the struggle of leaving her family is balanced by the
opportunities she knows a degree will give her. When she graduates
this year, Davidson intends to begin a career as a teacher.

Stories like Davidson’s remind us that it can be quite
difficult to return to school after a stint in the real world
leaves you with familial and financial obligations. Still, there is
certainly something to be said about coming back with a plan. The
average 18-year-old, straight-out-of-high-school freshman generally
lacks the maturity and life experience to know what he wants to do
with his life, while an older returning student is here for a
specific reason.

Davidson notes that as an older student it can be difficult to
find people to identify with. Many other nontraditional students
have voiced similar concerns, and one even took the initiative to
start a sorority/fraternity for nontraditional students at UCLA.
The group is called Alpha Gamma Epsilon, or AGE, and was started in
1999 by Susi Rodriguez Shapiro. According to its Web site, the
purpose of the group is to provide nontraditional students with
“a sense of belonging on campus by offering a society of
like-minded supportive individuals.” Current AGE President
Kimberly Stewart is a 42-year-old history student who plans to
expand the group beyond a social club and is looking into providing
community service.

Other programs exist which encourage older members of the
community to further their education by auditing classes. The
Friends of English program provides opportunities for members to
attend salons with UCLA faculty and visiting lecturers while
allowing them to audit any class in the English department with the
consent of the instructor.

Another such program is the Perpetual Learning and Teaching
Organization Society, “a community of retired or semiretired
men and women, who enjoy the challenge, stimulation, and growth of
continued learning.” PLATO members meet to discuss topics
during their 14-week terms and are allowed to audit classes at UCLA
with the instructor’s consent.

Irwin Jaeger, 74, is semiretired and has been a member of the
PLATO Society for seven years. He is currently auditing an
impressive five classes which range from philosophy to Shakespeare
to geography. “I look at learning like keeping in
shape,” Jaeger said. “If you want to stay sharp, you
have to continue to educate yourself ““ PLATO offers that
opportunity.”

Even though he is auditing his classes, and doesn’t have
to take the finals or write the papers, Jaeger still keeps up with
all the readings and often speaks up in class. In talking with
Jaeger, I was immediately struck by how genuinely excited he is
about learning. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a
traditional student with such a passion for knowledge.

Jaeger noted that the educational opportunities at UCLA are
amazing. and he said that some students may take this for granted.
He has been quite impressed with what UCLA has to offer, saying,
“The level of education is fabulous, the professors are
outstanding, and the students are bright.”

English Professor Joseph Dimuro, who often has nontraditional
students in his classes, has also noticed how enthusiastic older
students can be. He noted that “these people know what it
means to be away from the classroom, to be pressed for time in
raising children (or) pursuing a career. … For them, a UCLA
classroom is a testing ground for their skills and values.”
In this way, we can see why these students exhibit such a strong
urge to succeed ““ an urge that seems to be diminished in many
traditional undergraduates.

Everyone can benefit from having nontraditional students in
their classroom. Not only are discussions deepened by the different
perspectives of these older, more experienced students, but perhaps
some of their rekindled excitement for learning can rub off on the
traditional undergraduates. Dimuro said that “their very
presence in the classroom sends us all a valuable reminder that
learning is a lifelong pursuit.” This is certainly something
that traditional students should keep in mind.

It is important for all students to take full advantage of what
UCLA has to offer. Perhaps the presence of enthusiastic
nontraditional students like Jaeger and Davidson can help to remind
us all that graduation doesn’t mean the learning has to
end.

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