Older Students Are Often Well-Prepared For Graduate School

If you are just thinking about going back to school to pursue graduate studies after a long break from the world of academia, you may be wishing you'd got an earlier start. You may even feel as if you've been wasting time or just spinning your wheels in the years following your undergraduate degree. After all, some ambitious college students go straight to graduate school after completing a Bachelor's program, getting a jump-start on a better career with higher earnings. This route, however, is not recommended for everyone. In fact, adults returning to school to complete graduate studies at a later date are often at an advantage.

Keep in mind that for many students, graduate school is a way of avoiding the workforce for just a few more years. Not every college student who enters a graduate program has a clear idea of what he or she wants to get out of it. Rather, it can at times be an escape route for young adults who don't know exactly what they want. As an older student, you likely have a much more focused idea of what you want to do with your graduate studies, and you are far less likely to be pursuing an advanced degree for frivolous purposes.

Because you've spent time in the workforce, you know what steps are necessary to further your career. You not only know whether or not a graduate degree is a necessary investment to go far in your field, but you also know what concentration you should be pursuing and what actions you must take to make your degree count.

Just the fact that you have spent years in the workforce, whereas some graduate students have never held a job, gives you an advantage. You'll more easily see the application of what you are learning. Your work experience will give you valuable perspective. In fact, many graduate programs look for work experience during the admissions process, tending to favor applicants who have spent time employed in their field.

As an older student, you have also had time to grow up a lot. By this point, you understand the value of your education and will make the most of it. Older students tend to have better grades and attendance than their younger counterparts, and they tend to participate more frequently in class and generally make the most of their opportunities.

Older students also tend to be better at networking in grad school. They have spent time holding a job or several jobs, which led to confidence gain and a loss of timidity. They tend to know what they want and how others can help them achieve their goals.

As an older student, you may experience unique challenges while working on your graduate degree, due to the length of time since you have last been in school. The truth is that it should not be long before everything you've learned in the past comes flooding back. You'll find that you're a smarter, stronger student than you were in the past, after your initial rustiness goes away.

It is never too late to go back to college, and you'll probably be glad you did. Going to graduate school after you've been in the workforce for some time could give you the competitive edge you need to go farther in your career. You can even choose to take courses online!