USA: At retirement age, many are back at college

SAN BERNADINO, CALIFORNIA (San Bernadino County SUN), June 10, 2005:

Suddenly realizing she didn't know what a Scantron test sheet was, 58-year-old Trudy Terrill panicked at her first college English exam.

The Cherry Valley woman is one of millions of older students throughout the country heading back to college or attending college for the first time. As the baby boom generation reaches retirement, many are deciding to change careers.

Others are simply refusing to retire and honing their skills by taking college courses. Some seniors are also pursuing careers because they must support themselves due to divorce or death of a spouse.

Terrill was plunged into culture shock when she returned to college after a gap of more than 40 years.

"I was sitting there in class, ready for my exam, and then the professor said we needed a Scantron and I turned to my classmate and said: 'What's a Scantron?' I had no idea what it was,' Terrill said, laughing.

She graduated in May from Crafton Hills College in Yucaipa with an associate's degree in liberal arts. She plans to pursue a teaching career at a four-year college.

The last time Terrill was in college was in 1964. College life was much different. She left school when she married her college sweetheart. Terrill remembers writing term papers on a typewriter.

It had been so long since she was in school that several of the courses she completed in 1964 weren't transferable, forcing her to retake basic history, psychology and science courses.

Professors would often ask Terrill for her perspective on historical events like the Vietnam War and Watergate since she had lived through them and her classmates hadn't been born yet.

Older students face many challenges, said Janet Honn-Alex, coordinator of the Adult Re-Entry Center at Cal State San Bernardino.

"I'd say one of the biggest is technology, many of them haven't received computer training,' Honn-Alex said. "When they were in school, computers were not something that was available to them.'

The rising cost of a college education also can pose a challenge to older students.

"These students don't have parents that can help them pay,' said Honn-Alex.

Scholarships and financial assistance are available.

The highest concentration of older students is usually at community colleges where tuition is lower. Many students attend community colleges to complete general education courses before transferring to a four-year college.

At Cal State San Bernardino, students 55 and older made up less than 1percent of the undergraduate enrollment of 12,109 last fall. Graduate student numbers were higher 5.3percent of 4,085.

Common areas of interest for older students include education, social work, English and art.

"We find that a lot of these students feel isolated and are just overwhelmed,' said Honn-Alex.

Terrill knows what it's like to stand out among her younger classmates.

"I would show up early to class, just so I wouldn't have to walk in when the other students were in class. I was just so intimidated by them,' said Terrill. Terrill said she would call her children and vent her frustration. "I would tell them that I didn't think that I could do it,' said Terrill, who has seven adult children.

She also had to deal with her peers viewing her as not capable of handling the class work.

"They thought I was slow (in understanding the material) and I was,' said Terrill.

She overcame the problem by applying herself. It was through her participation in study groups that she developed many friendships.

"They started coming to me for advice and it felt really great,' said Terrill, "They felt comfortable talking to me because I had the life experience, but I was a student and wasn't going to judge them.'

Mark Beach of AARP said seniors do well in school.

"They know what they want. They also know that this is probably the last chance to do it,' said Beach.

Beach added that the baby boomer generation is a lot more active than past generations. "These are healthy individuals who don't want to retire and sit on a porch somewhere drinking lemonade and watching the world go by.'

Glenda Laguna, 59, said she attended San Bernardino Valley College three years ago in order to reinvent herself.

"I hated my job, so I didn't want to do that again. I just knew I wanted to do something where I could help people. Some type of social work,' said Laguna.

In May, Laguna received her associate's degree in human services, but she will not be pursuing a bachelor's degree.

"I'm almost 60 years old; if I go for my B.A. I'll be done when I'm 65 years old. That's a little too late to start a career,' Laguna said.

Helping others satisfies her, Laguna said. She helps senior citizens develop job skills and find employment through the county Department of Aging and Adult Services.

Both Laguna and Terrill say their experience in college has changed their lives.

"I think it gave me that self-confidence I was missing all these years,' said Terrill, "It allowed me to finally be myself."

By Irma Lemus, Staff Writer