I returned to school this year, 25 years after I received my bachelor’s degree.One aspect that I think the professor misses: so many of my younger classmates are working incredible hours just to afford school that they don’t have time to think about being curious.  They need to complete the class work and they’re done.  In my experience so far in my program, I can pass the course just by showing up to class meetings and turning in my assessments on time.  Solid writing skills and participation get me the As.  As I am much older than my peers here, I find the “secret” to succeeding in grad school to be anything but.  It’s been eye opening to see that just by plugging away at something every day, instead of these intense bursts of deadline activity—something I learned through 25 years of professional work—I’m excelling.Surprisingly, I find some basic skills I would expect graduate students to possess: curiosity, competent communication skills, and a desire to prioritize school over fun lacking in many of my peers.  It’s strange.  No one is making you go to graduate school so if you chose this route, why not make the most of it?

I returned to school this year, 25 years after I received my bachelor’s degree.One aspect that I think the professor misses: so many of my younger classmates are working incredible hours just to afford school that they don’t have time to think about being curious.  They need to complete the class work and they’re done.  In my experience so far in my program, I can pass the course just by showing up to class meetings and turning in my assessments on time.  Solid writing skills and participation get me the As.  As I am much older than my peers here, I find the “secret” to succeeding in grad school to be anything but.  It’s been eye opening to see that just by plugging away at something every day, instead of these intense bursts of deadline activity—something I learned through 25 years of professional work—I’m excelling.Surprisingly, I find some basic skills I would expect graduate students to possess: curiosity, competent communication skills, and a desire to prioritize school over fun lacking in many of my peers.  It’s strange.  No one is making you go to graduate school so if you chose this route, why not make the most of it?

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