Female, Over 40 Does Not = It Idiot!

[Milovoriel 0]

Okay, I'm officially furious .... yesterday I started a part-time course in web design .... I was very nervous, as it's been ages since I've studied plus I'm a lot older than the rest of the class ....

 

this does not mean however, that I cannot learn and that I am in fact, intellectually challenged .... so why then am I treated as such? .... true, it takes me a bit longer to mentally process things but I get there in the end ....

 

younger people seem to forget that being older means a hell of a lot more responsibilities to cope with .... I have to work, look after a home, pay bills and study at the same time .... sounds a breeze?? .... just wait and see! .... oh and of course there's also the joys of parenting .... the many and splendid problems of children, even grown up children .... who always look to you to sort out any little problems that may arise in their pampered existences ....

 

I felt so bad yesterday, I'm seriously considering not going back .... but family and friends are trying to persuade me to still give it a go ....

 

so, here I am venting in the hope that I'll get it out of my system and be ready for round 2 next week .... yeah well, we'll see ....

 

I make no apologies for moaning .... I'm sooo mad!!

 

Cheerie .... ~M~

[OCAC 0]

I always enjoyed studying with mature students. They have more experience; they are more serious about learning. You have qualities, they wish they had, but are too afraid to admit.As long as you don't think, you are missing out, because you are cut out of their conversations, ignore them. Are you there for the social aspects, or because you want to improve your web programming skills, to get you going in a future job? You are on this course, because you have an aim. That is admirable. Stay with it! You will regret later, if you drop out. Be as practical about the learning as possible; ask questions, allow you to ask silly questions. If you don't know the answer, don't be shy. My mother always was bad at maths and always had to ask for additional explanation, and she was always the only one. Then one day she understood the first time round - afterwards her classmates asked why she did not ask for another explanation, because they had relied on her to always ask, so they did not have to "embarrass" themselves and admit that they did not know an answer.I am sure your class mates could learn a lot just by the way you ask questions. They are just too stupid. Ignore them. You go to school because you want to learn.Enjoy your chance for learning. It is a privilege!

[Sprnknwn 0]

I agree with all OCAC says.Although you need more time to mentally process things, you can still beat those kids. Remember that design is not only technique. It needs good, and probably mature ideas of what is exactly what you want to do. Use your further experience in life in your creativity... surely you will get better results in your projects than a lot of kids that only think of videogames.

[songlikeecho 0]

You should definitely stick with it. The students will more than likely realize that you have a lot to offer, it just may take them awhile. I've had many students such as yourself in my classes, and I find it a joy to study with them. Good luck!

[shadowdemon 0]

i would love to go to school with you. You have real world knowledge who cares about age. Age is just a number. Stick with school

[Tyssen 0]

this does not mean however, that I cannot learn and that I am in fact, intellectually challenged .... so why then am I treated as such?

 

Was it other students or your teacher/lecturer? If it was other students, then like mentioned, if your primary interest is in learning rather than social interaction, forget about them. If it was teacher, I'd think about maybe making a complaint if he/she is obviously showing favouritism to younger students.

Having said that, it is an established fact that people's ability to learn diminishes as they get older (can't teach an old dog new tricks), so people automatically make certain allowances for older students (not that I'm saying that it's the correct thing to do).

[elevenmil 0]

See, the one thing you immediately need to do is erase those younger students out of your vision. You need to focus on the task at hand and complete the class.

 

I'm a junior in college. Many of my peers are extremely mature, and we have a couple older students in our classes as well. They are treated much like anyone else, in fact, we look up to the older students in the class simply because we know the kind of schedule they have. It's not easy going to school at your age, the responsibilities that you already carry on your back are surely quite enough already for you to handle.

 

Take it from me. I salute you. Keep up your work and focus on the learning end of college, not the social. Sure, students may continue to be rude, but hey, you paid to be enrolled in that class, you have every right to act on your own accord.

 

Enjoy what you can, get your education, and you will have done what you set out to do. Don't let distractions get in your way!

 

elevenmil

[Saint_Michael 3]

yeah i would stick with it, and guess what the members here on the forum hae about few hundred years worth of experiance in web design that would make most highschools. colleges look like they are still trying to catch up to the times, it true some aspects of designing take time to learn, but the best way to learn is look at other peoples work ask questions how they do it and who knows, you could have something the "students" don't know about.so go with it and tell the teacher to shove it up your know what, and punk those brats by telling their web design skills are noobish at best. .

[jlhaslip 4]

You know, I didn't own a computer until I was over 50 years old, yet I've built and managed 5 web sites, I Admin/Moderate a Forum, and I'm learning stuff everyday. I live in a small town that does not have a College or I'd be right along side you taking that course. Yes, there will be things that may not come to you as quickly, but by perservering, and as a result of the extra effort you will have to make vis-a-vis the younger students, I believe you will retain and understand the course content better than those who are able to breeze through it.Good luck and best wishes with the course.

[epox 0]

hey don't lose your faith, you know what you want and you know what you got, forgive him, i'm sorry for that kids, major people deserve respect, don't hear them, you make me think in my mother, sometimes she asks me for help with computers, and i listen she every time he asks, even if i know she is gonna forgive all i said her, it doesn't matter how many times she do it, i listen her.don't pay attention, you know what you got!

[jlhaslip 4]

So, one week later...

 

How did the course go this week for you?

 

It may take a few weeks to settle in, but did it get any worse?

[serenity 0]

I think that is soO.. COOL i wish there were older people i would actually learn more because yu guys are like who we listen to and you break down things easier for us..