My College Years — 1964-2001

By John Edward Hewitt

I've been an adult college student most of my life. Three times I've re-entered and finally I received an Associates degree. I'm now working on a Bachelors, and I have no intention of stopping there. Here are a few tips learned along the way - the long way, that is, and the story of how I learned them, to help and encourage returning students and people who are thinking about returning.

Persevere-Don't Stop
My first return to college was in 1969, inspired by Joe Namath and the New York Jets winning the Super Bowl. I began with one course, English Composition. I passed the course but soon lost interest and opened a business instead of continuing. Every September, though, I would feel like I was missing something. I'd get the urge to go back, and I would contemplate different career possibilities that might be attainable if I had a college degree. Sometimes I went as far as speaking with an advisor or attending an open house. Ten years later I did return, and after attending two colleges on and off and passing three CLEP exams, I was awarded an AS in Business on my daughter's tenth birthday in 1996, at the age of fifty. It had taken thirty-two years to achieve the level of education most students reach in two years. If I hadn't taken the ten years off, I would have graduated at forty years old and in the prime of my working years, when the degree might have had a more significant impact on my job prospects.

Begin with a Variety of Courses
Motivated by that milestone, I began taking courses at the Fairfield University School of Continuing Education, the fourth college I've attended. I had no clear idea what major to pursue, but that was beneficial in the long run and led me to tip number two: Take a diverse selection of courses. Don't decide on a major or a specific program the day you return to college. It's not necessary to choose your exact career goal or final degree that early. On my second return, I was advised to sit in on one session of a law course and a philosophy course before enrolling. I knew nothing about philosophy, but I thought I would enjoy and benefit from the law course. After one night in each class, law seemed dull and philosophy was thought provoking, challenging, and invigorating. I completed the philosophy course and received my first A since elementary school. At Fairfield, I've taken a broad range of courses, including Astronomy, American Studies, Ethics, Religious Studies, and Chemistry. By chance, I registered for an English Writing course. The professor was encouraging, knowledgeable, skilled at teaching, and was particularly tolerant of adult re-entry students. In my thirty-fifth year since high school, I discovered that I wanted to be a writer, and I have continued taking courses leading to a degree in English/Writing. I now write for a weekly newspaper and have submitted many articles for publication such as this one. The additional income augments my day job as a technical writer, and I find writing so enjoyable I can't believe I get paid for it!

Take Writing Courses
Returning students should consider taking writing courses because they offer a wide range of benefits:

• Students of all ages can use improvement in composition, grammar, and punctuation, and those improvements can be readily observed by employers and others who read our memos, reports, and e-mail messages.
• Good writing can only help in your present career and improve your chances when seeking a different one.
• Writing is a transferable skill that can be applied to almost any job in any company.
• Adult students often have tremendous life experiences to share and find that writing offers a means of telling their stories. Writing, unlike when I was in high school, is really fun!

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