Reply #15: that's wonderful! i find older students to be the most diligent and appreciative ones.

[NuttyFluffers]

they know what life is like out there and what a real opportunity it is to be in college. everyone's a little loopy and ditzy from around 18-24, it takes a while to have real gratitude for the opportunity to go to college. older classmates really enriched my college experience because they often had kids and felt no qualms telling chittering 18 yr olds to quiet down or leave the classroom if they were disrupting class. older adults know how to get things done in the real world and have felt the challenges of life, leading to a real driving ambition and appreciation at school.

i bet you'll find a few more "old timers" along the way. it'd be a good idea to mingle with such peers. they make the best study partners. there's a greater wisdom in time management and realistic measurement of their own capacity -- no week long benders and trying to finish projects the night before.