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Amber Melton
Prof. Kimberly B. Strickland
English 1010
July 26
th
, 2014


Why Its Never Too Late to Get an Education


Over the course of my adult life, since high school, I have constantly wrestled with the
idea of furthering my education and pursuing a college degree. There has always seemed to be
something that would impede or discourage me from enrolling in classes. After a while I began
to question whether getting an education was really that important. In this paper I will attempt
to outline why an education is important and why it is never too late for someone to start down
the road towards a college degree. I will also prove that attending college later in life actually
leads to a higher success rate among college graduates. I will share some very specific
examples that support my stance and will attempt to disprove some of the counter arguments
that education isnt important. The reason that I have chosen this topic is because it is
something that hits very close to home for me. I am what you might consider an older student.
Because of the circumstances of my life I wasnt able to complete a college degree while I was
younger. I have recently started attending college again and feel that I have a lot of new found
knowledge in this subject. I believe that I offer a valuable insight into this topic as it is one that I
have lived on a daily basis.
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One of the biggest sources of discouragement would come from family and friends.
Neither of my parents received college degrees and have seemingly done ok. I guess you could
say that from an early age I was taught that as long as you worked hard you could start at the
bottom of a company and over time you could work your way up the corporate ladder to the
point where you could make a livable wage. Obviously, parental influence and your upbringing
play very big roles in the education choices that you will make in your life. A study conducted by
the US Department of Education found that As parents education increases, so does students
likelihood of enrolling in postsecondary education. Among 1992 high school graduates whose
parents did not go to college, 59 percent had enrolled in some form of postsecondary
education by 1994. The enrollment rate increased to 75 percent among those whose parents
had some college experience, and to 93 percent among those whose parents had at least a
bachelors degree. While I dont blame my upbringing entirely for my lack of enthusiasm when
it comes to postsecondary education, I cant help but feel that had I grown up in a different
home, with educated parents, I might not have such a distain for attending my college classes.
This lack of education from a parental level is one of the reasons that I feel so strongly about
getting a college education. I feel that I am making an investment not only in myself, but in my
future children that will grow up in a different circumstance than I found myself in.
Some people believe that once you are out of your twenties that you are too old to go
to school or get an education. There is a common misconception that you must have your life
figured out by the time you hit thirty or you run the risk of never accomplishing anything. While
I do believe that going to school is easier when you are younger and have fewer obligations and
responsibilities a quote by Henry Ford puts that frame of mind into context. He said Anyone
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who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays
young. Henry Ford recognized the importance of education and saw it as more as something
that someone did over the course of their lifetime and not just a thing for children and teens.
There have been numerous studies on education and what age types make the best students.
In the article The Old New Resource for Education author W. Terry Whisenant discusses his
findings about student successes based on age. He studied students over and under the age of
25 in six different community colleges in Virginia. He found that the students over the age of 25
had higher final grades in their classes. Does that mean that you shouldnt go to school when
you are younger? Absolutely not! He is just saying that discriminating against students based on
age is factually incorrect and further drives home the point that you are never too old to get an
education. Older students arent struggling to find their identities. They have already
determined what they want to do and who they want to be. This is evident in their desire to
pursue an education. They have fewer social distractions that would inhibit them from
dedicating their time to their studies.
A big deterrent when it comes to getting an education is the cost of schooling. Many
people feel that given the associative cost of school coupled with the time requirements to
obtain a college degree that they would be better off sticking with the job they have instead of
pursuing a degree. In the article Is College Worth it? Clearly, New data Says published in the
New York Times, author David Leonhardt raises the question of whether is it worth it to get an
education or not. He used research from leading economists and determined that the cost of
getting a college education is -500,000 dollars. Now, that number might seem a little off. But he
justifies the number saying that there is an enormous gap between what someone with a high
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school degree makes and what someone with a four year college degree earns. So keeping that
in mind the cost of a college education is cheaper than free. It will end up costing you 500,000
dollars over the long run if you choose not to pursue a 4 year college degree. There are also
many government programs and scholarships available to help people obtain a college degree
so there are more opportunities available now than ever before in history. In the past 5 years
the number of college students over the age of 25 have substantially increased. This was in
large part due to the economic recession that the greater sum of the United States suffered
through. People recognized the importance of an education and the value of having a degree
when it came to applying for highly competitive jobs. Now, people will counter with, In New
York you saw people with Doctorates driving taxi cabs! The only answer I would have for that
is at least they had jobs. While their jobs wasnt in their current field of expertise they still were
able to work and provide for their families. There were people being put into lots of jobs that
they were overqualified for. And the reason they were able to get these jobs is because they
had an education. People with Bachelors degrees were working as receptionists and office
clerks. But at least they were working.
A big talking point when it comes to getting an education is Do I have time to do this?
A lot of people think that because one is older and may have children or a job that they will not
have the time needed to appropriately manage their college schedules. I agree that completing
a college degree when you are older might be a little more difficult for some people. The
greater truth is that when you are older you are able to manage your time a little more
effectively. You will make time to complete your studies because it is important to you. You will
be able to find unused bits of time that you otherwise would have taken for granted in the past.
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I think this is beneficial in that you are able to really appreciate your time. The time with your
children will be better spent because there isnt an abundance of it. You might think that you
relationships will suffer when in fact that just isnt true. Your greater appreciation for time will
become apparent in the things that you decide to do with your free time. You can also justify
spending time on your education now with the free time that you will have in the future.
Imagine if were able to get a high paying job with good benefits. You would be able to go on
vacations with your family or significant other and not have to worry about not being paid for
taking time off or run the risk of not having a job when you came back.

A common misconception among older students is that they will feel like an outsider
when they attend classes with students 10 to 20 years their minor. They feel like they will be
looked down on or deemed uncool. With the number of older students ever increasing it feels
like that stigma simply just isnt true. While I can only speak for myself, I feel that if anything
the younger students have been very welcoming and often appreciate an older, more mature
outlook and perspective on things. They associate age with responsibility and intellect.
While researching this topic I found several things very interesting. One thing that I
didnt know was that college graduates, on average, live up to 5 years longer than people who
havent completed high school. In the article The Happy State of College Graduates the
Author references a study performed by the Commission on Health that indicates that those
with more education are likely to live longer, experience better health outcomes, and practice
healthy behaviors like exercise, avoiding smoking, and getting regular checkups. According to
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data from the commissions report, college graduates can expect to live at least five years
longer than those who havent finished high school, especially men, who see a difference of 6.8
years between college grads and high school dropouts. This information alone should be
reason enough for anyone to overcome their wariness about a college education. Not only are
college graduates living longer but they are reporting higher quality of life for longer also. There
are a couple theories as to why this is so. One is that individuals with college degrees have
more access to health knowledge. They are better educated about disease and disease
prevention. They have access to better healthcare systems and avoid occupational hazards that
can manifest themselves in other employments. Another theory is that college educated people
are happier in general. The top 10 happiest states in the country are also the top 10 in
educational attainment. That cannot be a coincidence. College educated individuals also
participate more in their communities and tend to lead more meaningful lifes.

I feel that getting a college degree is invaluable and that one is never too old to start.
There might be many things that dissuade someone from starting down the path to higher
education but one thing is certain that education is never wasted. It may have taken awhile for
me to start my education again but I dont regret it. Waiting until I was older and more mature I
feel has made me in a way more ready for school. I dont feel the need to be popular so much
anymore. I am not still trying to find my niche in life and have developed many meaningful
social relationships. I have my priorities clearly outlined and know what it will take to
accomplish them. I am more aware of the cost of education as I am paying for it myself and
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appreciate every moment and dont take it for granted. I can clearly see the value of my
education and the impact that it will have on my future family and also my friends. My only
advice would be dont be afraid to start.














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Citations

"Adult Learners." Adult Learners. American Council on Education, n.d. Web. 26 July 2014.

"College Enrollment and Work Activity of 2013 High School Graduates." U.S. Bureau of Labor
Statistics. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 22 Apr. 2014. Web. 26 July 2014.

Duckworth, Angela L. "The Key to Success? Grit." Angela Lee Duckworth:. Ted.com, Apr.2013.
Web. 26 July 2014.

"Fast Facts." Fast Facts. National Center For Education Statistics, 2014. Web. 26 July 2014.

"Going Back to College: Frequently Asked Questions." Going Back to College: Frequently Asked
Questions. Back To College, n.d. Web. 26 July 2014.

Leonhardt, David. "Is College Worth it? Clearly, New Data Says." . New York Times, 27 May
2014. Web. 17 July 2014. <http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/27/upshot/is-college-worth-it-
clearly-new-data-say.html?_r=0>.

Peterson, Deb. "8 Questions to Ask Before Going Back to School." About.com Continuing
Education. About.com, 28 May 2014. Web. 26 July 2014.

"The Happy State of College Graduates." . collegestats.org, n.d. Web. 17 July 2014.
<http://collegestats.org/2013/05/the-happy-state-of-college-graduates/>.

Whisnant, W. Terry, John C. Sullivan, and Susan L. Slayton. "CATALYST V22N3 - The "Old" New
Resource for Education--Student Age."CATALYST V22N3 - The "Old" New Resource for
Education--Student Age. Virginia Tech, 1992. Web. 26 July 2014.

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Annotated Bibliography

"Adult Learners." Adult Learners. American Council on Education, n.d. Web. 26 July 2014.
The American Council on Education (ACE) is an associate focused on promoting higher
education. They represent the presidents of US accredited, degree-granting institutions of many
varieties. Their main focus is on improving access and preparing students for success in their
goals of higher education.

I feel that this was a very useful and reliable source in my research as they have several
articles covering rising issues affecting students and institutions around the US. Their opening
paragraph carried several important statistics that I used to build my research and discussion on
regarding adult education. I think this associations goal is to be a unified primary source of
information for students and schools and to encourage adults seeking a higher education.

Whisnant, W. Terry, John C. Sullivan, and Susan L. Slayton. "CATALYST V22N3 - The "Old"
New Resource for Education--Student Age."CATALYST V22N3 - The "Old" New Resource for
Education--Student Age. Virginia Tech, 1992. Web. 26 July 2014.
This article argues the proposition that nontraditional students exhibit higher academic
achievements than younger, traditional students and compares the difference in between the two.
GPA is the main criteria used to determine the differences.

I feel this paper was well researched and gathered so much useful information into one source.
Even though its slightly out of date, this article is packed with interesting and reliable statistics.
I would say this was my main source of information and shaped my argument quite a bit. I found
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this article when I first started back with school last semester (Spring 2014) and it was a big
source of encouragement for me in some fears I had.

"Going Back to College: Frequently Asked Questions." Going Back to College: Frequently
Asked Questions. Back To College, n.d. Web. 26 July 2014.
This article covered similar information as the article from Virginia tech that I mentioned
earlier, however the stats are a little more up to date. It covers a few frequently asked questions
of returning students.

This article quotes reliable sources such as the US Dept Of Education and National Center for
Education Statistics. Due to the slightly out of date statistics on the research of said article from
Virginia Tech, I used the similar statistics from this article.

Peterson, Deb. "8 Questions to Ask Before Going Back to School." About.com Continuing
Education. About.com, 28 May 2014. Web. 26 July 2014.
This article was written by Deb Peterson, a learning and development consult and creator of
Marvelous! Magazine, which encourages women to create the life they want and to live it
vigorously. She designs and presents training programs as well. These facts alone I feel show
that Ms. Peterson is a reliable source when it comes to education of many forms.

This article provided some helpful and honest questions to ask yourself before starting or
restarting a higher education. I appreciated that it also gave links to help in further research and
helpful resources (cutting a lot of research time in half). This article helped me when I was first
starting out and I felt it necessary to mention it in this paper.

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"Fast Facts." Fast Facts. National Center For Education Statistics, 2014. Web. 26 July 2014.
The National Center For Education Statistics (NCES) is located within the US Dept of
Education and Institute of Educational Sciences and fulfills a Congressional mandate collect,
analyze and report complete statistics on the condition of the American education.

This being said, I felt this was a very reliable and up-to-date source for statistics to base this
paper on regarding the fluctuation of varying incomes of those with high school education verses
different levels of higher education. I do think the primary goal of NCES is to encourage people
to pursue further education, however I also feel this carries honest statistics.

"College Enrollment and Work Activity of 2013 High School Graduates." U.S. Bureau of Labor
Statistics. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 22 Apr. 2014. Web. 26 July 2014.
The parent source of this article was the US Department of Labor, which I felt was a fairly
reliable source. This article compares statistics of the employment and unemployment rate of
those with high school and college education over the years.

This seems like an unbiased standpoint being that its based on simple facts. I think that this
tied in with the statistics from NCES and supports some of the reasons why those with a college
education may have higher income rates.

Duckworth, Angela L. "The Key to Success? Grit." Angela Lee Duckworth:. Ted.com, Apr.
2013. Web. 26 July 2014.
This video argues that success in life isnt necessarily attributed to being the smartest, but to
showing the most grit or determination to succeed.

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Angela Duckworth is a Psychologist at the University of Pennsylvania that studies intangible
concepts such as self-control and, the topic of this video, grit. I feel that her experience in the
evolution of her career demonstrates a reliable source and opinion. TED.com, a nonprofit
devoted to a belief of changing the world by spreading powerful ideas, began in 1984 and
showcases varying professionals.

I decided to include this video as part of my paper because I feel that it really shows that
despite all these statistics and society ruled opinions, your success isnt governed by your age,
income or social ranking, but by your determination to succeed.