Many adults go back to school to build a new career. It could be because they were less serious about school when they were younger and have few marketable skills or because they may be locked in a dying industry. As U.S. society shifts more from a manufacturing and services economy to an information economy, working people often go back to school to make the necessary adjustments. In tough economic times, going back to school looks like a good option. According to the American Association of Community Colleges, the average age of a community college student is 29.
Some licensed careers, particularly in the medical field and legal professions, require workers to take a set number of classes to maintain their licenses or certification.
Even if he stays in the same industry, a worker may go back to school to build up his skills and increase his value to his employer. Or he may want to move up the corporate ladder and a few classes may pave the way for his promotion. Some industries undergo frequent changes in technology and methods, and a worker may take classes just to keep up. Additional education means extra money for school teachers; in 2010 the median salary for a K through 12 teacher with a bachelor's degree was $39,821, but with a master's degree the salary jumped to $47,519, according to the PayScale website.
Someone wanting to start her own business may consider taking classes to improve her own skill set. While the entrepreneur may be trained in her line of work, she may not know what she needs to run a business. Because of this, business classes are attractive to the older student.
An older student may take a class or two just for fun or to pursue an old dream. If one always wanted to learn a language or to play piano but never got around to it, there's probably a class for that.
With computers taking over in all aspects of business and in life, older students are more interested in learning how to run them. Local community colleges may have computer classes on nearly all aspects of computer use, from beginning operations courses to advanced repair. In addition, a computer class schedule may include courses specific to a certain brand of software, such as Microsoft Word or computer-aided drawing (CAD) programs.