Back to School at 40+

I loved college. I loved it so much that I went to grad school less than a year after finishing my bachelor's degree. And then, only a year into my first real job in advertising in New York City, I decided I'd rather be in school again. I quit and went back for a PhD, expecting I would become a college professor (though I left after a year to return home to get married, be near family and settle in to the ho-hum life of a suburban soccer mom). I'm sure you'll say I was just avoiding the real world by staying in school, but I also loved everything about the college experience. The atmosphere. The culture. The professors. The books. The bars. Oh, and the learning.

This week I'm completing a "mini-MBA" in social media marketing at Rutgers University, thanks to the generosity of my employer who has taken note of my interest in Facebook, blogging, webinars, and all things virtually social. It's a one-week accelerated course designed to help me create and implement a social media strategy for Judson Press and the American Baptist Home Mission Societies. The instructors are leaders in the field and the course is packed with everything one could hope to know to be cutting edge in social media. We even get an iPad2 out of the deal, which I'm very excited about, assuming I can figure out how to turn it on.

You're probably thinking I must have been deliriously excited to return to school, but in reality, I was anxious. Would the other students be younger, smarter, and more technologically adept? Would I feel overwhelmed?  Would there be group projects? Will I be tested? What about networking? I know I should network but I hate networking. Will the teachers be nice? Most importantly, what should I wear? Is this like real college where I can wear sweats and a baseball cap, or should I dress like I'm going to a business event? All very important questions.

Well, it turns out that I'm comfortably holding my own in my previous knowledge of social media. And I'm right in the middle of the pack age-wise. Everyone else (at least all the women) also wondered what to wear (I erred on the side of caution with khakis on day one). They're all friendly enough that the networking thing isn't so scary (we've even got happy hour on the schedule for after class today). The teachers are nice but kooky (as most college profs are). And yes, there's a group project and presentation but I think I'll be okay.

Does this mean it's time for me to go back to school again? Alas, no. While a college campus was my happy place at one time, I can tell you that 20 years later it's just not the same. Maybe it's because I'm at Rutgers University's Livingston campus where there are no ivy-covered or brick buildings to make me nostalgic. Maybe it's cause I'm too old (and married) to flirt with the freshmen should I see any. Maybe it's because I'm working a full time job, have two children, a husband, and a home to look after and I'm too damn tired to read and study at the end of the evening. I know my mother-in-law will be disappointed (she really wanted to be able to tell people her daughter-in-law was a "doctor"), but I don't see that completed PhD in my future.

So how about you? Have you gone back to the classroom after a long absence? Was it the same? Was it better? Was something missing? Share!