For undergraduate student Jeff Senne, college life doesn’t have much do with going to wild fraternity parties, dorm room living, or looking forward to his 21st birthday — he celebrated that 34 years ago.
An increasing number of older adults are gathering their textbooks and stuffing their backpacks, either for the first time or for another round at college.
In the last 20 years, enrollment of students over the age of 50 has increased by about 10 percent more than total enrollment in the University of California system and community colleges.
During that same time, the number of older students in California State universities has more than doubled, according to data by the California Postsecondary Education Commission.
Senne is pursuing his degree at John F. Kennedy University, a private institute geared to adult learners.
The university, which started with a handful of students in 1964, according to school president Steve Stargardter, is now educating more than 1,800 students toward their bachelor’s and master’s degrees.
“We know that adult education is the fastest-growing educational segment in the country,” he said. “It brings in about a billion dollars in revenue each year.”
Senne began contributing his part to that revenue about a year and a half ago when his self-described mid-life crisis didn’t resemble a sports car.
“I woke up and said, ‘What the hell am I doing this for?'” said the psychology major.
Heading back into a classroom was less of challenge than he had anticipated, he said. The focus and experience he gained from age, he said, has made school an easier endeavor.
“One of the advantages of getting older is you get pretty intense about life,” said the straight-A student.
c 2005, Contra Costa Times
Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Information Services.

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