Retirees Can Participate in Lifelong Learning and Social Engagement at Colleges
An increasing number of retirees are now on college campuses, seeking learning, culture, and social interaction. Some live year-round on the campuses in buildings designed for senior citizens, such as at Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona. These buildings have hundreds of private apartments with nearby healthcare units. Those who reside in these college apartments can enroll in courses for free or at lower rates if the classes are not full. They also have access to all the cultural facilities and amenities. For instance, retirees who live on campus have access to an indoor pool and spa, dog park, campus restaurants, an art museum, and a theater for the performing arts. About this mixture of the older adults with the younger ones, Managing Director at ASU observes, “The older generation thrives significantly because of exposure to the younger generation.” He adds that the younger students learn more effectively from contacts with an older and experienced generation who have lived through different times and worked and raised families.
For many older people, there is a sense of isolation since they no longer work and socialize with people. By enrolling in college classes, they can socialize and expand their minds in the exchange of ideas with other students. For many, new friendships are made, and sometimes new careers are begun. For instance, one woman enrolled at Berkshire Community College in New York for classes for older adults, while her husband pursued a master’s degree in business administration. Now, she not only is a student, but she is a board member of a learning center. Her husband has also found a new career as an adjunct professor teaching economics and finance at other colleges.
Colleges Offer Senior Citizens a Second Chance to Fulfill Earlier Goals
Retirement is the time in people’s lives in which they can finally pursue their “dream deferred” by economic situations or parenthood. Many women who put aside their goals when they married or had children, or who now find themselves widowed, go to college campuses to fulfill their dreams of earning a college degree and socializing and enjoying the cultural opportunities on the college campus. At colleges, new friendships are made. Sometimes, too, new careers are begun. For instance, one woman enrolled at Berkshire Community College in New York for classes for older adults, while her husband pursued a master’s degree in business administration. Now, she is not only a student, but she is a board member of a learning center. Her husband has also found a new career as an adjunct professor teaching economics and finance at other colleges.