What do they really think of us
I expected younger students to notice our age.
Instead, they noticed what we bring.
When I asked younger students how they see older students at university, I expected to hear about the generation gap.
But they spoke about depth.
Life experience.
Critical thinking.
Support.
Stability.
One student even called us:
“The mothers and fathers of the lecture hall.”
I’m still not entirely sure whether that was a compliment…
Several students told me that my presence calms them. Some asked me to sit next to them. Others reached out for advice.
We return to university because we want to change something in our own lives.
But perhaps, without realizing it, we also show younger students something important:
Life is not a straight line.
You can change direction.
You can start again.
You can choose a new path
And you can keep dreaming long after your twenties.
Research on multigenerational classrooms suggests that learning alongside older students may also help younger students challenge stereotypes about ageing, appreciate lifelong learning, and feel less anxious about growing older.
Perhaps a multigenerational classroom does more than create diversity.
It expands our idea of what is still possible.
You have a project but you think "you are too old?" contact me!
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