Community colleges across the
country have seen a large increase
in enrollment (nearly 15 percent)
over the past year with more
young adults choosing to further
their education along with many
older students deciding to do the
same. Not only is Bucks multicultural;
it’s now visibly diverse in
age as well.
With such a dramatic variety in
ethnicity and age, the college experience
may seem strange to
some at first. Being surrounded
by individuals five, 10, or 20
years younger than yourself can
be awkward.
When one decides to return to
Bucks after being eligible for an
academic restart, they may notice
a slight change in culture from
that of their peers when compared
with new students just arriving out
of high school.
It may cause one to feel somewhat
out of place. As the year
progresses though, one can become
accustomed to their surroundings
and the days
comprising the semester become
routine.
Others, like Amy Bellingsrath,
have a very positive attitude toward
attending college later in
life, feeling right at home from
their first day. The 38-year-old aspiring
writer has found the time
and motivation to attend her first
semester.
Bellingsrath says she doesn’t
think of herself as being older and
“feels comfortable” at Bucks, and
rightly so.
There seem
to be many
more students
in their
30s attending
the
Newt own
c a m p u s
now then
there were
five years
ago.
An d r ew
Klimowicz,
28, works
as an account
manager
for
Westinghouse Lighting and has
decided to earn his teaching degree
by taking night classes at
Bucks as well as at Holy Family
University.
“Being in my late 20s, I don’t
feel out of touch with other students”
Klimowicz said. But he
does find his Literature class
somewhat intimidating. “Some of
the younger students seem to
know more about the readings
than I do and after the professor
elaborates on the texts, it feels as
if I haven’t read the material at
all.”
Even well-educated senior students
have enrolled this fall. John
MacDonald, who is retired with a
graduate law degree, has taken a
course simply for his own edification.
This goes to show that although
Bucks may not be a fouryear
institution, the educational
experiences the school offers individuals
can be valuable for all intellectual
levels.
Whether young or old, a
teenager just discovering the
world independently or an individual
who has experienced much
of what life entails, college offers
an expansive view of how to perceive
life. Education addresses
life with a ‘yes’ toward people of
all races and ages, and it never restricts
or encloses with boundaries.
Anything less would be a lie.
Everyone should feel welcomed
here at Bucks Community
At college, we all attend classes
with the same desire to try and get
the most out of living. This is fundamentally
what education offers
us all.