Re-Entry

I got a quick chance to discuss "return to school" with someone in my class, and as expected, my answers were vastly different than the rest of the class. 

My regular study buddy, Andrew, and I got a chance to discuss a conversation that our colleague Jemaline brought up. I'm glad he challenged me in this aspect of Jemalin's post, which was about re-entry to school as adult learners.

I'm happy because he inspired me to speak up about my own re-entry. 

In my case, it's not so much the painful reminder of college or the expected time frame, like Jemalin alluded to. I actually had no intention of getting my PhD until I moved positions to join a non-profit that focused on adult learning. Prior to that, there wouldn't have been much need or expectation for a PhD in the type of training I did. Now, there is, and I'm already using much of what I learn to make our adult learning offerings better, which in turn means a safer industry for everyone. Heck, in a contractor world where experience is king, having a PhD might have been a knock against when I met our field guys, not a feather in the cap.

Additionally, I did not feel out of place due to the age difference. Most of the other learners in our classes are in their mid to early 30's. Instead, I feel a bit of a disconnect due to the fact that so many in our cohort are academics who teach and work in academia. 

Our learning communities are quite different, the delivery mechanisms and capabilities are different, and our mission and visions are distinct from each other. That difference between me training industrial field workers and getting so little time with them is a tough comparison to Andrew for instance who teaches college-level, semester-long, classes.  But, variety is the spice of life and I've learned a ton from that difference and I hope the opposite is true as well.