Why are younger students and faculty so shocked when they have a 28 year old in their class?

Question

I attend a small private college and the instructors and students all about die when I tell them that am 28. What is the big deal. Can someone explain it to me because I just stopped telling people that I was older than them.

Answer 1

I did my undergrad at a small-ish, private university. Over my four years there, I probably had non-traditional classmates in about 10 classes.

For me, it was only a "shock" the first time around. And I only mean that the first day I walked into class, there was a guy with graying hair sitting next to a girl who looked about 16, lol. It was just "unusual," especially since I was a freshman.

After that, though, it was just business as usual.

The only time I've been truly "shocked" was when a "girl" I'd had three classes with revealed that she was the head of her dept. at work, made $70,000 a year and owned her own house. She looked like a "typical" college student, but it turned out she was 27 and working on her second degree. Go figure.

So if there's shock, it might be just because you don't "look" 28. Or maybe it's because there aren't many non-traditional students at your university.

More than likely, it's a combination of the two.

Answer 2

Probably b/c you look so darned young and it shocks them to know that you're not; thank your genetics! ;o)

Because you attend a small private college, they're not used to having that demographic at the school. When I taught at both community college and state university, we regularly had non-trads in class and it was no big deal. But private colleges don't cater to your age group as much as aiming for the traditional 18-22-year-old demographic (especially b/c most people your age don't want to pay for the cost of private colleges and would rather go to a college that caters to the typical demands of students with jobs and family lives). Either way, enjoy it.