Older students biased against younger students?

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First let me say that I'm not trying to start an argument on this thread, but I want to bring to everyone's attention a situation I was in yesterday.

Soo, yesterday morning I went to register for summer courses and I was standing in line between two very nice women who were in their early 30s (I am 20). We were all talking about the nursing program etc and both women started talking about how this was a second career for them and they feel that older people should receive spots in programs over people straight out of high school because they are wiser and have more life experiance. Usually I would just brush comments like these off (even though I am not just out of high school, I have been taking pre-reqs since I graduated in 2007 and have been accepted into a program for Fall 2009), but they would not stop going on and on about teenagers and even people in their early 20s not knowing what they want to do with their lives. I really take offense to this because I'm working very hard to achieve my goal of becoming a RN, does anyone else come in contact with people that have this same mindset?

Specializes in Emergency Dept. Trauma. Pediatrics.
Ddi anyone at any point stop to think that maybe these ladies were voicing wishful thinking thoughts. I often make statement I don't always truely believe would ever happen. Like how we should get issued littmans and free healthy lunches and lattes

Wouldn't it be nice if you were an older student to skip the line because you were older? Seems unfair to the young and it IS but what you need to understand is the older you get and when you feel like you have achieved anything YET there's a sort of low level panic that goes on.

I do the same thing all the time. Since they were discussing with this girl,the nursing program and stuff they probably should have refrained from venting in front of her, it would have been the polite thing to do. Then again, if it was me and I was there, I would have just shot back with some witty smart orifice remark instead of getting upset. I am not opposed to laughing at myself and it takes a lot to get me upset. I guess it's my age :p

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Specializes in Hospice / Ambulatory Clinic.

I personally have a hard time judging age. I usually think EVERYONE is around my age :D I love when people witty with me. Its a mental challenge. So IF you meet me don't get upset get even hehe

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Specializes in Emergency Dept. Trauma. Pediatrics.
I personally have a hard time judging age. I usually think EVERYONE is around my age :D I love when people witty with me. Its a mental challenge. So IF you meet me don't get upset get even hehe

HAHA, that is what I would do. I mean why take things so seriously. I used to get easily upset in my younger years ;) but it takes a heck of a lot more now. People misjudge my age a lot, usually think I am younger. I also always get the "your to young to have 4 kids" I just smile and agree. I did have to step in one time though, an out of line waitress made a comment in front of my kids, asking if they all had the same dad WTH??? I was thrown back but I quickly replied "No, I am all about diversity" after she left one of my sons was like "Mom we don't have the same dad??? :stone " my oldest laughed and was like she was kidding!

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Specializes in Emergency Dept. Trauma. Pediatrics.
I started not to respond to this, but felt the burning desire to do so. I am wondering if this is a "Bash the non-traditional student agenda?" First of all, not all non-traditional students think they know it all, there are a lot of us that are willing to accept failure and challenge and exceed just like the younger students. I am disappointed in the fact that all people are stereotyped into one category. I have been trying for the past 2 years to get into an RN program and just this year was accepted. I look forward to the intense study and heartache just like everyone else. I recently graduated LPN school at age 46 and will be entering RN division at age of 48. I plan on finishing and working, and NO! I do not plan on dieing anytime soon--LOL! I feel it is important to follow your dreams and goals and never let anyone or anything stand in your way of doing so. I wish you much success in your nursing journey and ironically maybe working beside you one day--Who knows? What would you do then?

Congratulations on finally getting in. I just got in after waiting 3 years so I completely understand all the emotions of finally getting in:D I am sure you will do great!

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Brilliant. I love your idea of segregation for us "non-traditional" students. Then we wouldn't bother you younger ones, eh?

Where do I sign up? I'm dying to know....:banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead:

The accelerated students are seniors, they are at a completely different level than the regularly sequenced students. I think it is only fair that it be two separate classes. We are already segregated into the two groups based on abilities, it only makes lecture a pain in the butt for them because they get frustrated when the regular students ask question upon question. I have heard comments from them about how they shouldnt be "paying thousands of dollars to have lecture interrupted constantly".

I wasn't going for segregating on the basis of traditional and non traditional but on the basis of accelerated vs regular students and that it is logical and in everyones best interest.

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I did have to step in one time though, an out of line waitress made a comment in front of my kids, asking if they all had the same dad WTH??? I was thrown back but I quickly replied "No, I am all about diversity" after she left one of my sons was like "Mom we don't have the same dad??? :stone " my oldest laughed and was like she was kidding!

All about diversity! That rocks.

I guess I am "non-traditional" too. I am 28 and have 3 kids. There are times when I wish I had gone to school before I had kids. Not because I would have been a better nurse, but because I wouldn't have to pay for child care, I would have more time to study, and I wouldn't feel guilty leaving my kids all time. I dont' have a problem with anyone in my class. There are students who are younger and significantly older than me. There are people I like and people I don't like. But that is for personal reasons, not based on age.

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I will turn 42 in November and I love the young people in school with me. It makes me feel young to be included and I feel good that I am able to keep up and do well both academically and physically. I also think good for them that they know what they want to do and are actively pursuing it. I wish I had been more driven when I was younger, but I wouldn't trade being married and raising my wonderful teenage son for it. I also worked 20+ years at a bank which paid for my prerequisites and gave me the financial foundation to be able to go to nursing school full-time. The "teenagers" in my program are all very intelligent and some of them have to work as well. I admire their ambition and think that having youth in the nursing ranks is a positive thing. I always try to be encouraging and supportive. My life experience is valuable, but it shouldn't result in different treatment in my nursing program.

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Specializes in Psychiatry.
The accelerated students are seniors, they are at a completely different level than the regularly sequenced students. I think it is only fair that it be two separate classes. We are already segregated into the two groups based on abilities, it only makes lecture a pain in the butt for them because they get frustrated when the regular students ask question upon question. I have heard comments from them about how they shouldnt be "paying thousands of dollars to have lecture interrupted constantly".

I wasn't going for segregating on the basis of traditional and non traditional but on the basis of accelerated vs regular students and that it is logical and in everyones best interest.

Thanks for your reply. I guess I don't understand it as being "logical" and in "everyone's best interest."

I have an undergrad in a different discipline, but chose a more traditional route (BSN) vs. an accel. program.

I never think of students as interrupting class. I am not any smarter than they are. I often learn from their

questions and value their contributions to the learning environnment. Some of the students are annoying (both

traditional and non-tradition) but so are some people in general. the classroom is no exception.

Good luck with your studies :D

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Specializes in DOU.
I will turn 42 in November and I love the young people in school with me. It makes me feel young to be included and I feel good that I am able to keep up and do well both academically and physically.

Speaking as another (former) non-traditional (aka "old") student, I loved being with the younger students too. the only problem was that when I went to high school events for my kids, all the other parents looked so OLD!!! I became so used to spending so much time studying with the younger students, I forgot that I was older, too! :D

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Specializes in Hospice, Rehab.
...

Soo, yesterday morning I went to register for summer courses and I was standing in line between two very nice women who were in their early 30s (I am 20). We were all talking about the nursing program etc and both women started talking about how this was a second career for them and they feel that older people should receive spots in programs over people straight out of high school because they are wiser and have more life experiance....

(edited for the juicy parts)

As a nursing student that is a full generation older than the women you mentioned -- I was a 50 year old nursing student -- all I can say is "You're kidding, right?"

I certainly came into my nursing program with very few expectations of entitlement. I don't think that there is any rationale that I can develop that supports students of a particular age being given priority. I think its wonderful that people have made babies, held other jobs, married one or more times, or perhaps even racked up some debt, but NONE of that automatically makes a person a better nurse. Granted it could, but when I think of the brightest and most compassionate student in my class -- all of 21 years old -- it was her EMT experience which made her a better nursing student.

I'm 100 percent on your side. Trust me, the wear and tear will come, the kids, the sags, the bills, the deadbeat husband/partner. But you've earned your place in nursing school. Your probability of success is entirely a function of what you do with the opportunity. I wish you well. I wish your detractors well. I hope that you learn from each other. But this dose of puffery can be left aside. After all, how can we tell if a person has twenty years experience.... or one year of experience repeated twenty times.

I look forward to working with you!

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(edited for the juicy parts)

As a nursing student that is a full generation older than the women you mentioned -- I was a 50 year old nursing student -- all I can say is "You're kidding, right?"

I certainly came into my nursing program with very few expectations of entitlement. I don't think that there is any rationale about students of a particular age being given priority. I think its wonderful that people have made babies, held other jobs, married one or more times, or perhaps even racked up some debt, but NONE of that automatically makes a person a better nurse. Granted it could, but I think the brightest and most compassionate student in my class was all of 21 years old. She brought along some solid EMT experience, which made her a better nursing student.

I'm 100 percent on your side. Trust me, the wear and tear will come, the kids, the sags, the bills, the deadbeat husband/partner. But you've earned your place in nursing school. Your probability of success is entirely a function of what you do with the opportunity. I wish you well. I wish your detractors well. I hope that you learn from each other. But this dose of puffery can be left aside. After all, how can we tell if a person has twenty years experience.... or one year of experience repeated twenty times.

I look forward to working with you!

Touche' my fellow nurse. I could have not said it any better..

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I'm 19 in my first year of a BSN program, and I sometimes wish there were older non-traditional students in my classes!

The first year is just pre-reqs (A+P I and II, and Chem) but the girls in my classes are obnoxious! My A+PII class is the WORST! They talk 24/7, all through class. And if they're not talking they're blatantly texting (phone openly visible on the table, vibrating/ringing!) I really wish my Prof would do something about it because it drives me bananas. Especially because my Prof doesn't use power point, so we need to rely on hearing the lecture to get the notes down - it's hard when all around me are the tapping keyboards!

I can't imagine next semester lectures or labs with these girls, let alone clinical. I am praying my clinical group is actually focused and motivated!!

I think some of you non traditional students should come on over to my school and get these annoying ones out!!

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