What differences do you notice in younger students vs. older students?

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I'm curious as to whether or not those of you in school see a trend in the other students in your class. Such as (and these are only examples): do you see younger students not being as serious...out partying a lot? Do you see older students being easily frustrated with the younger ones? I think you get what I mean here....I didn't notice a whole lot of them when I started my pre-req's. For the most part, everyone was respectful of everyone else. I wondered if this is the norm. or maybe my school is so small that it isn't quite as bad or maybe it will get worse (and cliquey according to age) once I start the actual nursing program...........

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Or maybe cliquey according to other factors, such as GPA, being a parent, whether they work or not, etc?

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Specializes in Emergency & Trauma/Adult ICU.

Well, there are obvious differences, but I was feeling like we were at least respectful of each other, until today ... this little exchange is really nothing to get my knickers in a twist over, but what can I say - feeling cranky today! :angryfire

During a class break a few of us had gone to the basement vending machines, and as 3-4 of us "over 30s" were standing at the elevator waiting to go back up one girl was talking about her 7-year old son and a picture he had made for her. When the (ancient, creaky) elevator doors opened, another student (under 20) stepped off, rolled her eyes, and said, "I thought I heard old people." We just laughed it off, but I gotta tell ya ... it got under my skin. If for some reason you think I'm old - could you at least keep it to yourself? What's the value in telling me? Am I suddenly going to say "oh, I'm so sorry to have taken up space near you with my old decrepit self?" Because on the other hand, when I see a few acting less mature than my 10-year old, I certainly stifle the urge to tell them to grow up - I keep it to myself.

OK, I'm done - I'll get over it now... :rolleyes:

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Specializes in 5 yrs OR, ASU Pre-Op 2 yr. ER.

There is a a girl that's in the 18-21 year old range who was absolutely SHOCKED that my parents aren't paying my tuition, bills, rent, etc. Honey, i cut the cord at 18....:rolleyes:

Another one who just turned 20, who's annoyed that Daddy hasn't paid the credit card bill yet, because "there's, like, new clothes, at like, American Eagle, ya know? And if he don't, like, pay the bill then i won't, like, get any of them in my size OMG!" That was her catastrope for the week. Last week's was not getting to go to Outback to check out the cute waiter, because she had to study for a test!

One older student in the class acts like a second instructor. WE got out 5 minutes early (5 MINUTES) one night, she went STRAIGHT to the office and complained that she got cheated, she PAID for that time.

Yes i'm very burnt out, i've reached the point in that classroom when everyone gets on my dang nerves. I'm quite sure they feel the same about me, but i've also reached the point of not giving a flying rat's rear.

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Specializes in OB-Gyn/Primary Care/Ambulatory Leadership.
Or maybe cliquey according to other factors, such as GPA, being a parent, whether they work or not, etc?

Or maybe cliquey based on if they're cool, or good-looking, or just not all that.

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Specializes in CCRN.

I attend a community college with many "older" students, but a State University is on the same campus. At this point, into the more advanced classes at the community college, I am with students who have good study habits and most take classes seriously. I also take courses that will count toward my bachelor degree through the University. It is in these classes that I notice the "kids" who are there, not because they want to be, but because mom and dad are making them. It would make a good paper, but I've already completed sociology, lol.

I believe you must surround yourself with the positive people, stay clear of the idiots and negative people, but remember in our line we need to learn how to communicate with, tolerate and not judge others.

I figure if mom and dad are willing to waste their hard earned money on kids who will go nowhere, so be it. They'll learn one lesson or another.

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There is a group in my class that are younger, constantly skip, party down, then panic at the last minute and try to beg notes, charm themselves into study groups, etc.

All I can say is, 'your Kung Fu no work on me~!'

(tribute to old martial arts movies and not meant in a racist manner. :chuckle )

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Well, there are obvious differences, but I was feeling like we were at least respectful of each other, until today ... this little exchange is really nothing to get my knickers in a twist over, but what can I say - feeling cranky today! :angryfire

During a class break a few of us had gone to the basement vending machines, and as 3-4 of us "over 30s" were standing at the elevator waiting to go back up one girl was talking about her 7-year old son and a picture he had made for her. When the (ancient, creaky) elevator doors opened, another student (under 20) stepped off, rolled her eyes, and said, "I thought I heard old people." We just laughed it off, but I gotta tell ya ... it got under my skin. If for some reason you think I'm old - could you at least keep it to yourself? What's the value in telling me? Am I suddenly going to say "oh, I'm so sorry to have taken up space near you with my old decrepit self?" Because on the other hand, when I see a few acting less mature than my 10-year old, I certainly stifle the urge to tell them to grow up - I keep it to myself.

OK, I'm done - I'll get over it now... :rolleyes:

Hey I agree with you, I'm 23 and there's a guy my age in one of my classes. This dude always wants to go party, and doesn't ever take anything seriously. Now don't get me wrong, I like to have fun, but there's a time for work and a time for play. Maybe he''ll realize this when he's flipping burgers.

As for your experience, It's ignorance like that, that causes the stereotype for younger poeple.

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When I was starting prereqs I noticed a large number of people who always wanted to go out and party every weekend or some even every night. There were a sizeable minority of us who worked hard and tried to get the best grades we could.

Now with one year to go in the program the hard workers make up almost the whole class and the party group is almost non-existant, they have all either disappeared along the way or realized they needed to work to get through the program.

The party people do seem to be younger but I think that is just a phase most people go through in their late teens and early twenties. Eventually people learn to be responsible and start concentrating on doing what needs to be done instead of what may be fun at the moment.

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I dunno everyone is picking on the younger students. There was this one lady in her 60s and we were doing transfers from a gurnee to a bed, and she had the head of one of my classmates...while we were transferring her this persons strength all of a sudden goes out and she drops her and says 'whoopsie daisy'. Really annoying...hurt the classmate and she didn't even apologize she just laughed it off like 'haha I'm old, I'm not supposed to be that strong'. Ah and then she always had someone in her family with every disorder ever mentioned and she'd constantly go off on huge tangents and tell us her whole life story every day. By the middle of the semester even the instructor was rolling her eyes and trying to shut her up. I dunno the 20 somethings and the 30 somethings seem to kind of blend in at my school though, most of them got married at 17 and have ten kids already anyways. It is hard to make friends when you are the only unmarried childless person out there. I guess I shouldn't have moved to the south.

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Alk,

You are absolutely right, there are some really fabulous younger people in my classes as well. In fact, I have *lots* of respect for them simply because when I was 20 I certainly was in NO place to be even thinking about nursing. Not that my sis didn't try tho! :chuckle

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Specializes in Cardiac/telemetry.

JUST MY EXPERIENCE - the "older" students have the higher grades (ex: A&P, chem, psych) in my class. The ones I call the "kids" (right out of high school), tell me they don't care about their grade - as long as they pass.

There isn't a lot of partying going on - that I am aware of - so obviously if they are partying, they aren't talking about it.

I believe that LIFE just seems to help us "experienced" students.

I have told the 18+ crowd that I admire them for their career choices - for I never could have done that at their age.

I have some classes with students one semester ahead of me (started their clinicals already - I start in Aug), and they tell me about some of their experiences. They wonder at my "easy going" attitude, and I tell them that after having two children, raising them, taking care of elderly parents, animals, etc. and having a few surgeries of my own, little embarasses me - and there aren't many yukkies that I haven't already cleaned up or dealt with.

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