When I was a little girl, I loved to go to school. I used to enjoy packing my little daisy lunch box and satchel before heading off to class. 60 years later, it doesn’t surprise me that I am still passionately interested in learning new things.

Like many older women, it still makes me smile when someone teaches me something unexpected or interesting. In the past, I’ve written about several options for women who want to continue their education online. But, did you know that a record number of older adults are returning to school as well?

Boomers are Working Longer and Upgrading their Skills to Compete

Some Boomers go back to school out of necessity, to earn a certification for a new job. Many women in the Sixty and Me community have shared how they fought back against unemployment by going back to school. They say that learning a new skill gave them the confidence and credibility to compete or start a new career.

Colleges have restructured and expanded their courses in order to keep up with the demand from older adults. For example, local U.S. workforce training classes for older people grew from 50 to over 1,000 courses from 2008 to 2011, according to the American Association of Community Colleges. Imagine what the numbers are today.

Other Older Adults See College as a Chance to Learn and Meet New Friends

Many of us are going back to college to meet new people or for the simple pleasure of learning new things. The good news is that there are also plenty of places that women over 50 can look for scholarships to help offset the cost of going back to college.

Returning to school is fun, energising and good for the brain. If you start to make a commitment to learning, you are helping yourself on many levels. You may also make new friends and discover new passions.

Have you gone back to school in your 50s or 60s? Please share your comments below. And don’t forget to share what your new lunch box looks like! 

Let’s redefine life after 60 together let’s abandon the concept of “aging gracefully” and pursue our dreams – educational, family or otherwise – with passion!