While the reasons adults return to college can be as different as each individual, many face common challenges - namely a fear of the unknown and fitting studies into a juggling act with work and family commitments. Claudette Lowery will deal with both issues when she starts studying for a degree in early childhood education. According to the Democrat and Chronicle, she has not been in a classroom since 1982 - and her studies will be jammed into a schedule that already includes working and raising four nieces and a nephew. However, the 47-year-old said she is ready to take on the "tough" challenge, as for many years her own fears prevented her from pursuing her long-held dream. "I don't just feel it within grasp, I see it and I want to grab hold of it. For me, I feel like it's now or never," she said. According to figures from the National Center for Education Statistics, over 2.3 million adults aged 25 to 29 enrolled in degree courses in 2005. A further 1.4 million 30 to 34-year-olds and 3.1 million over-35s also returned to education. That same year, 44% of people aged 16 or over were involved in some form of adult education.  |