Never Too Old To Learn

If someone had told me when I was young that I would go back to school in my 50s I probably would have scoffed in disbelief. But that is exactly what I did.

(From L to R)  My daughter Samantha (now a Registered Nurse), her friend William, and myself on Graduation day.

My middle daughter started studying at the local technical institute to be a nurse. She’s got guts and determination and is one of those people that, if you say she can’t do it, she will fight tooth and nail to prove you wrong.

I was living in the Gold Coast at the time and had come back to NZ for a visit. At that time she was studying for a Science exam, and asked me to quiz her on some of the material. So we stayed up quite late at night and I quizzed her from the book she gave me. Needless to say, she passed her exam and I returned to the Gold Coast.

Six months later I started to feel restless. I was working in a supermarket as a checkout operator, and felt like I was stagnating. I was certain I could do more. Studying with my daughter had stimulated the old grey matter and I felt the compulsion to do something about it. So I went online and checked out my options.

Because I wasn’t an Australian citizen or Permanent Resident, I would be unable to get a student loan. I was not going to let this stop me. So I researched a bit further and found that I could go back and study in NZ. There was a shorter nursing course (Enrolled Nursing) that was beginning mid-year and to prepare for it I could take what they called Foundation Studies, which featured Science, Maths, Human Development, Social Science and Writing and Study Skills. I registered and waited to hear back. When I got the email, I told my husband what I wanted to do, and booked my flight back.

Once I was in NZ, I joined the thousands of other students, lining up for student loans and queuing in the registration office to sign up for classes. I had caught the bug… I was going to be an Adult Student!

I worked hard to pass all my classes and revelled in achieving fairly good grades. My daughter had aced many of her classes and when I got my first A, she expected me to continue getting them, so there was an element of pressure there.

When I started the course, my daughter was halfway through her three year degree course. When I finished my Diploma, she had already finished her degree and was awaiting graduation the following March. I sat and passed my final exam in December and was extremely proud to graduate the very same day as my daughter, and her many nursing course friends.

I can vouch for the fact that you’re NEVER too old to learn…

I was not the oldest person in my class: there was a man in my class who was 70!

Footnote: Shortly after I had finished my course, the government changed the regulations and requirements for student loans and would no longer grant student loans to anyone over 55 years of age. I had JUST made it through in the nick of time.

By Toni Paton