Going back to school in retirement can build brain health and new connections

(Aging Untold) — Schooling does not end for some people in retirement. They are auditing classes, joining lifelong learning programs or training for a new job. The cost can be low or even free, but it still takes time.

Why learning later in life matters

Gerontologist “Sam” Cradduck, a gerontologist, said she sees going back to college later in life as personal enrichment.

“Learning is a lifetime thing,” Cradduck said. “We all should participate in learning all along. You’re totally keeping your brain active, but you’re also building some relationships.”

Cradduck said classroom education puts older adults in a room with a lot of younger people.

“You’re letting them see what they have the potential to do and what they can still do,” Cradduck said.

New connections in the brain and in life

Dr. Rhea Rogers said this is a way of “establishing neuroplasticity.”

“It’s always about making new connections, be it in the brain, be it in life, be it socially,” Rogers said. “And all the different benefits of interacting with the younger people and the older people, they all have a benefit to show each other.”

“It’s never too late”

Aging expert Amy O’Rourke shared a story of an 84-year-old caregiver who wanted to further her career and become a certified nursing assistant.

“And she went to school, and she got her nursing certificate. She got written up in the paper,” O’Rourke said. “She wanted a different kind of job and wanted to be tasked with more difficult things to do.”

O’Rourke said she was so proud of the woman.

“If it is a dream of yours, here it is. It’s never too late,” she said.

Paying for it

Nearly every state offers older adults free or discounted tuition to audit or take classes at public universities, according to AARP.

“When you’re 65 and older, you can go to school for free. A lot of the universities and a lot of the colleges, you don’t have to pay for the degree. So if you’ve been struggling with whether to have school debt or not, you won’t have it. And you can still get the education,” O’Rourke said.

Rogers added that there may also be military benefits for veterans, including some who may be disabled.

More than a college campus

Aging well coach Katherine Ambrose said there is also a lot of good community education.

“There’s colleges that put on lifelong learning for seniors. There’s also a lot of professionals and organizations that put on education that’s very popular for active adults. Longevity is really changing how we view adult learning and opportunities,” she said.

O’Rourke said there were local colleges where she worked that had lifelong learning for older adults, and it was highly sophisticated. The waiting list to get in was three years long.

“It’s really going to help you stay sharp, give you more interesting things to discuss, new things. And also what a great legacy builder, showing people what their potential is, that you can just keep on going and keep learning and having fun,” Ambrose said.

Resources

States Offer Free or Low-Cost Classes for Older Adults

Learning and Education at 50+