<p>I think you're wrong "beginning." I've been delighted to learn from older individuals in my classes. There is much insight you can gain from them. It's always great to try to see things from different perspectives.</p>
<p>Yes, you can, but not if they're hindering the rest of the class. In some classes, it's been fine. In other classes, it's been terrible. If they need remedial tutoring, it should be done outside of the classroom, not at the expense of everyone else.</p>
<p>Hopefully you aren't one of the arrogant students who feels they are smarter than everyone else. I would reach out to someone who needs help in the class.</p>
<p>There is a difference between tutoring someone after class, and holding up the entire class for 25 minutes because you don't understand how to use the library.</p>
<p>Honestly, I'm not trying to sound cold-hearted, but in some cases, yes, adult students can hinder the rest of the class beyond reason, just as some slackers of traditional age can. It simply is more prevalent at my college among the older students.</p>
<p>I'm an adult student so I'll chime in...</p>
<p>We have gotten over being shy long ago, so we tend to speak up in class as needed. If the younger students were not so shy, they would speak up about not understanding MLA citations or other remedial topics. Younger students who need a lot of help tend to not show up to class or drift mindlessly in the back rows. Community college is open access so it tends to attract students, both older and younger, who need a lot of remedial work.</p>
<p>At the upper division and graduate levels, the poor adult learners have been weeded out and the remaining adults are generally very good for the class. If there is a curve, you do not want me in your class. :) A lot of us are in grad or 2nd-bacc programs so we know how to perform in school. I'm on the edge between prepping for grad school and 2nd-bacc.</p>
<p>"Hopefully you aren't one of the arrogant students who feels they are smarter than everyone else. I would reach out to someone who needs help in the class."</p>
<p>I am generally smarter than the people in night classes. Call a spade a spade, and I'm not arrogantly claiming this, I'll also admit that most IVY leagues and higher rank students here are more intelligent than me. </p>
<p>These people in these night classes need to hire a tutor and not bug everyone.</p>
<p>"There is much insight you can gain from them."
You mean the ones that ask for help and say "ahhh I see thanks" and thats it...</p>
<p>"adult students can hinder the rest of the class beyond reason, just as some slackers of traditional age can."</p>
<p>Amen! and rebels can too. There was this one girl who started clipping her toe nails on top of a shared table in a Math class. I heard "click" every couple seconds looked back and this girls feet are propped on the table, and not to forget there were two people sitting next to her.</p>
<p>Beginning - whose fault is that? The adjunct instructor should be able to control the class and address those issues off line. </p>
<p>When I find that someone is wasting the class' time/my time, I like to interject and move the class forward. If that fails, long sighs, or laughter really works well.</p>
<p>Again, adjuncts fail every time.</p>
<p>Gomestar I'm going to OCC, took classes at Syracuse U this summer (horrible statistic class from an ESL TA who had never taught anything but calc before) and am planning on applying to Cornell =)</p>
<p>I'm appalled at the level of arrogance that has been displayed here.</p>
<p>"I am generally smarter than the people in night classes. Call a spade a spade, and I'm not arrogantly claiming this, I'll also admit that most IVY leagues and higher rank students here are more intelligent than me."</p>
<p>You obviously aren't going to be able to gain insight, or enjoy the company of others in your night classes, considering you obviously feel like you are on a different level than them. Of course, you're wrong. Anyone who sees themselves as "smarter" than others in the way you do will not learn at a sufficent level. It's a true boundary to learning. You have to realize that you can learn from EVERYONE and that a classroom should NEVER be categorized into "I'm here--they're there."</p>
<p>Gabe,</p>
<p>I agree. I've taken night courses before, and sometimes those were my highest learning potentials.</p>
<p>So mrogre, don't jump to conclusions about night classes.</p>
<p>And don't you DARE say that adult classmates slow everyone down! The older generation can often teach us young ones a thing or two about patience, maturity, and wisdom.</p>
<p>You'd be smart to listen to them!</p>
<p>"And don't you DARE say that adult classmates slow everyone down! "
Actually, you said adult classmates, I just said these people"</p>
<p>"Anyone who sees themselves as "smarter" than others in the way you do will not learn at a sufficent level."</p>
<p>Are you afraid to admit people in the classroom are more intelligent (at least concerning the subject <em>sigh</em>) than others? I'm not claiming I'm the best, I'm just pointing to a group of people who should not be in the class.</p>
<p>"It's a true boundary to learning. You have to realize that you can learn from EVERYONE and that a classroom should NEVER be categorized into "I'm here--they're there.""</p>
<p>Ok, lets hypothetically say I'm an alternative student, and I sign up for a night class in Calculus III without ever taking the prerequisites, and I could barely make it through elementary math the previous semester ... I would be "THERE" as some of these people are. While this is a gross exaggeration of what usually happens, there are people that shouldn't be in these classes</p>
<p>I stand by my point, "Can you help me with this" (times 1000) and than they go "ahhhh I see thankyou" and that is the end of discussion. Your right on one level, they are wise, they knew how to avoid hiring a tutor...</p>