I’ll be 28-29 as a junior in college. I’m transferring to a 4 year school from a community college. I’m single, no children or anything like that. Will I have a hard time making friends in college? I’m not talking about being that super creepy guy who wants to party.
You’ll make friends, for sure. Just be yourself and remember the golden rule of non-trads:
Don’t treat them like they’re too young and they (hopefully) won’t treat you like you’re too old.
I’m about to turn 31 and I’ve had an easier time making friends as an adult student than when I was in college out of high school. Like Hellojan said don’t act like you’re more knowledgeable than the younger students because you are older, however, you don’t want to try too hard to fit in with the younger students either.
I wouldn’t worry about being that “creepy guy” either. As strange as it sounds college girls strike up conversations with me more now than when I was their own age.
Thank you for the replies everyone!
This will be my first time at a 4 year school, and oddly enough that’s the biggest of my worries.
Undergrad here. I just recently found out that one of my friends is 28. As long as you don’t make your age an ever-present topic in your life, nobody will know, care, or even notice. Just be yourself. Oh and don’t be “that guy.” I only ever know a student is older if it’s obvious (granny/grandpa) or if they’re being a jerk about it. Being older doesn’t correlate with intelligence, but some older students act that way. Don’t behave like that, and you’ll be fine.
Edit/ words
Making friends is fine, I wouldn’t suggest hitting on freshman if you can help it. I know several olders students, one older than you, who was spending way too much time “trying to make friends”. There are a good amount of international students who are 24 or older as freshman. There are some students in their 40s or 50s.
I’d suggest using on campus tutoring and other free services to mingle with students more, in addition to living on campus. I was 17 as a freshman, and there was a 26 year old and a 24 year old on my dorm floor. It’s not that unusual. (if you do live in the dorms, they often do not allow alcohol or smoking, even if you are legal age)
That should not be a problem. I’m 46 years old & have plenty of younger friends. At first they treat me a little weird. Then they are surprised when they find out my age, they seem to think I’m about 10 years younger, then freak out. Then they just treat me like one of them. Once in a blue moon I’ll hear a weird comment in jest. I’m a history major so I occasionally here, “were you around back then?” or “Do you remember that?” lol Don’t be so serious, and above all be patient with the younger ones, they are at that age & still (hopefully!) maturing.
@franko5150 Thank you for your answer! This makes me feel quite a bit better, especially with the fact I’m considering Tech.
First week was a little weird darth, everyone was so busy going to their classes etc. I was a little bummed, but then iI just said screw it, I’m going to initiate conversations rather than feel sorry, or make myself an outsider. Sometimes I guess younger kids DO get intimidated with older students. Most open doors for me, or think I’m a grad student or even a professor. Now everything is super cool.
Another thing, the professors treat me different which is great. By that I mean I believe they allow me more leeway since they know if I request a day off or something it’s not because I was out partying & hung over.
This is a great thing, but it can backfire on those who exploit it. A recent class I took made both class attendance and group work a significant part of the class and the grade. One of the other non-trad students in the class repeatedly made kid-related excuses about not being able to prep for class or attend class or get an assignment done, and the professor accepted these explanations at face value. However, later the same student let a statement slip in a group and it became obvious he had no kid. For the rest of the semester the entire class shunned him whenever we had group work.
So much for “making friends” in his case,
Professors treat you differently? Maybe because I teach at a commuter school, we assume most students work so you would not be special. I’d be going on a very nice Florida vacation if I had a buck for every time a student told me “but I work full-time” and “I can’t do the homework because I’m busy with work” and acted like they were the only student who was working. Well over 75% of students work, including those out of HS.
I’ll echo the same thing many others in here have already said: I was a 24 yr-old freshman and didn’t have any issue making friends, even with people in the same year as me. In fact, I made five really close friends that would later become groomsmen in my wedding 
@NHuffer thank you! This certainly makes me feel a tad bit better.
I am going to a tiny college town where average age is 22. I am 26. I thought maybe I would be able to make friends with some graduate students. Does this happen often?
Don’t worry, making new friends is not all that hard. you just need to put a little time and effort into finding people with similar interests and getting to know them.
You should not use the college experience as a social experiment, who cares if you make friends or not? thats not the point.
@RJ1129 It’s not a “social experiment”, it’s about feeling more connected to the college I attend and it’s something I do care about.
some would argue that it was a social experiment, and if you know all the answers… then why post the topic? Don’t look for permission to make friends… just understand that its not the point of higher education.