Resources, counseling provided for returning students

By Lance Braud.
Although returning to school after an extended absence can be daunting, that is exactly what over half of the students attending BCC have done. The average age of the BCC student is over 30 years old, according to BCC’s Office of Institutional Research.
These adult students come to BCC for many reasons, said Celinda Smith, director of Educational Planning at BCC. One of the most common reasons is for worker retraining after being laid off work. Other common reasons are to finish their degree after raising a family, personal growth, or continuing with education for pleasure, said Smith.
Still, there may be many in the community that may not know how to get started in returning to school.
The first thing an interested adult should do is apply, said Smith, then come in and see an advisor. A professional academic advisor can help adult students find classes that will fit in with their work, family, and career goals.
“We know adult students have unique challenges,” said Smith. “Problem solving skills, work, a mortgage, family