Another new semester has begun, and we are working to adjust to new schedules, routines, people and challenges that we have never been faced with.

It could be more difficult. You could be in your mid-30s.

Imagine being somehow different than everyone else and having a hard time relating to or connecting with new peers.

You may feel alienated or not know where or who to turn to when you need assistance with something. This is especially true when there is almost an entire generation gap between yourself and everyone around you.

I am old; not ancient, but considerably older in comparison to most students reading this column right now. I have lived a little more and learned a few things along the way, but that does not mean there aren’t a few things I could learn from younger traditional students.

What we do have in common is the endeavor of accomplishing everything we need to do on a daily basis: homework, studying, meeting deadlines and commuting. What we do not have in common is that when all of that is finished, I still have to return home to my life: working full time as a chef, raising children, maintaining my home and other obligations.

Another tribulation I am gradually learning to adjust to is the transition from a community college to a university. The curriculum is not necessarily more difficult. In fact, it is more interesting when we get the prerequisites out of the way and finally get into our concentrations and fields of study.

The main aspect of university life that has been difficult for me during my transfer is that the people I am in contact with on campus and in classes are not like me. We have little in common aside from the fact we are students at the University of Southern Indiana. Perhaps we have more in common than we know, but are not likely to approach one another due to our outward appearances being different.

At the community college I attended to complete my core classes, there was definitely a more diverse student body. In addition to being more diverse,  there were more nontraditional students than “kids” out of high school.

It may seem as though I am whining and ranting about my first-world-problems and  everything that I am to do as a student and as a responsible, productive citizen, but that is not so. It is a blessing to be able to attend to the things I have to do, and to still be able to put myself through college and work towards my dreams and goals.

So if you see an older person on campus or share a class – strike up a conversation. Chances are that you may not only learn something from them, but be able to teach them something as well.