A lifetime of learning: it's been years since you hit the books, but there's no need for your educational journey to end. Going back to school promotes mental, physical, professional and societal benefits

Natural Health, Sept, 2004 by Samantha Dunn

Ah, the irony: After six years spent furthering the wellness of others, Los Angeles organic-restaurant manager Curry Forshpan was a burnt-out stress case at 28.

She closed her business and started searching for a more practical line of work. "I interviewed for corporate manager and agent jobs--nothing that I really wanted to do--but I thought it would be a smart move financially," Forshpan says. "Finally my father said, 'You have to do what you love to do. Don't think about the money. You'll be successful at what you're passionate about.'"

Forshpan, a devotee of natural remedies and Eastern spirituality, had toyed with the idea of going back to school to become an acupuncturist. But the hurdle of returning to a degree program--"student loans, living on no money"--made her balk. Then there was the prospect of starting over at an age when she felt she should be well on the road to success and financial security.

In the end, passion triumphed. Today, at age 34, Forshpan is not only an acupuncturist with a successful practice, she has launched a skin-care line called Earthology. And to prove that no experience is ever wasted, she states that the training she received managing her restaurant has helped her considerably in this latest entrepreneurial effort.

"There is no loss," she says. "When you're older and this is 'round two' of school, you're so worried about the time--'Oh my God, six more years of my life.' I almost didn't do it. But you're going to be older anyway, so you might as well pursue what you want. You'll be happier, and you'll have done something meaningful."

Experts agree with Forshpan's advice. Mental function has a substantial use-it-or-lose-it element, so continuing your education benefits your brain by staving off everything from simple boredom to Alzheimer's disease.

Evidence of brain aging has been found in people in their 20s, says Gary Small, M.D., director of the University of California Los Angeles Center on Aging and author of The Memory Prescription. "Lifelong learning is clearly important to [maintaining cognitive alertness]; the studies point to a definite impact.

"The good news is that, for the average individual, what contributes to brain aging is two-thirds nongenetic," he explains. "That means we have more control of our future brain health than we think."

motivation and change

Adults tend to be extremely motivated learners, says Mary Nichols, Ph.D., dean of the University of Minnesota College of Continuing Education, where about 4,000 adults work toward degrees or certificates and another 6,000 take noncredit courses annually. "The reward of teaching adults is that you don't have to lead them to water and you don't have to make them drink," Nichols notes. "They want to maintain a vibrant life through education."

An external life change, such as a new job, divorce or retirement, often motivates a return to the classroom, observes Nichols. For example, on retiring, Beverly Hills, Calif., residents Jill and Chuck Reilly decided to learn Spanish, which they find useful during traveling and for communicating with the rapidly growing Spanish-speaking population of Southern California.

The couple is enjoying the rewards of tackling a new skill. "We retired from working, we didn't retire from life--there's a big difference," says Jill. "Since I started taking Spanish, I feel that my mind is sharper through all the studying and memorizing." Indeed, a recent study at York University in Toronto, Canada, suggested that learning a foreign language is a defense against developing Alzheimer's. "If that's the bonus, hey, let's study French, too!" Jill jokes.

For Alexa Singh, 44, of Westminster, Colo., losing 70 pounds was the impetus for her decision to pursue an MBA after being a homemaker for many years. "Success in weight loss spurred me with the courage to take on greater challenges," she explains. "Dealing with setbacks and keeping on chugging toward the goal are common aspects in both weight loss and achieving a higher education late in life" She graduated in May 2004.

dimensions of diversity

Among the challenges facing Singh and other "round two" students is time, or the lack thereof. Adults are generally busier and have more responsibility than they did at age 18, which means that simply finding the hours to attend classes or study can be difficult. "There was a point where Jill and I felt that the commitment to study Spanish was getting in the way of a lot of other fun things we enjoyed, like spending time with family," says Chuck Reilly. "You have to make choices, because there just isn't enough time for all the wonderful things there are to do."

There are also social pressures. Singh recalls feeling self-conscious walking into classrooms where most of the students were her son's age and she was sometimes older than the instructor. So it's helpful to keep in mind that an age difference can actually be beneficial to a class overall.

"Schools want diversity, and age is one dimension of diversity" says Dale W. Maeder, Ph.D., coordinator for the test-preparation program at UCLA Extension, where 60,000 adults take classes annually. "[Older students] enhance the discussion, bringing in whole new elements to the room that everybody needs."