Speaker 0 00:00:00 Welcome to our podcast, shockers Learning Out Loud, where we talk about the fear, the excitement, the setbacks, and most importantly, the accomplishments that come along with being an adult learner. Speaker 1 00:00:10 That was your host, Dr. Pamela O'Neill. And I'm your co-host Dr. Amber Anderson. And we are the office of Online and Adult Learning. Although our department merged happened recently, Pam and I have been having fun collaborating for years. We have one goal at Wichita State, and that's to advocate for our online and adult learners. Our students are working full-time jobs, caretaking for a family member, raising families themselves and involved in the community. So, needless to say, their time is limited, and we know that, and we've been there. We get it. Our office wants to advocate for your success, so stay tuned for the voices of your adult learning peers as we unpack funny fails, inspiring wins, and mostly the adult learning experience. Speaker 0 00:00:52 It's great to be back. And today we are joined by David Smith. Yes, that's his real name and adult learner at Wichita State. David, tell us a little bit about yourself. Speaker 2 00:01:02 Uh, hi, I'm David. Uh, I'm 42. This is my second semester, uh, at wsu since I got my associate's degree at Butler Community College in 2009. Um, I'm a biology major and for now I plan on minoring in chemistry. Speaker 1 00:01:19 Nice. Welcome, David. Speaker 0 00:01:20 Yes. Welcome. Thanks. Now, David, I've known you for a little bit and, um, gotten to know you. Um, one of the things that we kinda like to say is that you are a self-appointed office of Adult Learning, uh, ambassador. Is that ? Speaker 2 00:01:38 I, I, yeah. I think I kind of gave that name to myself. Um, I, yes. Self, self-imposed, uh, ambassador of Adult Learning. Um, we have done a couple of things together, uh, over the last semester. Uh, we did the welcome group or, uh, whatever that was last semester, uh, at the entry or, uh, like the welcome center mm-hmm. , uh, I think I said that for. Speaker 0 00:02:02 Oh, Speaker 2 00:02:03 Yeah. So, and yeah. Um, kind of my whole point when I wanted to come back to college was I wanted my own college experience, right. I was never gonna get the traditional four year experience. So I wanted to find ways that I could pack as much college experience into my time on campus as I Speaker 0 00:02:25 Could. And you're doing that right now, but I'm gonna back up for a little bit because , can you talk to us about what it was it kept you away, or why you were gone? I know why, but, um, our listeners don't. Yes. Speaker 3 00:02:37 Maybe start on a terrible day you were having, and it hit you. You wanted to come back to school and change your life. What was your why moment? Speaker 2 00:02:46 It was like year nine in the factory, and I had been doing 50 plus hour weeks oof. For at least the last couple years. Right. And my, I was tired, uh, emotionally, physically, you know, my body hurt. Right. And I don't know, I'd always kind of like dreamed of being that PhD even though I don't know what I would ever use it for. Um, and so I decided, I had decided when I started the factory job, I was gonna leave by 40, cuz I knew it would end up killing me. Mm-hmm. And I didn't. Quite part of your body. It is. And I didn't quite make it to 40. Uh, and so I, I quit and my goal was to go back to school, get my degree, and go from there. Speaker 0 00:03:33 Okay. Great. You know, that's a good start. I'm gonna follow up a a little bit on that because your story is a lot like mine. I was working at the, at a printing company, and it was 50, a lot of times 60 and above mm-hmm. . And when I, uh, first got my bachelor's degree, the advisor told me, he said, do you remember what told me the first time you came in? And I said, I can't remember, but he did. He said You wanted to get your degree before you broke your back. Um, I've had two back surgeries. But isn't that kind of the way you feel because of the physical and the mental, like the burnout or whatever you experience? Speaker 2 00:04:09 That's exactly how I felt. I, I knew going into that job, I called it my, my period of adulting. Okay. , you know, like, I had a grownup job. I had a grownup paying your bills. I had a grownup wage. Yeah. I took care of responsibilities, you know, I had no cares, but I also had no time. Speaker 0 00:04:31 Yes. Speaker 2 00:04:31 Yes. And so I wanted to transition that and like, everybody's big question is, what's your major? Mm-hmm. mm-hmm. and what are you gonna do with it? Right. And I'm not traditional in what I want to do. I'm not getting a degree in biology or pursuing a degree in biology to get a job using that degree in biology. I love biology and I love learning. And so if I get a job and I can use it, great. If I don't, I got the degree I wanted. Speaker 0 00:05:01 Well, David, you know, one of the discussions that Amber and I had on the first episode was that our jobs didn't even exist when we were getting our degree. Yes. And so to go, I knew I wanted to be a writer. I, that's something I wanted to write for newspaper. It didn't end up happening, but I got a, a much better career. Instead, I was Speaker 3 00:05:21 Gonna be a clinical psychologist. So Speaker 0 00:05:25 Yeah. Speaker 2 00:05:26 , big, big, big changes. Big differences. No, and, and, and that's what I love, that just because we get a degree in something specific doesn't mean that that degree's gonna translate into employment. Correct. Or that specified employment. Right. You know, we've proven in theory by getting these degrees that we have what it takes to do job X, Y, Z. Right. And that's really all that matters, especially when you're happy mm-hmm. , it doesn't matter what you're Speaker 0 00:05:58 Doing. Yeah, yeah, yeah. You know, you, you hit the nail on the head there because I know for myself, you, I, I get to tell people and they kinda look at me like, I have three heads sometimes that you love your work, your job. Yeah. There are days I can't wait to come in because I get to do fun things. I get to make these, um, awesome relationships, meet these wonderful people. And that's the one thing that we talked about was finding that happiness. And David, I think you're a lot like Amber and I too, in that we just show up and that was one of the biggest, uh, pieces of advice I'd guess, that you are there and opportunities have fallen into your lap. Kind of. Can you talk to a little bit about that? Speaker 2 00:06:42 Uh, yeah. So the reason I knew about the Office of Adult Learning, first of all was because of orientation. Mm-hmm. , um, and coming in as a non-traditional student, especially after so many years and never really being familiarized with wsu, it was beneficial. And part of the orientation program was to sit in two different mods mm-hmm. of services offered by the university Right. That come to you just because you enrolled and you're going to classes. And one of those I sat in was the Office of Adult Learning, and I got to listen to Pam do her spiel on the office and Speaker 0 00:07:17 All the, and yet he, he's still here, Speaker 2 00:07:20 , all that it offers. And to me it was attractive because it was a place that I could come where it wasn't the ratigan, which nothing against the Ratigan No. It's beautiful. But, but that's where all the, that's where all the kids are Speaker 0 00:07:32 18 to 23, 24 years old. Yeah. And it's great for them. Right. Speaker 2 00:07:36 And, and honestly, I've, I've held a couple study sessions there myself, um, with some of my classmates. But when I wanted a place that I could come and get my work done or be around other adult learners, this was the place to be. And just in being in this office, , I was afforded a scholarship. Speaker 0 00:07:56 . See, Speaker 2 00:07:56 He Speaker 0 00:07:57 Showed up. He showed up, got a Speaker 2 00:07:58 Scholarship. I was afforded an opportunity to, uh, meet with other potential, uh, adult learners wanting to continue their education. Um, I was hooked up with the Trio DSS department and got a job tutoring last semester, and now I'm their writing specialist. Uh, just because I was here and said, Hey, if anybody's looking for this or this, let me know I'm available. Speaker 0 00:08:26 Right. And just real quick, because we use it all the time, the Alphabet soup, trio DSS is Trio Disability Support Services. Mm-hmm. . And they are located in the Grace Wilkie next to us. And that's, you know, David would always stick his head in the morning, Hey, how you doing? And, uh, we'd chat for a little bit. And I knew this about David, I knew he, that he was showing up. Right. Yeah. I knew that he was always there. And so when Trio asked me if I knew anybody, I, I said, and matter of fact, I did and you do. That was great. I love to be able to help people like that. But, um, not only was it a win for you, David, right. But it's also for Trio Disability Support Services, who found someone that they can depend on, who will show up and who will talk about, you know, being able to tutor students and do what it Speaker 2 00:09:18 Takes. And I didn't even, like, I didn't even think of it. I, I know I count my blessings because I feel very fortunate. I feel lucky that, uh, some of the opportunities I've had have, have happened or transpired mm-hmm. , but I didn't even think about just being here is why it happened. I, I was here for me, kind of selfish Right. Reasons, you know, to have kind of a quiet place to study or not study, just veg and, uh, good things fell into my lap. Speaker 0 00:09:47 Correct. Well, and that's exactly Speaker 3 00:09:49 What you talked about last week. Speaker 0 00:09:50 Yes. I mean, Speaker 3 00:09:51 If you just show up, things kind of fall into your lap. Right. Some things that you would never expect. Speaker 0 00:09:57 Right. Or predict. And so, um, on the flip side of that, let's for a little bit, I don't like to like hound on it or something, but I cried in college Algebra, . I mean, that was because we talk about our fails. Right. Um, what would be one of those moments do you think, David, that you just like, I don't know if I can do this, or why did Fair Speaker 3 00:10:18 David's a math guy. Speaker 2 00:10:19 Well, that's okay, right? Speaker 0 00:10:21 . But what, what, I mean, you've probably had some where you've chemistry maybe last Speaker 2 00:10:27 Year with you. Right now. Right now I'm still experiencing the, the turmoil mm-hmm. of, oh my God, I'm gonna fail Speaker 0 00:10:36 Uhhuh, Speaker 2 00:10:37 . Mm-hmm. . Um, and yeah, it is chemistry. Chemistry is my bane. And I know I said I was gonna minor. I have a minor right now going towards a minor for that. Um, it's tough. Right. You know, I'm a bio major right now. Biology seems to be pretty good for me, but chemistry, uh, it's a struggle trying to set up study groups. We don't have an SI leader for chem two. Speaker 0 00:11:02 Uh, real quick. Si What's Speaker 2 00:11:04 That? Uh, uh, Speaker 0 00:11:05 Supplemental Speaker 2 00:11:05 Intruction Supplemental Instruction. Yeah. Okay. Um, where your peers hold basically group study sessions and they kind of facilitate the direction, uh, of the session. But it's pretty much peer tutoring. Right. With somebody kind of in charge. Um, but we don't have that for chem two this semester. Hmm. And so, like working within the class with other students being like, okay, who's gonna be at the library? What day, what time? You know, I'm gonna be at Grace Wilke annex these days at this time, or in the Shocker Learning Center and trying to get together because it's a hard class mm-hmm. and a lot It is. A lot of people need it. Right. And a lot of people struggle with it. Speaker 3 00:11:51 I struggled Speaker 2 00:11:51 In Kim. And so it's the real struggle right now is getting people to study with. Mm-hmm. Okay. And I have a feeling after test one, it'll be a lot easier. Speaker 0 00:12:01 , uh, more people are going to realize they need that study group. Speaker 2 00:12:05 Right. Yeah. So, but that, that is my struggle. And my lab instructor Micah pointed out to get that fourth class for chemistry, there are easier chemistry classes that I can take to complete it. Okay. So I think I might take that advice. Speaker 0 00:12:21 Yeah. Mm-hmm. . Well, and that's just it, you know, we, Amber and I talk about the mistakes we made and the experience we can offer our adult learners for what it's worth. And part of that is, yeah, take this class or if you're struggling, do this, Speaker 2 00:12:36 Or which professor Speaker 0 00:12:37 Even Yes. That makes a big difference. Yeah. Yeah. Speaker 3 00:12:41 I remember in chemistry, I was terrible at it because I would study, study, study, and I, I guess I didn't study the right material, but most of the class would've failed the exam. And then you, we would all wait for the curve and that drove me crazy. Speaker 2 00:12:55 Yeah. But at least you got the curve. That's true. You know, if that one person gets the 97, then it, yeah. Then you got three points. And if you're at a 65, 3 points doesn't matter. But yeah, fortunately we are structured where we drop our worst test. Mm. Okay. But it's still pretty wicked. Speaker 3 00:13:14 It's pretty wicked. Yeah. I agree. Speaker 0 00:13:17 So I guess another question I have for you then is, uh, what's an advice, what's some advice that you would give maybe somebody looking at like an adult learner, like yourself getting a degree, you know, where do you, not necessarily where do you start, but what would you say to them if they were thinking about getting a degree? Speaker 2 00:13:41 I think a lot of people wonder what degree would I even get if I wanted to go back to school. Speaker 3 00:13:47 Mm-hmm. , Speaker 2 00:13:48 They do. And I think one of my English professors said it the best, you know, what sings to you? Mm-hmm. , what do you love? What's your passion? You know, and if your passion is horticulture, you know, come in and get that ecology biology degree. You know, if your passion is engineering, Ws u's, got a great college of engineering. Yeah. Um, you know, if you love writing, get that English major. Mm-hmm. , it's okay. The, the degree is just the accomplishment that said that you can do something. Right. So hire me. Yeah. Speaker 0 00:14:28 Mm-hmm. . And you know, like you said, that English degree, I know that when I came to Wichita State, I wanted to write and I knew that, um, and a lot of my job requires me to write, but I luckily, I mean, I had been out for 13 years before I came to school, and that was what fueled me, that passion. And I started, you know, with just the, uh, communication degree and later added English literature because I found that was a passion too. So I ended up staying another semester and getting that double, uh, that double major. But I think sometimes that's, you know, we always say, Hey, go out and get a college degree. You'll make more money. I'd almost say, Hey, go out and get a college degree. You'll make more happiness. Right. More opportunities. Right. Yeah. Speaker 2 00:15:15 Which could then lead to more money. Correct. Speaker 0 00:15:19 Right. Speaker 2 00:15:19 Yes. You know, because if you're happy with what you've done, you're gonna be hap hopefully happier in the future doing, applying what you've learned mm-hmm. , you know, or whatever mm-hmm. . Um, and maybe you'll focus, shift your focus. One of the great things about I think going to college and learning is that you're influenced by classes that, or ideas that maybe you've never would've thought to look into. For instance, I had to take anthropology last semester. Mm-hmm. , he almost got me to change my major . It was so wonderful a class. Dr. Krank of the anthropology department here at WSU is so amazing and so passionate about his craft anthropology that it's almost infectious, Speaker 0 00:16:13 Right? Mm-hmm. , I think that's what happens a lot of times. You go, and that's what happened to me. I saw professors who I knew could have been making more money somewhere else, but they were so passionate about the quirkiest of subjects, right? Mm-hmm. , you're like, how can you be passionate about Sylvia Plath, ? I ask an English professor, they will tell you. Mm-hmm. . Um, so yeah. I, I, I totally agree with that statement. So David, I know we've been chatting for a little bit now about, you know, advice and all that kind of stuff, but you're a busy man. What else do you have going on in your life? Speaker 2 00:16:51 Well, uh, with the degree I'm, I'm kind of blocked and limited on the hours of classes I can take. So usually three, four classes the most per semester. Mm-hmm. . But on top of my course load, I am a tutor for Trio Disability Support Services. I'm also am an SI leader, a supplemental instruction leader for the Shocker Learning Center. I'm also the writing specialist for Trio DSS as well. Um, on top of that, I mean, uh, I, I do yard stuff in the warmer weather mm-hmm. , so kind of an outside gig, if you will, outside of class. Um, I'm a pet parent, you know, there's that. Um, that's a lot. Yeah. It's expensive. But yeah, no, there's, I definitely, definitely have a lot going on. I'm basically on campus from eight to five, Monday through Friday. Speaker 0 00:17:51 Sound a lot like Amber and me . Speaker 3 00:17:54 It does. So who, who would you say was your person on campus that you ran into and thought, oh, this fits me and this is a good space for me and I'm comfortable here and I'm this, I'm going to continue. And who was your person outside of school as well? Who's your support system? Yeah. Speaker 0 00:18:15 Talk to us about who supports Speaker 2 00:18:16 You. Well, the on campus I, like I said, I, I am the self-appointed ambassador for learning . Yes. And so I kind of implanted myself in this building from day one of my college career. I knew it was a place I could go and plus or minus, Pam tolerates me Speaker 0 00:18:38 Day in and day out, Speaker 2 00:18:40 . Um, and her staff. Um, without those front desk guys, I don't know, I probably would've lost my mind a little bit. Mm-hmm. Yeah. You know, just cuz everybody kind of lets me are my sounding board. Yeah. Um, as for outside of, uh, school, I have a wonderful support network. Um, I have a great best friend slash roommate, um, 100% supportive. But we're, it's, there's reciprocal, I'm the same way for him, but we also live next door to his mother and she is also 100% supportive of me and whatever we decide to do. And of course also my partner, um, he is also 100% behind me in everything I do. So I'm very fortunate for my in-school and outta school support system because I think I've made some really smart decisions and surrounded myself with the right people. Mm-hmm. Speaker 0 00:19:37 . Yeah. I think that's so important to make sure that you've got at least one person that you can say, oh my gosh, I got an A on this paper and I totally wasn't expecting it. And on the flip side to go, dude, I got a d Speaker 3 00:19:51 I thought I did better on this . Yeah, I did. Yeah. Speaker 0 00:19:54 Yeah. Speaker 2 00:19:55 And on top of that, there's a lot of the professors that are so willing they Yeah. To volunteer their office hours to you because there are so many professors who will go days when they hold their hours and have nobody show up. Mm-hmm. . Yeah. They hold them for you to come in and say, what did we just talk about? I need help. Mm-hmm. . Right. So that's also one of the things that's awesome about just WSU in general. Speaker 0 00:20:20 And you just hit on something I wanna talk about for just a second here at Wichita State and as a first gen learner, we talked about this in our last episode. Um, there are a lot of terminology we don't always understand. And those office hours, those are actually student hours. The professor sets so that you can come talk to them mm-hmm. about your class. Exactly. Are have you come across any like terminology? You just went, well what is that? Have you found that yet? Or, Speaker 2 00:20:51 Oh, you're giving me these questions now, Speaker 0 00:20:54 . Yeah. Making, Speaker 2 00:20:55 Making me think. No, it's all right. Um, well always, I mean, I still get tripped up on what SI is and I am one, right? Speaker 0 00:21:03 Yeah, sure. Just those, Speaker 2 00:21:04 Just because it's foreign language to me, cuz I'm not used to Speaker 0 00:21:06 It. Yeah. Well, and it's this si where, you know, um, anyone outside of Wichita State might go Sports Illustrated Speaker 2 00:21:13 Or student or student instructor. Speaker 0 00:21:15 Yeah, yeah. Or student involvement or whatever it is. But yeah, we throw around these acronyms or these abbreviations like we expect everyone to know even words like syllabus mm-hmm. , which is, that was a new one to me that I really liked. I was like, oh, what is this? And I would read it from page to page. I didn't realize that not everyone did that. No syllabus. Syllabus that the, can you you wanna talk a little bit about a syllabus David? Speaker 2 00:21:42 Um, syllabuses are actually very important. Um, I get questions like even today, uh, when I was holding my session, uh, today's test day for a lot of the math 12 people. And he was like, how important is this test? Like how much of a grade is it? You know? And I said, well, it's in your syllabus. I said, but it's probably depending on how many you have 20 or 25% of your grade because the bulk of your grade in math comes from testing mm-hmm. . Right. So, you know, but the syllabus includes all your course information, the hours where your class is gonna be held, when your professor or instructor's doing office hours, uh, how they scale grading, you know, for chemistry. And a is an 85 and above. Hmm mm-hmm. , you know, in biology it's a 90 and above. So you know, there's a big difference depending on what course and how they curve everything. Mm-hmm. , Speaker 3 00:22:45 I feel like the syllabus is a contract between students and faculty and it clearly defines expectations. Speaker 0 00:22:52 Expectations and, and how to contact that professor because mm-hmm. sometimes, you know, a professor might want a phone call or just a drop in or an email. Right. So yeah. Information Speaker 3 00:23:03 There. So as you've been coming to WSU on campus and you've been doing everything that you do as an ambassador, , , Speaker 0 00:23:10 Disappointed, Speaker 3 00:23:11 Ambassador, love, um, did you have any fears coming into, I a lot of our adult learners are thinking, oh man, I am the oldest person alive to come to campus. Or Oh man, I should've done this a long time ago. And was there, did you have any of those fears? And then when you got here, did you think, oh, that wasn't really a thing. Speaker 2 00:23:35 This is my second time at college, so I was in my late twenties at my first go around and I thought I felt old then. Speaker 0 00:23:44 . It's funny. That is funny. Speaker 2 00:23:47 It's funny. Yeah. And coming in at 40 plus now to get my, to get my bachelor's, um, sometimes I feel old mm-hmm. , but it's usually when I'm talking to somebody and I make a reference to something in culture, and then I remember that they could be my kid. Speaker 3 00:24:10 Yes. I'm this many years Speaker 0 00:24:13 . Speaker 2 00:24:13 Yeah, exactly. Yeah. Right. And or even, but even like a a, a movie like Land before Time mm-hmm. for anybody who was a kid in the nineties, they know what that is. That was the jam without question. Mm-hmm. , but some of these younger guys don't know that. Mm-hmm. . Speaker 0 00:24:29 Right. Speaker 3 00:24:31 Uh, what would you say you've learned about yourself? Speaker 2 00:24:35 Wow. I learned that I don't know how to study. Oh really? Oh my goodness. Like, Speaker 3 00:24:40 You're not, you're not good at organizing or taking this syllabi and planning out your time. Speaker 2 00:24:47 No, I think a lot of it has been the gap of time between my pursuing knowledge. Um, you lose a lot of good habits when it, in regard to studying, when you have gaps in your learning, uh, timeline. Um, and so I typically, if I read it, if I do a little work, some homework or whatever problems, I'm usually good for most things. Not chemistry. Speaker 0 00:25:20 Speaker 2 00:25:21 Chemistry, you kind of need to like sledge ham. Right. Sledgehammer into your brain. Speaker 3 00:25:27 It's a different animal, Speaker 2 00:25:29 You know, it's not just reading it. You have to like digest it, read it three times, practice it, watch YouTube videos. Mm-hmm. , get help from peers, study groups, you know, si like what certain topics you have to have layered studying. It's not just quiet time earphones on and you're reading or working problems. Like sometimes you have to have interactive study sessions. Right. Again, it's like a layered studying. But yeah, that was one of the things I learned. Like I never studied before. Hmm. Ever Speaker 0 00:26:08 , you know, I, I, I think I was the same way I did. Okay. In high school. I barely studied and I was like, all right, you know what? I've got a solid gpa. Gosh. Now I look back and I think if I would've studied I could have been an extra. Oh yeah. But that's one thing I did. I, and I think so many of our adult learners find themselves doing this, is giving it all they have because they know what an opportunity it is. Speaker 2 00:26:37 Well I think once, I think before too, like especially during my associates program, I, I don't remember studying that much. And I think a lot of how I got through everything was I wanted to mm-hmm. and I guess just the passion drove me and maybe I did study and I just don't remember it. Or I was, you know, 20 years, almost 20 years younger. And so my brain was still a sponge. Yeah. Speaker 0 00:27:06 Mm-hmm. . Speaker 2 00:27:08 So yeah. That, that, that can be also a, a difficulty of adult learning is, you know, we learn differently. We learn a little slower sometimes. Right. Because, you know, we've been away from the material or academics in general for so long. Yeah. Speaker 0 00:27:21 I think that, you know, and you and I I believe have talked about this is that can be a almost a negative side of adult learner. There are plenty of positive sides to be an adult learner. Oh. Learner. So bring, I think maybe to wrap us up, can you, uh, kind of expand on that a little bit and talk about what it means to the advantages, what you bring to the table? Right. Speaker 2 00:27:45 I, advantages and disadvantages of adult learning are being an adult learner go hand in hand because they typically are the mm-hmm. opposite side of the same coin. You know, like I may be the old guy in class and I'm not always the oldest guy, but I'm pretty sure this semester Speaker 0 00:28:00 You're not, oh, maybe Speaker 2 00:28:02 I'm pretty sure this semester I'm older than even all of my professors . Uh, which, you know, that's okay too, right. One's got a PhD even mm-hmm. . Yeah. Um, but you know, again, I, I said they might look at me, uh, some of the students might look at me when I make a reference to something older than they are and they're like, I don't get that. Or Hey, you should listen to Meatloaf. And they're like, I don't like eating that. I Speaker 0 00:28:25 Don't like that . Why I don't like that food. Speaker 2 00:28:28 . Yeah. And I'm like, you should listen Speaker 0 00:28:30 , Speaker 2 00:28:31 You know, woo. Speaker 0 00:28:32 Yeah. But, Speaker 2 00:28:33 But you know, but we also glean from them, uh, you know, cultural references. Yeah. And sometimes you've mentioned something and they'll go, oh gosh, that sounds really cool. Yeah. What was that again? What do you mean ? Yeah, what was that again? And then you open up their world to Prince or Pink Floyd or crocheting, you know, cuz their grandma didn't do it. Yeah. Or whatever. But like, so that's kinda the benefit too. And also people will gravitate to you because you're an adult learner. Yep. Because you're so true. Different because you're not their normal cohort. Right. You know, or maybe they had a great relationship with their father and you remind them of their dad and they're like, Hey, this guy's kind of like my dad and he's a state away. Yeah. You know, and so you can kind of get that little buddy. Yeah. Mm-hmm. mentorship thing going. Right. So there's a lot of b there's a lot more pluses to being an adult learner than Absolutely I would say than there is being a negative. Yeah. Especially on campus with all the services that they offer for anybody who attends. Um, yeah. If it's a thought in your head to come to school, to come back to college to get a degree, do it. Speaker 0 00:29:48 All right. Well thank you David. That was wonderful. Um, please remember to join us next time when we'll have another guest just like David, another adult learner who will spew more and more words of wisdom. Thanks again David. Thank you Speaker 2 00:30:04 David. Thank you guys.