Senior Studies

Older College of Charleston students pursue interests for lifelong learning

College of Charleston classes started Aug. 21, but a sizable group of students had to wait until the next day to register for courses.

Each semester, between 80 and 100 senior citizens sign up to take courses during a special registration session that takes place after classes start, said Dorinda Harmon, the director of transfer and adult student admissions.

South Carolina residents 60 and older can sign up for public university and college classes on a space-available basis. They don't pay tuition, and the only costs are a $25 registration fee per semester as well as books, lab fees and any expenses associated with travel.

Older adults enrolled at the College of Charleston can take classes for credit or audit them. Some pursue undergraduate or graduate degrees. Others who have master's or doctoral degrees often take additional courses to stay up to date in their fields or to enrich their lives in different areas of study, Harmon said.

Harmon said professors appreciate senior citizens because they exhibit a joy of learning. "They bring a different layer to the class," she said.

Lawrence McMahon agrees. "I think senior students can add a lot to a class because they are usually less hesitant to contribute to class discussion," he said.

A West Ashley resident in his 60s, McMahon graduated from the University of Tennessee in 1965 with a degree in economics and served in public relations in the Army. But he always wished he had time to pursue other interests.

"Back then, there were a lot of courses that I wanted to take, but didn't have time to take," he said.

He started taking art history classes in spring 2003 for credit, and after a year and a half, he decided to declare a major in the subject. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in art history last year.

"This was an academic field I was interested in 40 years ago," he said.

When he started taking courses, McMahon was grateful to learn that all accredited colleges are required to keep each student's records for at least 50 years.

The College of Charleston admissions office obtained McMahon's undergraduate transcript from the University of Tennessee and was able to apply many of his credit hours toward his art history degree. The college will accept a maximum of 92 credit hours from another school.

Like any other student, McMahon was required to take some entry-level courses as a prerequisite of his college degree.

McMahon is now auditing two classes, Art of China and History of Northern Renaissance Painting, which he says is less stressful.

Margaret Jollow, a 70-year-old student originally from Sydney, Australia, started taking French classes six years ago because she always wanted to learn languages. She retired from her position as a science teacher and Ashley Hall department head and is glad for the change of pace.

"If I'd known how wonderful it was going to be, I would have retired years ago," she said.

Each summer, she has traveled to various language schools in France to study. "I don't have the stress and pressure that the younger students have because they have to finish in a certain amount of time."

Even though she is auditing her courses, she takes all the tests and exercises because she says it's beneficial to her learning experience. She also sees a benefit in taking classes with younger students, some she taught at Ashley Hall.

"It's exposure to all sorts of new ideas. It's a whole different world from what I was doing before."

Reach Sophia Rodriguez at 937-5538 or srodriguez@postandcourier.com.