Is It Ever Too Late to Study?

Ninety-seven years oldthis is the age of the oldest student in

the world that graduated from a university, who has just recently
received a Masters in Clinical Science76 years after attaining his first
university degree. Alan Stuart already has four degrees and is a
qualified dentist, surgeon prosthodontist, lawyer and general
practitioner. And it does not look like the man is going to stop at that.
Some will probably say he is crazy, and might have a point. However,
as extreme as this example may seem, a question remains highly
debatable: Is it ever too late to study?
Studying is one of the main tools used to get to know a variety of
subjects, notions and the world around us in general. It is the basic
channel of perception of reality, which we otherwise would be unable
to understand. Ignoring the opportunity to study would basically be
equal to ignoring the whole world that surrounds us (Francis, 2007).
Therefore, it stands perfectly to reason that furthering ones education
after graduating from high school is a common tradition in American
societyand one that is highly encouraged by the community too.
Higher education in the United States is viewed as a wise choice,
as it invests in ones future and gains an asset that will be ones
stronghold when climbing up the social ladder. At the same time,
college and university education in the United States is extremely
pricey. Many high school graduates simply do not have an opportunity
to continue their education right away (Saiz, 2013). Therefore, when a
person has already achieved a stable career, is standing on both feet
and knows exactly what it is they want to deepen their knowledge in,
they have the right to continue at the point they once stopped atand
become a university student.
With the American educational system being arguably a flexible
one, you do not even have to become a full-time student anymore to
learn more about the subjects that interest you. You can simply take a
few courses at a certain university, pay the fees and attend the classes
for your own purposes. You will not receive a full-scale diploma for
finishing a few courses, but if what you are looking for is the
knowledge and the practical use, not the little piece of paper proving
you are worthy of taking on a certain profession, then this option is
exactly the right fit for you.
Nevertheless, it is believed that after some point in life, it
becomes too late for activities such as being a student. A student in

the US is a certain social role that is closely associated with other

concepts other than the actual studyingdorm life, campus activities,
student parties, academic honor societies, dances and many more
(Poplar, 2009). Choosing to be a student in many cases means that you
are willing and able to take on the whole package, or otherwise you
risk feeling like an outcast and dropping out of school, even if the
classes are interesting and the professors are fantastic. When you
consider applying to a specific university after a certain age, when the
above mentioned happenings become of a lesser value to you, look at
those institutions that are more flexible and do not require living on
campus and fully engaging in the academic and non-academic sides of
university life.
Another factor that might get in the way of effective studying
after a certain age is your capabilities. If you decided to finally (or once
again) become a student, it is implied that you have the required
desire to learn, listen and absorb the knowledge. However,
unfortunately, sometimes just the desire itself is not enough. It is a
known fact that with age, our memory, attention and ability to learn
may decrease greatlystudying may become a much more difficult
challenge than it could have been when we were younger (Ramon,
2012). At the same time, if you have the dedication, motivation and
persistence to become a student at a later stage in life, I suppose
these traits will aid you in achieving your aim as well.
Studying is a necessity rather than a privilege. It should never be
too late to study if a person really wants to. There is no doubt that
setting an expiration date on ones opportunity to learn and follow their
dreams would be wrong. Despite all the analyzed obstacles that may
possibly come in the way of studying, they should not become an
insurmountable barrier in the path of ones self-actualization.
References:
Francis, Nia. (2007). Withered Knowledge. New Jersey Guardian.
Poplar, Sarah. (2009). Cultural Heritage of College. Cooker Publishing.
Ramon, Samuel. (2012). Obstacles of the Old Student. Lees House
Press.
Saiz, Richard. (2013). Report on Education to Career Conversion. Lions
Foot Press.

Assessment 1
Template
1. Write which paragraph(s) is the Introduction, Body, and
Conclusion
Introduction
paragraph 1
Body
paragraph 2,3,4,5,6
Conclusion
paragraph 7
2. Write the thesis of the reading/the problem/the question that
becomes the central issue of the text.
Is it ever too late to study?
3. The thesis/problem/question is then elaborated in the main
paragraph of the introduction, body, and conclusion. Write then
what the main idea(s) of the introduction, Body, and Conclusion
part is.
Introduction
:
the main idea is Is it ever too late to study?

(paragraph 1)

Body
:
the main ideas are:
a. Studying is one of the main tools used to get to know a variety
of subjects, notions and the world around us in general.
(paragraph 2)
b. Higher education in the United States is viewed as a wise
choice, as it invests in ones future and gains an asset that will
be ones stronghold when climbing up the social ladder.
(paragraph 3)
c. With the American educational system being arguably a
flexible one, you do not even have to become a full-time
student anymore to learn more about the subjects that interest
you. (paragraph 4)
d. Choosing to be a student in many cases means that you are
willing and able to take on the whole package, or otherwise
you risk feeling like an outcast and dropping out of school,
even if the classes are interesting and the professors are
fantastic. (paragraph 5)
e. Another factor that might get in the way of effective studying
after a certain age is your capabilities. (paragraph 6)
Conclusion
The main idea is : It should never be too late to study if a person
really wants to. (paragraph 7)
4. Write the socio-cultural context that underlies the author to write
about this topic.
Therefore, it stands perfectly to reason that furthering ones
education after graduating from high school is a common
tradition in American societyand one that is highly
encouraged by the community too.
5. Write key words showing the socio-cultural context
Common tradition
paragraph 2
American society
paragraph 2
Community
paragraph 2
6. Compare the context where the text is set to the present context.
College and university education in the United States is
extremely pricey. Many high school graduates simply do not have

an opportunity to continue their education right away but now

there are many scholarships, so the students who dont have
enough many can continue their study in college or university.
7. Explain the potential purpose of why the text was written.
The writer wants to tell that it should never be too late to study if
a person really wants to because studying is a necessity rather
than a privilege. If we want to be a student after a certain age in
many cases means that you are willing and able to take on the
whole package, or otherwise you risk feeling like an outcast and
dropping out of school, even if the classes are interesting and the
professors are fantastic and we also must have capabilities.