2. The Returning Students - A survey conducted by Katharine H L/Speaking 4C Instructor Davis

3. When I first arrived at PSU from Japan, I was very surprised… The students are so much more diverse. In Japan, colleges have only young students. I learned that many people were “Returning Students.” In Japan, once people pass the age for college, they can’t go back to school. In Japan, there is no encouragement.  e.g. no company pays employees’ tuition  e.g. no loan support system...  e.g. no recommendation of society Here in US, the society seems to encourage people to go back to school for several reasons.

4. Purpose of the Survey  I want to understand … Who goes back to school What they study in school Why they return to school How they go back to school

5. About of Survey Questionnaire Designed by Katharine Survey conducted on PSU campus by Katharine Random survey (no friends) Total of 22 participants

6. A Sample of the Questionnaire

7. Survey Result I: Who goes back? I. More women return to school than men II. Age ranges from 20 to over 60 III. Various educational backgrounds

8. Survey Result II: What to Study? I. More than half of the people work on B.A./B.S. II. Various amounts of school credits III. Various majors

9. Survey Result III: Why they return? I. People return to school mainly for career advancement II. A degree is definitely important

10. Survey Result IV: How do they go back? I. Most people have jobs when returning to school; some of them work full time II. Their main financial sources include personal savings, loans, and company support

11. Some Faces of the Returning Students

12. Conclusion: The Data Shows… I. All kinds of people return to school in the US. II. People return to school to study various majors. III. People return to school for career advancement as well as to achieve personal dreams. IV. People use personal savings, loans, and work support as their financial resources for returning to school.

13. From the Survey I Learned.. The universities welcome people back to school. There are motives for people to go back to school. Career advancement, personal dreams Society makes it easy for people to return to school. Loans, company-paid educations, etc.