If you think you’re the only person going back to school at 50, think again. Many adults of all ages are finding their way back to those shaded walkways leading to classrooms, lecture halls, and learning. Although it might feel strange, at first, to be among so many young kids as they rush you by in mega-packs right before and after classes, it won’t take long before you make friends.

Most likely you’ll even find other non-eighteen-year-olds to keep company with. These are the people that will tell you about what luck they had in finding scholarships for the single mom they are and about the best place near campus to get your morning coffee.

At moments when class waiting lists weigh you down, reflect on the wisdom of the crowd: if so many people are signing up for the class, it must deliver some worthy advantage. Going back to school at 40, or 50, is not an experience as rare as you think.