Adult learners range in age from 18 - 99 years old.  Many times they come into the post-secondary classroom with the same set of learning skills they left with in high school.  These are learners that do not traditionally go to a 2 year or 4 year college.  For the most part, they want a job to make money.  If they return to the learning environment, its usually to learn a trade or vocation that will pay them greater than minimum wage.  The end result is not a degree, but placement in employment.

Whatever the goal of learning, we can never assume that our students have the skills to be successful learners.  Especially if they were not successful at the elementary and secondary levels. In this learning environment, adults need to be taught how to manage their time using effective study habits and learning strategies. After all, going back to school will be one more thing on their already busy schedule of managing work, family and social life.

To assume that an adult learner in a post-secondary setting already knows how to "learn" is a great disservice to this student population. Expecting adults in this setting to have what it takes to be a student sets them up for failure and causes futher harm to their ability to become life-long learners.