Compared 106 middle-aged student (outwardly oriented) and nonstudent (home oriented) women on attitudes toward age, perceived happiness and satisfaction, perceived physical health, number and severity of depressing symptoms, self-esteem, and autonomy. The student group reported better health, fewer and less severe depressive symptoms, and higher…

The increased college attendance of mature women students has played a major role in the changing demographics of college enrollment. This study examined the experience of reentry women during the initial period of adjustment from the time just prior to college entrance to the end of their first or second academic year. A pre- and post-test…

Women who, as adolescents, feared success in male-dominated fields, may demonstrate non-traditional career preferences later in life and return to school to pursue their new career aspirations. In-depth interviews were conducted with 25 women over age 30 who were enrolled in graduate or professional schools. Data showed that mature women students…

Women who enrolled in college during their middle-aged years (between ages 30 and 49) were studied. Attention was directed to: the relationship between returning to school and critical developmental issues; the influence of educational experience on understanding such issues; and the stress factors experienced by mid-life university women.…

Studies have indicated that mature women maintain a permanent role identity along two dimensions, i.e., traditional women or nontraditional women. However, the lifeset of many mature adult women may be on the continuum between these two positions, i.e., in the position of "deferred achiever." The personality variables and sex-role orientations of…

Designed to assist women attending Houston Community College (HCC) through periods of transition in their lives, this resource manual provides exercises and offers information related to retraining, self-assessment, and career redirection to help women find fulfilling careers. First, background is provided on HCC's Women's Support Services, an…