For those re-entering school after a significant absence, Freshman Composition seems a long way off. Living in more than one community . She may have a job in one, family in another, and classes in a third.
Academic factors play a role too.
The class setting with its younger students, possibly a younger professor, and 1990s' protocols may confound a returning student. Rusty study and library skills further threaten confidence, while technological innovations can inhibit both writing and information gathering. And he may have to face these interferences in isolation, since non-traditional students tend to lack academic networks. Pressured by these constraints, returning students may initially view writing as a product and punishment rather than as a functional tool. Polson, Cheryl J. Responding to the Adult Learner in the Classroom .