As early as (1984), Woodley proposed that older students have a decreased capacity for learning both in terms of memory and in the mental flexibility needed to adapt to new perspectives. Wheeler and Birtle (1993 also suggested that older students may not have the work speed and retentive capabilities of younger students, which would place them at a disadvantage.
In the past, many high-paying jobs could be found without a university degree, so many people did not go on to a higher education. Now, the more technological society is becoming, the more education skills are needed to compete for high-paying jobs. Some adults returning to school do lack the reading, writing and math skills required for enrollment in some college level courses because of increased standards, but this does not necessarily mean they do not have the required study skills to make up these differences and achieve success in higher education.
Mature students have been the subject of many studies comparing them to younger students. In one such study, Daniel and Keeley (1996) looked
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