44-year-old student adapts to college life

Troy Haas is an IU student.

Haas, a sophomore who lives in Eigenmann Hall, plans to earn degrees in English and theatre and enjoys playing intramural softball. But Haas does not always fit into the college student mold, given that he is 44 years old.

It might seem odd that a man of his age would want to go back to school as a full-time student, but Haas sees it differently.

“When you’re older and you say, ‘I wish I could do that,’ well, I’m doing it,” Haas said.
Married and a father of a teenage daughter and a son entering college next semester, Haas knew that pursuing a degree would not be easy. He said he carefully balances his time so he can still be a loving and devoted father while succeeding in school.

Following classes on Friday afternoons, Haas would return to his Evansville home to see his family after staying in Bloomington from Monday through Thursday during the spring semester. With his busy schedule, though, Haas said he believes his college experience is just as difficult as that of any typical college student.

“Everyone has things to deal with at home,” he said. “I’m just dealing with it from a different perspective.”

Even though he comes to IU with pressure to fulfill his role as a father, husband and student, Haas said he is used to taking on an array of responsibilities. After a semester at Vincennes University, Haas left school and took on several jobs, including working for a funeral home and hospital. However, a bad knee from Haas’ semi-pro hockey career forced him to take a job as a truck driver in 1991. But in 2001, when Haas’ back problems forced him to put his life on hold, he decided he had to do something.

“I’m too young to just sit around,” he said.

So after discussing the decision with his wife, Haas enrolled at the University of Southern Indiana for his freshman year in 2007. But Haas said he knew he really wanted to be an IU student. For his sophomore year, he applied and was accepted as a part of the 2011 graduating class.

He said those close to him back home were a little puzzled at his choice to go back to school.

“There was a lot of ‘What do you mean you’re going to college?’” he said. “But I have a great support system, and my closest friends supported me.”

Despite his support in Evansville, Haas was not as quickly accepted when he arrived in Bloomington. Given his age and appearance, Haas has been mistaken for a professor in the beginning of his semester classes, an ethnographer and an undercover resident assistant in Eigenmann.

“Oh yeah, I get a lot of weird looks,” he said. “At the beginning of the year I wanted a shirt to say I was a student.”

Haas is already planning for the future. Next year, he actually will be an RA in Eigenmann, and he said he wants to continue his education into graduate school to pursue a master’s degree.

For now though, Haas is enjoying his college years.

“Yeah, I’m in my 40s, but I have all this experience to rely on,” he said. “I think I appreciate more things in college because of this different perspective. Some students waste away their years here, but I truly appreciate the time I have.”