Gen Z student navigates a classroom of 40s and 50s peers, gaining life advice, support, and unexpected connections

EDUCATION has no age limits, but a Malaysian postgraduate recently found himself in an awkward situation when his classmates were mostly middle-aged.

On Threads, user @mmuhdnoahh wrote, “Classmates in their 40s and 50s… don’t even know what to chat about!” along with a “speechless” reaction. The post sparked a lively discussion with both Gen Z and older users sharing their thoughts.

Irfan joked that in such a situation, he would just act like their son since many of them are close to his father’s age.

Hazique added humour, saying he would start conversations with the phrase, “Pada era globalisasi…” imitating essay writing in Malay.

Yet many users emphasised the positives of bridging the age gap. Grace Prakash Rao advised the student to be a “helpful son”.

“Be polite and help them whenever you can. Believe me, they’ll treat you like their own child. By the end of the semester, you’ll have your own ‘adopted mother and father’.”

Yasmin noted that befriending older classmates offers a “golden connection” to the real world, providing access to years of expertise.

One user added, “Most of them are already stable in life. They have plenty of free time and still want to learn. That’s why they’re there. You can even ask them for financial advice!”

@elyhasrul encouraged, “Take advantage! They may be new to the course, but they’ve got life experience you don’t know you might need. As for the negative ones, just ignore them. Sometimes we get too excited making friends with the youngsters anyway.”

The postgraduate, pursuing a Master of Business Administration, has already sought tips on careers and multinational corporations from his older classmates.

Meanwhile, Ailyna, in her 40s, said she enjoys sharing classes with Gen Z students.

“Gen Z students are very supportive, even though on the first day some said, ‘Sister, if I were your age, I wouldn’t continue studying.’”

 The Sun Malaysia