WHETHER they are studying to improve their job prospects, taking a course to make an area of their life easier, or just learning for pleasure, there is no such thing as a typical student at Chelmsford's Adult Community Learning Centre.
It's a busy Wednesday morning where Italian for beginners, microwave cookery, GCSE English, payroll and massage are among the subjects being taught.
Open all day from 9am five days a week, with evening classes running Monday to Thursday, Beeches Road and its sister campuses in Spinks Lane, Witham, and the newly-opened White Horse Lane site in Maldon, see thousands of adults pass through the classrooms each week.
Jean Wilmot, adult community learning marketing officer, said: "We have adults from 18 to 90-plus coming here to take a qualification to help them get a new job or set up their own business, or to pursue a hobby.
"We also offer a range of courses for people with learning disabilities which help them learn new skills. I could not describe a typical adult learner – he or she does not exist."
Navigating the social networking site Facebook is a skill Joan Roche is learning in her class.
Posting and viewing statuses may be easy for most people – but if you are visually impaired it requires much more skill.
Beeches Close has been running a class helping those with no or poor eyesight to use computers for about ten years.
Joan said: "I first came about eight years ago as I wanted to try out screen reading software before I bought it for my home computer.
"I've since kept coming to learn more, and also for the social side. I use the internet a lot for looking up information."
Mary Hawkes is also a regular visitor. She said: "About 15 years ago I began losing my eyesight and at the same time I was helping a boy at Hylands School who was partially sighted.
"I started coming to these classes to see what was around to help him, and then became hooked.
"I have completed several qualifications. It's a nice group of people and I really enjoy coming here."
Tutor Adrian Isbrecht, who is himself visually impaired, began as a learner on the course.
He said: "I wanted to formalise what I was doing at home using my computer. Screen reading software makes the internet very accessible for visually impaired people but it is complex software and the more you know how to use it the more you can get out of it."
Fellow tutor Nicola Logan said: "Learners come to the class and decide what they want to learn; some might want to know how to shop online; others want to look up information and others want to know how to use social networking sites – it is entirely up to them."
Down the corridor, the smell of food signals the microwave cooking course is nearly over for the day.
This is a 33-week course for adults with learning disabilities and allows them to improve their cooking skills to enable them to be more independent.
Tutor Vicky Day said: "We did use normal ovens as well but the aim is to show learners a range of simple healthy dishes they can make at home."
Eamonn Lowe, from Braintree, is looking forward to tucking into the apple crumble he has made.
He said: "I like most of the things we make here – except the soup we made last week. It was mushroom – I'm not a fan of mushrooms."
Meanwhile, an oasis of peace and tranquility can be found in the beauty therapy rooms where students are undergoing a stone massage assessment, under the watchful eye of tutor Dawn Newman.
She said: "Our courses are popular but it's not surprising as Essex has the highest number of beauty therapists in the country.
"We help our learners with business skills as part of the qualification courses and know that more than 80 per cent go on to find work afterwards, with more than half setting up on their own, either in a salon or from home."
