BLOOMINGTON - At age 54, Barbara O'Neal became a student again.

She succeeded by studying smartly and continues to do so as a licensed clinical professional counselor. She believes older adults can learn new things - if they work at it.

O'Neal was a mother in her early 30s when she got a master's degree in counseling from Illinois State University. She worked as a career counselor for Illinois Wesleyan University and as a pregnancy and adoption counselor for The Baby Fold and ABC Counseling & Family Services.

At about age 50, she decided to stop working. She wanted a break from the stress and wanted to focus more on her family, including her new grandchildren.

She spent time with family and friends and played tennis.

"But I found there was a big void in my life," she said. She decided to go into private practice but had to pass two national exams to become a licensed clinical professional counselor. She began to study on her own.

"The preparation was intense because I was 20 years out of school. At 54, I was studying and felt very overwhelmed. I had low self-esteem and thought 'I can't do this.'"

O'Neal took an online study course. She studied material over and over. She underlined important points and made note cards to help her remember. She used audiotapes she could listen to while driving or walking. She took a sample test.

O'Neal found that the hearth room off her kitchen was a comfortable place for her to study. "It gets a lot of sunshine."

Her study breaks were going for a walk. Those walks helped her to de-stress, get exercise and assimilate what she had been studying. If she went walking with a friend or her husband, the walk also would be a time to get social support.

O'Neal knew the importance of nutrition and sleep to help the brain perform at its peak, so she made sure she ate healthy meals and got enough rest.

O'Neal passed both exams on her first try.

"It was very cool. That became a new part of my identity."