Agreed. College is definitely a crucible for refining one's character in addition to raw knowledge.

To build on that, the reverse is also very powerful. Returning to school brings lots of experience from that other crucible called "real life". That should give GrApHiX42 a big leg-up both in the classroom and lab. He / she may find themselves being looked to as a leader, which they should definitely use to hone their leadership skills.

Another thing employers love is real-world experience. Depending on the school you go to, there may be opportunities to take-on internship positions at real high-tech companies. If at all possible, go for it! It's much easier to get your foot in the door as a student than as a graduate. Come interview time, you can spin your maturity to your advantage vs. other students.

Any new graduate with real experience in their field has a big plus going for them. When comparing a 35 year-old new CS grad with real SW development experience vs. a younger grad with pure textbook CS knowledge. The internship experience and greater level of "maturity" may be enough to tip the balance. Of course, YMMV.

Many younger people enter college not really knowing what they want to be doing when they graduate. College is a means to an end, not a means of itself.

Don't go with the mentality "Go to college", "???", "Make lots of money". What do you want to get into? Robotics? AI? Operating Systems? iPhone SW Development? Game Design?

Knowing this will let you tailor your courses to your ambitions.

From there, start a pet project. Linux is free, SW development tools are free. Pick something and use the facilities at your college to their max. You'll have access to their libraries journals, other students and professors.

When you have a goal, lectures can become much more interesting. "Aha! This fits perfectly with my pet project!"