Purpose: This study aimed to understand the meaning and essence of college life experiences of mature-aged male nursing students. Methods: Data were collected between November 2024 and December 2024 through in-depth, face-to-face interviews with ten older male nursing students. Data were analyzed using Colaizzi’s seven-step phenomenological analysis method. Results: The results comprised four theme clusters and 17 themes. Participants experienced “A tough start,” “Multidimensional obstacles,” “Source of strength,” and “Turning point in life.” Participants entered nursing school after overcoming challenging entrance exams in pursuit of stable employment during periods of economic instability and job scarcity. Additionally, they encountered dual barriers, both in terms of age and gender over the study period. They struggled because of their financial instability, academic stress, conflicts in social relationships, and insufficient university support services. However, despite these hardships, they persisted in their academic journey, encouraged by the joy of learning, with informal social support from family and friends and determined to complete their college courses. Ultimately, they perceived college life as a transformative phase through positive change, growth, and professional development in their journey toward becoming nurses. Conclusion: It is necessary to identify the individual needs of older male nursing students and provide university support services from a gender-equity perspective.

서 론
    1. 연구의 필요성
    2. 연구목적
연 구 방 법
    1. 연구설계
    2. 연구자의 준비
    3. 연구참여자
    4. 자료수집
    5. 자료분석
    6. 연구의 민감성과 진실성 확보
    7. 윤리적 고려
연 구 결 과
    주제모음 1. 힘들었던 출발
    주제 모음 2. 다차원적인 장애물
    주제 모음 3. 힘의 근원
    주제 모음 4. 인생의 전환점
논 의
결 론 및 제 언
REFERENCES

• 황영란(동남보건대학교 간호학과 조교수) | Hwang Young-Ran (Department of Nursing, Dongnam Health University, Suwon, Korea) Corresponding author