Interestingly, when I went to an art school at 24 I was surrounded by people 4 to 5 years younger than me, coming out of high school, and I felt the same way as he did. So many of them had so much personality showing through their art, so much knowledge I didn't have while I was older.
Good thing about the art world is that it's not competitive, people share their experience and knowledge. In this kind of environment, a good chunk of your growth comes from your classmates, oddly enough.