What do you call a person who starts learning something before you do?

Question

For example, someone who started learning and playing badminton five years before you do, under the same instructor. Another example, like a senior person in the same school.

Thanks.

Answer 1

Words like forerunner, precursor, and predecessor may serve:
• forerunner, “a runner at the front or ahead”, also “a forebear, an ancestor, a predecessor” • precursor, “That which precurses, a forerunner, a predecessor, an indicator of approaching events”
• predecessor, “One who precedes; one who has preceded another in any state, position, office, etc.; one whom another follows or comes after, in any office or position”

Answer 2

Edit:
I may have been too hasty in answering the OP's question: A word for someone who has started learning before another person. I'm not sure if my suggestions fit the bill, as they describe learners of a certain experience and not someone who began earlier in their studies. If the OP would like to confirm whether I have indeed misinterpreted his question, I will delete my answer. Thank you!

To use your example of someone who has been playing badminton for at least five years compared to a complete novice or someone at a much lower level we could describe the student or learner (in one word) as being:

• a skilled player
• a trained player
• a senior player (but this could lead to ambiguity, where the word senior can be related to age rather than rank or level of expertise).
• a tutored player
• a semi-proficient player (Yes, it's a compound noun, not really a single word but proficient would be inappropriate.)

Answer 3

would you not just call them senior, perhaps upperclassman as opposed to freshman or sophomore

or veteran as opposed to novice or a neophyte

or even an old hand?

In a vein similar to previously suggested 'predecessor' you can also call them antecessor