23 years old and transfering possibly to SUNY New Paltz

Student Lounge College Life
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<p>I'm 23 going on 24 years old in september. I don't really feel older or more mature than my younger 18 year old counter-parts, although I am conscious about my age and in some ways I think I am a little more mature, but that's only as far as responsibilities go, like I'm a good student and care about my grades, and I try to eat healthy and excersize, keep my life in order as best as I can. But honestly overall, I really don't feel a whole lot different than some of my 19/20 year old friends. In fact I have a 32 year old cousin who went away to acting school when he was 26! He got a long great there and he's been doing a lot with his life. I think he's overall pretty happy about his choice. I just actually want to hear from other people who went away to college later than normal. No horror stories about attempts ending in failure unless you think there's something positive to draw out of it.</p>

<p>Also another concern is that although I'm 23, my personality is not really well defined.. which is part of the reason why I want to go away to college. Like for example, I only have some vague ideas about what kind of person I am, where as other people could rattle off a paragraph or two to explain who they are. What I can say is that I'm pretty much an introvert and don't like to make a big scene at parties and draw attention to myself, but I also don't like to not be around people. I actually hate when I'm by myself but I care more about quality than quantity. Also if it's worth mentioning, I'm actually really attractive, and I would say that I'm smart in a sort of logical, linear thinking way, but I don't think I've really mastered the other half of my brain, and like being social, and I actually have some trouble around people, I get paranoid easily about what I'm doing and saying and who I'm talking to and I always fear that I'm walking into a situation that might lead me to a bad place etc. I tend to think more negatively than positively, and I have trouble just like.. letting go. Hence why I want to go away to college. I'm hoping maybe I can just make up for some lost time and try to make friends and be independent or whatever. My goal honestly if I go away to college is to continue to get good grades which I think I can but also make friends because I'm not really doing that right now. I'm applying to SUNY New Paltz and Binghampton. New Paltz because it's pretty and I like the vibe up there.</p>

<p>Right now my major is computer science. I'm not really crazy about it, although I like the fact that I'm learning it because I think it's pretty useful, plus I get A's in all my classes, but I want to make that a minor I think and study something different, something along the lines of like, self-improvement. I've been thinking about a Nutrition degree or a Psych degree.</p>

<p>Yeah so that's the deal. Thanks.</p>

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<p>Not really sure what concerns you wanted addressed but as far as your age goes, you’re fine. People go to college at all different ages. You don’t have to worry about sticking out and you’ll probably meet other people your age and older. People have all different reasons for waiting, couldn’t afford it before, had young kids, switching careers, were saving up, lived somewhere else, took some time off, etc.</p>

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<p>I’m 24 with a BA in psychology, and I’m applying to go back to school for a different program. Most people won’t realize you’re a little older. Some people look and act much older or younger than they really are. </p>

<p>Moving away for college might make you feel more independent, but it isn’t always necessary to help define who you are. I always commuted, and still live at home, but I couldn’t be more different than my parents and family and I have a clear idea of who I am and who I want to be as I grow older. However, it is harder to make friendships as a commuter which seems to be a concern of yours, so residential life may make that process easier. </p>

<p>Psychology is a general degree that usually requires advanced graduate study to get a decent paying job. Nutrition is similar, if you want to be an actual nutritionist. Or you could double major with an education degree and go into teaching those subjects. </p>

<p>Psychology is also a lot about “fixing” people and doesn’t place as much focus on improving what is already good. However, there is a fairly new (10-15 years) movement in psychology called “positive psychology” that focuses on improving character strengths, wellness, etc. rather than looking for problems to solve. So you might enjoy a course in that if your school offers it. </p>

<p>Times are tough for self-improvement related fields because people are working harder, more hours, and do not always have the time and money to invest in such things, and the salaries for those fields are not often very good. So you’ll want to consider your average starting salary, how much you’re willing to invest in college, what kind of lifestyle you want to live, and where your best chances are for obtaining a good job upon graduation. These might be tough questions to answer right now, but it’ll come to you as you advance in your studies.</p>

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<p>My impression of the students at new paltz is that they are very accepting of others</p>