<p>My dad dropped out of high school at 16 and became a hugh success so education was never really pushed on me as a kid. Never got past Pre-Algebra as a high school student. Flunked out of college twice,but I knew I had to keep trying. I finally learned how to study, got a doctorate at 29 in a field i did not like, continued my education and the last degree was my teaching credential at 42. I am alo an adjunct community college professor. I love the “over 30” students. They work hard because they know the clock is ticking. The number of students over 30 has increased due to the economy. Some of my students were very successful at one time and then their job disappeared. So don’t worry, you won’t be the oldest in the class. In fact, at 50. I am thinking of going back for accounting and I have looked into Physcian Assistant. I am just looking for something to do when I am not teaching. One suggestion, get a job at a hotel or restaurant while in school so your boss knows who to promote once you arew done.</p>
<p>back2class- Thanks for sharing your story! Mine is very similar. I’ve had plenty of jobs over the years…I even successfully ran a tree trimming business with my brother for about 6 years, but I’ve gotten tired of working my butt off and not really getting much in return. </p>
<p>I’ve always been really intrigued by physics and astronomy, and I’ve read plenty of books by Carl Sagan, Stephen Hawking, Michio Kaku, Brian Greene etc. but as you mentioned, I always felt like I was getting my books from the “kids section.” These books dumb everything down to a non-mathematical level, and because of this I never felt like I really understood them. I really want that deeper understanding of it.</p>
<p>This semester I had to take a remedial math course, because I never got beyond pre-algebra in high school. So, I just finished Algebra I with a 99%, and I’m studying like crazy over winter break so I can place out of Geometry and Algebra II, and start College Algebra next semester. Doing this is going to allow me to transfer a year sooner because of how the math courses and physics courses run with required prerequisites and whatnot. </p>
<p>I’m really looking forward to next year. I’ll be doing College Algebra this coming semester, as well as Intro. Chemistry. Then I’m taking trigonometry over the summer…and then next year I’ll really be starting my major. I haven’t actually started physics yet, because Gen. Physics I has College Algebra as a prerequisite. So, next year I’ll take General Physics I and Calculus I first semester, then I’ll be able to start calculus based Physics second semester. Plus I’ll be taking General Chemistry I and II next year…so it should be an awesome year!! I can’t wait!!</p>
<p>My husband just restarted college at the age of 27. He went to directly after high school, but he dropped out and joined the military for four years. Now he’s back. Although he’s at the School of General Studies at Columbia - which caters to non-traditional students - in most of his classes, he’s with primarily Columbia College and SEAS students who are traditionally aged 18-22 year old undergrads.</p>
<p>He just got his grades back this semester. He was so afraid he had failed everything, and was adjusting to a lot - new marriage (we just got married in August), non-student to student, and military to civilian life (he loved the military and spent the majority of his time flying around the world). He did well, all things considered. I think the biggest thing is don’t be too hard on yourself. This is your first time doing this in 12 years and getting back on the horse might take a while. My husband is just initially pleased that he passed everything, which is a big change from a high school honors student who went to college on a full scholarship bad in 2003.</p>
<p>Also remember that your age is an asset, not a liability. Sometimes my husband gets down on himself because he feels like he can’t keep up with these 18-year-olds who have no care in the world other than school. I always say, you’ve been to war! You can pass a few classes! You used to work 5 12-hour shifts in a week straight at times! This is pie compared to that stuff. So same to you. You’ve overcome odds that these 20-year-olds, generally speaking, have never had to see - you’ve managed an entire business by yourself and clawed your way from being a high school drop out to college. College is mostly about work ethic. I TA classes at my university as a grad student, and I love working with our non-traditional students because even though they may not immediately grasp the material, they are willing to WORK. Way better than the young know-it-alls who want you to give them an A for showing up. I’ve met with nontrad students in the evenings and sometimes even on the weekends because they wanted to sit down and learn.</p>
<p>Don’t be afraid to ask for help, especially from TAs if you have any. I really like teaching and mentoring and a lot of TAs do, too, and they’re willing to help the students who want to make the effort. Nobody ever comes to our office hours, so stop by! We don’t bite :D</p>
<p>And the thing is your age and experience are also an advantage because you know what you want to do. You know where you’re going and the ambition will help you get there. You’re not as easily distracted or pulled aside by trivial concerns.</p>
<p>I graduated from high school at the age of 16. Guess what… I just graduated at the age of 32. Things can get gloomy but its never too late to succeed. I’m already thru y M.Ed program now. Nothing can stop me now!</p>
<p>ChefJosh, good for you for heading back to school! When I decided to go back to school it was to get my MBA. I did research just as HaHeHo did when she considered culinary school in Europe. There are tons are articles, forums, lists and blogs to gather information from. I looked into rankings for MBA programs such as [Top</a> Business School Rankings: MBA, Undergrad, Executive & Online MBA - Businessweek](<a href=“Bloomberg - Are you a robot?”>Bloomberg - Are you a robot?), blogs such as [The</a> MBA Show Blog](<a href=“http://blog.thembashow.com/]The”>http://blog.thembashow.com/), and then I decided to visit a few schools once I gathered information from a ton of different resources.</p>
<p>I’m not sure if there are similar lists of rankings for culinary schools, but if you are considering getting your BS in Hotel and Restaurant Management it may be worth a look to check out other rankings for quick facts about the schools you are considering. You certainly seem to be headed in the right direction. You should be so proud of yourself!</p>
<p>I am really proud of you!</p>
<p>I am nearly 50 years old and for 25 years I had to take care of my four children and I was not able to go to school. I became very successful in Real Estate and I thought that It was going to last forever. The Real Estate bubble busted and I found my self in a very precarious financial situation. I lost everything, my business, my house, my cars. I crashed!!!</p>
<p>I had to start over so I decided after 25 years being out of school, to go back to college and to get my degree. I was just as nervous because I was afraid that I may fail but my motivation was greater than my fear. So far, I have a an Associates Degree, a Bachelors Degree and I am currently working on my Master’s degree. Hopefully, I will try to go for my Ph.D. as well.</p>
<p>It is never too late for someone to go back to school. You just have to have the right motivation. You have that motivation!!!</p>
<p>One piece of advice: I encountered so many obstacles, like rain, cold and heat, since I did not have a car, I had to go to school by bus for four years, financial problems, family problems, friend problems, work problems but I did not quit my schooling. So far, it has paid off. THIS IS WHAT YOU HAVE TO WATCH OUT FOR. There are family members, friends and others that will tell you to quit but you must stick to your dreams and accomplish you goals to finish your degrees. CONGRATULATION!</p>
<p>Congrats. Best of luck to you.</p>
<p>it takes a big commitment to go back to school, however 30 is still young! there are people that are 50 and still pondering about whether they want to go back. stop thinking and do it! best of luck to you.</p>
<p>ChefJosh, not sure if anyone has already mentioned this, but schools often have a “re-entry” group - that is, older students group - and it could be helpful with you to get together with these other students for support and community.</p>
<p>It’s fantastic to see so many people willing to make bold transitions at unlikely junctures in their lives. Some of the most interesting and capable people I know took non-traditional routes through education, and they appear the better for it! There is much encouragement and significance to be derived from the stories of the outliers. I hope you will go on to inspire many others like you. </p>
<p>One word of advice: Be sure to take advantage of office hours! Some of the best life advice I’ve ever received stemmed from digressing with professors while seeking help on a given assignment.</p>
<p>I know how it’s like to be an older student.
I start mine when I was 28, I have 3 younger brothers and sisters.
As the eldest son, I have no choice but to step out and work.</p>
<p>Therefore, don’t feel uncomfortable of being older. Many young people actually like hanging out with some old guy like me and listen to how the life is like when I work for 6 years before I start my study.</p>
<p>"I know how it’s like to be an older student.
I start mine when I was 28, I have 3 younger brothers and sisters.
As the eldest son, I have no choice but to step out and work.</p>
<p>Therefore, don’t feel uncomfortable of being older. Many young people actually like hanging out with some old guy like me and listen to how the life is like when I work for 6 years before I start my study. "</p>
<p>This is something I’ve run into a lot too. One of my concerns when I first went back was finding people my own age to study with and whatnot…but it really hasn’t been a problem. A lot of the younger kids there have really become friends now…and many of them are really interested in hearing about a lot of my life experiences. I’ve got a lot of experience to draw on, and many of them haven’t really gotten out and experienced much life outside of their home towns. I’ve traveled a lot, and been to a lot of music festivals and whatnot…and they always love hearing about it. </p>
<p>Overall, being an “older” student really isn’t that bad. As I’ve said before, I’d rather be in school now. If I’d stayed in high school, and went to college right afterwards…I wouldn’t be anywhere near as dedicated to it, and I wouldn’t have experienced most of the things I’ve been lucky enough to experience in my life.</p>
<p>I am not old enough like some of you guys and gals… However, I am 23 and also an international student asking for aid. so Process is difficult for me too… therefore, thought of posting my two words…</p>
<p>I also had to look after my family, being the only son of a frail mother and father… However, this year I’ve applied to US colleges after six years of high school graduation… Good Luck to all of us… We know that we have done what we needed to do all our life… we have struggled through difficulties and have had our share of experiences… </p>
<p>All of you guys and gals have shown tremendous courage in trying for colleges…</p>
<p>@rin3guy
Holy crap! They must’ve been blacklisted by the Army or something because I never saw em on Fort Carson.</p>
<p>Anyways I guess I sort of qualify, I’m 25 going back in after a three and a half year spring break courtesy of the Army. I made the mistake of going straight to college immediately after high school when I knew I was not prepared at all for it. Needless to say after dithering about for two years and getting nowhere fast while wasting a crap ton of my parents money, I finally said screw it and enlisted in the Army to figure what I wanted to do with my life.</p>
<p>Now thanks to the GI Bill I’ll be attending UBC in our lovely northern neighbor next year and this time I won’t be going in blind. I’m just going to have to get past that awkward feeling now that I’ll be one of the older students on campus.</p>
<p>Thanks again everyone! Congrats and good luck to all you guys as well. </p>
<pre><code>I have a question I’ll ask here instead of starting a thread. I have orientation next weekend and I have absolutely no idea what it will include! Will I just walk around meeting professors and other students? It’s three hours long so I am sure there is more to it than that, but I forgot to ask my adviser and would just like a general idea of what will be going on. Thanks again!
</code></pre>
<p>@OP:</p>
<p>I made a conscious decision when I decided to go to school that I would take everything seriously and try not to act too cool and like everything was dumb. At least for me, orientation made this very hard. YMMV, but at my community college (a top 20 CC nationally, if not higher, I recall), orientation went as follows:</p>
<p>We met in a lecture hall, and separated out the students who needed “learning support” ENGL and MATH. Then they talked to us about things that anyone who cared already learned on the web site. Then they took us to another class room and showed a video that was available on the website. Then they took us to another room and showed us another one from the site. Then they took us to a third room and showed us a video that was a reedited version of the second video. Then there was a Q&A session where students asked questions that anyone who cared had already figured out the answer to. Then they rushed us through class registration without any help or explanation of how the crude interface worked (I just went home and did it on my own time).</p>
<p>Yours will likely be a little better, but orientation is a waste of time. I try to be positive about even the dumbest school stuff, but that is like the one thing I openly ridicule. I went with a notebook and left with a sour taste at my first impression of school.</p>
<p>Congrats ChefJosh! You’ve made an excellent choice to pursue your education; it’s something that can never be taken away from you. </p>
<p>I guess I’m the oldest one so far going ‘back to school’. I’m 52 and am still waiting to hear if I’ve been accepted into a master’s program. It’s in Europe where we are currently living on an expat assignment, and the semester starts in February, so they don’t let applicants know for another week. I’m on pins and needles; it’s been 30 years since I graduated from a top-ranked (but not Ivy) university and I don’t know if I remember how to study! After working for the same number of years, having a successful career, a family, a business, the big ‘C’, and lots of other life experience, I can’t believe I’m actually nervous about going to school. LOL!</p>
<p>Nope. I went back to school in my mid 50s. I graduate this May with a degree in accounting, I actually found that I study much better than I did when I was young. Well, I actually study - which I never did when I was young. I always found school easy, and the first time it didn’t come easy, I didn’t know how to handle it because I’d never had to study before. Wish I could kick the younger me in the rear end. I have really enjoyed the whole process so much. Wish I had done this 20 years ago when my kids were in school, then I’d have maybe had a better chance of getting a job. I’m afraid the fact that I turn 60 the same month I graduate will probably override my 4.0 GPA. </p>
<p>But whatever happens, it has been well worth it. I am sure you will not regret it.</p>
<p>@poppinbottles - Well that doesn’t sound very productive. I’m not worried about anyone thinking I’m cool or making new friends(not that I’m not open to it, it just isn’t a concern), but I was hoping for something a little more substantial than that, at least a chance to meet/speak with my professors. Anyway, the last ten years of my life have pretty much been a waste of time so three more hours won’t kill me.</p>
<p>Expat, best of luck getting into the master’s program! </p>
<p>swimcatsmom - Someone that won’t hire an intelligent graduate based on age isn’t someone you would want to work for anyway! I’m sure you’ll have no trouble finding a job you’ll love.</p>
<p>Orientation when I went involved some lectures explaining various things about the school, a tour of the particular school we were attending within the school (school of business for instance), meeting with academic advisers, sign up for classes, get IDs made. No meetings with professors though.</p>