Please share stories of going back to college a second time. I’m 31 already saving up and meeting an academic advisor to start in the Fall.
Did you want to get a degree in a different field of study?
What prevented you from graduating if you didnt?
What challenges do you now face?
How about balancing school and work and family?
Would love to hear!
Not going back, per se, but I went to law school with a guy who was 50 when he started. He had sold his business and looking for the next chapter decided law school was it. His kids where in HS at the time. Each morning they would leave for the bus and he would catch the train to school. He said it was weird having the whole family doing homework. Good luck.
Originally I wanted to get a degree in CS but my first advisor warned me about the truckload of math required and I just wanted to run the other way. I am not math minded so after my first year I changed to psych. My goal now is a masters in forensic or behavioral psych. I’ve always been interested in psych and criminology and how they interacted. When I was young, I was in college for a little but I wasn’t motivated so I quit and went to work instead.
It was hard to return to school later in life so that’s why I think it’s good to have a support system that will support you even when you get snappy and harsh around finals time. It’s been difficult but at the same time worthwhile. I know at the end of the road it will be rewarding and I will get to do a job that I’m actually interested in.
I would google “non traditional” college students and look for stories. Also your college may have a program for “non traditional” students.
http://talk.qa.collegeconfidential.com/non-traditional-students/
I went to school with a guy who had been a successful businessman and decided to go back to get his engineering degree at the age of 48! He went on to get his PhD and become an engineering professor in Louisiana. I saw him recently. He’s 80 now. He’s a pilot and does 100 pushups every day! He seems very happy.
I second @bopper 's advice. Also, there’s a non traditional forum here that you might have more luck with.
I didn’t go back to school, but I started going to college for the first time in my 30s. I pursued a nursing degree at a community college. Four kids under 8. I took prereqs one at a time to ensure a good GPA to get into the selective degree program. It took me about 3.5 yrs total to do prereqs and the two year ADN program. My husband helped a lot.