I didn't graduate with my Bachelors until I was 25 and graduated with my Masters at 31 where I was one of the youngest in my graduate studies program. It happens all the time OP. You will be fine.
I'm going to University at 30 and I'm terrified.
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Khan academy is a great, free, online resource for refreshing basic math concepts.
You can go at your own pace and pause/ rewind lessons at your leisure.
You can go at your own pace and pause/ rewind lessons at your leisure.
I went back to my bachelor's at age 26. During that time I spent a lot of time thinking about learning. I examined what were the most effective ways to study. I also spent a lot of time thinking about myself psychologically and growing as a person. During this time I also learned to take feedback, criticism, challenges, and setbacks with grace. All of this helped me become a better student.
I started pre-med post-bac classes at 34. I started medical school at 37.
Socially I found it difficult to make friends and find steady social support. However I think if I just spent more time it would have been fine.
Studies were easy. I had the maturity to keep myself on task. That's something I didn't have when I was younger. While I didn't absorb information quite as easily, I understood more quickly, if that makes sense. I was usually the first, if not one of the first people finished with an exam and my grades were among the highest.
I feel like everyone I know who went back to school at a later age were very successful compared to the average college student. You have the advantage of maturity. My brother in law didn't go to college when he first met my wife and was a manager at a grocery store. He went back to school and got an accounting degree, kept going and got an MBA, and has a really good job. I'm sure it wouldn't have been possible at 19-20, but he worked his ass off in his 30s doing it while working full time and raising a young family.
I went to law school right after undergrad and I know if I would have waited until now I would do so much better. I just didn't have the emotional maturity and had never been in the real world.
I went to law school right after undergrad and I know if I would have waited until now I would do so much better. I just didn't have the emotional maturity and had never been in the real world.
I'm going back to get my bachelors at 33 and I'm absolutely terrified. My job is a snoozefest and I haven't had a mental challenge in years.
Reading this thread gives me hope.
Reading this thread gives me hope.
OP, welcome to the club. Once in university, you'll find a LOT of other students are in your exact same situation.
I graduated high school at 16, dropped out of university at 17 (I wasn't emotionally ready at ALL) and then came back at 26.
That nine year gap was terrifying at first, but once I got into the swing of the first semester, it felt great. I graduated with a bachelor's degree at 30 and I wasn't even close to the oldest person in my major.
You'll do fine, don't sweat your placement tests. It's better to know where you stand now and have a clear roadmap of what you need to do to succeed.
I graduated high school at 16, dropped out of university at 17 (I wasn't emotionally ready at ALL) and then came back at 26.
That nine year gap was terrifying at first, but once I got into the swing of the first semester, it felt great. I graduated with a bachelor's degree at 30 and I wasn't even close to the oldest person in my major.
You'll do fine, don't sweat your placement tests. It's better to know where you stand now and have a clear roadmap of what you need to do to succeed.
I went back to school full time, for a college diploma in a completely different subject than my bachelors at 27.
It felt weird having classmates younger than my brothers, and it was difficult to go from university theory (35+ page papers) to practical (assignments every week), but I managed and it turned out okay. Hell i met my fiance during that time so it can have completely unintended positive effects, you just need to roll with it, so to speak.
It felt weird having classmates younger than my brothers, and it was difficult to go from university theory (35+ page papers) to practical (assignments every week), but I managed and it turned out okay. Hell i met my fiance during that time so it can have completely unintended positive effects, you just need to roll with it, so to speak.
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I am going back soon.
28.
I worked hard manual labor doing dishes, cooking the last 12 years.
I was not encouraged to return to school as I didn't have the financial mean.
I have borderline personality disorder, major depression, extreme anxiety, I suffer/suffered from an eating disorder,self harm.
I live in new York working four ten hr shifts each week in a brutal kitchen.
I am telling myself it's either school or die.
I have no support group. I feel as though I'm fighting for my life as I can't really continue to work these jobs due to the environments and the people who are just so, so happy to find flaws with others so as to elevate themselves.
Some people are great but by and large they're not.
I really hope you can do it op. I think we both can.
We just can't give up.
28.
I worked hard manual labor doing dishes, cooking the last 12 years.
I was not encouraged to return to school as I didn't have the financial mean.
I have borderline personality disorder, major depression, extreme anxiety, I suffer/suffered from an eating disorder,self harm.
I live in new York working four ten hr shifts each week in a brutal kitchen.
I am telling myself it's either school or die.
I have no support group. I feel as though I'm fighting for my life as I can't really continue to work these jobs due to the environments and the people who are just so, so happy to find flaws with others so as to elevate themselves.
Some people are great but by and large they're not.
I really hope you can do it op. I think we both can.
We just can't give up.
OP
OP
I'm surprised so many have gone back late. I'm glad I'm not the only one. I hope it's worth it. I'll be gaining about $74,000 of debt. :(((((
Thanks for the Khan academy links. It has so much info. I think I can learn almost any maths from there. Or at least cobble together enough info to pass a short entry test.
Thanks for the Khan academy links. It has so much info. I think I can learn almost any maths from there. Or at least cobble together enough info to pass a short entry test.
Don't be terrified. My wife started at 27 and graduated at 30. An ex gf of mine started college the at 40, and was in the same classes as my son!! lol
I went back to school at 34. Already had a useless BA but went for an EET associate degree with the option of doing another 2 years for a bachelor's in electrical engineering which I'm strongly considering. I was scared about the math too and had to start off brushing up on my algebra and re-taking trigonometry, but ended up taking math classes through Calc 3 and graduating with a 3.9+ GPA. The secret to doing well in math classes is to study, and study, and then study some more until you grasp the concepts and can do the problems. That's one of the nice things about math classes in my opinion- as hard as they may be, you either know it or you don't, and you just keep studying and working out examples and cranking out problems until you do.
Whatever your background, if you're serious about studying and have good teachers/studying material you'll do fine.
Whatever your background, if you're serious about studying and have good teachers/studying material you'll do fine.
Yeah, in my experience at least most of the friends I have made in school are all in their 30s, it's actually rare to see young 18 year old kids in my college.
Everyone starts somewhere.
Good for you man. I'm 41 and starting on my bachelor's later this year as well. For me it Will Also mean a transition in career, since i'll be moving from it to law.
But even then, at our age, you still have so many working years ahead of you. You should keep educating yourself.
Find a company that encourages that and you're set!
But even then, at our age, you still have so many working years ahead of you. You should keep educating yourself.
Find a company that encourages that and you're set!
Don't forget you won't fool your classmate chums without calling them "fellow kids".
Add me to the list of older people in school. I'm 32 and still have a year left until I graduate.
Just to add to it, I have had multiple 50 or so year olds in various courses as well, and these werent entry level either. I am literally 25 and have a girl in my class who is in her mid 30s telling me i'm still a baby in her eyes.
Good luck! I actually did my Bachelor's in Business Administration with the first two years of community college, and the latter two years online at a University.
The technical college I went to had students of all different age groups, particularly within the program I was in which had students as young as 17, to 23, to 28, to 40, even over 50. My time with those students was far more favorable to what I have to deal with over at the university where everyone is young. Some fresh out of high school and those are the worst.
College can be a scary place for anyone, even someone like myself who started very young. You will be fine as long as you work hard and study hard. Unfortunately, young College/Uni people tend to be immature, cliquey, narcissistic and tend to take everything for granted. I avoided them all like the plague and did fine. I'm sure you will do great as well.
How do you do, fellow kids? - I'm going to uni in September at the age of 28 (to do electrical engineering). I've also been doing an Access course for the past 9 months, so I'm able to meet the requirements for university, although most of the people on my course have been mid 20s. It's going to be weird living with and studying with 18 year olds.
Yes. Moving into a student house was the weirdest part. The school was pretty straightforward by comparison.
Don't worry man. When I went to grad school the older students were always the most popular in class. They were smart, experienced and the other students looked up to them and even went to them for advice on various things.
Never really understood the shame in doing this. Like people who are ashamed of going to the gym if you are overweight? I don't think there is a single person looking down on you, and the people that know what they are doing admire you for what you are doing. It's always scary going into the unknown but all those fears will be dispelled as soon as you are there.
I'm in this exact position, just a year younger. I did a year or uni back in 07/08 and had...issues. I've been at my current retail job for 8 years now, and have rocketed all the love way up to the lowest rung of management.
The good news is that this company has a tuition reimbursement program that covers 80% per semester, with a cap of 5k a year. To that will pretty much cover my 2 years at Community. The hairy bit will be the 2 years to finish, but I'll gladly go in debt to have a future and some semblance of purpose.
The good news is that this company has a tuition reimbursement program that covers 80% per semester, with a cap of 5k a year. To that will pretty much cover my 2 years at Community. The hairy bit will be the 2 years to finish, but I'll gladly go in debt to have a future and some semblance of purpose.
I'm thinking about going back within the next year, and will be close to that age (albeit older). I'm nervous about going back and being the oldest person in class, and doing it all again. I haven't been in school since I graduated college almost ten years ago.