Best thing I ever did. Barely made it out of high school. I failed out of college at 19. Worked various legal jobs. Took a bunch of years off to raise kids. Decided to try going back to school at 40. Got an AS in 18 months. Got a 4.0. Got a BS 6 months after that. Also a 4.0. Decided to get an MS and I finish in a little over a month. Got a fellowship with funding. Currently have a 4.24. Decided I wanted to keep going. Applied for another MS…got into Brown with a scholarship. Don’t stop! It’s all worth it in the end. Sometimes you just aren’t ready.

This was in Magic and Occult Science at the University of Exeter, which is a relatively highly ranked university. It was a program I didn't think I could even get into, but I did, and I made it through, being in another country and away from my family. This shows that anyone can go back and restart, or start later in life.

And to those who got results today, congrats to you too!

I dual-enrolled via homeschool at a young age, and now I have graduated from an online university, but I didn’t gain any of the actual connections and skills that come with a bachelors degree. I’m thinking about going back to college and starting over again, but it will probably be hard with the lack of scholarships + the fact that I already have a regionally accredited degree on the books.

Maybe I should try college abroad? Or just fake it till I make it..

any advice about my situation would really help! (I’m partly venting here 😭)

Started a 1 year program this fall at the age of 31 for diesel mechanics. Long story short my past careers future was going into the toilet (commercial fisherman) combined with having a son recently diagnosed on the ASD spectrum. My wife and I previously lived in a very remote location with a mediocre school where we both knew he would never reach his full potential, so we made the decision to relocate. The first financial setback of this was my career which was already dwindling financially year to year it seemed was also dependent on where we lived, so I chose to go back to college for something more stable.

I don’t regret it in the slightest from a moral aspect because our son is absolutely thriving here and the school system is amazing, but financially right now it is terrifying. I was eligible for a student loan but even still with next to no savings I’m really not sure how we are supposed to make it the year without racking up a substantial amount of debt, is that just something I need to accept? Given our sons struggles our childcare situation is next to none so it limits our ability drastically to both be able to work at the moment.

I guess I’m kind of rambling but just wondering how people married with kids who have went back to college later in life have made it work?

I didn't finish college (was a science student). I had accident and broke my back/hip, couldn't move for a few years. somehow made money doing GPU mining at home. not interested in the AI server evolution and is thinking of going back to school.

i'm thinking of doing bookkeeping or accounting. I had to do my own business tax with only highschool accounting knowledge and I thought it wasn't very hard. I'm only thinking of getting a certificate or diploma, basically up to 2 years of education only just to land myself a beginner job to get my foot in the door.

problem is I've moved away from my home town and the nearest college is like 2 hrs drive away. I dont want to drive 2 hours there and back everyday for class especially if the classes are late in the night. I'm not sure what to do about this. I couldn't find any online-only offering.

I'm in BC Canada. Any advice are welcome.

As the title suggests, I made a career pivot just over 2 years ago that I greatly regret, and I'm now taking that mistake as an opportunity to return to what I want to do with my life.

Some backstory: I'm in my mid-20s right now, and have been working a corporate desk job for a marketing company for about 2 years. Long story short, I have already grown to despise the job, the team, and the overall environment of working a corporate job. It is beginning to wear on me and I feel like I am doing nothing productive with my life, nor do I feel like I'm benefiting the world in any way.

Prior to this, I was a federal scientist (for the USA) working a very unique job, of which was my dream job since the moment I started my first college degree. One can imagine why I'm not working said job from 2024 onwards anymore; the unneeded stressors from being in that environment, combined with depression due to personal life stuff (that has since been resolved thankfully) led to me making the incredibly tough decision to resign and pivot to anything else. I used these 2 years to get back on my feet mentally and I feel like I'm now in a position to try and find something I actually enjoy doing with my life.

I loved college and loved being a scientist. Those years were some of my favorite years ever, and I miss them dearly. Not only that, but in my position, I felt like I was actually contributing to the field as a whole, and it felt rewarding to go into work every day. The issue is that degree and that job were extremely niche, and I was honestly extremely lucky I was able to work in that field directly out of school. As a result, to return to that world seems like it would be a bad decision, as I feel like it would put me in a very narrow career path, one that I have been separated from for a substantial amount of time. I've also read a lot of suggestions to just instead go directly to grad school in a related field, but I've been out of school for so long that that just doesn't seem attainable. And also, with how niche my degree was, I feel like that wouldn't translate well to a masters elsewhere.

All that being said, I've come to the conclusion that I want to return to school to pursue a 2nd bachelors degree, and potentially continue into graduate school, in a field that's closely related to my previous degree, but also a bit less restricted in career potential. I'm just wondering if anyone else is in the same boat or has done something similar, as it seems quite daunting to start thinking about undergrad college again... but at the same time, it doesn't seem like a bad idea considering I've already gone through a science undergrad, a science job, as well as a non-science job, so the experience I've gained from all of that would prepare me well for something like this. Obviously financially it would be pretty rough, but I feel that that would be a sacrifice I'm willing to make.

I guess the point of this post would be me asking, does anyone here have any advice for leaving a stable corporate job in your mid-20s to go back for another bachelors, for the purpose of continuing into grad school and further into academia or field work?

Im 26 years old and I want more for my life I wasted my 20s goofing around and now Ive been working at a dead end job for almost 5 years now and want to leave. I completed online courses for a flimsy Ux design certification that I half assed and know won’t actually get me anywhere. So I started to look a my local community college now this college is notorious for being affordable and plenty of people attend it that are older and have other responsibilities. I’ve also been informed that I could potentially go for free with some kind of grant which is amazing I scheduled a tour and a meeting with the school’s advisor to talk it over. Note that what I’m nervous about is that I haven’t been in school for 8 years I remember almost nothing, I have to swap to 2nd shift at work to attend it I’ve never worked that late in my life, Im worried about the scheduling, and family stuff. I’m single and have no kids but my family is a bit dependent on me as my folks are older. I kinda don’t want them to know I’m wanting to go back to school because sometimes their comments about things I want to do make me second guess myself and back out. I was planning on a career focused associates majoring in Computer Information Technology focusing on cloud computing which also could award you with a certificate after your first year. I don’t really know who to talk to sorry for being so long winded thanks for reading.

caption says enough. i went to a university in michigan and became so sick that i physically couldn’t attend classes, resulting in me failing my first semester. (16 attempted credits, only 4 gained) second semester was rocky and i had to choose between work and school. i’m fairly sure i lost eligibility for financial aid, but im now married and a military spouse so i have a lot of opportunities for online college while im overseas with my husband. is this something that’ll genuinely prevent me from getting a degree online? i don’t plan on going to the same college but i’m wondering how bad this is gonna follow me.

I'm only taking 4 classes this semester, and I only like 1 out of the 4. That one is a Thinking and Cognition class which is a psychology class. It makes sense that I enjoy it because my major is psychology. It just sucks that I don't like the majority of my classes because it affects my motivation. I'm not saying I should love all of the them, but it's to the point where I dread doing the reading assignments. The readings are such a drag. My toleration for them is gone. I'm in the middle of a chapter reading for next weeks assignments for my wellness class, and I just don't want to do this. Yes, I chose these classes, but I went into them thinking that I would like them. I'm so happy that things are almost done. I believe after this semester I'll only be taking psychology classes. I hope things are better for me because right now I'm struggling.

I'm taking a wellness class this semester, and I hate it so much. The only class material we have is the ebook. There's no guided notes, no powerpoints, and no lecture videos. It's halfway through the semester, and I still haven't figured out how to study and learn the material. I tried making my notes based off the objectives, and that didn't help. I would think that I have everything I felt like would be on the quizzes and exams but no. The professor would put super specific questions, and it's just annoying because it'll be things that no one is going to be thinking about on a day to day basis. I don't know if the in person class is like this or what. I wish I would've chosen something else. I don't want to withdraw from the class because that would just be a waste of money. At this point, I just hope to make a C. Low or high. I don't care.

I'm currently 20 and in my third year of a four-year university degree in 3D computer animation, and lately I've been questioning what I'm actually going to do with my education.

I guess the biggest problem is that I just can't picture any future for myself anymore.

The thing is, I don't necessarily hate what I'm studying. Some days I genuinely enjoy working in 3D, and other days I question why I'm even doing it. Part of my frustration comes from the education itself. The workload is incredibly high, but I often feel that the actual specialized training isn't nearly as substantial as I'd hoped. The program takes a generalist approach, whereas the industry seems to demand specialized skills.

It's difficult to justify spending so much time on assignments when I'm not entirely convinced they're preparing me for the professional standards expected in the industry.

And beyond that, I'm beginning to question whether I actually want a career that involves constantly having to be creative.

Maybe I'm delusional, and no one has a separation between their professional and personal life. But art has become so mentally exhausting when inspiration is fleeting.

And so, I've been considering pursuing an entirely different education after graduation. With that in mind, I'm looking into upgrading some of my high school courses to broaden my university options.

At the very least, I don't want to graduate in 2028 feeling as though I have the same limited options I believed I had when I first applied to university.

Despite my uncertainties, I still think finishing my current degree makes enough sense. I'm already in my third year, grades are good, and having a completed bachelor's seems far more worthwhile than walking away at this point.

But that means graduating at around 22, potentially starting another bachelor's, and what then, another four years? And that's assuming I don't pursue something that requires even more education afterward.

I know 26 isn't old. I'm only 20 now, and logically I understand that I have plenty of time. But emotionally, I feel terrible, it's like I've already made decisions that have set me back years.

I'm curious whether anyone here has experienced something similar.

Did you finish a degree only to realize you wanted to pursue an entirely different field? Did you go back for another bachelor's, and did having your first degree make that process easier? Did the career change actually work out for you?

I'd really appreciate hearing anyone's experiences, whether positive or negative.

I was in high school from 2012-2016 so AI wasn’t a thing at all, and most assignments were ran through “turn it in” or something similar. Because of this I haven’t embraced AI help the way my other classmates have. I know they are using AI and ChatGPT because we all sit together in the common area of my community college while waiting for lab to open and they’re shameless about it. (The lecture is online, and all homework and exams are also online)

The most I’ve used is reading the little Gemini synopsis when googling something but for the most part I try to read through and find stuff to activate my brain.

I figured most professors could tell or have a way of knowing people are using AI, and assumed it would be reflective in their grades. Unfortunately what I found out is these people are receiving close to 100s on every single assignment. Even things like 5+ page scientific research papers, hard exams, etc. but then when we all meetup in lab they’re completely lost. I did well in the class (92%), but had to do sooooo much work to do that. 10-day study plans, writing papers over 4-5 days of refining, etc.

So I guess my bubble was a bit burst when I realized that so many people use AI, and are getting good grades. Am I falling behind because of my refusal to use it?

Hello,

I am late 30's and I've been a stay at home mom, never finished college before, and only have a variety of minimum wage jobs as experience. I have found myself at a starting over point in life after going through a marriage separation due to domestic abuse. I thought since I have to start over anyway, maybe now would be a good time to try and better myself and situation since the time is going to pass anyway. I am researching college programs near me that begin in January 2027 and am wondering which of these would be the better option for future job opportunities and salaries?

The options I'm looking at are:

1. Office Administration - Health Services

2. Paralegal

3. Social Service Worker

4. Pharmacy Technician

5. Business Administration in either Human Resources, Marketing, or Supply Chain Management

I appreciate the advice, thank you.

So I graduated high school with a 2.5 gpa, i was terrrible in school and i really struggled with most material. After graduation I decided to take online classes at my local community college. I managed to absolutely tank my grades with that decision as I wouldn't pay attention and often forget to turn in my work at all. I proceeded to drop out but then a year later I came back and tried again. They have a policy where they give you a second chance but that's it. Then I dropped out again due to my declining mental health and strain.

Now, two years later, I want to get back into it but in a field i actually am invested in. I'm afraid now because I can't go back to that same college and the last time i left my gpa was around 1.0. Embarrassing I know. I wanted to know if that affects me going into a new community college. Or if there're any tests or programs i can participate in to raise it back up.

Hi everyone,

I'm from Turkey, and I completed middle school but never obtained a high school diploma.

I really want to pursue higher education, particularly in psychology or religious studies. Unfortunately, my financial situation means I would need a scholarship that covers tuition, accommodation, and ideally living expenses as well.

I'm trying to find out whether there are any legitimate alternative admission routes, entrance examinations, foundation programs, or other pathways that I might have overlooked.

I'm not looking for shortcuts that bypass academic requirements. I simply want to understand what options exist for someone with my educational background, especially if completing the usual route would take several more years.

I'm open to different countries and willing to study in another language if necessary.

Has anyone been in a similar situation, or does anyone know of a university or official program worth investigating? Personal experiences and official sources would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you for reading.

Guys I’m going back starting in January to a CC for pre nursing. I’m 27. I attempted college 3 times but never took it serious bc I always felt like I wasn’t smart enough. Also once I found out I just didn’t have to show up to class bc it was optional I took advantage of that. I’m trying to do it the right way this time & I have NOBODY to tell so I wanted to tell my fellow Reddit strangers. :,) any tips on how to continue to stay focused? I don’t think it’ll be the same as before as I’m super serious this time but any tips would definitely help!

I'm a returning college student in my early 40's. I will be going to school part time with 12 to 15 credits a year. I'd like to finish my degree ASAP, and I also want to get the most useful degree for grad school. I'd love to go to grad school for business, I'm also open to education but honestly I just want to earn as much as possible. I don't speak any languages but would like to learn. I'm not great at math or science, I'm really great at communication and writing. Right now I'm the following percentages towards a BA of arts:

Communications interpersonal and family communication 47%,

Multidisciplinary studies 54%

World languages and cultures 48%

I'm in my mid-30s and want to make a career change. To do that, I've realized I need to go back to school but I'm nervous about doing that because I don't want to be the "old person" in class. There's a community college in my area that I've considered applying to. Everyone on campus looks so, so young and I think I'd feel extremely out of place because I have some pretty bad social anxiety. It's not like I'm really there to make friends but even in class I think I would feel out of place to the point that it'd be distracting.

All of that being said, I'm tired of making $20 an hour so I think I should just go for it. If anyone has advice or reassurance about starting college at this age, I'd love to hear it!

If you were in my position, how would you start?

Block off fixed study time. Don't wait for free time to magically appear. Take fewer classes at first. Be ready to give up your social life. This kind of advice is fine, but it also gives the impression that every online program is the same. That can’t be true.  

Someone doing a self-paced program and someone with a mandatory Wednesday night online class are solving two completely different scheduling problems. The first is about willpower and blocking time. The second is about whether your job and your program's fixed hours can coexist.  

And I bet most people don’t know which category’s best for them until after they've already enrolled.

For those of you doing the juggling act, does the online program's actual structure matter? Or is it all about discipline?

I'm 24. started college at 20. it's been on & off since. my gpa is really low after mentally suffering through my early twenties. I'm halfway done for my associates degree. I've always thought of becoming an architect as a kid. then I discovered interior design around 20 and was trying to pick out one of the two. long story short, I didn't pursue architecture/interior design bc everyone online has said it doesn't pay well, schooling is long, and you work lots of hours. oh, and u need connections with architecture; which I don't have. I feel a passion for these things, but job/financial stability & having work/life balance are more important to me.

so alas, I went thru analysis paralysis my entire early twenties. I've thought about being a meteorologist, software developer, dental hygienist, accountant, data scientist, cybersecurity, and other occupations I can't think of at the moment. I thought about being an engineer, but I was really demotivated and failed the same graphics class twice. I got a C in my intro to engineering class when I wasn't at my best mentally. I'm curious to take it again. I've tried thinking about healthcare, specifically a rad tech. I've done a lot of research, but now I'm thinking of closing the door for healthcare and trying to pivot back to engineering or somewhere else.

I have now realized that I may be struggling with the way I learn. I've always felt like I read slower than my peers and took a longer time to think of answers. I used to be an A&B honor roll kid. the highest-level class I took in high school was calculus 2 of my senior year. I'm more inclined to do math courses than, say, writing. I've been struggling to start assignments, fatigue, low self-esteem, I've failed couple of classes with an F instead of withdrawing. I have a few Ws on my transcript.

as you can see, it's been bad. and yet after all these years, I've never really done anything to move forward. I'm tired of this cycle and want to break free. I finally got the chance to see a psychiatrist. it was costly, but I had some money for my first visit. not sure how long I'll be able to afford it. I've struggled with suicidal ideation and other things. I'm hoping I will get better. I'm looking to see if I might have ocd, depression, adhd, autism, anxiety, etc.

what I want to do now is to read all the books I have sitting on my bookshelves, get back into art, and start making music. these are hobbies ofc, but with how I've been living inside my head, I haven't rlly started on them. I'd also like to graduate with a degree. I'm the first one in my family pursuing a degree and would love to see the day I graduate with a bachelor's. it's a goal I want to achieve, but man, it's been so rough. I'm the eldest of my siblings, so I don't have anyone to look up to nor ask questions about college bc my parents didn't have the same opportunities I have

I'm not sure what to do. I eventually get overwhelmed with choices and thoughts that I think death sounds easier. but I have two cats that are my own and am basically still alive because of them. I live at home and don't pay bills. I have a good relationship with my parent. I have this great privilege that lots of people don't. I don't want to waste it bc of my mental being. I want to have a job that pays for everything I need. to provide a great life for my kitties and I

I paid and wasted a few thousand dollars on classes I failed (like taking full time classes in the summer while working full time to "catch up" with my peers.....) and some of my dad's money as well. I'm no longer paying for school since I now have financial aid thru fafsa. again, what should I do? I really feel like escaping everything and just taking a vacation somewhere. I just got hired at costco so I can't do anything rn regarding vacation and I also can't afford it. I am in need of a break but not sure if I should take it

I usually hear the opposite thst people went to art school first and them went back to college for something else but I'm looking for the opposite. Is anyone going back to school again for art? What made you pursue that decision and why? Are you worried about being able to make money or do you have enough savings from your first career?

Feels like the coursework is only half of it. I'm curious what's actually on people's minds before they go back.

Not knowing who to contact or where to even start. Worrying you're behind everyone or out of the loop. Figuring out how it fits around work or kids. Wondering if the school will treat you like you dropped the ball last time.

What's the thing you keep thinking about, and what would actually make you feel okay about pulling the trigger?

I'm a little overwhelmed, but I seem to be in a pretty decent place financially. My husband was in the military, so I have a few benefits that help out well in terms of paying for school. I'm 25 and the last time I went to school, it was community college in 2019-2020.

I'm going back, but online. I'm supposed to be doing a BA in criminal justice. Luckily, the 25 credits that I earned in community college seem to be transferring to the school I'm going to attend soon.

I haven't done anything academic in... a while. How do you get back into the swing of things? Studying? Note taking? How have things changed, in a general sense, since I've been in school?

I was a decent student when I was in school, but I'm entirely out of practice. I'm so worried about it, I've looked into things I can do now so I don't get so burnt out when I actually do start. I might also just be worried and now I'm overcomplicating things, but I have to ask.

Good morning/evening folks. I have had a terrible journey academically for most of my life. Last year I got dismissed from a school(was supposed to be a suspension but for some reason it was changed to dismissal) for the first time ever. I applied to a CC and to my shock got accepted. I had a few other options btw but I guess I didn't need them after all. I have autism and likely ADHD as well. For as long as I can remember I had more enjoyment playing video games/watching TV and YouTube videos than doing schoolwork/projects unless it was watching educational videos like Crash Course. My plan is to get an Associate's Degree in Digital Photography but first I will be getting a certificate in that field so I can actually start becoming a freelance photographer(don't know which exact field I want to venture in yet). I wish I did the certificate first and not the degree first after graduating high school but now I aim to change that and after I get my certificate I want to continue to attain my Associate's Degree. Then afterwards I think I don't want to continue with education because I will be so damn done with the assignments/projects. Since I have ADHD symptoms unfortunately they were severely missed and seemingly neither of my parents suspected a thing and just thought I was lazy(which I still believe I am) but I also have depression and other mental health issues. Thankfully I see my school has ADHD counseling which I need badly to get back on the right track and become a better student. If you have any advice for me please comment below. Thanks for reading. Good luck everyone.

Currently I am in my second year in community college. My first year was a “I‘m Just Happy to be Here” Still doing well in all my classes , but definitely getting irritated on a few things.

1. Discussion Boards- STOP! Every week I have to write a paragraph about a topic and then respond to a classmate. Now I have to interact with these kids. I have to wait for them to post on the board. Nobody does the assignment until 30 minutes until it’s due at midnight. My grade depending on these kids is lame.

2. Tutoring Center- At my college there’s a tutoring center to help students with their school work. Cool beans, So what are the qualifications to be a tutor? To have good grades…… that’s it. My Professors are telling me if I go there I’ll get extra credit. I go and the tutors don’t know shit. They just read what’s on Google. I have good grades! I can’t tutor anybody.

3. “A Workshop Day” I go to class to do homework for said class. If you aren’t going to teach me anything today just don't have class. I can do my assignments at home.