I’m looking for some other peoples’ experiences on this, as it’s bothering me hugely: I’m 20, and in the two years since high school haven’t done anything of consequence, and now I’ll be attending university next year at the age of 21, to graduate at 24, almost 25. Is that something to worry about? How many people do this? I worry because I’m now a bit “behind” and have “wasted” years, graduating halfway to 30, though another part of me says we’ll all be working meaningless jobs anyway…
Hi. I’ll be 30 in two months and it will be several years before I graduate undergrad (let alone any professional school I choose to go to).
I was in college at the traditional age, but had to leave for various reasons and then didn’t go back until last fall. I currently go to a community college, and there are many people close to my age in my classes. Even at the nearest state university, there is a wide age range.
In sum, there are lots of people doing the same thing. Go to school, learn lots, and good luck!
I entered an undergraduate program at age 22, with the prospect of graduating at age 29 looming before me (grad school). It’s fine. You’re young. You don’t look out of place (even if you feel it). You’re definitely still young enough to blend with all the social parts of college pretty seamlessly. There will be third and fourth years taking first year courses with you. Most students will be younger than you. Some will be older. A few will be way older. Point: it’s not a big deal.
Sometimes I feel like I have an advantage over the fresh-out-of-school crowd. A lot of them apply to college because “that is what you do” after high school. They are in here, trying things, figuring stuff out. In some aspects, I feel like I know what I want and have figured some of it out.
Get this: I’m 17, and have taken two courses in the WA State Running Start Program. I am now a senior in high school, and am doing all Running Start this year. This means that I will be going into college as a Sophomore, with a few credits to spare too.
Because of this, I will be finishing my Bachelor’s at 21, my Master’s at 23, and, if I choose, my Ph.D at 25.
However, if I had not been so lazy as to only take two college courses my Junior year, those numbers would be 20, 22, and 24 instead.
This really bothers me. I’m not kidding.
I’m so hopelessly obsessed with this idea of “getting ahead in life” that the idea that I will be getting my degrees only one year ahead of what is normal makes me feel sluggish and slow!
I know how you feel. Really, though, you’re living what is called “life” which is not the same as “D&D.” In D&D, you systematically build the best character that you can, because obviously he is just a blob of various numbers and skills that serve certain functions.
You are not a D&D character. Numbers don’t matter.
Joey
I didn’t start school until I was 22 and didn’t graduate until I was 29. I’ve done OK with my career since then. Once in the work force, people progress at different paces. Some people graduate early and then never go anywhere. Many others start later but find themselves and do really well.
Don’t worry about it, life isn’t about keeping score.
I’m 26, and working full time as well as taking classes full time online. I started classes right out of high school at the local community college but life got in the way and I took a few breaks here and there.
While most of my friends were pursuing the degree fast-track I was getting real life job experience, and found myself ahead of the game. By the time they graduated and were looking for that perfect starter job, I was already a few leaps ahead of them. Continuing my education is a bonus, and will help me even more when I graduate next February. I’m glad I did it this way. Like others have said, life isn’t keeping score, and in a few years it really won’t matter to anyone.
Assuming you take the traditional route and take classes on campus you’ll have more insight than your classmates, more drive and motivation to get the work done, and a greater appreciation for the subject matter.
I went back to college at the age of 25 and graduated at 28. I worked harder as an older student than I would have in my youth. I don’t think you have anything to worry about.
Geez. I started college (2nd time, I dropped out the 1st time) when I was 38 - and I wasn’t the oldest person in some of my classes, even. I’ll graduate when I’m 42 (or 43, if I take more time). Starting at twenty-one is normal, almost. You’ll love it! Now that you have a few years of maturity under your belt, you’ll do great!
I went to a large state school (in MA) and I would say the majority of my friends and colleagues were a few years older than the norm. Most were in their mid- to late-20’s.
If I could do it over again myself, I’d have taken a few years off between high school and college to grow up a bit.
FrantzJ man… take some time to stop and smell the roses! While I admire your drive and determination, you’ll be kicking yourself when you’re 40, wondering where the fun went.
FranzJ-- don’t worry about being 25 when you graduate with a PhD because I assure you, you won’t. That “it’s possible to complete the program in 3 years” stuff? Pure fantasy. Life will catch up with you. And even so, you’ll be so young that no one will give you a real job and you’ll be a post-doc until you’re 34 and it all evens out. So don’t worry about all that too much or else you’ll go insane. Go drink a beer and don’t be in such a hurry to. . . to get up every day to go to work so that you can afford all the things that you don’t have any spare time to enjoy.
I was in a big hurry to get out of grad school because I felt like I was getting old and missing life (early 30s); now I’m in a university department where I’m this precocious little kid many years younger than anyone else (including other new hires) and I feel 9 years old and no one takes me very seriously and they note how jealous they are of my youth, footloose and fancy free.
I went back to college at 23 after taking time off. The first time I went, I wasn’t ready to go. I am glad I dropped out then because I was lazy and an underachiever. I probably would’ve ended up with a degree that was easy rather than one that was worthwhile. Now that I am completely self-supportive in an extremely expensive area, I have more drive to do well in school and this time I am kicking ass. I went to the local CC which is amazing out here and joined the honors program that guarantees me admission into some of the UC schools once I complete it. My counselor has advised me to go to Columbia and they seem interested in me. If you had told me back in high school that I would be considering an Ivy League I would’ve laughed in your face. Before, I found it difficult just to get to class when class was all I had to do. Now I work full time, maintain a 4.0 GPA, participate in 3 clubs, TA for a professor, and still manage to spend time with my friends and family. I think leaving college when I wasn’t ready to go was the best thing I ever did.
I’m 25 and now a junior. I’ll be getting my BA when I am 27 years old. My husband received his AA when he was 30, his BA at 32, and at 34 is in his second year of a four year law program. He’ll have his JD when he’s 37.
I started a thread on this not too long back if you’d like to peruse it.
I’m 43 and I’ve pretty much gone to school my whole adult life. Yea, I’ve been older than some professors and lots of times older than all the other students.
It bothers me a little bit sometimes but not enough to quit because I love going to school.
Well it seems to me that you might have a bigger problem than being “too old” for college. You really should figure out what you consider a “meaningful job” is at 30 and use college to prepare for that. It might make it seem more like a necessary step in your career instead of a four-year jerkoff party session where you’ll feel like the oldest kid there.
Here’s my experience:
I got a 2-year technical degree at age 22 then worked for a living and went back to night school 23 years and 3rd job later, while still working, and 3 years later got a BA in PA. That allowed me to survive a budgetary layoff of 60 employees, including me, and start in a new, better, job the next day. BTW, I aced those 3 years, with all A’s except for 1 B (from a moonlighting cow-orker- instructor witch).
hksj, I’d say you’ve got nothing but positives here.
I myself got into a financial dispute with my old college back in the 80s, and was not allowed to graduate or transfer my credits elsewhere until the mountainous debt was paid almost 10 years later.
I returned to school at 32, and since I had changed my mind about my chosen field, had to do four years all over again, graduating just before my 36th birthday. I took note of the cohort I traveled through with. Those that were “traditional college age”* seemed to undergo a transformation around junior year, right when most of them were 20 or 21. Part of it may have been the exposure to the college environment, but I’m willing to bet a lot of it was simply leaving the teens. There is certain shock I recall to turning 20** that tells you “You’re not a kid anymore. Get with the program.”
I wondered what it would have been like if they’d delayed college until this age. There’s a social stigma against it, but I think it would be beneficial in the long run. Have a two-year, rumspringa-style time off after high school, then go to college.
If nothing else, you’ve got four years of college drinking with no ID problems!
*At least a thrid of us were quite a bit older. “College age” simply doesn’t have as much meaning now as it used to.
**It seems big at the time, but its’ nothing compared to 25, 30, 35 or the looming, unstoppable tsunami called 40 that’s bearing down on me as we speak.
I waited until 21 to go to college, though most of my peers went at 18. No biggie. Some of my big life decisions - marriage, mortgage - were a bit delayed, but I’m a late starter (aka Big Kid) about stuff anyway.
Because of life’s tendency to intervene when you have other plans, I didn’t get my BA until I was 34. One of my kids, after failing miserably at college at 18 and 19 years old, has returned to school at age 30 to get his nursing degree. It doesn’t matter when you start; what matters is succeeding.
I didn’t go to college until I was 23. It does feel weird to be older than most of your classmates, but believe me, it’s worth it. Most of the time I feel like I’m getting more out of my education than the 18 year olds who are there because that’s what you do when you get out of high school. The greater maturity level helps a lot, because you are past the point where you ‘hate’ teachers because they’re ‘mean’. So you end up getting a lot more out of everything. At least for me that it.
I also feel I have a much greater appreciation for everything college has to offer. See, I had dropped out of high school in 10th grade and had been working since then until I kinda re-evaluated what the hell I was doing with my life and I wasn’t happy. So now I’m in a really good school majoring in something I have always loved, and I couldn’t be happier.
I do wish people would encourage high schoolers to wait a bit before going to college. Even if it’s just a year or two. I think that you get more out of it that way.
It’s also worth it being seen as more worldly and mature to hot chicks several years younger than you too… 