Hi there everybody. I’m seeking some advice, insight, sympathy or whatever else you may have on the tip of your tongue. Let me lay my situation out for you all:
I’m a 24 year old male. I went to college for a number of years after high school. After an entertaining (yet ultimately unrewarding) five years filled with booze, drugs, a few women and too many damn video games, I managed to escape with a measly A.S. in Information Systems. Unfortunately, reality has come a-knockin’ and I’ve realized that this simply is not going to cut it. I’ve enrolled in the nearest college (about an hour away) in pursuit of a B.S. in Evolutionary Biology. I’m married, I have bills to pay, I’m gonna have to try to get through this working 40-45 hours a week 2nd shift at my job at a R&D lab at a mining company. I’ve had some bio classes, but I still have a long way to go toward my degree. But, biology excites me and I think this will help a lot.
I suppose this is the situation in a nutshell. Anyway, It’s really scares the bejebus outta me to contemplate going back and trying to really excel the way I should have the first time. Does anyone have any advice, insight, words of derision or anything they think I should know? I know a lot of people have done this before, but like I said, this really scares the piss outta me.
Anyway, thanks dopers.
It is natural to feel over-whelmed at taking on so much. But doing something will often give us a natural high and boost our confidence.
A year or so ago my step-daughter, in her mid-thirties, said that she would like to go to law school but she was afraid that she didn’t have what it took anymore and that she would be too old when she got out, etc. She is at the head of her class.
Sometimes the more things we have to do, the more organized and disciplined we have to be.
I did two years at uni straight after school. I ended up failing a few classes and only putting enough in to pass on the others. I dropped out, travelled and worked for a few years.
Since then I’ve decided to go back and get the degree I always wanted. I’m loving it, putting so much effort in and getting back more than I put in. I’m doing a BSc in Biology via distance ed (correspondence), and plan to do a BSc in Env. Science after it (money permitting).
This time, it’s easy to put the effort in, whereas last time it was almost impossible. The difference for me is this time I really want it. Last time, I was just going through the motions, not really happy with myself, my life or what I was doing.
If you think you will have the passion to do what is required this time, go for it. You also know what’s required, so there’s a huge advantage straight away.
You’re 24 and you think you’re OLD???
I went back to school when I was in my mid-thirties. At the time I had 2 young children and a full-time job. It took a long time to get the degree I wanted, but I got top grades. It helped that I have a very supportive husband who considered it a very normal and expected thing that he would be solely responsible for the kids on nights I went to school.
There are definite advantages to having had some real life experience. First, you are doing this because you want to. You will be more responsible and serious about your schoolwork. You will probably not spend time looking for good times, parties and women to date. If you were capable of doing well before, you will be even more capable now. You will have added perspective to bring to the subjects at hand.
Sure, it will be tough sometimes. However, when you do graduate in your chosen field, think of how good it will look on your resume. It will show hard work, perseverence, initiative, all that good stuff that employers look for. And you will be working toward something you enjoy. When times get rough, remind yourself that this is not forever.
I’m 24 as well & had an equally unsuccessful couple years at college due to a depression problem that surfaced around age 19. I took a couple years off, then started back at the community college level around fall of 2000. Since then, I’ve gotten my Associate’s & am well on my way to getting a Bachelor’s in English (next summer, hopefully) and a Master’s in education the year after.
I don’t have nearly as many responsibilities as you (no full-time job or need to help support children), but I can relate to the “Oh crap, can I really do it this time?” worries. I think that you can make it work, man. You seem to be a lot more mature than the person you were then - I’ve learned that that helps immeasurably.
I guess that this isn’t helping much, eh? I s’pose I just wanted to give you the ol’, “You can do it, man!” pep talk. Good luck.
MLS is completely right. When I was in college I would seek out older students to study with, because they never waste anytime. They were always focused and prepared. You also have motivation and purpose now.
Take it one step at a time, don’t be afraid to get help when you need it, and good luck.
I used to teach at the college level – and I loved “older” students (meaning anyone who wasn’t there straight out of HS). They tend to be there for the right reasons – i.e., they were there to learn. Thus they were prepared for class and eager to participate – a joy to teach.
With job and family responsibilities, it will take discipline to do the degree – but you definitely sound motivated enough to go in and kick some serious butt.
I’m going back now, 23. I’m still not overly fond of it, but it’s a lot easier now. I worry less about the crap I worried about at 18 or 19 and more about doing the work and going home. That said, it is kinda hard to lock back into the must-study mindset.
Go for it! You’ll do fine- probably much better than you did the first time around.
My experience was that I didn’t do so well in undergrad- Mom and Dad were paying and I wasn’t that interested. Once I quit my job(30 years old) and went back to graduate school, it’s been an entirely different story- I’m much more motivated and focused than my 22-26 year old classmates, and consequently do much better.
Along the lines of what others are telling you. I didn’t go to school right out of H.S. I just began my adult life with a career I hoped for and just working. Almost all of my friends went on to school on the parental dole.
When I was 22 and the hoped for career wasn’t looking so hot, and I was working as a reactor operator in a chemical plant, I decided to leave that world and go to school.
Boy howdy, did I have some advantages over my classmates. I knew a lot more than most of them about time and money management, I was motivated, I was used to working, so working full time was no biggie. And I wasn’t tied to the parental dole. Nobody was stage managing my college career.
While I was there, I remember The University of Texas studied the student populace a lot; one conclusion I remember them publishing was that students who worked full time had statistically significant better GPAs.
And you want to know something else? At that point in my life, that decision brought an immense boost to my psyche.
Just make sure your school is worker-friendly, as a hasty followup. My current one (GSU) is, just about everybody I know works in one way or another. My old university was full of professors who thought you shouldn’t be doing anything but studying. I had one tell me that I shouldn’t even be working, I should be focusing on school (his class especially), since it was most important.
I’m currently teaching at the college level, and I’ll support everything in Twickster’s post (even down to the rooting). My non-traditional (i.e. returning, i.e. older) students are always my best. Not necessarily my smartest, but my best. They know why they’re bothering to take the class in the first place, and they know how to get the most out of it.
Sometimes having too much time on your hands can work against you. For my typical 18 year old freshmen, it’s easy to procrastinate on work because they have all the time in the world. A 35 year old guy with a mortgage and kids doesn’t have that luxury, so he has to plan ahead and get his work done in a more orderly manner. That tends to lead to better work.
So stop being scared. You will do it, and you will do it well. Desire is half the battle in the academic world, and you have more of it than the aimless 18 year old you did.
At 18 I went off to college, one of these annoying kids who never had to crack a book in high school. Four semesters later I had a 1.8 GPA and no clue as to what I wanted to do.
Long story short, got married, did a stint at business school, got preggers, had a baby, realized I had to get a degree because yes, that piece of paper means everything.
This spring was my first semester back. For me, those 4 years of being out of school were horrible due to the lack of money, but great for finding out what I really wanted to do. (It’s also motivating when you have a kid to take care of and set a good example for.) Now that I know what I want to do as far as a career, school is FUN. I had a 3.8 GPA this semester! I’m on the Dean’s List! Me! Who almost flunked out of college the first time around!
It will be different for you, too. You’re more mature now. You know what you want to do. You’re motivated. You’ve got some healthy fear going.
I don’t know your financial situation, but I think working 45 hours a week is a bad idea. Does your wife work? Is there any way you could lower your standard of living (smaller place to live, etc.) so you could go down to at least part time? One thing I’ll suggest is that if you don’t have kids right now, DON’T get pregnant. We have a 2 year old and it’s really hard sometimes to study when she’s climbing the walls.
You CAN do this, 45 hour work week or no, I’m just saying it might be easier without such a big workload. One thing I’ve learned in these past 5 years or so is that I really can do anything I WANT to do … and if I don’t do it, it’s because I didn’t want it bad enough. You want this degree? You’ll get it, I know it, and you’ll probably graduate with honors.
MLS: Nah, I know I’m not old, just older than your traditional college student. And, after reading further, I see that Cosmopolitan hit the nail on the head. Snoopyfan, you’re right: I breezed through high school just by half paying attention and being an excellent test taker. It did not fully prepare me for an enviroment where some effort was required of me. When the going got tough in college, I had a hard time (especially since it coincided with my 21st birthday). Anyway, the school I’m going to is The University of North Carolina - Asheville, which is a little to liberal artsy for me, but it’s really the only bachelor program within daily driving distance.
Well, thanks everyone for the words of inspiration and encouragement. I posted this expecting all the kindness and intelligenece I’ve known from this board and I haven’t been dissappointed. Anyway, time to get off here and head to work.
Another college professor here, whose heart leaps up when I behold an adult in my class. If I could mandate it somehow, I would refuse college admission to any high school graduate who hasn’t spent at least two years in the workforce. Adults really appreciate the learning part of college, and so give meaning to my career choice, in a way that teenagers do not. Generaly speaking, younguns merely tolerate the learning stuff–because they know they’re here mostly to party, to experiment with drugs, drink, sex, no parental oversight, all of which they could do as well while working jobs. Good luck, Novus.
Novus, good luck! My parents live in WNC (Columbus/Tryon area, right down the hill rom Asheville) and I think it is one of the most beautiful places on Earth. I did my undergrad at Western Carolina.
As a student who went to college to learn, I was always happy at the beginning of a semester to discover returning adults in my classes. To me, it was assurance that at least one other person cared about being there and wouldn’t behave immaturely during class. When I tutored in the math lab, the adults were always the most pleasant to work with because of their commitment. And geez, you’re not that old! I’m 24 and still in school myself (went back for more punishment). At Western, we had a 42-year-old lady enroll in our math program, with the intention of continuing through a Ph.D elsewhere. She did it because she was tired of frosting cakes. She was an amazing student.
Forgive my rambling. I’m always excited to “meet” someone from WNC. Oh, and evolutionary bio kicks arse.
Welcome to the Fraternity, Novus. I’m a 41 YO math major who also works full time. You’ll do fine; trust me. But here’s a few practical tips:
Don’t bite off too much, especially at first. I take only one or two classes at a time, always one in math and usually one in a general ed subject when necessary. I’ve found anything else gets overwhelming.
Your spouse really does need to be supportive, especially on those evenings when you can’t do anything except hit the books for the big test next week. Also, it helps to have a sympathetic boss and coworkers if you need to wrangle a day or two off for studying.
(resisting urge to type "Hi Opal! so I won’t)
Otherwise, the usual stuff applies to returning adults-- talk to the professors, make sure to take copious notes, keep up on the schoolwork, etc. etc. etc. My academic counselor told me at the beginning of this process that their returning students are some of the best they have. I think the comments up there confirm it.
GOOD LUCK! I’m sure you’ll do pretty damn good. I’ve yet to meet a returning student in my program who regrets coming back into the fold.
Same here. I got into teaching at the college level because I wanted to work with adults, but the average first-year student isn’t quite there yet.
When I started college, I was 24, working full time, paying child support. Financially it was a little tough, but I enjoyed the studies. Even the classes that weren’t related to my major were interesting, at least for the time. Even if I was studying about something I knew or cared little about, I wasn’t on the assembly line, and that was enough to make me like it.
I had been a mediocre high school student, and I had no idea whether I could even pass a college class. Consequently, I gave it all I had. I wasn’t just a serious student; I was positively grim. Maybe I was too serious, but when I finished my BA, my GPA was 3.855 on a 4.0 scale. Through grad school, it was 4.0.
Pay no attention to the little frat boys and their keg parties. (The Fraternity mentioned by mojave66 is okay, though.) Have a goal, of course, but don’t focus too far ahead–concern yourself with this test, this paper, this assignment. You’ll learn a lot, you’ll enjoy it, and your professors will love you.
