I’m graduating this month at 31 and my friend, you have made a great decision for yourself! It’s incredibly difficult as an adult, but it’s going to feel completely worth it when you’re at the end. You’ll open up a new world of job opportunities, and if you ever have kids or take on a mentor type role for one you will be a living example for them to get through it too. I spent the first two years of college making jokes to my classmates about doing it a decade too late, but now I’m owning it. Those whipper snappers should try doing it alongside a full time job and a kid and a house with a currently flooded basement!
You’re going to do great. And, even if you don’t do great, all you need to do is PASS. That’s okay too!
I joke about it, and I did struggle pretty bad with a stats class (my brain does not math), but honestly, I love it so much. I truly enjoy the learning with classes like anthro, soc, et cetera, and I’ve got a 3.8 gpa (that damn math class). I’m 2 years in now, and genuinely dreading it ending. I’m seriously considering a master’s after this, because I am not ready to be done with school.
What would you be going for? My brother just finished his master’s. He started college at 38. He was a bit burnt out by the end, but loved doing it. I wish I could get multiple BAs and not have to worry about student loans. Haha. I’d so be in school for the rest of my life. Lol. The masters scares me a bit, but it’s just nerves. I think I’d be mostly okay.
Any tips for someone who’s been out of school for 10 years and is looking to go back? I was ok at math but I couldn’t tell you the first fuckin thing about anything past the basics now
Read the rubric! I’m at SNHU, so ymmv at other schools, but read the rubric. They grade to that, and it doesn’t matter how exceptional your work is, if it doesn’t meet the rubric, you’re boned. If it’s mediocre and meets the rubric, it’s at least a passing grade. Other than that, utilize any extras your school offers. Snhu offers tutoring, both schedules and drop in, writing labs, all kind of academic help. If you’re ever struggling, call your advisor and let them know. They can suggest things to help, or potentially even get you withdrawn from a class you know you won’t pass.
Good to know, thanks! I work 50-60 hours a week (12s so only 4/5 days a week) so I was planning to go online at a slower pace. But if I’m able to cut back my hours and still make ends meet I wouldn’t mind doing some of my classes in person. Not sure how that all works, I’ve never been to school outside of getting my EMT license and that was almost a decade ago too
That’s a heavy workload. Make sure you get some time in there for you, too. You deserve it.
If you’re in the US, SNHU has been really awesome. Terms run 8 weeks, they don’t do group projects, and there are tons of helpful things like the tutoring. So long as you can write a paper in APA or MLA (depending on path), and can follow instructions, you’re golden. 8 weeks feels rushed compared to 16 weeks of brick and mortar schools, but honestly, it’s about 5 hours per week per class for me. Two classes at a time is full time, but you can take 1 if you need, or 3 in your second year if your GPA is over 3.0.
Im actually planning to move to somewhere in New England in the next year or so, I’m thinking Connecticut atm. How do you like New Hampshire? You’re making that university sound pretty nice ngl haha
I’m in Tennessee, actually. I go online. I really do like the school, though. And I know they have a brick and mortar in Manchester.
Very jealous of your move. I’ve wanted to move to Maine or Vermont since I was a kid, CT would be great, too. Let me know if you find something even moderately affordable! Lol
Vermont was my first choice but the entire state seems to have approximately 3 rentals available at any given time lol. CT is roughly on par with my home state, Florida. However I do know several people that are moving to Tennessee from here so it must be a helluva lot cheaper than here.
Idk about minimum wage is up there but it’s $16 in CT and I’m fortunate enough to be married so even if the both of us are making minimum wage when we get up there, we’ll still be able to make it work as long as we’re full time. I hope you’re able to make it out of TN! Check out central CT for cheaper towns. The Hartford area is fairly reasonable. I’m looking at New Britain in particular
Ah, yes, systems of linear equations. If you’re a paramedic, you’ll probably be fine and have an intuitive understanding of most of this stuff already. The jargon and notation will throw you off, probably, but you’ll probably pick it up quickly.
Practical problems you’ll face are things like: if I deliver 10 mg of a drug, and it has an uptake of 50% per hour, and a functioning liver removal rate of 10% per hour, and I want to ensure that there’s 5 mg in the patient’s bloodstream at all times, how big of a dose and how often…
But the reality is: you’ll have a table to reference and won’t likely need to calculate this on a regular basis. What you will need to do is trust the table, and for that, you have to understand how the table was made :)
Oh yeah, I’m not too worried about it in the field. I’ve been in healthcare for 8 or 9 years now, I’m hip with the lingo and equipment involved. The hectic nature of EMS jives with my ADHD pretty well but the structured environment of college and my lost familiarity of more advanced math is what’s concerning to me. I have terrible time management in lower stakes stuff like appointments, due dates, etc.
Originally sociology, because I wanted to go for religious studies but it wasn’t offered. I switched over to creative writing a few months ago, because I enjoy storytelling and have been told I’m good at it. My plan is to teach English as a second language, so I need a BA, any BA, to do that. I’m lucky that I’m not stuck into a particular degree path, and I get to do something I enjoy in that way.
Yeah I graduated a good while ago - diploma in programming from a technical school which – for anyone who isn’t familiar – offers a sort of pared down education with an emphasis on job placement (credits for doing highly subsidized work in the field). I was always drawn to the humanities, too. Took a stab at anthropology, but maybe the time wasn’t right.
Anyway, even a simple “advanced diploma” in programming nearly killed me (I got a passing “D” in maths that I am very proud of), but now I don’t have any issue finding gainful employment, which is nice. Downside being all the creative humanities stuff that is my real passion is purely for hobbies now. I honestly don’t hate the arrangement.
My partner taught English as a second language, too. She found it rewarding, and met a lot of her now good friends doing that.
If you’re doing college at 30 you’re probably not stupid, stupid people wouldn’t do school at all when afforded the chance to. Unless they already have a position in the industry they wanted to and a degree wouldnt help advance their career enough to warrant the time and money spent
30 is young, you still have at least a good 10-20 years of enjoying your life ahead of you right
Also idk about in the US but in a large part of Europe you get paid to do a graduate degree (or at least a PhD), and the courses are often in English, if you want to you should totally look at Germany or Slovakia/Czechia or Norway/Finland (although I think Norway recently made tuition no longer free for foreigners), or even Panama or Brazil, you can get free college and cheap housing (well, not in Scandinavia, but the rest of the countries). You should be able to get in depending on the major’s demand, and they’re very nice countries to exist in other than Brazil… although Eastern Europe would probably be a massive culture shock, a lot are pretty “blunt” or “dark” in their mannerisms I guess.
I’m my mother’s primary care giver, so unless they’ll let me bring her along, it probably wouldn’t work out. Haha. But if we found an option that allowed for it, I’d jump on it in a heartbeat. Haha
![The tedious part of war [Goat To Self]](https://startrek.website/pictrs/image/8e613442-251c-41b9-a7e6-9a8f88c5f8c5.jpeg){kind=link}
That last panel is how I feel having signed my stupid ass up for college at 30.
I’m graduating this month at 31 and my friend, you have made a great decision for yourself! It’s incredibly difficult as an adult, but it’s going to feel completely worth it when you’re at the end. You’ll open up a new world of job opportunities, and if you ever have kids or take on a mentor type role for one you will be a living example for them to get through it too. I spent the first two years of college making jokes to my classmates about doing it a decade too late, but now I’m owning it. Those whipper snappers should try doing it alongside a full time job and a kid and a house with a currently flooded basement!
You’re going to do great. And, even if you don’t do great, all you need to do is PASS. That’s okay too!
I joke about it, and I did struggle pretty bad with a stats class (my brain does not math), but honestly, I love it so much. I truly enjoy the learning with classes like anthro, soc, et cetera, and I’ve got a 3.8 gpa (that damn math class). I’m 2 years in now, and genuinely dreading it ending. I’m seriously considering a master’s after this, because I am not ready to be done with school.
I deeply regret not doing a masters. Thinking of going back myself after 15 years.
What would you be going for? My brother just finished his master’s. He started college at 38. He was a bit burnt out by the end, but loved doing it. I wish I could get multiple BAs and not have to worry about student loans. Haha. I’d so be in school for the rest of my life. Lol. The masters scares me a bit, but it’s just nerves. I think I’d be mostly okay.
Any tips for someone who’s been out of school for 10 years and is looking to go back? I was ok at math but I couldn’t tell you the first fuckin thing about anything past the basics now
Read the rubric! I’m at SNHU, so ymmv at other schools, but read the rubric. They grade to that, and it doesn’t matter how exceptional your work is, if it doesn’t meet the rubric, you’re boned. If it’s mediocre and meets the rubric, it’s at least a passing grade. Other than that, utilize any extras your school offers. Snhu offers tutoring, both schedules and drop in, writing labs, all kind of academic help. If you’re ever struggling, call your advisor and let them know. They can suggest things to help, or potentially even get you withdrawn from a class you know you won’t pass.
Do you plan on going in person or online?
Good to know, thanks! I work 50-60 hours a week (12s so only 4/5 days a week) so I was planning to go online at a slower pace. But if I’m able to cut back my hours and still make ends meet I wouldn’t mind doing some of my classes in person. Not sure how that all works, I’ve never been to school outside of getting my EMT license and that was almost a decade ago too
That’s a heavy workload. Make sure you get some time in there for you, too. You deserve it.
If you’re in the US, SNHU has been really awesome. Terms run 8 weeks, they don’t do group projects, and there are tons of helpful things like the tutoring. So long as you can write a paper in APA or MLA (depending on path), and can follow instructions, you’re golden. 8 weeks feels rushed compared to 16 weeks of brick and mortar schools, but honestly, it’s about 5 hours per week per class for me. Two classes at a time is full time, but you can take 1 if you need, or 3 in your second year if your GPA is over 3.0.
Im actually planning to move to somewhere in New England in the next year or so, I’m thinking Connecticut atm. How do you like New Hampshire? You’re making that university sound pretty nice ngl haha
I’m in Tennessee, actually. I go online. I really do like the school, though. And I know they have a brick and mortar in Manchester.
Very jealous of your move. I’ve wanted to move to Maine or Vermont since I was a kid, CT would be great, too. Let me know if you find something even moderately affordable! Lol
Vermont was my first choice but the entire state seems to have approximately 3 rentals available at any given time lol. CT is roughly on par with my home state, Florida. However I do know several people that are moving to Tennessee from here so it must be a helluva lot cheaper than here.
Idk about minimum wage is up there but it’s $16 in CT and I’m fortunate enough to be married so even if the both of us are making minimum wage when we get up there, we’ll still be able to make it work as long as we’re full time. I hope you’re able to make it out of TN! Check out central CT for cheaper towns. The Hartford area is fairly reasonable. I’m looking at New Britain in particular
What kind of math will you be doing? It’s a night and day difference between going back to college for a physics degree, versus accounting…
I’m considering nursing, so an ASN degree. I think it’s just algebra 1 and chemistry, which I’ve been told involves quite a bit of math
Ah, yes, systems of linear equations. If you’re a paramedic, you’ll probably be fine and have an intuitive understanding of most of this stuff already. The jargon and notation will throw you off, probably, but you’ll probably pick it up quickly.
Practical problems you’ll face are things like: if I deliver 10 mg of a drug, and it has an uptake of 50% per hour, and a functioning liver removal rate of 10% per hour, and I want to ensure that there’s 5 mg in the patient’s bloodstream at all times, how big of a dose and how often…
But the reality is: you’ll have a table to reference and won’t likely need to calculate this on a regular basis. What you will need to do is trust the table, and for that, you have to understand how the table was made :)
Oh yeah, I’m not too worried about it in the field. I’ve been in healthcare for 8 or 9 years now, I’m hip with the lingo and equipment involved. The hectic nature of EMS jives with my ADHD pretty well but the structured environment of college and my lost familiarity of more advanced math is what’s concerning to me. I have terrible time management in lower stakes stuff like appointments, due dates, etc.
Some people are “plan and prepare” and some people are “react and respond” – and some are good at one or the other but not both :)
It gets better
… It depends on what he’s going for lol.
Fair lol
I went back at 35. It was very much worth it. What are you taking, if you don’t mind me asking?
Originally sociology, because I wanted to go for religious studies but it wasn’t offered. I switched over to creative writing a few months ago, because I enjoy storytelling and have been told I’m good at it. My plan is to teach English as a second language, so I need a BA, any BA, to do that. I’m lucky that I’m not stuck into a particular degree path, and I get to do something I enjoy in that way.
Have you graduated? What did you go for?
Yeah I graduated a good while ago - diploma in programming from a technical school which – for anyone who isn’t familiar – offers a sort of pared down education with an emphasis on job placement (credits for doing highly subsidized work in the field). I was always drawn to the humanities, too. Took a stab at anthropology, but maybe the time wasn’t right.
Anyway, even a simple “advanced diploma” in programming nearly killed me (I got a passing “D” in maths that I am very proud of), but now I don’t have any issue finding gainful employment, which is nice. Downside being all the creative humanities stuff that is my real passion is purely for hobbies now. I honestly don’t hate the arrangement.
My partner taught English as a second language, too. She found it rewarding, and met a lot of her now good friends doing that.
If you’re doing college at 30 you’re probably not stupid, stupid people wouldn’t do school at all when afforded the chance to. Unless they already have a position in the industry they wanted to and a degree wouldnt help advance their career enough to warrant the time and money spent
30 is young, you still have at least a good 10-20 years of enjoying your life ahead of you right
Also idk about in the US but in a large part of Europe you get paid to do a graduate degree (or at least a PhD), and the courses are often in English, if you want to you should totally look at Germany or Slovakia/Czechia or Norway/Finland (although I think Norway recently made tuition no longer free for foreigners), or even Panama or Brazil, you can get free college and cheap housing (well, not in Scandinavia, but the rest of the countries). You should be able to get in depending on the major’s demand, and they’re very nice countries to exist in other than Brazil… although Eastern Europe would probably be a massive culture shock, a lot are pretty “blunt” or “dark” in their mannerisms I guess.
Fuck, you mean life will stop being enjoyable for me in four years?
I’m my mother’s primary care giver, so unless they’ll let me bring her along, it probably wouldn’t work out. Haha. But if we found an option that allowed for it, I’d jump on it in a heartbeat. Haha