Has anybody ever returned to college to do something that interests them, after realising that they wasted years on a course they didn't enjoy in the past, or joined at an older age?
I, myself joined a computing course this year and I'm 20 years old, it's kind of difficult because you're surrounded by 16 year olds who seem to treat it like school so that can be detrimental to your studies, it's kind of weird being the oldest one in my class, but it's also a great experience and you can give people wise words if they aren't taking the subject seriously.
I'm actually doing a level 1 course, as I lost my certificates from school and for some reason they didn't hold records for longer than 2 years (I left in 2009 and I also thought there was a law on how long educational records were kept for, I guess I was wrong.) so that means I will have to do an extra year.
I also don't like how your age seems to matter when you undertake post-secondary education, why is it that schools try to rush people by influencing them into doing a course that they won't really enjoy when they leave?
I hope to go to university some day but I'll probably still stick out like a sore thumb as an undergraduate. :v:
I would like to read about experiences from members here on the forum and I think it would be great thing to discuss. :)
In my experience, it really depends on when your classes are. The early morning and later evening classes tend to have older people in them mostly because that's the only time they can afford to attend them. I liked those classes more because the people there weren't there to waste time. It was easier for me to relax.
I think one of the reasons I'm surrounded by idiots is because, there's a recent law that has been enacted in the UK which means school leavers are required to do further education or training, but this wasn't the case a few years ago. All of the computing classes are during the day so I don't really have a choice, but I prefer to complete my assignments when class has ended which makes it easier.
I don't get why you're so worked up over age when you aren't even that old to begin with. During my undergraduate everyone was of different ages and you end up making friends with people regardless of age group. You can be just as good of friends with people four years younger than you as you can be with people four years older than you.
I don't know about Canada, but here college and university are two different things, the reason I am being the way I am, is because of the emphasis British society puts on age and achievements, such as when I had my assessment days before I started, the speaker was telling everybody (assuming we were all 16) that they should have their goals and aspirations in check by the time you've left school which just made me think "what the hell?", when not everybody could possibly know what they want to do as soon as they leave.
It just made me wonder a little, that's all. :)
This is the worst possible time to go back to college
I'd wait a year or two for it to get cheaper
[QUOTE=Frayyyy;42381973]I don't get why you're so worked up over age when you aren't even that old to begin with. During my undergraduate everyone was of different ages and you end up making friends with people regardless of age group. You can be just as good of friends with people four years younger than you as you can be with people four years older than you.[/QUOTE]
Yeah, there's nothing wrong or weird about being in university as an adult. You might even get a bit more respect from the professors.
I dropped out after two semesters.
If at some time previous you missed something in say math, you're fucked.
There were people in my school that were around 23 or older, there's no need to worry about your age. Especially when you're only 20 :v:
There were a couple people in my university lectures that were about 70 so its never too late.
Someone I know wants to get a philosophy degree when she's 65 and eligible for the great benefits you get if you go to school as a senior. Not all that useful of a degree in terms of money-making potential at any age but if you can learn something you find interesting for cheap you'd be dumb not to do it
So I guarantee you're never going to be the oldest person in university unless you're like 100
I think the experience can depend on the class you are joining really.
I know the ages in my university class range from 19-mid 30s and no one minds, in fact I don't think everyone realises how wide some of the age gaps are. I got talking to a guy last year and when I asked him about school he said "I'm 28 and worked for ten years, I don't remember what I did at school!" and I was really surprised because he didn't look it.
On the other hand my friend has just gone into her second year on a Games design course at college and the lack of concentration and work ethic from the 17 year olds is driving her (she's 22) and her teacher barmy. The teacher is insistent that they learn quickly how challenging it can be to do well with an art based course, and is trying to get the class to put a book together to sell, but no one except my friend is interested. Between working and looking after her house she works on hundreds of concept pieces so it frustrates her when classmates don't do a single thing outside class.
I think before university age can be a bigger factor but once you get there everyone is pretty great.
I have a 29 year old friend who went to school, got a BA in history, became a cop, and is now one of the 4 people in my program doing a BSc in astrophysics. He's married with two kids, and honestly, if he hadn't told me his age, I wouldn't have been able to tell. He wanted to do astro in the first place but figured a history degree would have better job prospects. We all respect him a huge amount for coming back, he's honestly the nicest guy I've met in my faculty.
It is kinda weird if you 30+ years old (the guy in the dorm next to me is) but he's also a weird guy.
Being 20 isn't shit.
Getting to meet people from many different age ranges is part of the experience, in my opinion. So don't worry- you'll fit right in.
It's my first year in college but I can relate to being frustrated by people that treat the classes like it's some sort of game. Age isn't a big deal .
The only time I can see age being an issue is if you live in residence
Aside from older people generally getting lower priority, it would kind of suck to be in a building full of 18 year olds if you're 30.
[QUOTE=Zeke129;42402430]The only time I can see age being an issue is if you live in residence
Aside from older people generally getting lower priority, it would kind of suck to be in a building full of 18 year olds if you're 30.[/QUOTE]
That's very true too, although I would like to think that people going back to school in their 30s would perhaps have worked/saved enough money to at least pay for private accommodations alongside financial aid.
[QUOTE=Frayyyy;42402571]That's very true too, although I would like to think that people going back to school in their 30s would perhaps have worked/saved enough money to at least pay for private accommodations alongside financial aid.[/QUOTE]
Private accommodation generally costs less than residence, the problem is that university cities usually have vacancy rates somewhere between 0 and 0
Plus, cars are generally too expensive to afford when you're a student so living close to class is great (especially since how terrible public transit is in every city in this country)
I don't know what country you live in, but I will make the assumption that you live in the USA (and I could very well be wrong).
I'm a 17yr old currently enrolled at a community college.
[QUOTE=MingeCrab;42381042]Has anybody ever returned to college to do something that interests them, after realising that they wasted years on a course they didn't enjoy in the past, or joined at an older age?[/QUOTE]
I know TONS of people in my classes who are older or have kids and want to go back to school and get a degree. It's fairly normal here at least.
[QUOTE=MingeCrab;42381042]I, myself joined a computing course this year and I'm 20 years old, it's kind of difficult because you're surrounded by 16 year olds who seem to treat it like school so that can be detrimental to your studies.[/QUOTE]
I'm not entirely sure I understand, but...
As someone who was always told of the importance of school, I understand why people think this. The idea of going back to school or extending college another semester can get expensive, sometimes even up to tens of thousands of dollars. It is very important.
[QUOTE=MingeCrab;42381042]I also don't like how your age seems to matter when you undertake post-secondary education.[/QUOTE]
Age doesn't matter, it's all in your head. I'm friends with someone ~15 years older than me.
[QUOTE=MingeCrab;42381042]I hope to go to university some day but I'll probably still stick out like a sore thumb as an undergraduate. :v:[/QUOTE]
...you won't.
[QUOTE=MingeCrab;42381042]I would like to read about experiences from members here on the forum and I think it would be great thing to discuss.[/QUOTE]
From my experiences, the best way not to stick out is simply to talk to people. It doesn't matter if they are 16 or 36, they are still there for the same reasons and you probably can find something in common.
Don't count school out. There's always a good time for education.
I go to a community college. And there's ALWAYS older men and women in the classes.
You're not going to stick out like a sore thumb.
Ha, OP you have no idea. I just started at IU this fall and I'm 24. I pissed away about 5 years of my adult life getting an automotive tech degree and trying to make a career in the industry, then I gave up on that and just floundered along working an unrelated job for a year after that. It took a very profound, bitter dissatisfaction with life to get me on the track I should have been on 6 years ago.
There are, however, some distinct advantages:
-If you're going back to school after fucking up your life, you are MOTIVATED. You don't fuck around and fail classes like these 18-year-old trust fund babies that are getting a free ride and acting like they [i]have[/i] to be there. I WANT to be there.
-You have real-world experience from after high school. They do not.
-You are not a hormonal teenager wrapped up in the constant this-is-more-important-than-anything-ever bullshit dramas of other hormonal teenagers.
-By now, you probably have a better idea of what you want to do with your life, or at least what you DON'T want to do with your life. Most 18-year-olds have no fucking clue, and pick their major like they threw darts at a brochure while blindfolded.
-Every little thing that happens to the 18-year-olds feels like an unprecedented disaster. You have been through some shit. You don't scare that easily.
-Your instructors will recognize that you are not like the others.
There are a couple of disadvantages, though:
-You will have no built-in social group leftover from high school.
-Everyone else will recognize that you are different from them. This may bother you, or it may not.
-You have probably forgotten everything you learned about math and will have to teach yourself all over again.
Of course, you're only 20, so you will probably mix in better with everyone else than I do.
[QUOTE=Used Car Salesman;42421950]Ha, OP you have no idea. I just started at IU this fall and I'm 24. I pissed away about 5 years of my adult life getting an automotive tech degree and trying to make a career in the industry, then I gave up on that and just floundered along working an unrelated job for a year after that. It took a very profound, bitter dissatisfaction with life to get me on the track I should have been on 6 years ago.
There are, however, some distinct advantages:
-If you're going back to school after fucking up your life, you are MOTIVATED. You don't fuck around and fail classes like these 18-year-old trust fund babies that are getting a free ride and acting like they [i]have[/i] to be there. I WANT to be there.
-You have real-world experience from after high school. They do not.
-You are not a hormonal teenager wrapped up in the constant this-is-more-important-than-anything-ever bullshit dramas of other hormonal teenagers.
-By now, you probably have a better idea of what you want to do with your life, or at least what you DON'T want to do with your life. Most 18-year-olds have no fucking clue, and pick their major like they threw darts at a brochure while blindfolded.
-Every little thing that happens to the 18-year-olds feels like an unprecedented disaster. You have been through some shit. You don't scare that easily.
-Your instructors will recognize that you are not like the others.
There are a couple of disadvantages, though:
-You will have no built-in social group leftover from high school.
-Everyone else will recognize that you are different from them. This may bother you, or it may not.
-You have probably forgotten everything you learned about math and will have to teach yourself all over again.
Of course, you're only 20, so you will probably mix in better with everyone else than I do.[/QUOTE]
I'm honestly shocked by how much you just generalized 18yr olds. I'm sorry, but you just sound arrogant.
[QUOTE=Banandana;42422158]I'm honestly shocked by how much you just generalized 18yr olds. I'm sorry, but you just sound arrogant.[/QUOTE]
Yeah, that's called adulthood. Eventually you will figure out that everyone treated you like you didn't know anything when you were a teenager [I]because you didn't know anything.[/I] Sorry, it's just the truth. When all you have experienced in your life is school and high school, you have zero real-world experience to draw upon, and you really only know the bare minimum to hopefully keep a shitty job and not starve to death in the real world.
[QUOTE=Banandana;42422158]I'm honestly shocked by how much you just generalized 18yr olds. I'm sorry, but you just sound arrogant.[/QUOTE]
It's less about 18 year olds being blamed for how they are, and more about how 18 is way too young to be making decisions that affect the rest of your life when you consider what a piss-poor job high school does at teaching people how the world works
Their way of helping you with your future is to say "go to uni and get rich", this is shit advice and you end up with 19 year olds in university spending 10k+ a year and not knowing why.
[QUOTE=Zeke129;42436356]It's less about 18 year olds being blamed for how they are, and more about how 18 is way too young to be making decisions that affect the rest of your life when you consider what a piss-poor job high school does at teaching people how the world works
Their way of helping you with your future is to say "go to uni and get rich", this is shit advice and you end up with 19 year olds in university spending 10k+ a year and not knowing why.[/QUOTE]
There is a big difference between stating something such as "18 is way too young to be making decisions [based on high school teachers' questionable teaching]..." and flat out generalizing an age group like Used Car Salesman.
[QUOTE=Zeke129;42436356]Their way of helping you with your future is to say "go to uni and get rich", this is shit advice and you end up with 19 year olds in university spending 10k+ a year and not knowing why.[/QUOTE]
It's subjective to what your interests are. If what I was interested in doing didn't require a college education, I obviously wouldn't be pursuing a degree.
[QUOTE=Atlascore;42451372]He's right though, most people get pressured into going to college/uni immediately after turning 18 even if they have no idea what they want to do with their lives, High School does an awful job of preparing them for it too.[/QUOTE]
I find it completely crazy that people have to make a decision determining the outcome of their entire lives at the point where we are, arguably, the least prepared to make that decision. The choice between a philosophy, chemistry, or finance degree could literally result in millions of dollars of lost income over a lifetime, or another 2-4 years out of the professional world because it turns out you can't stand your choice of career and want to retrain.
High school, in my experience, offers absolutely no guidance in this decision, apart from fast-tracking the favorite kids, routing the least favorite kids into manual labor, and ignoring everyone in the middle.
[QUOTE=Used Car Salesman;42421950]Ha, OP you have no idea. I just started at IU this fall and I'm 24. I pissed away about 5 years of my adult life getting an automotive tech degree and trying to make a career in the industry, then I gave up on that and just floundered along working an unrelated job for a year after that. It took a very profound, bitter dissatisfaction with life to get me on the track I should have been on 6 years ago.
There are, however, some distinct advantages:
-If you're going back to school after fucking up your life, you are MOTIVATED. You don't fuck around and fail classes like these 18-year-old trust fund babies that are getting a free ride and acting like they [i]have[/i] to be there. I WANT to be there.
-You have real-world experience from after high school. They do not.
-You are not a hormonal teenager wrapped up in the constant this-is-more-important-than-anything-ever bullshit dramas of other hormonal teenagers.
-By now, you probably have a better idea of what you want to do with your life, or at least what you DON'T want to do with your life. Most 18-year-olds have no fucking clue, and pick their major like they threw darts at a brochure while blindfolded.
-Every little thing that happens to the 18-year-olds feels like an unprecedented disaster. You have been through some shit. You don't scare that easily.
-Your instructors will recognize that you are not like the others.
There are a couple of disadvantages, though:
-You will have no built-in social group leftover from high school.
-Everyone else will recognize that you are different from them. This may bother you, or it may not.
-You have probably forgotten everything you learned about math and will have to teach yourself all over again.
Of course, you're only 20, so you will probably mix in better with everyone else than I do.[/QUOTE]
Hey bud, I'm 18 and perfectly directed and determined to get to where I want to be.
You seem like you're talking about your 18 year old self more than anyone else.
Don't assume everyone at the age of 18 is as dumb as you try to make them out to be.
I have a job, I learnt to drive (and paid for it) so I could get to college, I chose courses that I know are effective at getting me into the job I want, and haven't dropped a single class and don't intend to.
I am not wrapped up in anyone's drama or emotional breakdowns. And if OP has a good tutor, then they shouldn't treat them any different.
[QUOTE=Ricool06;42459567]Hey bud, I'm 18 and perfectly directed and determined to get to where I want to be.
You seem like you're talking about your 18 year old self more than anyone else.
Don't assume everyone at the age of 18 is as dumb as you try to make them out to be.
I have a job, I learnt to drive (and paid for it) so I could get to college, I chose courses that I know are effective at getting me into the job I want, and haven't dropped a single class and don't intend to.
I am not wrapped up in anyone's drama or emotional breakdowns. And if OP has a good tutor, then they shouldn't treat them any different.[/QUOTE]
This is the attitude that most 18 year olds have, especially the ones making poor decisions.
I don't mean to say you're making poor decisions (very few decisions are actually poor, after all, so as long as you aren't hurting anyone), but being overly sure of yourself is basically the definition of young adulthood
[QUOTE=Zeke129;42484334]This is the attitude that most 18 year olds have, especially the ones making poor decisions.
I don't mean to say you're making poor decisions (very few decisions are actually poor, after all, so as long as you aren't hurting anyone), but being overly sure of yourself is basically the definition of young adulthood[/QUOTE]
Except I am not overly sure of myself, and to say that most 18 year olds are merely shows your lack of experience with teenagers with a decent level of self-respect and aspiration.
I got an A in my first essay for my English A-level today, I am continually getting the highest marks in my computing A level, my physics assessments are stellar but I know that I need to work on my maths a lot before I push it past a B grade.
Everyone in my tutor is of the same demeanour as myself. Reviewing their own abilities and propelling their revision in places that need it most.
The bottom line is that if you feel you can safely say that all or most 18 year olds are too cocky and not directed enough, then you are talking to the wrong 18 year olds. At least 80% of my college is made up of students that share my beliefs about education and hard work.
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