Hello!

So, I’m thinking of returning to college! When I initially went to college in 2012, I had to drop out due to health issues. I want to leave my current job, and I’m finding that a lot of places want degrees. For a long time I didn’t want to go back to school because of tuition, but just learned I might be eligible for a program where the tuition is pretty much covered. However, other living expenses wouldn’t be. I wouldn’t be able to stay at my current job because it has to be full time, and honestly wouldn’t want to work here while going to school anyway. I would not have the capacity to work full time and go to school full time, so I’m wondering if anyone had any advice on types of jobs to go to while completing school? And any other tips for returning to school in your 30s would be wonderful!

I returned to college in 2024 as a mom in my 30s, and I am graduating from my community college in December with my associate's degree in science.
I have a pretty long list of academic achievements, and several universities are trying to get me to apply, but I am currently living in a fairly rural area.

Has anyone else uprooted their family and gone to a city just to attend a 4 year school?

For clarification, my degree path is that which I cannot complete it online. If I were to move and finish a bachelor's, I would want to try for a Master's and possibly a PhD program. However, moving is costly and difficult.

When I was in high school, I had some pretty severe mental and emotional problems that were not being addressed, and it greatly affected my performance in school. I was always fine on standardized tests, and in fact I took two AP tests my senior year, and got 4s on both. But my graduating GPA was something like a 1.2. Between that, and my family's extremely poor financial situation, going to college right away just wasn't feasible for me.

Now, I'm 30 years old, I've lived and worked in New York City since 2014, and I finally find myself wanting to go to college. I've been consistently employed in various industries since I graduated high school, but I'm sick of my career prospects being limited by my lack of a degree, and I finally feel stable and settled enough to be able to succeed in a college environment. Money will be an issue for me, to be sure, but I know there are financial aid programs that can help me.

At this point tho, I just want to know what to expect. Should I take the SAT's? Is it possible to apply to a Bachelor's Degree program somewhere like CUNY for a person in my situation? Should I be a part-time student, and what does that entail?

I'm clueless! Please help me!

Listen I know I’m going to sound like an old geezer who hates trees, and that’s not the case. I absolutely understand why moving course resources like textbooks, study guides, and worksheets is great for the environment and easier to keep track of. However, the wifi in one of my buildings, specifically the one I have anatomy lab in sucks!

The last two lab periods I’ve been stuck trying to get my wifi to work for over 30 minutes. Eating into my time to finish assignments due at the end of the lab. Our textbook and visual resources are all online, and although I have a printer… ink is expensive. So printing out an entire textbook seems silly, and paying $75+ on tops of what I paid for online access seems even sillier.

Most of my lab assignments are labeling assignments to get you familiar with the figures in the textbook. However, it’s difficult to label if I cannot pull up the figures from wifi troubles. Which then cuts into my time to actually do the assignment.

I know I’m complaining into the void but dang, I feel so old remembering a time when you had physical media for studying and resources and I miss it 🥲

Hello everyone!

I have about 2 months before I start college. I recently finished my Computer Science degree, and I'll be starting a 5 year law program soon.

Since I have a lot of free time, I want to use these 2 months to strengthen my general knowledge and build a solid foundation. I was thinking of going back and studying Class 9 and 10 Science and Social Science, not for exams, but to actually understand the concepts properly.

I'm also really interested in psychology, so I'm thinking of studying the Class 11 and 12 Psychology textbooks as well.

I originally studied these subjects during the COVID period, and honestly, I regret not learning them properly. Back then everything was online, stressful, and mostly about passing exams. Now I want to study them in a practical way because I genuinely find those subjects and chapters fascinating.

What do you guys think? Is this a good way to spend the next 2 months, or would you suggest something else?

Hey everyone,
I’m returning to college this September after being away for about five years following a serious accident and brain injury. I spent a long time rebuilding my cognitive skills, and I’m now much closer to my previous baseline and ready to finish my degree.
One of my remaining requirements is Organic Chemistry II. I completed Organic Chemistry I during COVID, but between the disruption of that period, limited lab experience, my injury, and the amount of time that has passed, I retain very little from the course.
I’m not looking for a general list of Organic Chemistry resources. I’m hoping to hear from people who have returned to a sequential science course after a long medical or academic absence. How did you decide what material to review before the semester? Did you contact the professor ahead of time, use tutoring from the beginning, or arrange academic accommodations?
I own David Klein’s first- and second-semester review books and have about six weeks before classes begin. I’m trying to determine what a realistic preparation process looks like without attempting to reteach myself an entire semester at once.
I would especially appreciate hearing from anyone who returned to chemistry after a long break, recovered from a neurological injury, or had to rebuild their academic confidence before completing a difficult requirement

Hi! I am starting college soon, and starting to get nervous about my classes. I understand that college si more difficult than high school. In high school i took multiple AP's and honors, and got A's in the easy ones, but was an average B to B- student otherwise. i take fully responsibility and 100% relaize i put little to no effort in studying, mostly studied for tests a day or two days before, and didnt have my 100% attention in class. that being said, i am telling myself now that i have no option but to give my 100% focus and do my absoulte best in college. My goal is to have all A's and have a great gpa, smth i lacked in high school. i ended highschool with about a 3.7 weighted, 3.4 uw, and i cant have that low of a gpa in college. the issue is, i know it is one thing to say i will work harder, but does anyone have any solid tips or study habits on what made you turn around in college in terms of grades, and what really made you succeed?? i need any tips!!

I’ve been in and out of college for 10 fucking years now. Only in late 2024 did I fr start locking in and getting this done, now I have about a year and a half left until I have my bachelors.

I’m so exhausted and burnt out though. I’m a 27 year old man. I still live with my parents and it’s hell, I don’t like them at all anymore due to conflicting political views and just polar opposite outlooks on life. I still barely make shit in my 2 part time jobs because my parents take a good bit of it for rent, I have to do fall 4 classes summer 2 classes spring 4 classes every year, with like maybe some 2 week breaks (which I still work in), I’m just exhausted and burnt out. And I’m going to be spending pretty much the rest of my 20s doing this—turning 28 in November and 29 at (hopefully) graduation time. It feels bleak looking ahead and seeing I have a whole year and a half of this shit left after all the struggle I’ve gone through.

On top of that, I constantly get shit from people telling me my degree is going to be useless. It’s a bachelors in business administration, marketing concentration. People say I have enough work experience to get a decent paying job that’s comfy, but I’ve TRIED, every time I find one it says “bachelors degree required.” AND people say my college isn’t shit and no one will care.

I guess I’m just looking for words of encouragement here.

I’ve been in and out of this too long to fucking give up now but everyone and everything seems to be telling me “STOP, STOP DOING THIS THERES NO POINT ITS POINTLESS” and I can only take so much of that before it gets in my head.

Like the title says, I’m 26 (USA if that matters), and I’ve been seriously debating on going back to college for a couple of years now. I’ve been a hairstylist since 2021 and while I absolutely love what I do, I know long term it’s not the best for my body. I also don’t get any benefits due to being self-employed. Admittedly, I was not the best student in high school, and I really struggled with the semester of college I had before dropping out to go to cosmetology school. If I were to go back, I plan on going for social work.

Does anyone have any tips/suggestions for me on going back? I am all ears. TYIA!

I'm seriously considering going back to college for a second bachelor's degree after being out of school for almost 10 years.

My first degree was Bachelor of Secondary Education major in Biological Science, but this time I'm looking at Data Science through a full-time online program. It would be a complete career change for me.

For those who have gone back to school recently, or are currently in college, I'd love to hear about how different things are now compared to 10 years ago.

Has the way professors teach changed significantly? Are most classes live or self-paced? How much of the learning is project-based versus exams? What tools, software, or AI are students expected to use today?

If you've studied Data Science, what should I know before making the jump? Is there anything you wish you'd learned or prepared for before starting?

I'm trying to figure out whether this is the right path before I commit, so I'd really appreciate any advice or experiences you can share.

Like the title says, I’m looking to go back to college!

For context: Almost two years ago I got into university right after high school and it was awesome! I loved my major (Sociology) and I enjoyed the work I was doing. I had financial aid and was feeling comfortable (I did have to take out a loan to the cover the rest of my costs after financial aid, but it isn’t a huge amount so i was okay). However, After that first semester I had three horrible things happen back to back to back and it killed my passion and drive to show up to my second semester classes. Long story short, I dropped out without properly filling out any papers, just stopped showing up and haven’t done anything about it since. I regret this moment so much, especially now seeing my friends I initially went to college with are now happy juniors in college while i’m working full time to pay for a shitty apartment.

Really, I just want to know what the best way to go about going back? I don’t think the university would want me back, and as much as I loved it…I can’t say I want to be back there again. Would online or community college be a good idea? I’m looking to stick with Sociology as my major as I’m very passionate about it. Any advice would be amazing! Thank you Reddit!

I am a single female and my mid 30s and I decided to go back to school after dropping out in my early 20s, due to life circumstances.

I wanted to know if anyone else is going through it, as in now you’re taking classes and second-guessing everything because of the stress?

I already have a high-pressure job that takes 75% of my energy and I find myself struggling a lot and it’s causing me depression due to burn out

Any advice to keep going? I try to remind myself why I started and it’s been a life like dream but man I have been more stressed than happy since I returned to college

Hi everyone,
I’m 24 years old and really want to go back to college. I dropped out in 2023 after completing only two semesters (international business), and it’s one of my biggest regrets.

The problem is that I currently live in a country where I don’t speak the local language, so attending an on-campus university isn’t really an option. There also aren’t any international universities that are accessible for me, so I’m mainly looking at online programs.
I’m interested in Business, Marketing, or something similar. My main priorities are:
Affordable tuition
Accredited degree
Fully online
A bachelor’s degree that employers actually respect
If anyone has experience with online universities or knows of good options, I’d really appreciate your recommendations. I’m feeling a bit desperate to finally finish my education and earn my bachelor’s degree.

I tried college once when I was 18 and made it 3 semesters before dropping out. Fast forward 20 years and I’m working a full time job that’s fine but I’ve got the itch to try and go to school again. I can’t stop working to go to classes and there aren’t really many colleges near where I live anyway so online is going to be my best option but I don’t really know where to look. I’m wary of “diploma mill” schools I hear about and don’t want to waste my time or money at a place that isn’t accredited. Any recommendations on where to start looking would be great!

Question, if I got my degree during a different quarter, but didn’t attend that quarter. Do, I put the last quarter I attended was the last one I took actual classes in? Or, the quarter I received my degree?

I’m filling out graduate school application and they mentioned put down the start and end date of your school you attended regardless of gaps in attendance, but I just want to double check. Because if they get my official transcript is shows graduating on a different date then when I last took my classes.

Hey everyone!!

Oh my goodness I just got accepted into University at 29 years old, I’ve finally discovered my passion for conservation and it has been building for the past 5 years or so.

I’m extremely nervous but so excited as I live in New Zealand so it’s such a wonderful place to study these topics. Please give me any advice! I have been working full time for the past 10 years or so and need tips about getting back into study. I am so worried I’m not smart enough to do this. Hype me up and let me know your stories about doing a degree later in life!

23F, and I have attempted going to college several times unsuccessfully and I feel like it has ruined my transcript. I graduated HS in 2020 a year early and with a 4.1 GPA. I started at a local community college, but my mental health declined significantly and experienced what i assume to be academic burnout and withdrew from 3 courses. In fall 2021, I attended another local college and failed 4 courses. After this I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. I took a few years break to get my mental health in order and went back to the community college and started with 1 course. I was doing well until midway through the term when my mom passed. I failed that class as well. Long story short - my transcript only has Ws and Fs.

All I want is to finish a bachelors and eventually an MA in library sciences. I have been considering enrolling in an online university such as SNHU or ASU, but I am worried that my past transcripts are going to set me back. Does anyone have a similar experience and any advice?

So I graduated from Sierra Community College back in summer of 2023 when before I turned 30, having earned two non-transferable associates in science for graphic design and illustration, and been on break from Sierra for quite time. Mostly trying to find work of some sort. Whether it be volunteering, internships, or otherwise. But recently I’ve finally decided to go back within the year. At least in the Fall of 2027 at the latest, though before I do, what might be some important steps to take as a returning student; in what order should I take steps to make when applying to Sierra again?

so i started school in fall of 2019 and then stopped going to my classes about halfway through fall 2021. my home life was kind of in shambles and i was gojng through a tough life change so i stopped going. didnt drop out officially or anything. they sent me an email and called it a withdrawal. biggest regret of my life.

the problem is i wanna go back now but i have an outstanding balance with the school for tuition and housing and my fafsa is already needing to be paid back since its been almost 5 years (although im tying to figure it out bc they took away the save program).

is it possible for me to pick back up at the school where i left off? i know obviously its up to the school but do i even have a chance? i greatly fucked up and i regret it every single day but i wanna go back so bad. is it realistic they’ll take me back with an outstanding balance and my fafsa situation?

edit: i forgot to mention i already looked at their readmissions guidelines and i know *what* i have to do and i’ve already emailed them for an appt but i wanted to know if it was even worth the shot.

This feels insane to write but I also don't have normal circumstances.

In short, I grew up with significant health problems from early on into my early 20s, had some lowly jobs here and there until I decided to go to school for Advertising.

Anyway, I graduated in 2023 with an Advertising degree. I had a job lined up that I worked at for three years before being laid off a few months ago. When I went to school job prospects were solid, but since COVID its gone downhill as you might imagine. I have a great portfolio and resume but the industry is tough to navigate, especially in our economy. While interviews trickle in, I can't land anything because senior designers with more experience are beating me out.

I've moved back in with parents for the meantime, and I have a decent pile of savings and investments going. I think there's still opportunity for me, but I'm honestly pretty distraught about this and wish I had just gone for an engineering degree, especially now because I know the pros and cons of advertising industry and I've had a lot of exposure to engineering through my job. I interviewed with a company that markets for fast food and I didn't feel good about it.

I'd rather build tangible stuff that people actually use vs spinning up bullshit in powerpoint. Plus better pay, job stability, mobility. But it is daunting to go back to school full time and graduate late 30s with scattered and scant work experience.

What do you think? Do I just need to put my head down and grind at my current career and hope it works out?

Forgive the long post, this is the most up in the air my life has been in quite some time and I'm just looking for some general guidance. There's a lot of posts about starting school later in life but not a lot on how to specifically prepare yourself academically.

24M. I am pure head empty no thoughts as far as academics. For the last six/seven years or so I've been focused on my career in the military, I'm getting out soon and with my ultimate decision being to activate my trap card, Free Tuition, I figured I should start brushing up on the basics for my freshman year. Y'know Algebra, chemistry etc. I'm planning on going to WSU and majoring in medical labratory science as a premed. I need to hit the ground running and maintain above a 3.5 at least (preferably higher) for med school and above a 3.0 to even qualify for MLS as a major. So hey, start studying now so Im not super far behind. Right?

Well brother let me fucking tell you

I had to watch a youtube video to remember how to do long division. I haven't been in a situation where I've had to write more than a paragraph of original thought outside of a youtube comment section (or reddit post in this case) in years, I'm balancing chemical equations after work out of fear for how cooked I may or may not be. Some of my friends from back home are already working on or done with their graduate degree and I'm studying fifth grade level shit here.

People generally recommend to look up your school's specific gen ed recquirements. I did exactly that, WSU has this thing called UCORE? I'm reaching out to the school for more direct questions in regards to that, but for the sake of mentioning it, their website course descriptions are really vague and generally unhelpful so still feel at a loss for specifically what I should be brushing up on right now. For example, class will be called quantitative reasoning, the description says student will learn how to solve equations using quantitative reasoning and interpret data from charts, feels like that could be anything from Algebra to statistics.

I have about one year, how would you use it?

TL;DR

What are the best steps to take to ready myself for the transition of full time labor to full time student? Am I working myself up over nothing? Any advice is welcome. Best regards.

​

I have been looking into various STEM undergrad degrees over the past year and wana get into something engineering or related to my current course (airplane mechanic).

What i found out was that 99% of the courses have maths (advance calculus)/physics and more in the syllabus.

My issue is i havent touched up on these topics since i got out of school about 7 years ago and i really doubt my ability to just show up to uni and start taking in all the info they'll provide with no problems.

I did read that in the USA they have some sort of remedial classes or so which help you catchup but in canada thats not the case hence im here seeking for ideas or paths as to what can i do.

I need some honest outside perspectives. I’m currently a year and two semesters away from graduating with a bachelor's in marketing. It's not something I really want to do anymore, but I’ve sunk so much time and money into it that I do plan to finish the degree first.

But I keep thinking about what would actually make me happy long-term. Outside of performing, the only answer is being a veterinarian. It was my dream from childhood through college, and I only stepped away because I found a passion for entertainment.

The thing is, entertainment is just too volatile. Even when you think you have guaranteed work, you don't. I signed a contract that should have had me performing for three years straight, and they ended up closing the show before one year was even up. I don't want to keep bouncing between serving and retail jobs forever when things fall through.

I'm in my early 30s, and I'm questioning if it's a smart idea to finish this degree and then essentially start over from scratch to go to vet school. I don't care about the time or money, and I still volunteer and do the hard labor with animals. What are your thoughts? Is it crazy to start over now?

Please be kind.

Hey y'all, I graduated high school in 2019 and after some major life delays and the pandemic throwing everything off, I am finally starting at a community college in Texas at 25 (hopefully).

Tbh, I am terrified. I struggle a lot with my mental health and have severe math anxiety lol.

Just thinking about the online TSI test (required in TX) and getting placed into remedial/co-req classes completely overwhelms me.

Are there any other mid-20s students here who started later or deal with similar anxiety? I'd really appreciate hearing about how your experience has been or getting any advice on how to handle the math support classes. Any advice or input is greatly appreciated!

Thanks for reading :)

I graduated at age 32 with 3 associates degrees after going to 2 community colleges on & off for 14 years.