Going Back to College

[Graffin]

I'm contemplating returning to college and would appreciate any advice anyone has on the situation (or any buttseckz comments).

I'm currently managing an EB games and working full time, the money is ok but I really hate all my customers and I know this isn't what I want to do for the rest of my life.

My younger brother just moved out of my parent's house. My mom said that if I wanted to move home and live rent free so I can go back to college it would be no problem. So my plan is to move home, get a shitty 20-hour-a-week part time job or something and finish my degree, I've got just over 2 years left for my bachelor's. Bills aren't really a problem because all I would have to pay is car insurance and a minimum payment on a credit card which has all my debt. I know I can get student loans so tuition is not going to be a problem either. After this year I can probably even get grants because I will have so little income.

I'm 26 years old and the thought of turning thirty without having done anything with my life is driving me insane.

So that's what I'm contemplating, but it just seems too simple. Is there anything I should consider that I'm forgetting? Any input would be appreciated. I'm pretty sold on the idea but still thinking it over.

:happycow:

[Graffin]

Weird, it's not showing up on the main page.

[LazyByNature]

Go for it man, you will probably be a better student since you are older and know what you DON'T want your life to be. Do it while you are single and without kids. Once that happens you'll never be able to go back.

Debt happens. Don't worry about student loans because you will make up the differnece in salary with a degree in a few short years.

[do_what_now?]

Well I hope I can give you some insight. I'm 21 have been in college since the age of 18 and am currently a Junior, I take just enough classes to get fulltime status which makes me eligible for loans, scholarships, etc. I also live at home rent-free and have a 20-hour a week parttime job.
The pluses: I like my job & its not too overbearing, I also get along with my parents, I'm gonig at my own pace.
The Minuses: I wish I was on my own, College takes too damn long.
All-in-all I'd do what I've done b/c like you've said, working at a shitty job making low pay the rest of my life just won't work.
Goodluck and keep on keepin' on.

[skept]

Originally Posted by LazyByNature

Go for it man, you will probably be a better student since you are older and know what you DON'T want your life to be. Do it while you are single and without kids. Once that happens you'll never be able to go back.

Debt happens. Don't worry about student loans because you will make up the differnece in salary with a degree in a few short years.

Fully agree I went straight from HS to uni and I'm in my final year now. I know I'd have worked harder at it if I took a year off because right now I'm alot more mature then when I just got out of HS.

Uni will give you the kick start in life that is needed to get you going in the right direction.

[zeppy]

I'd say go for it. Going to teh college will open many more doors for you than being a manager at a gaming store will. It seems you are already leaning towards the college route anyway seeing as you have it all planned out. All that remains is doing it.

And once you get back in to college, you can have lots of buttsechz!

[Graffin]

Originally Posted by zepfan2004

And once you get back in to college, you can have lots of buttsechz!

Sweet! A volunteer!

[Talen]

I believe that it's worth it, but only if you're committed to avoiding the 'college lifestyle' so that you can actually get out in a reasonable time. Being on the other side of the fence for a while now (turning 29), I can tell you that chances are your career will change and maybe even reflect something that your degree is not in! That being said, don't waste more money than you need to in order to finish.
Best,
Talen

[Wilken]

Go for it, and good luck. You're probably old enough to actually appreciate the 'learning' aspect of your courses - when all us youngsters went through, I remember having like 2 or 3 really cool courses that I actually enjoyed, and then sleeping through the rest of them.

That's the thing with getting older, you actually LIKE to learn shit. It's weird.

Best of luck!

[Weezer1982]

go for it!

[tgbl]

I see nothing wrong with any of it. If you feel like this is what you want to accomplish before turning thirty then make it happen! But on the otherhand, if you go back and really realize that you are unhappy there, then don't force yourself through school as it will just end up making you even more miserable than before (I know that one from personal experience). If I may ask, what is your BA going to be in? And, are you actually going to do something with it after school, or is all of this just to make yourself feel like you've hit some sort of milestone? That isn't meant to be a barb, just curious.

[Avatar]

I guess think about what you want to do? Since you'll be paying up the wazoo, you should at least think about what kind of a program you want to get into, what you want to study, what you want to do with the degree and whether it'd be worth the trouble to go on to Grad school after you graduate.

[tontor33]

Speaking as someone who is currently trying to finish their degree while working full time at a real job, if you have the opportunity to drop out of the rat race for a couple of years and knock out your degree, go for it. Trust me... trying to finish your degree after the fact sucks. The only thing that I would suggest is to try to limit the amount of debt that you take on while finishing up... try to pay for as much as you can out of pocket, or maybe make that part time job with a company that offers tuition assistance. Yeah the degree will pay for itself, but wouldn't you rather use that money that would be going for loans on a house, or an impractical sports car?

[papago]

commuter schools are the best options for people going back to college because they're usually cheaper and you don't have to be forced to spend all your time on campus, and getting sucked into that social scene, unless that's what you want. it'll be weird though with all those other students being younger than you

[shiiboi]

go for it. sound like there's nothing to lose- lots to gain.