There Will Be Many Other Students At Around Your Age
It is not uncommon for people to work straight out of high school and then to start college a few years later. It is also at around the age of 26 that many military personnel start college.
Both of these factors mean that it is likely that there will be many other students at around the same age as you. It also means that 26 is not too old for people to be able to benefit from going back to college.
Tips For Going Back To College At 40
Now that we know why folks choose to go back to school, lets discuss how they make it work. Remember, this decision will affect your social, personal and professional life. Navigating that kind of impact requires both planning and research. Listed below are a few tips for how to survive the journey ahead.
Is It Too Late To Go To College At 26
If youre 26 and thinking of going to college then you might be wondering if 26 is too late to start college.
This post will show you a number of reasons that 26 is not too late to start college as well as some things that you might want to consider.
So, is 26 too late to start college? Going to college will give you more opportunities, you still have a long working life ahead of you and there will be many other students your age. All of these factors mean that going to college at 26 is not too late.
There are actually a number of reasons that 26 is not too late to go to college and there are a number of things that you might want to consider.
Recommended Reading: Is Grammarly Free For College Students
Your Maturity Will Help You
Everyone says college is difficult, and its true, but a 55-year-old has more wisdom and willpower than an 18-year-old. Youve had time to mature, which means youll spend less time procrastinating and partying and more time studying. Plus, your time is more valuable to you since you probably have a job and a family, so getting your homework done will be your top priority.
Youll also be able to bring new perspectives into the classroom, which are typically filled with 20-year-olds and sometimes a young professor. You can use your experiences to bring new ideas to the discussion that many in the room may not have considered before.
How Do I Know What Time Commitment Is Needed
Talk to others who have been through the program to get a sense of what to expect. Speaking with professors in the program can also be beneficial. Also, as an adult learner, you likely have a good sense of yourself and how you best operate. If youre a student who needs to be held accountable by others, talk with a professor or a classmate who might serve as your accountability buddy. This way, youre setting yourself up for success from the start. If youre a visual person who needs deadline cues, set up a calendar with important dates to keep you on track.
Recommended Reading: Can You Attend College While In The Air Force
Investing In Your Future
No matter how you slice it, a college degree brings in more money. Maybe thats not the motivator you need, but that truth remains constant. In this tumultuous, uncertain economy, its never a risky bet to protect your financial future.
The pay gap between those with and without a degree continues to grow each year. Its no mystery, then, why so many adults are returning to school. They want to be on the other side of that line.
Going Back To College After : The New Normal
By Laurie Quinn, Next Avenue Contributor
Now that college commencement season 2018 is in the books, it’s easy to picture an empty campus quad with ivy-clad buildings awaiting a new batch of eager young learners this fall. But many of this years graduates didnt fit this profile.
Take Mike, for example a student at Champlain College . He recently completed a bachelors degree in integrated studies and is in his early 60s. Mike had a successful 30-year tech career, despite having earlier ended college at an associate degree. When his employer, a multinational telecommunications company, announced new technology initiatives and began encouraging its workforce to upskill in key areas like cybersecurity, Mike realized he needed to finally get his bachelors degree to remain competitive. Taking advantage of his employers partnership with our schools online curriculum, he enrolled in his first cybersecurity course three years later, Mike graduated with a bachelors and an in-demand, up-to-date technology skill set.
Adult Learners: The Majority of Degree Seekers
You may be surprised to learn that adult students like Mike are now the majority of degree seekers in the U.S.
Also on Forbes:
Sometimes the joy of learning itself motivates an adult to enroll in college, but often theres a practical payoff, too. Even in your 50s or 60s, there can be a significant economic upside to earning, or completing, that college degree.
4 Reasons People 50+ Are Going Back to School
You May Like: Is Ashworth College Recognized By Employers
Be A Good Partner While Thriving In School
Compared with the traditional teenagers, far more middle-aged or older students are married. Being in college over 40 or 50 while balancing a marriage can be difficult, as Milligan knows firsthand.
“My wife sometimes has felt like I’m ignoring her or not taking care of my responsibilities as a husband and father,” says Milligan, who’s now 48 and went back to college after doing physical labor for 30 years and getting injured.
But it doesn’t have to be impossible, according to Griffith, who also went back to school as an older student while married.
“If you have a passive-aggressive mate, it’s going to be really hard to do this,” Griffith says. “They may give you guilt trips every time you go to school or work on a paper. You have to make sure your spouse really understands that this is important for you and in the long run makes you a better person and you need their support. It’s hard to do if you don’t have that.”
Be sure to keep communication lines open and strong, and keep your partner in the loop about when you may need extra support or anticipate being more occupied with your studies than usual. Regularly share your academic wins, too highlighting that personal success might help your significant other understand how important this educational journey is to you, whether you’re starting or completing a degree or taking this as a necessary step to change careers.
Other Students Wont Know Your Age
Another thing to consider is that people are often bad at judging other peoples ages. This means that it is unlikely that the younger students will be able to tell that you are older than them.
In addition to this, college is a place where students are meant to go to learn so it is unlikely that the other students will really care how old you are.
Recommended Reading: Florida National Guard Education Benefits
How Many Ways Can We Benefit From An Education
The reasons or motivation for returning to school differs with each person, yet life experiences or deep-seated desires fuel the majority.
There are many possible reasons that people over 35 seek an education later in life. For instance, people over 60 may describe their return to school as a way of being social, battling loneliness, and exercising their brain. Others in mid-life are tired of being unhappy with their career and decide to pursue their dreams.
To recap, the many benefits include:
- Challenging our ideas and beliefs, which allows us to grow.
Of course, the list doesn’t stop there, but its important to know that getting an education will have a positive impact on your life in one way or another.
It Is A Good Investment For Your Future
Gaining an education is a worthy investment toward your future career and personal goals. Many students choose to enroll in an educational program out of a desire to promote a more positive future. Often, this even trumps their desire to learn. Whatever the motivation behind the action, earning a degree is an excellent choice at all stages of life. Education is a great investment for the future. It enables an individual to be successful and opens doors that they might not be able to open on their own.
Recommended Reading: How To Get My Son Recruited For College Football
Degree: Masters In Nursing Management/leadership
Brenda Echols wanted to pursue her masters in nursing management/leadership with Western Governors University, a nonprofit online university designed for working adults. She was and still is the only person in her family with an advanced degree. Here’s what she had to say about her journey to a master’s degree as an older student.
“My biggest challenge was overcoming breast cancer while working on my degree. It almost took me out of school, but when I thought about it and talked it over, I decided to hold on and hold out as strong as I could.
“I believe others can do it, too, if they believe. It’s never too late to believe. Being a student helped me maintain my focus during my challenges. My dream sustained me along with family and friends. I never missed a beat.”
Mature Students Who Have Graduated From Wit Share How It Is Never Too Late To Return To Education And How College Can Be A Life
WIT welcomes students of all ages through its doors, and here a selection of students that have come through and graduated from full-time undergraduate CAO courses in recent years explain the impact that returning to education has had on their lives.
Browse more like these at www.wit.ie/studentstories.
Don’t Miss: What Is The Easiest College To Get Into In Virginia
You Probably Wont Be The The Only Person Your Age In Class
And thats not including the instructor. With so many non-traditional students attending classes, and so many intuitions where older students are the average, not the exception, its highly unlikely going back to school will leave you the only student in class who remembers a time before the internet. Putting off going back to school due to the fear of being singled out in class due to your age, it’s probably not realistic.
Are you ready to take the next step and earn your degree? ECPI University offers accelerated classes online as well as on campus. Find out if ECPI University is the next step for you by contacting a friendly admissions advisor today.
It could be the Best Decision You Ever Make!
DISCLAIMER ECPI University makes no claim, warranty, or guarantee as to actual employability or earning potential to current, past or future students or graduates of any educational program we offer. The ECPI University website is published for informational purposes only. Every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of information contained on the ECPI.edu domain however, no warranty of accuracy is made. No contractual rights, either expressed or implied, are created by its content.
For more information about ECPI University or any of our programs click here: or .
The Importance Of An Ongoing Education
The greatest reason for lifelong learning is our ever-changing world.
You’ll only offer your full potential if you remain up-to-date with current trends. Enrolling in a degree-seeking or non-matriculated program can also help you develop the skills you may wish you obtained at a younger age.
Returning to school is also a personal decision. Knowledge increases our self-confidence and gives us a sense of fulfilment. You don’t need to return for a full Bachelor or Master’s program simply completing, lets say, a photography course will do wonders for your mental and emotional wellbeing if that’s what you’ve always wanted to do.
Recommended Reading: Berkeley College Tuition Out Of State
Advantages Of Online Graduate Programs
My grad program was 100% online, yet I never felt more connected to my fellow students, says Bush. Because we werent able to connect in-person, I think it prompted us to really rely on each other for support, feedback, and encouragement and therefore built a strong rapport. We even formed a Facebook group to share best practices and feedback.
Often when you attend an online program youll also be introduced to more international students or students from other regions of the country. I met a wide array of students of different ages, backgrounds, and experience levels, and each had something to offer. You absorb so much by hearing each others perspectives and reading each others work.
In Bushs opinion, online programs are a good choice, depending on the student. The flexibility of an online program is very attractive, particularly if youre traveling for work or have other obligations that make commuting to class just too much. Some students, however, do need the in-person experience to learn and hold themselves accountable, so it really depends on how you learn best.
The Amount Of Time That You Will Have
Another thing to think about is the amount of time that you will have available to you to devote to studying and going to class.
While many people have successfully obtained a college degree while also working full time, it is not an easy thing to do. If you are thinking of working full-time while also getting the degree then there are some things that you might want to consider doing such as:
- Taking slightly fewer classes per semester than usual.
- Planning your entire degree out early on so that you are able to identify any potential problem areas and to spread out the more difficult classes.
- Use ratemyprofessors.com to get the most highly rated professors. Make sure to schedule classes early since the classes taught by the better professors will fill up fast.
- Ensure that you study throughout the semester so that you dont need to cram the information in at the last minute.
Read Also: Study.com Transfer Credits
Reasons Why Its Never Too Late To Get A Degree
Are you looking into getting a degree in a new field that will give you career-oriented education for employment?
Do you want to go back to school but feel youve passed the prime years of your life?
Its never too late to pursue or further your education. Getting a new degree can only open more doors for you. Earning an Associates Degree in Applied Sciences will give you career focused training in a specific area. For example, an AAS Degree in Business will offer training in career-focused coursework such as human resources, payroll, marketing, social media, and computerized accounting.
Below are five reasons why you should cast your fears aside and get a degree today.
Assess Your Current Position
- Is your goal a job promotion or are you seeking professional independence?
- Do you want to master a new hobby?
- What is the end game for six months, a year and 10 years from now?
First, you must ask yourself why you want an education. Pinpointing your desires and goals will simplify the process and help you choose the best program.
Then, take inventory of the skills that you currently possess and those that need to be further developed. Which are essential in achieving your goal?
Compiling a may help simplify the process by creating a visual tool that can be followed step-by-step.
You May Like: Universities With Rolling Admissions For Fall 2021
Sometimes Experience Can Make Up For A Lack Of A Degree
If you have already been working for a few years in the field that you want to be in then you might find that your experience is actually enough to land jobs requiring a college degree.
If you have been working in the field for a while then it might be worthwhile for you to interview for some positions that you think the degree would get you to see if your experience is actually enough for you.
I created and currently manage College Corner. I received a Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics from the University of Nevada Las Vegas. My goal is to help current students do better in college and to help future students plan for college. You can read more about me and my website here.
Is It Too Late To Go Back To School At 30
Its never too late to earn a degree. A college education is a smart investment and one that is not bound by age. Todays colleges and universities recognize an incredible opportunity to educate adult and returning students. A degree does not always have to be earned on a traditional track, and this reality has been a driving force in the wave of online and distance learning opportunities.
Many institutions have also built out robust night programs, as well as hybrid and blended courses, to allow students with complex schedules the chance to complete their degree.
Need more convincing?
Also Check: Does Cape Fear Community College Have Dorms
Plan Around Work And School Commitments
You can continue to work while going to school, if you approach it with a positive, but realistic, mindset. This can be an especially appealing aspect of earning a degree online, as the flexibility of these programs is often ideal for working adults. You might consider looking for schools in your area that allow part-time enrollment in degree programs or distance-learning.
If you do choose to take the working route, according to the University of Illinois at Chicago, you’re going to want to:
- Get organized with a calendar or planner
- Figure out how to deal with stress in a healthy way
- Make the most of campus resources that can help you
- Let loved ones know when you need privacy to study
And if you’re planning to change careers, working while you’re taking classes may also help you ease your transition.