Graduating at a later age

[Anonymous]

When I was growing up (think fur pelts, woden clubs, and granite wheels...), the general consensus was: 1) graduate highschool, 2) go to college for a two year degree OR a four year degree, & 3) work the rest of your life in your chosen profession.

Well, I graduated highschool (check), I went to college on an art scolorship and got a two year degree in Cullinary Art (check), and I worked 22 years in the Food Service Industry...(check?)...

The last 6 years of that era of my life, I owned my own restaurant in one city, and a catering company and a B&B in another city. I was working (on average) ~ 16 hours a day/ 6 days a week. I was a workaholic and LOVED it!

However, after being diagnoised with RA, I realized that I wasn't physically capable of keeping up with the demanding schedule I had created for myself, so I sold my businesses and returned to college. This time following an educational career that simply appealed to me (rather than one that I thought would make me the most money the fastest way possible).

I will be 43 yrs old come September, and I am pretty sure that when I graduate (I have 2 semesters left), I will be the oldest person in my class to be graduating with a BS in Biology.

I have had some pretty negetive comments from all sorts of people (one Career Counseler actually told me he thought I was wasting my money going back to school at all at my age!), but I don't care in the least. I worked hard for all those years so that I could provide for my son from my first marriage (Check!) and now this is for ME. It wouldn't matter to me if I never work again a day in my life (like I said, I worked hard for 22 years, and to be honest, I never HAVE to work again of I don't want to), but come hell or high water--I WILL finish my degree.

So, to the OP: You are NEVER too old to better yourself via higher education and employers will appreciate that! Not in spite of the extra years it took you, but because you never gave up!
I say, Bravo!

Thank you very much for your advices and experiences guys Esp Beaux you are my role model =)
I feel motivated to do well and graduate with a good honours now. =)

[Jake]

I don't know if you have read some of my posts, but in many of them I'll provide bits of information about myself. So through my posts you may have gathered that I have three degrees; my first is a Bachelor of arts in Sociology (Historic concentration), BA Psychology (Behavioral studies), year Business Administration. And through the years I have also been doing few technique which one is in Human Biology and I have been doing my master in anthropology and should be completed next year.

Have you noticed I never mentioned my GED degree? Because I do not have one, I do not have a college degree either.

When I was younger school for me wasn't important at all, I hated math with a passion because I am not a quick calculator. Don't ask me 35+42 in a flash I need to do the calculation in my head. I was an average student from grade 1 up to grade 12. My best score was always Physical ED, Languages, Economy, History and Biology, in short what I always loved.

Homework? What the hell was this, I never did complete any of my homeworks, for me taking in consideration that I was spending 8 hours in class all day, all week was quite enough and I didn't want to hear anything about additional school work after class.

However, while I never got my GED, traveling with my dad and going to some overseas school did grant me equivalence and that's with that equivalence that I entered university I was 21 years old. Now let's see, at 21 I already had some certificates done from different, I did 3 years for sociology, 4 years of psychology and while doing psychology I was at another university doing my 3 years in Business management, so I got my first graduation from university at age 24, at age 28 and 29 I finished Psychology and Business Management. Took a long break from age 29 to age 35 and applied for my Masters degree in anthropology. I'm expected to be completed at age 39. And you believe that I am done? NO I am going for my doctorate, but because I already have degrees, I am in no rush to have it complete.

Now you want the best of all that? You notice that I have been mostly studying in Social sciences if we set aside my degree in Business Management, all my degrees are in social science. With all of them I have an equivalent of a PHd in social science. But what's my job. What do I do for a living? Because I was mostly in school, I worked as Customer service for many companies, From customer service I moved to the more technical world, I became a technical analyst, in the mean time while being in school, raising my child and doing my best to stay on float, I became a Technical Engineer, I am a technical generalist, I work with Voice Over IP, POTS (plain old telephony system), I've learned networking, web design, I can configure a cisco routers, ASA firewall, and many other security device and did I ever went to school for it? NO

What ever you do in life, just know that it is not set in stone. having a degree at age 27 or 80 fulfill the very same goal; gaining knowledge and right beside MONEY, KNOWLEDGE IS POWER.

So what your friends got their degrees before you, having a degree nowadays doesn't guarantee you a job either. When you had your depression you decided to focus on you and take a break, I have known people whom went from high school to doctorate, they are very knowledgeable, very dedicated to their work, but they have no idea who they are, the only thing that defines them is the title they bear.

Dude you did it, you're getting your degree, ins't it the most important?