Going back to School

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OK, this is something I've been seriously thinking about for a while. I dropped out of college 2 years ago and now work as a dietary assistant. It's a dead end job and I don't have the know how to increase my income. I still live with my dad and that's helped out a lot. I've been thinking about going back to school but it's been a while. I have money saved over but not enough. I also know from experience how hard it can be espeacially while having to work full time. Does anyone else have this problem or can identify? I'm just wondering if I should just pursue this. I'm also rusty right now, and wonder if this would be a financial waste. I just don't see a very good future right now.

As for paying for college, you can always apply for financial aid.

I got an Associate's degree when I was 23, then I went back to school full-time just 6 months ago at age 27.

You are definitely not alone in this regard. And it would absolutely not be a financial waste.

I receive social security since I'm autistic and have used it mostly to pay for my college. I'm about a year from finishing my Bachelor's although I really don't know if I'll amount to anything afterward...

I too dropped out of school, with only a few credits needed to get me through. A few years later, I tried going back, and it was really tough because of the stress of going to classes and meeting new people and teachers. I also felt, to me , that I had lost the ability to really concentrate and study well. I got easily distracted, I didn't connect with the subject matter, etc. If I ever go back, I will get tutors and [ossibly take one of those college study courses that freshmen take just to get myself back on track.

I think the first thing you should do is to go to the school's advisors.
They can arrange testing for you to see where you place at and which classes (the general ed ones) you need or need to repeat.

Do you know what you would major in if you went back to school?

I'm 47 and I've been trying to complete a degree in SOMETHING since around 1990!

I'm finally on track to reaching a 2-year degree.
I've had to learn to deal with my ADD/HD, which wasn't easy and because of that I wasted a lot of time and money dropping out of classes halfway through the semester or just not finishing.

I keep in contact with my professors and I find that helps. I don't use my ADD/HD as a crutch, but it is something I acknowledge that makes it a bit more difficult for me to get through a semster.

You've got some issues you're already dealing with besides work and possible school... I hope you can swing the school though because you are right that it can help you move on and up in the workforce.

If your listed age is correct... you've got time to get through schooling and still have a good career.

Check into it.

I don't have this same problem but...I guess I have some things to mention...

You're old enough that you can probably qualify as "independent" for the purposes of financial aid. Depending on where you go, it may be possible to cover the cost of everything with grants and loans (if they offer work-study, you can talk to them and tell them you already work full time. sometimes they can be cooperative)

Sometimes, also, you don't have to go to school full time or with as heavy a course load. This is something you can to talk with the advisors about.

It's probably worth going for it. School can help you solidify in your mind what you want to do and how to get there. When in doubt about where your life is going, school is probably a good choice

But at the same time double-check and think about the reasons you left in the first place. Maybe the school you went to wasn't quite right for you and maybe you should consider transferring someplace else. Or maybe the major you had chosen originally wasn't quite right for you, etc.

I've recently gone back to university after a 5 year lay off.

I found it wierd at first getting "back into the swing of things," but it picks back up. Once the whole adjustment phase of reoganising my routines was out of the way I fell into it pretty well. Just remember to adjust for whatever difficulties you know you'll face (AS stuff, and normal stuff as well) and work on adjusting.

oh.. and good luck for the rest of your course. I hope you do well.

Yes, I think its a good idea since you live with your Dad, but if your fine there don't try to move and don't try to juggle too many things at once.