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Did anybody here finish college at a later age?

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WantToHaveALife
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25 Aug 2014, 1:38 pm

like did anybody here not get a college degree, like an associates or bachelor's until like their late 20's or even 30's and beyond? because i'm 26 and I don't have a college degree, just a high school diploma.

I will admit I have been feeling depressed and regretful about this, it didn't really start to hit me until almost a year ago, I feel I should have accomplished more academically being my age and I should be financially stable by now, be in my career-job now, be well-established, instead i'm working at a grocery store making minimum-wage, well I did get a little raise since the minimum-wage in California went up a little bit, i'm making $9.10 an hour now, and I started going back to community college last week, I will admit, I have been going to community college since I finished high school, but I've been going to it on and off, for a while didn't take it seriously, lacked ambition, in fact I still kinda do but i'm trying to motivate myself to take it more seriously, but ya I feel kinda behind many other people, it's hard for me to not compare myself to others, anyway, any people here did not finish college until a later age?



katiesBoyfriend
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25 Aug 2014, 1:54 pm

WantToHaveALife wrote:
like did anybody here not get a college degree, like an associates or bachelor's until like their late 20's or even 30's and beyond? because i'm 26 and I don't have a college degree, just a high school diploma.

I will admit I have been feeling depressed and regretful about this, it didn't really start to hit me until almost a year ago, I feel I should have accomplished more academically being my age and I should be financially stable by now, be in my career-job now, be well-established, instead i'm working at a grocery store making minimum-wage, well I did get a little raise since the minimum-wage in California went up a little bit, i'm making $9.10 an hour now, and I started going back to community college last week, I will admit, I have been going to community college since I finished high school, but I've been going to it on and off, for a while didn't take it seriously, lacked ambition, in fact I still kinda do but i'm trying to motivate myself to take it more seriously, but ya I feel kinda behind many other people, it's hard for me to not compare myself to others, anyway, any people here did not finish college until a later age?

I always intended on getting a Ph. D. when I started university right out of high school. It didn't work out that way.

I finished my B. Sc. when I was 21 and quickly made plans for grad studies. A combination of working for a living and unemployment after I finished my first master's degree, however, pushed off my educational objective by several years.

Meanwhile, my research interests changed and I went back for a second master's in my late 30s, switching disciplines to do so. It took me a while to get used to being a student again but I soon got back into my old routine. I started on my Ph. D. 20 years ago and finished it when I was 45. Had I studied all the way through without taking a break, I might have been done when I was in my late 20s or early 30s.



WantToHaveALife
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25 Aug 2014, 2:03 pm

katiesBoyfriend wrote:
WantToHaveALife wrote:
like did anybody here not get a college degree, like an associates or bachelor's until like their late 20's or even 30's and beyond? because i'm 26 and I don't have a college degree, just a high school diploma.

I will admit I have been feeling depressed and regretful about this, it didn't really start to hit me until almost a year ago, I feel I should have accomplished more academically being my age and I should be financially stable by now, be in my career-job now, be well-established, instead i'm working at a grocery store making minimum-wage, well I did get a little raise since the minimum-wage in California went up a little bit, i'm making $9.10 an hour now, and I started going back to community college last week, I will admit, I have been going to community college since I finished high school, but I've been going to it on and off, for a while didn't take it seriously, lacked ambition, in fact I still kinda do but i'm trying to motivate myself to take it more seriously, but ya I feel kinda behind many other people, it's hard for me to not compare myself to others, anyway, any people here did not finish college until a later age?

I always intended on getting a Ph. D. when I started university right out of high school. It didn't work out that way.

I finished my B. Sc. when I was 21 and quickly made plans for grad studies. A combination of working for a living and unemployment after I finished my first master's degree, however, pushed off my educational objective by several years.

Meanwhile, my research interests changed and I went back for a second master's in my late 30s, switching disciplines to do so. It took me a while to get used to being a student again but I soon got back into my old routine. I started on my Ph. D. 20 years ago and finished it when I was 45. Had I studied all the way through without taking a break, I might have been done when I was in my late 20s or early 30s.


ya well with me I only have a high school diploma being age 26, that's all



kraftiekortie
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25 Aug 2014, 2:11 pm

I got my BA in English and Speech Pathology, Magna cum laude, in 2006, at age 45.



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25 Aug 2014, 3:22 pm

I got an AA degree at 22, and my B.S. - at age 30.



WantToHaveALife
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25 Aug 2014, 3:33 pm

alpineglow wrote:
I got an AA degree at 22, and my B.S. - at age 30.


interesting to hear



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25 Aug 2014, 3:51 pm

WantToHaveALife wrote:
alpineglow wrote:
I got an AA degree at 22, and my B.S. - at age 30.


interesting to hear

I got my A.A.S. at 22 and my B.S. at 31 (barely, as it was pretty close to 23 and 32 for both of them).

During my A.S., half the students in my program were my age, but, the rest were older. During my B.S., I was one of the younger ones there in just about every class.

During my B.S. one of my fellow students was actually the mother of some guys I went to high school with.
Two of my coworkers started right after me and are due to finish up soon, they're 15 and 18 years older than me.
They'll probably graduate from college at the same time that their kids do.

Trust me, if you go back to school (at least night classes), you won't be considered old by anyone's standards.



WantToHaveALife
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25 Aug 2014, 4:06 pm

MissDorkness wrote:
WantToHaveALife wrote:
alpineglow wrote:
I got an AA degree at 22, and my B.S. - at age 30.


interesting to hear

I got my A.A.S. at 22 and my B.S. at 31 (barely, as it was pretty close to 23 and 32 for both of them).

During my A.S., half the students in my program were my age, but, the rest were older. During my B.S., I was one of the younger ones there in just about every class.

During my B.S. one of my fellow students was actually the mother of some guys I went to high school with.
Two of my coworkers started right after me and are due to finish up soon, they're 15 and 18 years older than me.
They'll probably graduate from college at the same time that their kids do.

Trust me, if you go back to school (at least night classes), you won't be considered old by anyone's standards.


well that's starting to make me feel somewhat better :)



kraftiekortie
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25 Aug 2014, 5:25 pm

When the US Census compiles figures pertaining to degree attainment, they always assess for people who are"Age 25 or above."

THEY don't assume that everybody gets their bachelor's at the "usual age," which is assumed to be 21-22.



WantToHaveALife
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25 Aug 2014, 5:52 pm

kraftiekortie wrote:
When the US Census compiles figures pertaining to degree attainment, they always assess for people who are"Age 25 or above."

THEY don't assume that everybody gets their bachelor's at the "usual age," which is assumed to be 21-22.


and I believe less than 50 percent of the entire U.S. Population has a bachelor's degree right?



kraftiekortie
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25 Aug 2014, 6:05 pm

Probably closer to 25-30 percent for the US as a whole.



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25 Aug 2014, 7:33 pm

OP,

Don't feel bad. I'm 44 and I'm still about 30hrs away....


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WantToHaveALife
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25 Aug 2014, 8:19 pm

interesting on the 25 to 30 percent part



adomka
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25 Aug 2014, 8:40 pm

Im going to end up getting my A.A this fall at 23. Ill then go to an online school to get a BS in Industrial Design.

I didn't really know what to do after highschool. I originally went for engineering but struggled with calc II and I hit a hard depression stage mid way through taking it longer to complete a A.A the usual.



kraftiekortie
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26 Aug 2014, 9:21 am

You have all the time in the world. 23's not a bad age to receive an AA. That mean you'll definitely receive your bachelor's before age 30.

I didn't receive mine until age 45.



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27 Aug 2014, 8:14 pm

nice to know