I'm 21yrs old. Is it too late to go back to school?

Question

I went to a good university my freshman year but I totally slacked off. I've been out of school for almost 2 years and I feel as if I am waaaay behind now and it is too late :0( I really want to earn a degree.
Is there anyone out there who took a couple of years off college but still managed to return and achieve that goal???

Answer 1

While I didn't take time off from college, I work at one. From my observations and statistics, you are the prime student to succeed in college. You know now the value of an education and will appreciate it more, thereby retaining and understanding the information better. Go for it!

Answer 2

No! It is never too late to go back for more education.

I went back after a four year break, I was married had a three year old, and a new born (three months olds). It was the single best thing I have ever done for myself.

Going back after having some "real life" experience gave me a different perspective than I had prior. I saw things differently, valued my education and didn't take for granted the opportunity I had undertaken. Being an older student (and I was not the oldest by far...was 28) was without a doubt a positive. I got to know my professors, they respected my opinion and thought process, I could apply "real life" scenarios to problems...and I knew why I was there...it wasn't to have a social life first and an education much farther down the line.

I am proud to say, I graduated with a 3.9 (got one A-)! The ironic thing was, when I walked down the aisle to receive my hard earn diploma it was actually anti-climatic. I realized I had grown so much as a person over the two years of being in school, gaining self-confidence, having more trust in my intelligence (lacked because I am dyslexic and struggled through school my entire life) and discovering I could proudly discuss my thoughts and opinions.

Since I graduated, I have been at home with my two sons. My oldest is starting Kindergarten and my youngest is starting Pre-k this fall...and me? Well, I am going to start my Graduate School this fall...after a year and half break and the age of 32!

You will do great! You will not be the oldest person...not even close...as a matter of fact; you may even be the median age. There will be a lot of 21 year olds who are starting school after serving time in our military and/or reserves.

Bottom line, this will only better you, so how can you not?

GO for it! Hold your head up high! Be proud of yourself for going against the grain, doing the hard work and realizing the rewards.

~ Opportunities are usually disguised as hard work, so most people don't recognize them.

Good Luck and Many Smiles!
Mis

Answer 3

Did you hear about the woman who just recently received her degree from Harvard at age 65?
Don't worry about the kind of student you were when you weren't doing so well. Make a change to do it right this time. Take your education seriously, this is something that you do for yourself and no one can ever take it away once you've obtained it. Once you get back in to school, I'm sure you'll find that you are not the only non traditional student. I felt the same way you did when I started back to school at age 30. But now I am in the company of friends...many of them much older than I am.
Trust me, this will be a decision you will never regret...just do it! Good Luck!

Answer 4

It's never too late to go back to school. Ask yourself, "Where will I be in 5 years if I don't go back to school?" The answer is, "I'll be 5 years older and still not have a degree." I returned to school at age 31 to receive a law degree, which I finished at age 33. Sure, a lot of the students were younger than I was, but I brought a perspective that they didn't have--which I felt was an advantage. I have never been sorry I took that step. So, go back to school, recognize that you have some additional experiences that other students don't, and use the perspective of those experiences to your advantage.

Answer 5

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RE:
I'm 21yrs old. Is it too late to go back to school?
I went to a good university my freshman year but I totally slacked off. I've been out of school for almost 2 years and I feel as if I am waaaay behind now and it is too late :0( I really want to earn a degree.
Is there anyone out there who took a couple of years off college but still managed...

Answer 6

It is never too late to return to school.

The two years that you've been out of school have likely benefited you in ways that will pay off once you're back at the university.

Like you, I went to college right out of high school. I was an okay student, but didn't have a clue about a degree path. After working for a couple of years, I had a clearer picture about what I wanted to do. And when I enrolled in school again, I found that I was a much better student.

Answer 7

It's never to late to return to school, whether you're 21, 41 or 51. If it took you another four years to get your degree, just remember that those four years will come and go whether you're in school or not. Four years from now, you could either have your degree or be in the same spot you're in now.

I know people who have taken time off from school. The hardest part is going back. I know some people who decided not to go back and years later, they regretted it. They have families and it makes it even harder. They also realized that without a degree they are hampered when it comes to job opportunities.

I think if you want to get a degree, then do it! No time like the present. Collect and fill out those college applications. Once you get the ball rolling, it'll be easier for you to achieve your goals.

Good luck - I know you can do it! :)

Answer 8

I think 21 is a good age to start school. You're in your early twenties, by the time your get out you'll be in your mid to late 20's. If you took a two year degree school you'd get done by at least 24 and that's if you were to slack off! If you however, want the UNiversity deal, then you'll be done by at least 25 or 26, but I tell ya it's worth it! If you have the desire and commitment to finish what you start that is.

Answer 9

I know numerous people who have gone back to school up until their 60s. Most people in college are your age right now anyway, so I'm not sure why you'd feel insecure. I started college when I was 16, took some time off because I didn't know what I wanted to do, and graduated 6 years later. I was 22 when I graduated from college, but the average age of my class was closer to 30. I highly suggest doing it now, because, as with anything else, it always gets harder to go back the longer you are away. If you're uncomfortable, start with community college and go to a four year school after.

Answer 10

It's never too late to learn. The sooner you get back into the swing of things, the better you'll feel about yourself. Picture yourself ten years from now. If you don't even try, you will regret not knowing how well you could have done, what you could have achieved., and you can't ever get those years back. Besides, knowledge is power. Learning is actually fun. And the saddest words, "What might have been."

Answer 11

It not too late for you. I went back to school when I was 28 yrs old after working at different jobs so I could save enough money to go back full time. After I graduated I was recruited to work in the banking business in which I have been ever since. When you go back remember one thing; work smart not just hard. Find out what your professor want you to get out of the class. It is much easier easier to find out from him or her what they expect you to learn. Until I grasped that concept studying was much harder. This lesson also applies to the working world. Good luck and don't give up; nobody can take that degree from you.