college at 22?

Question

am 21 i'll be 22 in a couple of months i feel so lost i have been out of high school for almost 3 years i've done a year of city year and worked 2 years i am thinking about going to college but feel that i am too old to be starting college i sould be in my 3 or 4 year will it be weird because of my age will it be differant because of my age i also have felony for robbery and feel a degree would be a waste of time because i will be unable to get a good job with felony please help i feel so lost

Answer 1

I have no idea about felony.

I started a part-time university degree at age 26 and it took me... 11 years! I've since done 2 more.

Degrees (college or university) definitely make it easier to get a job.

You have a choice: felony record without a degree OR felony record + a degree. Things can't be worst with the degree. One suggestion, pick a program you might enjoy. The value of the degree, for an employer, is the fact that you are able to learn and to survive all that is needed to get the degree. The topic may be secondary.

(My first degree, the 11-year one, is in litterature and I've never worked in anything but applied science and math)

Go for it.

Answer 2

If you're interested in college and you think you would enjoy it, then you should go for it! 22 is not old at all. There are many, much older people that go back to school. Look at some different options for college. Some colleges are all youngsters, but some have an older more balanced crowd. Since your felony occurred while you were young, you WILL be able to put it behind you and get a good job if you want to. It will take time and you will have to do well. I mean, make sure you get good grades, work hard and treat people with respect. The advantage to being an older student and having been out in the working world is that you are much more likely to take your education seriously; to study hard and realize the value of your classes. You can start out easy by just taking one class or going part time so that you can get into the "student" mindset and develop some good study habits. Sometimes college is a lot more difficult than high school.

Answer 3

I'm a 22 year old college student and I am never the oldest person in my classes. The older people (typically) seem to take the classes more seriously and actually do better than the younger ones. So, NO you're not too old.

Now, as far as the felony, I honestly think a degree can only help you get past that blemish on your resume. It would help show that you've matured and that you are respecting yourself more now. I mean, sure, you could just accept a non-degree job doing physical labor or something. But, you only live once, so if you want a degree then don't let anything stop you.

Answer 4

You are NOT TOO old to go to school. I went back to school when I was 28. I went to a culinary school and earned an AOS degree within 2 years and am seriously considering completing a BA in hospitality management at the age of 31.

Any education you have will over the course of your life translate into more potential earnings.

I understand your reservation due to your past, but if you have the grades and drive to go to school, remember that that is in the past. Perhaps a vocational or technical training course might be a better option? It is not uncommon to see people over 45 in college class rooms these days as students, AGE IS NOT A FACTOR. 22 is a hard age to figure out exactly what you want to be and do for the rest of your life, but I can assure you that working on your education and striving to obtain goals will also put you in a better position to not repeat things that have happened in your past. (I mean that respectfully and sincerely.) Perhaps a tradeschool for carpentry or plumbing, etc, etc could be another avenue to explore.

Hope this helps and if you want to talk further, feel free to e-mail through here.

PS: I have had a "run-in" with the law in my past too, so I kinda relate to how you feel.

Answer 5

It's never too late to learn or take classes! And I highly suggest it. Don't worry about any weirdness because of your age - there will be plenty of students who will be your age taking classes (maybe not the same classes), but you're age wouldn't present such a wide gap that you couldn't still associate easily with some of the 1st and 2nd years. Don't be surprised, though, if you don't feel so compelled to hang out with them, you have different experiences (especially work and life experiences) that they won't have - chances are you'll be taking some of your classes much more seriously.

Speaking of experiences, you should consider your work experiences a positive. You might be surprised at how much you'll be able to offer in group discussions. A lot of the students (especially the younger ones) won't have the knowledge of working a regular 8-5, everyday kind of job. They won't necessarily know what it means to have to work with bosses breathing down your neck, or why it's important to learn to work with people you might not otherwise want to talk to.

Regarding your felony; a college degree could only help lessen the impact that might have with a potential employer. I don't know how that will affect future career choices, but your college degree can still help you advance. It's not always about the major, you'll be learning all kinds of skills like research, writing, analysis, and critical thinking.

Good luck!

Answer 6

For starters, 22 is NOT too old (not even remotely close) to begin college. In fact if you were to go to a community college you'd probably be one of the of youngest. I went to a comm college for a year and had lots of classmates in their 30's, 40's, 50's ... I worked in the bookstore there and helped a lady who was 78 find her books! I think even if you went to a state school you still wouldn't be old as there'd be plenty of students in their mid 20's at least.

As for the felony charge, that is a big deal but it does not necessarily prevent you from getting a job. Although you could probably never get a job working for the government, etc. you could still work for private companies, become self-employed, etc. Some small companies won't ever ask you if you've ever been arrested, you just submit a resume, they might call references but they won't do crim background checks. I think you need to do more research, perhaps talk to a career counselor at a college you are interested in attending? Search on the net for more in that area. I know certain companies, such as Wal-mart, do hire people with criminal records - it depends on how long ago, what it was for, how they've changed etc. You need to start gaining experience, one way is through volunteer work? Good luck!!!!!!