Going Back To School…At My Age!

Have you had a dream about something you always wanted to do, something that you feel is of great importance for the present or the future? Or even putting a dream on hold until the right time and that time is now? Perhaps a new dream popped up in your head and you decided to pursue it, even though you knew it was a challenge, yet you wanted to “go for it?”

There comes a time in your life you may ponder who you are, what to do, what purpose you may serve if any, how to start something new, like going back to school at a not-so-young age. Being a stay-at-home mom was a blessing, and especially the ability and frustration of homeschooling my 3 children. But they are grown and conducting good lives without mom in the way, so now I beg the question:

What can I do the rest of my life?

I am not retired yet, and feel like I can give a lot to the world today, so why not start something new and fresh? I worked in a school as a teacher assistant for a while, and work camped while we traveled, but now it is time to pursue something else, something with a different meaning for me, a place where I am wanted and needed, a feeling of belonging somewhere else other than home.

Then I thought, how about if I go back to school??

It is hard to find on-the-job training (and personally, I love training), so going back to school to update my skillset was my ticket to a new life at a new job in the future.

Have you tried something new, like going back to school or something else? How was it? Do you think you made the right choice?

I signed up with some trepidation, or fear, as I have not been to school in a LONG time. It is a local community college that I can do online, which has its pros and cons. But that “age” thing came up in my mind: Am I too old to go back to school? Will I be able to handle the classes? Will I succeed? Will I fail? These were all in my mind, but they were kept tucked away and would pop out whenever I had a doubting or a worrisome thought.

I will be honest with you and say, YES, it has been a challenge. I have to really focus on the material, remember the material and think if the material would help me in the future. It is different learning something new when you are somewhere in the middle, not a young “whippersnapper.” Does anyone use that word anymore? To retain what you are learning takes time and a LOT of patience. But I am hopeful it will pay off in the long, besides taking money out of my pocket for classes and books.

So, if you decide to make a career change, go back to school or even retire early, share with us how you did it and if you are happy with that decision!