After having several WTF am I doing with my life moments in the past few months I've decided it's time to finish my education so that I can get a job worth a damn. "But Skwi, you work at a motorcycle shop, how much cooler could it get?" It could be cooler if I actually worked with motorcycles. I don't. I'm stuck at the counter, working with the public. And as cool as working on motorcycles is, working with the public is soul-draining and depressing. I have become a worse person after having to do it so long. And the way our small business is there's really no chance of moving to a different position and making the business work. I'm the best person for what I'm doing even though I hate it so intensely. I went to college (Auburn University) after high school but decided partying was way more fun than going to class and dropped out after one year. I've been working ever since and at first didn't feel the need to finish anything since the auto/moto industry in my area is pretty closely knit and I figured I'd have a chance to move up and around to whatever I needed. Now I realize that I just can't deal with the customer service side of the repair industry and it's time to try something new. I can't quit, because bills, but I've been accepted at a community college and hope to start taking online and night classes in the spring. I'm looking at doing my general ed requirements there then transferring to University of Tennessee to get a degree in computer engineering. My wife is a UTK employee so I get half off tuition both there and the state community college I'll be starting at. I'm rambling because the prospect of being a 31 year old undergrad makes me more than a little nervous. I'm going to have to brush up on high school stuff that I haven't had any cause to use or remember in the past 12 years. I know it's going to take many years before this pays off but hopefully I can get back in the swing and be motivated enough by my hatred of people to handle heavier class loads after the first couple semesters and get it done. Also, I haven't told my dad yet (the owner of the shop I work at) because I'm afraid when I leave he may not be able to keep the place going. I don't want to hurt him or see his dream fail but I also need to be able to make myself happy and be able to better support my family when my wife and I decide to expand. Anywho, sorry for the rambling stream of consciousness but I just needed to get this off my chest and I'm not ready to let the family (other than wife) know yet. tl ; dr - omg how do i college
Don't worry about your age. I was never the oldest in any of my classes, and I was 27 and a junior. Good luck to you!
Power to you for taking the initiative. Community colleges, at least in my area, have a large percentage of non-traditional students. Plus institutional fees are much more reasonable. If this brings any comfort, I think you're going about it the right way. Best to you.
Yeah, don't worry too much about the age thing. When I went to college I was one of the youngest, as in fresh outta high school. Oldest in my class was 42, and average age was 32/33. Hell, some of the students were older than the professors!
You know what this means right? I can't speak for the rest of the Skjaldborg, but I'll fucking fly out when you graduate. We will throw a glorious feast that will make the Drunken Lord swell with pride and weep into his mead-soaked beard.
Thanks for encouraging words everybody! I'm hoping there are enough transfer credits on my Auburn transcript that I won't have to take any entrance testing. I got an ACT study guide just in case. I need to go through it anyway just to see what all I've forgotten.
I am curious to know what you want to ultimately do? Why computer engineering? Good on you for getting back on the horse.
I haven't really nailed down a certain career path yet. I like the idea of computer engineering because it deals more with the hardware and integration side of computers rather than just programming and software even though it incorporates those as well. I like working with my hands and the hardware side of things has always drawn me more then software. I'm way behind the curve in both aspects right now but I believe I can get caught up to current tech with the right education and experience in sampling what's out there. Robotics and biomechanical type stuff is really fascinating but also intimidating to me right now. Maybe as I get more into this pathway I'll look more into those fields as well.
I second trev's post, I'll come down if I'm financially well off enough to do it. I'll come down so you can watch in amazement as I play with my nipples, like I'm doing now.
Good luck on your pursuit Skwi. If you are interested, here is some info on DIY electronics: http://lifehacker.com/5975190/how-to-get-started-with-diy-electronics-projects http://makezine.com/category/electronics/arduino/ Definitely check out Make magazine, all they do is DIY small electronics like Arduino and RasberryPi.
A few things to know about with going back to college as a older person, as I went back after the marines at 24. Personally you will get more respect from the professor then with the just out of high school kids. This is because of the general stupidity you will see from the younglings. You will be seen as someone with more personal responsibility. You will hear some very far off random excuses from these wankers just out of high school. You will most likely laugh out loud while the professor is smacking there face. You will be partnered with some of these hacks that think they don't need to pull there wait in a group project and deserves an A for doing no work at all. I've personally thrown them out of the group the day of presentation. They get super butthurt and silly defensive of there laziness. Professors try to protect them sometimes but still fuck them, there lazy shits that deserve nothing for putting nothing in. Your going into computer engineering/ science so I hope you love math. Start going over algebra, calculus, and what not. Just to refresh yourself. Same with English grammar which has been the hardest for me because I've been studying Japanese for sometime now. Lastly most of your classes will be common sense based later on. You have to get through a lot of the general education stuff but once that's gone it gets more interesting and less idiots because they done dropped out by then. No offense. Edited for grammar and wording
You should go into robotics and biomechanics. That way you can build us robot hookers for the graduation party!
Hey Skwi. I can relate to this as I am a 30 year old undergrad myself. I have found, having worked in the real world, that school is much, much easier now than it was when I was fresh out of high school. Community College is a great way to get a 2-year degree than you can transfer to a 4-year university to finish up your bachelors (that's what I'm doing/have done right now). I honestly think you'll get more out of higher education at this point in your life than you would have earlier, because you will be able to approach the material and coursework with a greater sense of responsibility and maturity than previously (that's been my experience anyway). I echo Hollister is saying you should brush up on algebra, trig and calculus. Get a "for dummies" book on those subjects and just get yourself up to speed. Also, make sure to take courses that are outside of your specialty, maybe pick up a minor in another field of study (haha, Sheo said "pick up a minor", shut up). Again, that's what I've done and it's definitely worth it. Good luck and feel free to ask me advice and such. I'm good at papers and writing in general for academia, and I'd be more than happy to help you/proofread with any papers you have to write.
I will check those out gihzmo, thanks. I actually dabble a bit in musical instrument and amp repair so that will tie in and help with that very nicely. I was always better at math and science than english subjects but I definitely know that I'll need to refresh my memory on all those high maths that I never had to use after school. I do much better when there is a definite right/wrong answer as opposed to trying to interpret some author's hidden bullshit. Hm, if I wasn't married..........
most of those young chicks are dumb as hell. Talking to them is akin to putting needles in my eyes because of how they talk and just utter stupidity that's like a vomit of ignorance and fucking idiocy. But sine there so stupid though they just open there legs to just about anyone who may have money and looks most of the time. Just don't tell them your age, getting called a dinosaur when your only 8 years older than them is rather funny imo.
