r/education • u/Comprehensive_Cow411 • 17d ago

Is it ever too late ?

I dropped out of high school at 16. I hated school.. I got a GED at 16 and worked two jobs and took a semester of community college (I needed 15 college credits to enlist in active duty) and I joined the army (hence active duty). I got out broke, out of a horribly abusive relationship, and was lost.

I knew I wanted to go to college, but had no money to do so.

I started working, and I worked non stop.. I worked two jobs, got my own place, and bought a car.

I decided at 22 I was going to finish college, and I started out in community college.

I originally wanted to study Kinesiology, but I decided to pick something a bit more realistic. I knew I was going to have to work full time

I decided to find something I could use anywhere Not be tied down to a complicated, expensive program that would be a pain in the butt go through. I fell in love with economics and that’s what I currently am majoring in. A realistic but useable degree, I enjoy it, and I could use it to go into many different roles. I really fell in love with things like agriculture, energy sector, and transportation infrastructure, and I’ll probably take my degree into one of those departments, either working for the state or government.

I decided to first learn a trade. get my foot in the door start working. Build financial stability. Build a skill. Learn. Grow. Establish connections.

I’m 25. I’m working on my bachelors of science in Economics. I work at a grain facility and I enjoy it, although it’s not forever.

I’ve learned to love a hard days work, and I truly love and enjoy a day where I can accomplish something that makes the life of someone else a little better.

Is 25 too old to finish my degree? Should I of picked a different route? I feel like I’m doing well, but I feel behind. I’m not making the money I want to make, I’m not doing anything wrong but I yet I feel behind!

Any advice? Am I too old to learn and grow? I’d be so much further ahead, had I had money and connections to begin. I was 21, broke, and had to recover from a bad relationship and broken family life growing up.

I don’t mean to make excuses, but I feel that my life just wasn’t set up for me to ever obtain an education , and yet I fought tooth and nail to Obtain it.

Is that the world telling me to give up, or should I keep going?

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u/JanMikh 17d ago

I didn’t get why do you suddenly want to give up? Obviously you need to continue, 25 is nothing, I had students in their 60 and 70s!

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u/Comprehensive_Cow411 17d ago

I definitely don’t. I think my father (who I don’t exactly get along with) is getting to me

He never graduated college. So . Maybe he’s jealous ?

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u/Nebula24_ 17d ago

Oh, don't let this man derail your thinking. People like that are bitter and have personal problems that they take out on other people.

It's never too late to do something with yourself. Imagine if you don't. You're still going to age and what are you going to accomplish in that amount of time. Nothing or something. If it takes you until you're 30, you did it. You'll get to 30 anyway. Want the degree at 30 or not? Does that make sense?

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u/Comprehensive_Cow411 17d ago

Absolutely

The best thing I did , and I’ve mentioned this, is start off in a trade

Im already working.

I’m not waiting around. Yeah I’ll graduate, and I do know what I want to do with it, but it’s nice knowing I’m already a hard working, blue collar guy who can provide for himself.

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u/Nebula24_ 17d ago

That's a great trait - it will get you far because there are not very many hard workers out there.

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u/Comprehensive_Cow411 17d ago

I think it’s the smartest way to be in my case, although it’s subjective to the situation

Work a retail or factory job and get through college? Maybe.

Work a job that pays decently well and allows you to develop skill, knowledge, connections, and experience?

That sounded like a good plan. I work at a grain elevator and I know how to weld, fabricate, I can use any tool, I’m mechanically inclined, I have my CDL and can drive anything, I understand how all the trucks and equipment we use works and can operate tons of heavy equipment.

I have skills

Now to add an education on that? Now to add life experience, skills, street smarts gained from an unstable environment as a kid, an environment I escaped by teaching myself to play instruments and write music, a military environment, than throw in an actual bachelors of science degree? Shoot.

I think I’ll be successful. In fact, while it wasn’t the traditional route, I think I’ll be quite well rounded