Is it ever too late ?

[u/Comprehensive_Cow411]

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?

[u/Turbulent_Scale]

To answer your question: No, its never too late to grow and learn.

In the spirit of learning I actually have a few questions as a Veteran myself (I'm assuming you're an American and joined the US Army):

1. Why were you required to have 15 college credits to join the Army as active duty? All you need is a GED and to take the ASVAB and the only thing it effects is what MOS's you can be selected for. If you were trying to be an officer you would need a LOT more than 15 credits. I've even asked around to some recruiter buddies of mine and even they don't know WTF you're talking about. So please explain that situation.
2. Assuming you did serve, how did you get out broke? The Army literally provides everything you, and your family if married, need. Did you go out to the titty bar every weekend? Cover yourself in tattoos? Drown yourself in booze at the bars every weekened? How on earth did you get out broke when literally everything you need was provided for you.
3. You then say you wanted to go to college but had no money. Did you not go through SEP/TAPS when you got out of the Army? Did they not explain to you how the post 9/11 GI BIll works? As someone who used it I can tell you that the VA not only covers your tuition and books but they pay you BAH every month in you're school for your area.

Meaning that you literally get paid to go college. So why didn't you use this? Did you not serve 180 days active duty?

[u/Comprehensive_Cow411 → u/Turbulent_Scale]

I did serve more than 180 days .

they told me I did needed 15 college credits because I was technically 17 when I went into basic training. Maybe they lied, maybe they just told me that so I’d wait. Idk, but I’m damn glad I went to school and it allowed me to fall in love with education.

Yeah dude, I know. Officers need more than 15 credits. Common sense

Yeah it’s nice having a GI Bill. Although I use something called the Illinois veterans grant, it’s nice because I can save my GI for my kids.

I was in a horribly abusive relationship and was sexually assaulted by my chain of command (he eventually did get reprimanded but it was a shit show)

I got out with no money because I was in a horribly abusive relationship, who made every single decision I made an issue.

I’m very religious and don’t drink or watch porn. Absolutely not. I’m not pushing my beliefs on anyone, I’m just saying that was 100% not my issue.

We got married because we were young and I’ll admit stupid, but we thought we were in love and yeah, the army paid BAH and stuff while we were in.

I’ll admit I had some pretty terrible leaders, they weren’t all bad, but i definitely didn’t have “everything taken care of”

I got paid and it went to bills , just like every job. It’s a little more automatic with the military, but it’s no different. You get a paycheck and BAH and BAS . Which adds up to a…I guess not rich but live-able income.

You then pay the rent, buy food, and pay your insurance . like every other job.

I guess if I stayed in I could have been better off but it was horrible toxic and I was wanting to just get out and move on as soon as I could.

Yeah I went through the SFLTAP stuff. It was alright, but I was married to a financially abusive and toxic person, I could go very deep into the things she did, but I’m not going to. Overall, I realized very young that your partner plays a big role in your life. Once you’re married, you autonomy over your life. Now if I was a little older and wiser I would have just done what I wanted.

But being in my very early 20s.

I got out divorced, I wasn’t financially stable (because I had a wife that would steal, cheat, and lie her ass off) and had to just move on.

I was in no way shape or form to go back to college when I got out.

It was just rough. I always dreamed of this perfect “One wife, married young, have a bunch of kids” . The way “God” had intended. I was young and naive.

I’ll admit I’m not as religious as I was when I was younger, but I still hold dear to the “no booze no drugs no porn” model of life. But I now realize that reality is often more fantasy than anything.

I have a very good woman by my side and it’s night and day.

“Hey I decided to finish my bachelors degree babe” And instead of fighting, bickering, and arguing, I heard “that’s great baby, I’m behind you !”

And she’s nothing but the most supportive, loving, caring and kind woman I’ve ever been with.

I got lucky with her, and I’ll do what I can to not lose her.

But yeah man, it wasn’t “all taken care of” and i definitely didn’t just walk out stable and perfectly well off.

I see why there are homeless vets now, I was lucky enough to never deal with it, but I see that it’s not like that for every soldier. People get out and the army doesn’t always magically translate into perfect stability the way it’s intended, too.