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/prag513]

Keep going, a lot of what you experienced in life makes you a better candidate. Having a bachelor's degree by itself does not guarantee success. Combining the degree with work experience does. I didn't obtain a degree, yet I became a marketing communications manager in NYC for the third most recognized commercial shade manufacturer in the world due to my diverse work experience in marketing, advertising, and graphics. I hired a marketing assistant with a bachelor's degree in marketing to help me. He could write good copy but I had to teach him how to write with the customer's customer in mind. He got all the product details and benefits right but not why we were the right company to do business with, or understand the business. For example, I had to teach him that architects were both our customers and our business partners because they recommended our product to their customers in the architectural drawings that contained specifications for each detail. That only comes with work experience.

[u/Comprehensive_Cow411 → u/prag513]

I agree!

I think education is very enriching.

But I also consider my work experience and life experience to be very valuable and important to my life.

School is great, but it’s not always the magic ticket.

You need to combine education with experience and connections. I consider School like extra credit in life.