Going Back to School: When Does Late Become Too Late?

In a word: never. It really doesn't matter what age you are or what situation you are in, the sense of accomplishment attained from getting a good grade, or recognition for excellent work never gets old. In my opinion, almost anyone can take one class here and there.

I fiddled around with college for a long time when I was younger, and then floated through life for the next ten years, having a good time and doing my best to find trouble. Do I regret all that? A little, yes, as hard as that is to admit. I was in a position to obtain a very prestigious degree at a relatively young age, and decided friends and adventure were much more important.

The fact is, I wasn't ready for school. I paid minimal attention, did almost zero homework and yet still did pretty well on tests. While this tactic enabled me to limp through school as a kid, it doesn't work when batting for the big leagues, and I dropped a lot of classes.

Now I find that I am able to pay better attention, and handle the responsibility that goes with being a student much more successfully than when I was twenty-one. I am now almost thirty-four, and will have my two-year degree in Administration of Justice in December. Does it feel good? You betcha!

A single mom can take an online class here and there, reading and taking tests early in the morning or after the kids are asleep. Poor people can easily get grants and loans to attend college. If your excuse is that school is too expensive, you simply have not tried any of the options. Schools will not turn you away because you make very little money - in fact, they encourage it!

If you are stuck in a dead-end job, working horrible hours and being kicked around by a boss that is clearly not as smart as you are, the answer is school! I will bet dollars to donuts that the jerk kicking you around does not have a degree, so why not stick it to him the right way? Don't just sit and complain to fellow employees in the break room at lunch, DO something about it!

Evening classes at the local Community College are positively filled with middle-aged people who desperately want a career change. They have jobs, children, house payments or high rent - all the same ailments you do! But they are there, night after night, learning how to be better people.

And that really is what they are doing. Everything you learn improves you, even if just a little bit. So why not learn and have it documented at the same time? It is never too late to take the initiative in your life, and it is never too late to improve. Please consider looking into school. If you never finished high-school, get your GED. If you never finished college, do it. You won't regret it!