Oh I know, I just don’t really care, but thank you for that encouragement. I’ve been living this way long enough that has become a bit of a litmus test for employers. Like that was now twenty years ago are you able to see me as the adult candidate here now with life experience and a resume or are you the kind of boss who cares about a friggin GED
Edit: that said I’m probably gonna get it because there’s some sweet state jobs I couldn’t apply for without it, the leeway in hiring standards for things like a GED isn’t there for every situation and that IS limiting.
Agree. Degrees help you get your foot in the door but there are other ways of doing in. I have a HS diploma, no real certificates or anything. It’s about your will to learn imo.
I’m an HSDO (high school drop out)(I got kicked out of 122 high schools (the Los Angeles School District) in 1967) with a four year degree. No GED. In many states, such as California, one only need be 18 years old to enroll in a community college. You may have to take a basic English and/or a basic math class depending on if you pass a simple test in both disciplines.
@Dirt_Wizard has got it right. I encourage you to jump in, but be sure to hew closely to his advice as much as possible.
I returned to school when I was 35 and graduated at 40. For me personally, it was one of the most gratifying things I’ve ever done. I will never regret it. My degree is in Cultural Anthropology with an emphasis in Linguistics. My suggestion is don’t get a degree in the humanities unless teaching is your goal.
If looking to obtain a degree, I’ve heard good things about WGU (Western Governors University). They have Degree programs that don’t cost or take as long as traditional colleges.
There’s also transfer credit hacks that allow classes to be taken at approved 3rd party sites that cost less and are accepted by WGU accelerating the degree process.
Here’s a link to the transfer credit breakdown for different degrees.
Transfer credits are clutch especially if you want to build your prerequisites at a cheaper school then get a degree from somewhere bigger and more recognizable but also more expensive. Another good option I think doesn’t get mentioned enough as an option for self-directed learners and people with life experience are the CLEP tests, you can study and test your way into credits and it can be both cheaper and less time consuming to get partway to your degree, not to mention you get to spend your energy in class on the subjects you’re really interested in:
I got back in at 27 and am in the process of finishing my masters. You can do it @subzeroIceKold
Getting yourself together and getting some experience in life learning what you want to do is way better than blindly rushing into school. Your time in the world will really help and motivate you
I went back to school at 27 for an engineering degree. Was a lot of work, but it paid for itself quickly. I think engineering degrees, nursing, and the trades are all good routes financially. Definitely worth looking at community college transfers if you are going to be seeking a degree.
Couple years of tech school got me making 91k a year as a hybrid cloud engineer II/infrastructure engineer II. Dont have looming debt from the big box colleges either.
What are your proclivities? If you’re into technical and mechanical things I’d definitely consider becoming an electrician. An old friend does union electrician training programs, and another one did a union program… either way, good entry into a skilled trade that people always need.
Well I tell you, there should be no time that is considered too late to learn. I became homeless when I was 15 and stayed homeless until I was 17. Then I settled down with my wife and our kids. So there I was at 17 with 2 kids and a grade 9 education. I had spent 2 years living outdoors mostly, which is real interesting with our Canadian winters.
Now fast forward a couple years and I make the decision to get my high-school diploma. I worried about my children living by my example. So I would get up at 4am and hop in a van to deliver flyers until noon. Then go to school for the afternoon and if I was lucky, would get some cash work unloading trucks in the evenings.
Time went by and I ended up getting a few awards for my classes and graduated. They wife and I both took courses at a neighborhood college. At this point I was doing security and moving work for antique shows. I had broken my back doing a reno on a shop and wondered what life would end up like. So my wife took a course to upgrade her office skills and I took a course in IT as I was already working with computers as a hobby.
Soon after this I was valedictorian for my class and I had new credentials. I had also taken over the antique business and was providing moving crews and security crews for their shows. I went looking around and managed to find what I would call an internship at a gas company. I offered them free work for some experience and spent 3 months there. Then it was off on a contract job flying all over the country upgrading bank computers from OS2 Warp to Win NT. Things just progressed from there.
I am now in my early 50s. Got 2.5 years left on my home mortgage and have a fully paid off cottage that I will retire in. My life in IT is still a constant learning thing. I have to study and pass exams on all the new models that come down the pike. It’s just something I enjoy.
My best advice is that it’s never too late. Find something you are passionate about that looks to have longevity and go for it. With enough effort and hard work, you will achieve your goal.
Edit: wow, that was a lot to type on my phone, Lol.
I would recommend any kind of apprenticeship, I did an apprenticeship right out of highschool and still doing the same trade , the company I work for offers apprenticeships annually , some guys that get awarded the opportunity are much older than you . I have been a welder for 22 years now , with its ups and downs. Currently I work in a fabrication shop year round with good a wage and good pension .
“The day you stop learning, is the day you start dieing.”
Mom used to say that all the time. I’m 50 now, and STILL trying to learn new things all the time (went back to school and got my realtor license this summer, now I am working as a cannabis cultivator! LOL)
The funny thing is, sometimes they do and you just don’t realize it. I have my bachelors in business admin / marketing. Yet I have never worked in that field (10 yrs in a law firm as a billing admin, 10 years building japanese koi ponds, 1 year doing Dell field repairs, 1 year doing self storage place renovations, 2 years managing a dive center / social media, 6 months driving for Amazon is just a sampling of the varied AND unrelated to my degree jobs I have had. Several former bosses mentioned my degree and asked why I was doing this and not that. In those conversations, most had the same opinion. My field in my degree wasn’t so important as was my decision and determination to finish my degree. I also like to think high school teaches you how to memorize, and learn some facts, or subjects. Whereas college teaches you more critical thinking with more personal responsibility.
And yet here I am today,making $10k a yr less than my best paying job, but I am TRULY happy with my job! And that IS worth the $10k to me…I grow weed, and I am part of the flower department in my company. Love my work, love my co-workers, and dare I say, love my managers! Money isn’t everything, leaving work happy because you had a good day is VERY different from being happy to get out of work. Of course, I expect some raises in my future, I try to jump into every leadership role I can (and my last 30 years of odd jobs has certainly given me leadership skills, FAR more than any class).
And are you happy as a cultivator? I know if my parents were alive today, they would be shocked I do this for a living, but its a passion, and when your co-workers genuinely share that passion, damn its the best job in the world!
I am now growing and cultivating so. Jobs for now are not top focus
wow hehe