If you’re 29 and thinking of starting college then you might be wondering whether or not 29 is too old to start college.
This post will show you a number of reasons that 29 is not too old to start college.
So, is 29 too old to start college? Getting a college degree will give you more opportunities, you have a long working life ahead of you still and there will be other students that are the same age or older. All of these factors mean that 29 is not too old to start college.
There are actually a number of reasons that 29 is not too old to start college and there are a number of things to consider when deciding on going to college.
29 isn’t that old
The first reason that 29 is not too old to start college is that it isn’t really that old.
At the age of 29, you still have a 30-40 year time horizon where you will still be able to work. This means that you will have a long window where you will be able to benefit from having a college degree.
In addition to this, you’ll likely find that many of the other students won’t be that much younger than you. So, if you are worried about seeming out of place, then there really is not any reason to be concerned.
Many other students will be a similar age
Another reason that 29 is not too old to start college is that there are many groups of people that actually start college at around this age.
Many people in the military will start college at around this age and there will often be many other people in a similar situation as you that start college at a later age as well.
This means that it is not very uncommon for people at around your age to go to college and that you will likely find that there will be many other people there at a similar age as you.
There will be students that are older than you
It also likely that there will be other students, at the college, that are even older than you will be. This is because it is not uncommon for people that are even in their 50’s to be going to college. If they can do it then there is no reason that being 29 should stop you from doing it as well.
It will open you up to more opportunities
One of the main reasons that starting college at 29 is not too old is that it should open you up to a number of new opportunities.
There will be many jobs, in your field, that are likely not currently available to you since they require a college degree. By getting a degree you will be able to qualify for these degrees which should help to improve your quality of life after you get the degree.
In addition to this, if you already have some experience in your field then it should mean that it will be easier for you to find a job once you have obtained the degree.
You will have a stronger sense of purpose
It is not uncommon for college students to change their majors multiple times when they are in college. This is because many of them will not really be sure of what they want to do and what the major will involve.
Seeing as you already have some experience you should be able to choose and stick with your major much more easily. This should help you to get through your degree much more smoothly than most college students do. This should help you to do better academically and possibly to graduate slightly sooner.
You will be able to appreciate the classes more
Another reason that your college experience will likely be worthwhile is that it will be easier for you to appreciate the value of the classes more easily than other students.
It’s not uncommon for students to find it harder to study a subject when they do not understand why it matters and how it can be useful for them. Since you will likely be able to appreciate the value of getting a degree you should be able to find it easier to find the motivation to study.
Other students won’t know your age
Another thing to consider is that many people are bad at judging other peoples ages. This means that it is unlikely that the other students will really be able to tell how old you actually are. In addition to this, college is a place where people are meant to go to learn so it is unlikely that people will really care that you are older than they are.
Things to consider
While going to college at the age of 29 is perfectly fine and not uncommon there are some things that you might want to consider.
The college
The culture of a college can vary significantly depending on a number of factors.
This such as the age, size, acceptance rate, location and size of student body can all have an impact on the culture that a college has. Before picking the college it would be worthwhile for you to consider what you want from college and how the particular college aligns with what you want.
The degree
Another thing to consider is the type of degree that would be best for you. While it would be worthwhile for you to get a degree in a field that you are interested in, it is also important for you to consider that some degrees provide more abundant job opportunities than others.
Generally, degrees in the STEM field will be among the best in terms of the job prospects that they provide. However, there are a number of other degrees in other fields that also have good job prospects. You can take a look at this website to see what each degree will typically pay.
Another thing to be aware of is that some degrees will likely have more older students in them. I personally studied mathematics and in almost all of my classes, there were at least one or two students at or older than the age of 29.
The amount of time that you will have
Another thing to consider is the amount of time that you will have to study. While many people have received degrees while also working full time it is not an easy thing to do.
If you are thinking of working while also studying then there are some things that you could do to make things easier for yourself such as:
- Planning out your degree, with an academic advisor, so that you can take difficult classes in different semesters and choose the most appropriate class sequence for yourself.
- Taking the time, at the start of the semester, to plan out the schedules for all of your classes so that you can identify potential problem areas.
- Using the website ratemyprofessors.com to select the professors that other students have given good reviews for.
- Scheduling your classes early so that you can get the professors and times that you want before they get filled.
- Studying consistently throughout the semester so that you don’t have to cram in lots of information at the last moment.
Community college
Another thing to consider is going to community college for two years and then transferring over to a 4-year university.
By doing so you will likely be able to save a lot of money since community colleges tend to be a lot cheaper than 4-year universities.
You will also likely find that many of the other students will be older as well since it is not uncommon for older students to go to community college.
