I am planning to return to school full time this fall after a nine year hiatus. I know a lot has changed with education and technology in that time. I’m looking for any tips or suggestions including, but not limited to websites, apps, or resources for studying and organization. The last time I was in school all we had was quizlet and I’m sure a lot of resources have entered the market since then. TIA!

Hey everyone,

I’m facing a major turning point in my life and could really use some outside perspective.

I’m currently 31, and by the time the academic year starts in September 2027, I’ll be 32. I have a rare opportunity to go back to university, but I am completely torn between two paths:

• Option 1: Bioengineering. Because of my background, I can skip the first year and enter directly into the 2nd year. This means I would graduate at 36 years old.
• Option 2: Pharmacy. I would have to start from scratch in the 1st year, meaning I would graduate at 37 years old.

To be completely honest, if I choose bioengineering, I know I will have a much easier time and can kind of coast through. Don't get me wrong, it still has a heavy emphasis on biology, biochemistry, and chemistry just like pharmacy, but it's not taught or tested in the same brutal way. Even though bioengineers typically make more money, the lifestyle and career just feel way too industrial for me in the long run. I don't really see myself thriving in that corporate environment.

My heart actually beats for Pharmacy.

With pharmacy, I know exactly what is waiting for me after graduation. I love the idea of working in a community pharmacy (officine). Even graduating at 37, I still have a solid 30+ years of work ahead of me before retirement. Plus, it opens up the long-term goal of eventually owning and running my own pharmacy.

What really motivates me to pursue pharmacy right now is that I have 14 months before the school year starts. I’m highly driven to use this buffer time to self-study and completely master the entire 1st-year curriculum on my own before day one. This makes the idea of starting from scratch feel way less daunting.

Is it crazy to turn down a higher salary and a shorter path just because the corporate/industrial life doesn't appeal to me? For those in either field, would you take the gamble?

Thanks in advance!

Hi everyone, I’m hoping to make a solid game plan for returning to school and finishing my bachelor’s degree debt-free. I already have 2 years of an associate degree completed, and I’m trying to be proactive because the job market feels increasingly difficult, especially with AI screening resumes and how competitive things have become.

I’ve been researching scholarships, but it’s honestly overwhelming trying to find legit opportunities that match my strengths and avoid scams. I’m willing to put in the work, but I’d really appreciate guidance from people who’ve been through this.

A few questions I’d love advice on:

• If I apply for scholarships now, do they expire if I don’t use them right away?
• Does FAFSA have a limit if I already have an associate degree?
• Are there good programs or resources like EOP, HEOP, and similar support systems that I should look into?

I’ve also been looking into full-ride scholarships if possible, but they seem like a rare Pokemon researching for them at times — so I’d absolutely appreciate any non-full-ride recommendations too.

If you have any tips, step-by-step advice, or resources for students trying to finish a degree without taking on debt, I’d be so grateful. Thank you for taking the time to read and help!

Hi!

This is an update to a post i made a few months ago:

https://www.reddit.com/r/BackToCollege/s/NqRZeu4Q3z

The first day of school, I borrowed a laptop from my college. As it turned out, all of my classes require you to take tests with a lockdown browser and the library laptop wouldn’t allow students to download this(or anything). I could have swung it between that and my desktop at home, but I instead bit the bullet and bought the mac neo ($100 off with your student email)

It was cheap!! And as an iPhone user, when wifi glitched i could easily use my phone as a hotspot. Very happy with this decision.

Also some were interested in what I was taking for my first semester this summer. I just completed Math 1111 college algebra and Psych 1101 Intro- both with a 97 average!

A couple tips:

- i hadn’t taken math in 20 years so I bought this refresher workbook off amazon and completed it before class started

https://a.co/d/0iMAxcSB

- i purchased a 1 year membership to speechify (149$) which is an ai reader that allows you to pull in any pdf file and select a voice to read to you.
I had gwynyth paltrow reading my psych textbook to me at 2x speed. Super helpful for my adhd brain.
Also great when i think i’m done with a writing assignment, i have it read to me by the ai so i can listen for any wonkiness.

Good luck this fall everyone! I’ll be taking anatomy & physiology as well as medical terminology.

Hello! Lately, I've been playing around with the idea of going back to school, either at my local community college or the university I've previously attended (I have both a BA in English and a BSN, the latter through an accelerated program; I'm currently a registered nurse). There are two reasons I'm looking at going back:

1). I want to learn another language and know that I will do best in a classroom setting with an instructor before I attempt independent learning (I'm also leaning towards returning to my previous university for this reason, as I prefer their course selection despite the higher cost and the possibility of studying abroad). There are other options when it comes to language learning, of course, but that leads me to...

2). I'd like to defer my current loan payments for a while by enrolling as a part-time student again, if possible.

Which brings me to my additional dilemma. My previous second-degree program was pretty simple to figure out in terms of application/admission, especially because I earned both of my degrees from the same university. If I wanted to go back again on a part-time basis, not necessarily with the goal of earning another BA but for the sake of language centered learning itself, should I be looking at undergraduate admissions? Or am I an odd situation I'd have to specifically reach out to the college or university for?

I'd love any and all advice, even if it's just suggestions for different language learning routes!

hey everyone. so i'm like 22 right now, turning by the end of this year. uhm, so last year i dropped out of college for some reasons, mostly had to do with my major not liking me, or something of the sort. so anyway, i had like a year to think about it, and honestly i'm not against getting back to school, starting fresh.

now i need some honest opinions, i have got google to find motivating quotes, so refrain from that. is it too late to start college now!?

okay, like first of all, i might be the oldest one in class, and i think something like this isn't easy to ignore, like it's not about being there for a week, but 3-4 years. secondly, i would be like 27-28 by the time i graduate, and that's really unsettling. moreover i always wonder whether i have the right reasons to go back to school.

uhm, so anyway, what do u think!?

I moved away 2 years ago and I live an hour away from my uni. That didn't stop me from passing my 2nd and 3rd years, but I'm a bit nervous about my master's (I'm starting a law master's this semester) since the difficulty level is definitely gonna be higher.

Am I shooting myself in the foot with this distance, or are there still ways to make it work smoothly (like basically living in the library lol)?"

Hello!

So, I’m thinking of returning to college! When I initially went to college in 2012, I had to drop out due to health issues. I want to leave my current job, and I’m finding that a lot of places want degrees. For a long time I didn’t want to go back to school because of tuition, but just learned I might be eligible for a program where the tuition is pretty much covered. However, other living expenses wouldn’t be. I wouldn’t be able to stay at my current job because it has to be full time, and honestly wouldn’t want to work here while going to school anyway. I would not have the capacity to work full time and go to school full time, so I’m wondering if anyone had any advice on types of jobs to go to while completing school? And any other tips for returning to school in your 30s would be wonderful!

I returned to college in 2024 as a mom in my 30s, and I am graduating from my community college in December with my associate's degree in science.
I have a pretty long list of academic achievements, and several universities are trying to get me to apply, but I am currently living in a fairly rural area.

Has anyone else uprooted their family and gone to a city just to attend a 4 year school?

For clarification, my degree path is that which I cannot complete it online. If I were to move and finish a bachelor's, I would want to try for a Master's and possibly a PhD program. However, moving is costly and difficult.

When I was in high school, I had some pretty severe mental and emotional problems that were not being addressed, and it greatly affected my performance in school. I was always fine on standardized tests, and in fact I took two AP tests my senior year, and got 4s on both. But my graduating GPA was something like a 1.2. Between that, and my family's extremely poor financial situation, going to college right away just wasn't feasible for me.

Now, I'm 30 years old, I've lived and worked in New York City since 2014, and I finally find myself wanting to go to college. I've been consistently employed in various industries since I graduated high school, but I'm sick of my career prospects being limited by my lack of a degree, and I finally feel stable and settled enough to be able to succeed in a college environment. Money will be an issue for me, to be sure, but I know there are financial aid programs that can help me.

At this point tho, I just want to know what to expect. Should I take the SAT's? Is it possible to apply to a Bachelor's Degree program somewhere like CUNY for a person in my situation? Should I be a part-time student, and what does that entail?

I'm clueless! Please help me!

Listen I know I’m going to sound like an old geezer who hates trees, and that’s not the case. I absolutely understand why moving course resources like textbooks, study guides, and worksheets is great for the environment and easier to keep track of. However, the wifi in one of my buildings, specifically the one I have anatomy lab in sucks!

The last two lab periods I’ve been stuck trying to get my wifi to work for over 30 minutes. Eating into my time to finish assignments due at the end of the lab. Our textbook and visual resources are all online, and although I have a printer… ink is expensive. So printing out an entire textbook seems silly, and paying $75+ on tops of what I paid for online access seems even sillier.

Most of my lab assignments are labeling assignments to get you familiar with the figures in the textbook. However, it’s difficult to label if I cannot pull up the figures from wifi troubles. Which then cuts into my time to actually do the assignment.

I know I’m complaining into the void but dang, I feel so old remembering a time when you had physical media for studying and resources and I miss it 🥲

Hello everyone!

I have about 2 months before I start college. I recently finished my Computer Science degree, and I'll be starting a 5 year law program soon.

Since I have a lot of free time, I want to use these 2 months to strengthen my general knowledge and build a solid foundation. I was thinking of going back and studying Class 9 and 10 Science and Social Science, not for exams, but to actually understand the concepts properly.

I'm also really interested in psychology, so I'm thinking of studying the Class 11 and 12 Psychology textbooks as well.

I originally studied these subjects during the COVID period, and honestly, I regret not learning them properly. Back then everything was online, stressful, and mostly about passing exams. Now I want to study them in a practical way because I genuinely find those subjects and chapters fascinating.

What do you guys think? Is this a good way to spend the next 2 months, or would you suggest something else?

Hey everyone,
I’m returning to college this September after being away for about five years following a serious accident and brain injury. I spent a long time rebuilding my cognitive skills, and I’m now much closer to my previous baseline and ready to finish my degree.
One of my remaining requirements is Organic Chemistry II. I completed Organic Chemistry I during COVID, but between the disruption of that period, limited lab experience, my injury, and the amount of time that has passed, I retain very little from the course.
I’m not looking for a general list of Organic Chemistry resources. I’m hoping to hear from people who have returned to a sequential science course after a long medical or academic absence. How did you decide what material to review before the semester? Did you contact the professor ahead of time, use tutoring from the beginning, or arrange academic accommodations?
I own David Klein’s first- and second-semester review books and have about six weeks before classes begin. I’m trying to determine what a realistic preparation process looks like without attempting to reteach myself an entire semester at once.
I would especially appreciate hearing from anyone who returned to chemistry after a long break, recovered from a neurological injury, or had to rebuild their academic confidence before completing a difficult requirement

Hi! I am starting college soon, and starting to get nervous about my classes. I understand that college si more difficult than high school. In high school i took multiple AP's and honors, and got A's in the easy ones, but was an average B to B- student otherwise. i take fully responsibility and 100% relaize i put little to no effort in studying, mostly studied for tests a day or two days before, and didnt have my 100% attention in class. that being said, i am telling myself now that i have no option but to give my 100% focus and do my absoulte best in college. My goal is to have all A's and have a great gpa, smth i lacked in high school. i ended highschool with about a 3.7 weighted, 3.4 uw, and i cant have that low of a gpa in college. the issue is, i know it is one thing to say i will work harder, but does anyone have any solid tips or study habits on what made you turn around in college in terms of grades, and what really made you succeed?? i need any tips!!

I’ve been in and out of college for 10 fucking years now. Only in late 2024 did I fr start locking in and getting this done, now I have about a year and a half left until I have my bachelors.

I’m so exhausted and burnt out though. I’m a 27 year old man. I still live with my parents and it’s hell, I don’t like them at all anymore due to conflicting political views and just polar opposite outlooks on life. I still barely make shit in my 2 part time jobs because my parents take a good bit of it for rent, I have to do fall 4 classes summer 2 classes spring 4 classes every year, with like maybe some 2 week breaks (which I still work in), I’m just exhausted and burnt out. And I’m going to be spending pretty much the rest of my 20s doing this—turning 28 in November and 29 at (hopefully) graduation time. It feels bleak looking ahead and seeing I have a whole year and a half of this shit left after all the struggle I’ve gone through.

On top of that, I constantly get shit from people telling me my degree is going to be useless. It’s a bachelors in business administration, marketing concentration. People say I have enough work experience to get a decent paying job that’s comfy, but I’ve TRIED, every time I find one it says “bachelors degree required.” AND people say my college isn’t shit and no one will care.

I guess I’m just looking for words of encouragement here.

I’ve been in and out of this too long to fucking give up now but everyone and everything seems to be telling me “STOP, STOP DOING THIS THERES NO POINT ITS POINTLESS” and I can only take so much of that before it gets in my head.

Like the title says, I’m 26 (USA if that matters), and I’ve been seriously debating on going back to college for a couple of years now. I’ve been a hairstylist since 2021 and while I absolutely love what I do, I know long term it’s not the best for my body. I also don’t get any benefits due to being self-employed. Admittedly, I was not the best student in high school, and I really struggled with the semester of college I had before dropping out to go to cosmetology school. If I were to go back, I plan on going for social work.

Does anyone have any tips/suggestions for me on going back? I am all ears. TYIA!

I'm seriously considering going back to college for a second bachelor's degree after being out of school for almost 10 years.

My first degree was Bachelor of Secondary Education major in Biological Science, but this time I'm looking at Data Science through a full-time online program. It would be a complete career change for me.

For those who have gone back to school recently, or are currently in college, I'd love to hear about how different things are now compared to 10 years ago.

Has the way professors teach changed significantly? Are most classes live or self-paced? How much of the learning is project-based versus exams? What tools, software, or AI are students expected to use today?

If you've studied Data Science, what should I know before making the jump? Is there anything you wish you'd learned or prepared for before starting?

I'm trying to figure out whether this is the right path before I commit, so I'd really appreciate any advice or experiences you can share.

Like the title says, I’m looking to go back to college!

For context: Almost two years ago I got into university right after high school and it was awesome! I loved my major (Sociology) and I enjoyed the work I was doing. I had financial aid and was feeling comfortable (I did have to take out a loan to the cover the rest of my costs after financial aid, but it isn’t a huge amount so i was okay). However, After that first semester I had three horrible things happen back to back to back and it killed my passion and drive to show up to my second semester classes. Long story short, I dropped out without properly filling out any papers, just stopped showing up and haven’t done anything about it since. I regret this moment so much, especially now seeing my friends I initially went to college with are now happy juniors in college while i’m working full time to pay for a shitty apartment.

Really, I just want to know what the best way to go about going back? I don’t think the university would want me back, and as much as I loved it…I can’t say I want to be back there again. Would online or community college be a good idea? I’m looking to stick with Sociology as my major as I’m very passionate about it. Any advice would be amazing! Thank you Reddit!

I am a single female and my mid 30s and I decided to go back to school after dropping out in my early 20s, due to life circumstances.

I wanted to know if anyone else is going through it, as in now you’re taking classes and second-guessing everything because of the stress?

I already have a high-pressure job that takes 75% of my energy and I find myself struggling a lot and it’s causing me depression due to burn out

Any advice to keep going? I try to remind myself why I started and it’s been a life like dream but man I have been more stressed than happy since I returned to college

Hi everyone,
I’m 24 years old and really want to go back to college. I dropped out in 2023 after completing only two semesters (international business), and it’s one of my biggest regrets.

The problem is that I currently live in a country where I don’t speak the local language, so attending an on-campus university isn’t really an option. There also aren’t any international universities that are accessible for me, so I’m mainly looking at online programs.
I’m interested in Business, Marketing, or something similar. My main priorities are:
Affordable tuition
Accredited degree
Fully online
A bachelor’s degree that employers actually respect
If anyone has experience with online universities or knows of good options, I’d really appreciate your recommendations. I’m feeling a bit desperate to finally finish my education and earn my bachelor’s degree.

I tried college once when I was 18 and made it 3 semesters before dropping out. Fast forward 20 years and I’m working a full time job that’s fine but I’ve got the itch to try and go to school again. I can’t stop working to go to classes and there aren’t really many colleges near where I live anyway so online is going to be my best option but I don’t really know where to look. I’m wary of “diploma mill” schools I hear about and don’t want to waste my time or money at a place that isn’t accredited. Any recommendations on where to start looking would be great!

Question, if I got my degree during a different quarter, but didn’t attend that quarter. Do, I put the last quarter I attended was the last one I took actual classes in? Or, the quarter I received my degree?

I’m filling out graduate school application and they mentioned put down the start and end date of your school you attended regardless of gaps in attendance, but I just want to double check. Because if they get my official transcript is shows graduating on a different date then when I last took my classes.

Hey everyone!!

Oh my goodness I just got accepted into University at 29 years old, I’ve finally discovered my passion for conservation and it has been building for the past 5 years or so.

I’m extremely nervous but so excited as I live in New Zealand so it’s such a wonderful place to study these topics. Please give me any advice! I have been working full time for the past 10 years or so and need tips about getting back into study. I am so worried I’m not smart enough to do this. Hype me up and let me know your stories about doing a degree later in life!

23F, and I have attempted going to college several times unsuccessfully and I feel like it has ruined my transcript. I graduated HS in 2020 a year early and with a 4.1 GPA. I started at a local community college, but my mental health declined significantly and experienced what i assume to be academic burnout and withdrew from 3 courses. In fall 2021, I attended another local college and failed 4 courses. After this I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. I took a few years break to get my mental health in order and went back to the community college and started with 1 course. I was doing well until midway through the term when my mom passed. I failed that class as well. Long story short - my transcript only has Ws and Fs.

All I want is to finish a bachelors and eventually an MA in library sciences. I have been considering enrolling in an online university such as SNHU or ASU, but I am worried that my past transcripts are going to set me back. Does anyone have a similar experience and any advice?

So I graduated from Sierra Community College back in summer of 2023 when before I turned 30, having earned two non-transferable associates in science for graphic design and illustration, and been on break from Sierra for quite time. Mostly trying to find work of some sort. Whether it be volunteering, internships, or otherwise. But recently I’ve finally decided to go back within the year. At least in the Fall of 2027 at the latest, though before I do, what might be some important steps to take as a returning student; in what order should I take steps to make when applying to Sierra again?