- #1
Mitchjkjkjk
- 2
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Hi everyone! I'm Mitch, I'm a 35 years old, from the east coast of Canada. I am looking to return to university this coming year to pursue a degree in physics!
I have a concentration in Biology from Dalhousie University that I finished in 2003. I went there straight out of high school, no one in my immediate or extended family had gone to university so it was a pretty foreign experience and I really didn't take advantage of academic advising or extracurriculars. This time around I'm really looking to change that and do as much planning as I can, and be as involved in my academic community as possible.
When I was 9 years old I was obsessed with astronomy, I read Isaac Asimov's "Library of the Universe" books religiously, with special attention to anything about the beginnings of the Universe. I excelled in math and science, however in my last year of junior high-school, when we were learning the fundamentals of algebra, my classmates and I fell into an unfortunate situation: A teacher on maternity leave early in the year and a school that hired a new substitute teach every week, or even every day. Needless to say we didn't learn much that year. I pity the poor substitute teachers that had us; we were somewhere between "Little Rascals" and "Animal House".
Anyways from this point math was always a more difficult subject, it didn't seem intuitive as it one had, I passed my courses, but didn't excel, in some cases passed by the skin of my teeth. This was definitely the case with the first semester of university calculus! It didn't help that I took it at 7:30 in the morning my freshman year... looking back, I don't know how I got a the D I did in a class that I'm not entirely sure I ever actually went to...
I realized university wasn't for me at the time, I failed to make it a priority, however I would have been too ashamed to drop out so instead I just finished up as soon as I could. Many years passed, I worked some interesting jobs over the years, went on tour as a musician, had some great experiences. But a few years ago I started working a job in healthcare and got inspired to go back to school for a more specialized career as a perfusionist (the people who pump your blood during heart surgery! Pretty cool!). I wasn't able to get into that program, but in the process I had to go back to university to take chemistry, physics, and calculus, all those scary subjects!
This time was different though, as a mature student it felt like there was a fire under me, it mattered more to me this time. I thought initially because it could determine my career, but really it was because I had to prove it to myself that I could do it!
I did very well in the courses I took, I took more courses the following summer and realized: this is where I should be, maybe were I should have been all along... So, I guess this is my (early) mid-life crisis, I decided to forego the sportscar, work for a couple years to save up for tuition instead, and I'm just about ready to start my adventure!
If you read all that you're a champ!
I have a concentration in Biology from Dalhousie University that I finished in 2003. I went there straight out of high school, no one in my immediate or extended family had gone to university so it was a pretty foreign experience and I really didn't take advantage of academic advising or extracurriculars. This time around I'm really looking to change that and do as much planning as I can, and be as involved in my academic community as possible.
When I was 9 years old I was obsessed with astronomy, I read Isaac Asimov's "Library of the Universe" books religiously, with special attention to anything about the beginnings of the Universe. I excelled in math and science, however in my last year of junior high-school, when we were learning the fundamentals of algebra, my classmates and I fell into an unfortunate situation: A teacher on maternity leave early in the year and a school that hired a new substitute teach every week, or even every day. Needless to say we didn't learn much that year. I pity the poor substitute teachers that had us; we were somewhere between "Little Rascals" and "Animal House".
Anyways from this point math was always a more difficult subject, it didn't seem intuitive as it one had, I passed my courses, but didn't excel, in some cases passed by the skin of my teeth. This was definitely the case with the first semester of university calculus! It didn't help that I took it at 7:30 in the morning my freshman year... looking back, I don't know how I got a the D I did in a class that I'm not entirely sure I ever actually went to...
I realized university wasn't for me at the time, I failed to make it a priority, however I would have been too ashamed to drop out so instead I just finished up as soon as I could. Many years passed, I worked some interesting jobs over the years, went on tour as a musician, had some great experiences. But a few years ago I started working a job in healthcare and got inspired to go back to school for a more specialized career as a perfusionist (the people who pump your blood during heart surgery! Pretty cool!). I wasn't able to get into that program, but in the process I had to go back to university to take chemistry, physics, and calculus, all those scary subjects!
This time was different though, as a mature student it felt like there was a fire under me, it mattered more to me this time. I thought initially because it could determine my career, but really it was because I had to prove it to myself that I could do it!
I did very well in the courses I took, I took more courses the following summer and realized: this is where I should be, maybe were I should have been all along... So, I guess this is my (early) mid-life crisis, I decided to forego the sportscar, work for a couple years to save up for tuition instead, and I'm just about ready to start my adventure!
If you read all that you're a champ!
But I have learned there's no point in fretting over time lost, and you should never ever blindly accept your lot in life. It might sound like self assurance but we're all going someday, so why not do what makes us feel good in the meantime.