- #1
Latecomer
- 51
- 0
Hello all, I've been a lurker on these forums for quite a while now. I appreciate all the info I've scavenged from many of you.
Let me give you a bit of background on myself:
My teen years were a disaster. I won't get into why, but I was not a good kid. I rarely went to school and wound up dropping out Junior year. I did get excellent grades when I went, though. I got my GED and got accepted into an electrician apprenticeship at 18, right around the time I met my current wife.
My wife got accepted to University of Chicago and we moved near the campus. I supported her while she did her undergrad ( major was biology/ pre-med). The plan was for me to support her through school, and when she made enough money I would then go to school. Well I kinda messed that up, too, by getting her pregnant. (although it wound up being the best thing that ever happened to me. I love my son more than anything) Anyways, she decided having a kid and going to med school wasn't going to work, so after getting her undergrad she entered nursing with the plan of eventually becoming a CRNA ( nurse anesthetist).
She's now a few years out from becoming a CRNA, and being able to support our current lifestyle. I'm pulling my hair out waiting for my chance to go to school. I do good financially as an electrician (80 - 90k a year depending on overtime) but I detest my job. It's really not a bad job, it's just that it's not interesting at all and I don't use my head at all. I want to feel like I'm really using my god-given abilities and contribute even a little something to the world. My son is old enough now that I have free time at nights so I've finally started taking classes part-time at night. (online classes at a community college).
It's laughable, but I'm 29 and taking Comp I and Pre-Calc. I've got to start somewhere. I was a bit unsure how I would handle going back to school after so many years, but I'm easily getting A's in these classes and I'm really enjoying myself. I know that a few years from now, I'll be able to leave my current job and go to school full-time, but I still feel like I'm just treading water and getting too old. I'm already 10 years behind schedule.
My passion has always been astronomy/astrophysics, but I'm also realistic. I may be overrating how smart I am, and I realize I might not have what it takes to go that far in my education. My aim, though, will be astrophysics, and I'll take it wherever it leads me, whether that be getting a BS in physics and landing a job in a related field or whatever. I also wonder if my 10 years of being an electrician would make me a natural fit for engineering, but again my true passion is astrophysics.
Truth is, ten years ago there's no way I would have been able to buckle down and study hard in school. But I've developed an incredible work ethic, and I have clear goals now. I certainly know what I DON'T want to do for the rest of my life.
So my questions are:
Am I too old to be starting from scratch in this field? Even if in a few years I should have complete financial freedom? Are there any other success stories like this out there, where someone has started school this late? I'll have the added benefit of getting a job and education for what I enjoy, rather than worrying about the salary.
Also, I've been told that If I do well in my junior college classes then 4 year universities won't even look at my high school grades. Is this true?
And this might not be the best spot to ask this, but do you think it's unfair of me to ask my wife to downsize our current home and expenses so I can cut back on hours at work and pick up more classes right away? After all, I did support her financially for most of the past ten years.
Thanks for your time. I know this is pretty long-winded and a bit personal, but I respect the opinions of many of you on this board.
Let me give you a bit of background on myself:
My teen years were a disaster. I won't get into why, but I was not a good kid. I rarely went to school and wound up dropping out Junior year. I did get excellent grades when I went, though. I got my GED and got accepted into an electrician apprenticeship at 18, right around the time I met my current wife.
My wife got accepted to University of Chicago and we moved near the campus. I supported her while she did her undergrad ( major was biology/ pre-med). The plan was for me to support her through school, and when she made enough money I would then go to school. Well I kinda messed that up, too, by getting her pregnant. (although it wound up being the best thing that ever happened to me. I love my son more than anything) Anyways, she decided having a kid and going to med school wasn't going to work, so after getting her undergrad she entered nursing with the plan of eventually becoming a CRNA ( nurse anesthetist).
She's now a few years out from becoming a CRNA, and being able to support our current lifestyle. I'm pulling my hair out waiting for my chance to go to school. I do good financially as an electrician (80 - 90k a year depending on overtime) but I detest my job. It's really not a bad job, it's just that it's not interesting at all and I don't use my head at all. I want to feel like I'm really using my god-given abilities and contribute even a little something to the world. My son is old enough now that I have free time at nights so I've finally started taking classes part-time at night. (online classes at a community college).
It's laughable, but I'm 29 and taking Comp I and Pre-Calc. I've got to start somewhere. I was a bit unsure how I would handle going back to school after so many years, but I'm easily getting A's in these classes and I'm really enjoying myself. I know that a few years from now, I'll be able to leave my current job and go to school full-time, but I still feel like I'm just treading water and getting too old. I'm already 10 years behind schedule.
My passion has always been astronomy/astrophysics, but I'm also realistic. I may be overrating how smart I am, and I realize I might not have what it takes to go that far in my education. My aim, though, will be astrophysics, and I'll take it wherever it leads me, whether that be getting a BS in physics and landing a job in a related field or whatever. I also wonder if my 10 years of being an electrician would make me a natural fit for engineering, but again my true passion is astrophysics.
Truth is, ten years ago there's no way I would have been able to buckle down and study hard in school. But I've developed an incredible work ethic, and I have clear goals now. I certainly know what I DON'T want to do for the rest of my life.
So my questions are:
Am I too old to be starting from scratch in this field? Even if in a few years I should have complete financial freedom? Are there any other success stories like this out there, where someone has started school this late? I'll have the added benefit of getting a job and education for what I enjoy, rather than worrying about the salary.
Also, I've been told that If I do well in my junior college classes then 4 year universities won't even look at my high school grades. Is this true?
And this might not be the best spot to ask this, but do you think it's unfair of me to ask my wife to downsize our current home and expenses so I can cut back on hours at work and pick up more classes right away? After all, I did support her financially for most of the past ten years.
Thanks for your time. I know this is pretty long-winded and a bit personal, but I respect the opinions of many of you on this board.
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