Going back to school in you 30's

Have you ever thought about going back to school but then thought that is that something for me?As we get older and more set in our ways and into our careers, or maybe you haven’t been happy with what you have been doing and want a more promising career. I am someone one who had hit a wall in my professional career and needed to go back to school for 4 years to get to the next step in my profession. Questions that most people have are what do I go to school for? How do I know If I am picking the right college? What is going to need to change for me to be able to go back to school? There are so many questions that came up for me when I was making this decision. I am a dental assistant and have been working for thirteen years. In the state of Washington as a registered dental assistant there are only so many things that you are able to do and when working with some doctors there are somethings that they don’t allow you to do even though you can legally do those things. I wanted to be able to move to the next step and be able to be more independent. Money is another factor of why I decided to go back to school. In the dental field a lot of people think that dental assistants make a lot of money but in reality they are overworked and underpaid. Dental assistants run the entire back office from sterilization to the procedures that the are performed. Dental hygiene is what I am currently going to school for! I know that I would have to give up a lot to go to school. When I decided to go back to school I needed to figure out how is this going to work when I lived on my own and worked two jobs six days a week to make ends meet. How was I going to find time to go to class. I know how my learning techniques are, I am a hands on in person learner.

  • So what kind of learner are you?
    • My next step was sitting down with my family and seeing where I can get help. One of the reasons I knew that it wouldn’t be more life changing than the other is I am single and don’t have any children. This would be a challenge for some people if they are looking to go back. I chose Pierce college because of two reasons, they have the dental hygiene program that i would like to get into, and it is the closest to my house. Things that I would recommend when looking into colleges is doing a campus tour. Don’t think that you have to get into the best school right off the bat.What makes a good college? Everyone thinks that going to an Ivey Leage school is the best schools that are out there but that is not true! They have such a high standarded and is more likely to reject your application than a smaller school that can still get you the same degree! In the smaller school you will likely have more professors that are there to help you when you have questions. You have to start somewhere. You can always do your prerequisites at a smaller school and then tranfer to a bigger more known college later. There is always going to be stepping stones when it has been a while. When touring the school ask questions, talk to them about your life and things that you need that will help you succeed. Most colleges are there to help you succeed in getting your college degree and have many different programs that they offer. One thing that I had noticed when I was on campus is that it’s not what I expected. Since I am a first time in college, I need to do all my prerequisites, so starting at the beginning that i would be in class with majority high school students. Trying to interact with the other students who are decades younger when needing to do group projects will be a challenge. I do not know the new slag they use, will I seem old because I know things that they don’t. Her is a funny little rant i found on Reddit. This rant talks about the gen z generation using slag such as slay, period, and rizz. Do not think of yourself as stupid or lame for not understandign what is being said. It will definatle be hard to conect but if you are not sure what they mean you can ask, or the more that they speak it the more that you will understand what they are trying to say. You could always think of it like you are trying to understand a 3 year old trying to speak! Another great read is "The Adult Students's Guie to Survival & Success" Next step is what all do I need to start. With most of classes or research being online a computer would be needed. However if you do not have them you could always use the school library, or sometime classes will have laptops you can barrow while in school. Another thing when you apply to school and if you plan on applying for financial aid you could use your aid to buy things like **** When it comes time to apply to classes I would take a look at your schedule, are you capable of being a full time student or only a part time student. Are you planning on working full time or part time. Depending on the classes you will also need to figure out when you would have time to study and do your homework. A great thing to get is a daily planner where you can bloack out times where you would be at work, in class, and homework time. Also to look at what you like to do in your spare time to ease and clear your mind. If that means go to the gym, walk or hikes, cooking etc.. Not to say that you wont be trying your hardest but another thing to look at is if you are looking to transferring or going for your masters what are the required gpa you need for that pacific program. This will help you decide how many classes you should take on in one quarter. **** When your ready to start school always remember your gial and your why. What made you decide to go back to school and use that as your motivation to succeed in your classes. College is not easy but it is always great to know that the colleges will have people that will help you from tutoring to food if needed. As adults we cant be afraid to start over or to take the next step in our careers in order to get to where we want to be in life. It definitely is big scary step but there are many things out there in this world that can help you succeed!