31 and going to college SCARY!

[chick82]

Well I started the process to get my bachelors in Journalism from Cabrillo College. I'm so nervous, I get all these e-mails about my financial aid, and I'm like oh my, I haven't been to school in years, I didn't even finish high school in the traditional sense (got my GED), and I did really well on it considering. Anyway, so now I have to take this assessment tests and stuff and it's very unnerving.

 

BUT, even before I started I already feel defeated. I'm trying to fill out all these e-forms I'm missing and just getting flustered. Oh this is annoying. Idk, I'm sure things will be fine I'm just nervous.

 

So here, tell me this:

 

Weather you went straight to college after high school or maybe years later:

 

How did you get past that fear, or nervousness.

 

Is there a lot of people who you can reach out to if you get stuck? And by that I mean like are people usually (like classmates) open to helping if you are lost or trying to figure things out.

 

Any advice on how to handle the next 4 years of my life as I make this journey.

 

 

Thanks,

Chick

[samurai nightling]

Yes, there are a ton of people willing to help out. Your classmates are great resources of "So how do you do this? or What did you end up getting for this one?" stuff. Depending on teh size of the school, the professors are usually more than willing to help. Smaller colleges like the one I attended, they pretty much all had an open door policy, if you saw them in their office, it was probably ok to come in and ask them some questions if you had any. I don't know about larger universities really, but I know they have aids.

 

Good luck, it's gonna be a lot of hard work, but it'll pay off in the end.

[oakgyrl510]

make sure u fill out paper work in timely matter, else it can cost u time and money later.

 

went to college out of HS.

went to big uni, didnt like it, transferred to a state uni, also didnt like it, but got bachelors so im out. got job now working FT in SF, gawddamn id rather be in school lol

 

classmates vary from class to class, some are just in it for themselves and wont associate with classmates unless they have to.

 

would suggest you take lower division courses based on major mixed with GE classes if you havent taken those already. I did all the easy classes first, then i was loaded with all heavy workload classes later on, was tough lol.

[crasx]

another good resource is office hours. Definitely go to office hours if you have trouble. Knowing your teachers and them knowing you can help you out of rough spots. If you are struggling be honest and seek out help.

 

I'm proud of you chick! you go girl!

[walkingCat]

Good luck! It's never too late to learn. Moreover, it's even healthy.

[Fairweather]

ah you'll be nervous the first couple days/ week until you get into the swing of things

 

edit - I still get nervous calling to order pizza haha

Edited June 5, 2014 by Fairweather

[ZeroDamage]

I went back to college when I was about your age. It was tough and I was nervous. I mean I hadn't done class work in that way since high school. I just looked at the big picture: finally getting a worthwhile job and really launching my career. So here I am.

[walkingCat]

edit - I still get nervous calling to order pizza haha

Sorry off topic, but why? I mean for me is a big deal to talk on the phone cuz language barrier. Especially when I'm being answered by an arrogant person. Cough/Crasx/cough.

 

 

 

Edited June 5, 2014 by walkingCat

[VooDooPC]

Prepare to feel REALLY old.

[MPG1770]

Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.

Best wishes in your new endeavor - a future Pulitzer Prize Winner for Chick - what we dream becomes reality.

[Preacher]

I did it at 29 so I know what your going through. Although odd to hear the world ending issues of you classmates (and they will sound stupid to you lol) it's worth it having your paperwork. Means to an end.

[TheDude]

I'm in college right now. One of the key aspects: facebook

there's a closed facebook group for every year in the education, where you can exchange notes, ask question etc.

[Madvillain]

What if you don't believe in Facebook?...

[TheDude]

What if you don't believe in Facebook?...

 

You should. He believes in you.

[Girlzilla]

Well I started the process to get my bachelors in Journalism from Cabrillo College.  I'm so nervous, I get all these e-mails about my financial aid, and I'm like oh my, I haven't been to school in years, I didn't even finish high school in the traditional sense (got my GED), and I did really well on it considering.  Anyway, so now I have to take this assessment tests and stuff and it's very unnerving. 

 

BUT, even before I started I already feel defeated.  I'm trying to fill out all these e-forms I'm missing and just getting flustered.  Oh this is annoying.  Idk, I'm sure things will be fine I'm just nervous.

 

So here, tell me this:

 

Weather you went straight to college after high school or maybe years later:

 

How did you get past that fear, or nervousness. 

 

Is there a lot of people who you can reach out to if you get stuck?  And by that I mean like are people usually (like classmates) open to helping if you are lost or trying to figure things out.

 

Any advice on how to handle the next 4 years of my life as I make this journey.

 

 

Thanks,

Chick

 

 

My advice is network as much as you can while in college.  Make friends in your classes – students and professors.  They’ll probably be assigning a great deal of group work, so this should make it easier.  I can’t stress this enough.  I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard about job openings and just business in general from other students and professors.  Mostly professors that have been pretty high up in the working world – they can provide recommendations and even get your foot in the door if you make a great impression.

 

Financial aid paperwork is definitely a burdensome chore, but the first year is always the worse.  After that, renewing it year after year using the same process, you realize it’s not so bad.  Call your financial aid office and ask for help – that’s what they’re there for.  Also, try to make payments before you graduate if it’s accruing interest.

 

On a personal note, why did you pick journalism?  Do you enjoy writing a lot?  *Please* don’t take this the wrong way – but using “weather” instead of “whether” makes me roll my eyes.  Yes, forum posts aren’t college papers, but I would think journalists will have to write a TON in college and these little things will matter.

 

Overall – try not to get so wrapped up in it that you feel nervous.  Enjoy the journey – as corny as that sounds.  It’s an awesome feeling once you graduate.  Personally, I can’t wait to be done myself.  I have one year left before I finally earn my MBA this coming Spring.  It was definitely strange going back to school at a much later age - I started in 2010 when I was 28, about 5 years after earning my Bachelors - and it was a totally different experience.  The curricula was much more team-oriented, and most everyone had techno-gizmo gadgets.

 

Let us know how your first semester goes!

Edited July 24, 2014 by Girlzilla

[Xterminator]

Girlzilla has pretty much hit on all the points I was going to cover. So to re-iterate:

 

• Networking will open up many doors, you'll make new friends that will help you throughout college. After graduation, I landed my first (and current) job because a classmate told me his company was in dire need of people with our skill set and they were hiring like crazy. 10 years later I'm still thankful to him and for taking the time to meet as many people as I could. Not only did it help me get my foot in the door, they helped me through college when the going got tough.
• Majority of profs are nice people and are willing to help you. At least in my experience our profs always had an open door policy and you can ask them for help. However, you will run into the exception to the rule. There will be profs only there for the money and they won't care whether you succeed or fail. These are the ones you have to really pay attention to and ensure you're focused when you're in their class.
• Be nice to everyone because it will help you in the long run. I've seen firsthand how people who don't get along at school have to work together on a project. It's not pretty. There will be times where you're frustrated and want to tell someone where to go. Try to be civil and speak to them nicely and resolve the issue as soon as possible. Don't let it linger.
• Set small goals for yourself to keep yourself motivated. One of my goals (feel free to laugh) was to buy a Blackberry when I graduated and got a job. I didn't want to get one before because I couldn't afford it. This was my reward to myself after all my hard work. If you have something to work towards you'll have more motivation and energy to accomplish it.
• Stay focused and remember why you're there. The college/university life offers many distractions (regardless of age) and it's easy to lose focus and have your schoolwork suffer because of it. I fell into this trap when I was in school and I lost a year because of it. My 3 year program tuned into 4 years. I let myself down and felt like I let my parents down who gave so much of themselves to allow me the opportunity to go to school and have an education.
• Finally, there will be days where you want to quit. Days where you think you're in over your head and you can't do it. You have to push through and keep reminding yourself that this is a long term plan to better yourself and your life.

 

Remember this and you'll do just fine

Edited July 25, 2014 by Xterminator

[Lookback]

Did not go after HS.  Bounced around for a few years first to make money.  When I went, I knew what I wanted, how much time I wanted to spend and where I wanted to be.  I was a lot more focused than the younger students and I treated it like a job.  It went extremely well because of that level of focus.  'Anxiety' should never enter into it, you are there to get something, so focus on making sure that you do, anything else is a bonus.

[Smokey]

I think the most imortant thing is to surround yourself with other smart hardworking people.  If certain students drain or distract you, minimize your time with them.  Stick around other students that are as motivated as you are.  The same goes for professors.  Find some good, caring professors, and learn as much as can from them.  If you have the right attitude, professors will go out of their way to help you. 

[BlackYoshi]

Main bit of advice I could give is don't be afraid to go see profs when you are having a difficult time with the material.  Profs will bump grades up at the end of the semester if they see you have been making a real effort to learn the material.