Since Dallas and Richmond still seem to be about equal, I spent most of the day investigating Richmond, VA colleges. I want to finish my computer science degree someday, so planning the move to include going back makes a certain amount of sense.
The dilemma comes in when you’re a non-traditional student looking to join a college or university. Most higher education institutions are planned with the 18 – 21 demographic in mind. Transfer guidelines are strict and continuing or adult educational programs are, well, skimpy at best.
I can send you my ACT/SAT scores; but, I hope you don’t mind 11 year old scores.
I wish I had had the foresight back in college the first time to pursue computer science. However, at 18 I wanted nothing more than for my estranged family members to love me, acknowledge me, look at me without negatively comparing me to another cousin who made it into Harvard or some other prestigious school. So I chose something based on what I thought would make them happy with me. And naturally, I failed. I had the chance to switch majors to computer science, but I my heart wasn’t in it anymore.
Now, at almost 30… I’m in a bit of dilemma. I called and discussed admissions with a few colleges and found myself pointed towards their adult educational programs and their transfer student information.
A letter of recommendation from a former professor, seriously? What are the odds they remember me after this long?
Don’t get me wrong, I like the idea of the personal enrichment programs. I plan on pushing mom to take a few, just to keep her mind active since dementia runs in the family. (Though I don’t think she’s in too much danger watching her tear through the Hellfire Peninsula in WoW.) But they’re not what I want. I don’t want to be limited to paralegal, nursing, or a small handful of degrees. But apparently, at 30, I to prove I’m a serious student even more than I did at 18.
Which blows.