You are never too old to get the degree or the career you want or deserve.

You probably had obstacles that prevented you from going out of high school or just felt you weren’t ready. You probably made some mistakes that prevented you from either going or freaked out during your first year. Whatever they are, you are not alone. There are plenty of people who struggle with going to college or finishing their degree. My mistake was going to college before I was ready and I ended up dropping out after a year of disinterest in classes and feeling like an outsider.

Originally, I wanted to take a year off after high school and experience life by working and finding myself. Unfortunately, I let others convince me to go since I had scholarships and ignored my own gut. I grew to hate the school I was attending and the people because they were ultra-conservative even though it was a community college. Also, I realized that those scholarships mean nothing if you are not ready to take that step.

When I finally went back to school at twenty-two, I was surprised that I performed much better than my previous attempt to get a degree. I think it was because the classes were completely online in addition to me finally wanting to get a degree for myself. While I wanted to go to a campus school, the nearest one was thirty minutes away and I couldn't afford to commute. So, I settled for University of Phoenix online because I could do it at home as opposed to waking up at 6 a.m. to get dressed and ready for a 30-minute drive to attend classes with a lot of people for at least four hours a day. I was also a loner and still am with the exception of my husband. The only reason I had to leave online school the first time was because I fell ill and could not continue. The second time I was failing a math class, but after that, I went back to Phoenix at twenty-four and earned an Associate’s a year later before going to SNHU. I will graduate in August with a BA Creative Writing and couldn’t be prouder. I’m twenty-eight and getting my Bachelor’s in a few months; it will be ten years after I started college and that’s okay because I worked hard for it. So, if you have doubts about being in school at an older than the “norm,” that’s okay. All that matters is if you want to go to school for you, not anyone else, because you have to be the one to live your life.

It's normal for students to not feel ready for college right after graduating from high school. They say college is a good time to find yourself, but that's not always true. You may have to distance yourself from academics and focus on something else to find out who you are and what you want to do with your life. With this in mind, your parents may expect you to go to college or your friends just because they are going, but that doesn't mean you have to.

You can take the time you need before taking that next step, but don't spend it unwisely. Use the time to do something productive and live your life. Get a job to save up some money and build your work history. This is also a good way to boost points with college recruiters because they value someone with a good work ethic.

You could also retake the ACT or SATs during your time off in order to get a better score. I wished I had done these things as opposed to going into a storm unprepared. Also, talk to your parents and work out a plan to stay productive during the gap years because they also have to understand you are not trying to slack off, but wanting a break from the academic world.

Also, if you still don't believe you're never too old to go back to school, read this article about Amy Craton http://www.snhu.edu/about-us/news-and-events/2017/.... She was 94 years old and earned her Bachelor's in Creative Writing this year with a 4.0 GPA and is now working on her Master's (Keane). So, her story will convince you to believe that is never too late to go back to school and graduate. If she can do it at 94, then you can do it at whatever age you are now.

Stay strong and Never Surrender,

Jalisa Smith

Keane, Lauren. "94-Year-Old Woman Graduates College with 4.0 GPA." Southern New Hampshire University, 2017 Jan. 2017. Web.http://www.snhu.edu/about-us/news-and-events/2017/...