The global pandemic has a record number of people rethinking their careers, life choices, skill sets, and future goals. If you’re someone who’s been considering making big changes in your life after losing your job, learning you enjoy working remotely, or for any reason at all, taking the leap and returning to school might not be a bad idea. In fact, many people who are menopause age and beyond are becoming applicants to graduate school degree programs, undergrad courses, and more. Before contacting the college admissions office near you, one of the best things you can do is get a handle on why you hope to return to school later in life.
Going into any change with confidence and an understanding of your long and short-term goals will, not only increase your odds for success but help keep you focused. For some great reasons to go back to school later in life, read on.
Embracing Changes
If you’re like many older, non-traditional students, you’ve learned and been through a lot in life. You know how to get through a hot flash, aren’t intimidated by things like hormone replacement therapy and sleep disorders, and know enough to understand that bedtime matters. You’ve even done your research on the best menopause sleep aid on the market. Perhaps you’ve even returned to the gym after hormone changes. The point is that you’ve learned how to adapt to midlife and beyond. Now, with eyes on the future, it’s a sign of your strength that you’re considering returning to school.
Whether your goal is to become a therapist who specializes in cognitive behavioral therapy or you’re interested in lifestyle changes that could lead to working remotely, if you’re ready to apply to a business school, Ivy League college, or the community college near you, the first thing you’ll want to do is pat yourself on the back and remind yourself you’ve been through change before. While some people embrace it, change can be hard for others. If you’re nervous about going back to school to finish your degree or change your career path, don’t feel bad about it. You’re perfectly normal. Instead of getting caught up in doubts and sleeplessness over your decision, look back at your life, and remember what you’ve been through before.
Tying Up Loose Ends
For many older students, returning to school is about finishing something they started. Maybe you’re someone who was in the middle of earning a degree in the United States but found yourself distracted by a love interest. Perhaps you put off finishing school to get married and have a family. Now, with your children grown, you’re considering seeing an admissions consultant make that lifelong dream of having a degree a reality. Tying up loose ends, and even showing your children you did it, is a relatively common reason many older adults find themselves back in the classroom.
Reinventing the Future
Another common reason many older adults are returning to school is so that they can reinvent their futures. Where they may have spent most of their career in an office, some have learned that they could make the same income but spend a significantly less amount of time in a structured office space with just a few more skills. Whether it’s that they’re looking into the future toward the end of their careers and are wondering how their retirement can blend into a new career or they simply hope to change their lifestyle, reimagining the future is a great reason to go back to school at any age.
Regardless of your motivation for returning to school later in life, you’ll go into your college application process, and even that application essay, with an edge above the competition. Using your life experience, passions you’ve developed along the way, and overall wisdom about life, you’ll be sure to impress the admissions officers during your admissions interview. While it might be intimidating to consider returning to school at an older age, the good news is that colleges are looking for people like you, who can play an important role in a more diverse and experienced classroom. Be sure to play up your experience, goals, and how you can contribute to an online or in person college community, and you’ll be sure to impress the admissions committee. Best of luck to you in continuing your education, and good luck with your admissions interview!
