Going Back to School at 40

I first went to college when I was 18. I decided I would go to the nearby community college, and earn my general education units before moving on to get my B.A. The problem was, I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life. Through my late teens and early twenties, and even into my early 30s I did a lot of waitressing, and a few entry level administrative assistant jobs. At 27, a year after having my first child, I decided I needed to go back to school. I wanted to provide my daughter a better life, and this meant getting a better job and making more money. I thought getting my bachelor's would be a good way to do that. 

 So, I went back, and I did it. I got my bachelor's after two years. I majored in business management, and finished at the age of 29. Over the years, I continued to waitress, until I got a job working as a receptionist at a hospice. I was so excited. I felt like working for a hospice would be life-changing because, after all, I had had family members who went on hospice, and I knew what important work it was. I ended up working as a receptionist there for two years, and then moved into medical records. I know this sounds weird, but meetings, emails, I was excited to feel like part of a company that was doing something good out in the community, and I had the satisfaction of knowing that I had a good job. The only downside to it was that it wasn't giving me the kind of satisfaction I had hoped for, and it definitely wasn't providing the kind of life I wanted for my now two kids. 

 After working at the hospice for years, I started to zero in on a career I had never thought about before-social work. I would watch as these social workers would go out into the community, help patients, counsel them, provide resources, educate. They had a job that was everything I'd ever wanted all rolled into one. At 40 years old, I decided to take the leap. One of the hospice social workers I worked with for a few years had a magnet at her desk that said, "leap and the net will appear." I decided maybe it was time for me to take a leap of faith. 

 I put it all together, asked a couple friends to write me a letter of recommendation, and then I waited. I had so many worries. "What if I'm too old to go back to school." "I know all the other people in my classes will be much younger than me." "How can I do this and work with two kids?" "How will I pay for this, I can't afford this." There were so many concerns. "What if my student loan debt is so high, it takes away from the amount I make?" 

 These were all valid worries and concerns. I found out I got into the only school I had applied to. I had considered applying somewhere else, closer, or less expensive. I just decided to go for it. It would only take me one year and nine months because I had chosen to do the accelerated program. It was hard, it was challenging. There were days where it literally felt like I had mashed potatoes for brains. I would get fearful thoughts coming into my mind. But I knew that I COULD do it. So I would train my brain to keep coming back to that thought. Things that could wait til the next day, had to wait til the next day. 

 It's now been 9 months since I graduated. I am officially a social worker. I LOVE being a social worker. I couldn't have picked a more wonderful career. Because I got to see up close what the ins and outs of the jobs looked like, I felt prepared for what was in store. For someone like me, who is not a huge risk-taker, this one was so worth it. I don't regret it at all, and it's one of the best decisions I could've made. If I hadn't gone for it, I'd still be sitting around wondering "what if?" But I don't have to do that. It does make me wonder another question though, "what next?"

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Red Flags

Image
It's been on my mind lately to talk about red flags.  We all know about them, we've all heard of them, but do we really know what they are?  Some of us, without a doubt, can see one, and know for certain they've hit a red flag.  And for some, it's a dead stop in a relationship or situation.  While others, will recognize it as a red flag, but proceed forward anyway.  Still others, will not even know they've come across a red flag.  Now, red flags can be deceiving, and what one might think is, another would not.  I thought it would be helpful to call some out here, and some what I'll call "pink" flags which means not necessarily a "terrible" sign, but something to be cautious about. Red Flags: Does not ever see any person from their family Does not pay child support for their kids Pushes, hits, kicks or in any way physically abuses you Goes for several days without contacting you back, without reason You catch him/her in a flat out lie
Read more

A Letter to Narcissists

Image
Dear Narcissists, I'm writing this letter, to give you a little insight into your life and relationships. What makes me the authority on narcissism? I'm not, but like many others I have had a lot of interactions with narcissists over the years. It began as a confusion on my part. A, not knowing my own worth, and allowing myself to be victimized by narcissists. It then turned into a little bit of knowledge about what a narcissist is, and then it turned into more knowledge about the disorder. At first I was angry about it. I hated it. But the more I learn, the more I feel sorry for narcissists. If you're finding that all of your relationships aren't working out, that nobody can seem to get along with you, people leave you all your life, and they blame you. If you feel like you are unlovable, and you are afraid of being left-and then, that's exactly what happens-you might have some narcissistic tendencies. Sometimes when people t
Read more

5 Things You MUST DO to Stay on Your Diet and Exercise

Image
Recently, I have gotten back on the wagon of health. I have spent a lot of my life highly addicted to sugar, and in the not so distant past, found myself 20 lbs overweight. I had never felt so tired, and so sluggish in my life. Currently, I am working out at least 5 days/week, and am eating a much healthier diet. I know what they say about diets: it can't just be a diet, it has to be a lifestyle change. That's absolutely true. Diets come and go, but changing the way you think, changing the way you accomplish your goals, is what is truly going to change your life forever. Below, I wrote about the 5 things you must have to stick to your diet and exercise: Have a big enough why This is really important. Your why, is the underlying reason you are doing any of this in the first place. Do you want to look and feel better? Do you want to be able to wear your favorite dress again, or have more energy? You have to have a reason WHY you're doing it all (in any sit
Read more