<p>Despite the negative title I’m actually a very positive and happy person. But I like to plan ahead and prepare for things beforehand, so I decided to make this thread on CC.</p>
<p>I was suppose to be a part of the '06 high school graduating class. My senior year I had a 4.0 and I was at the top 5% of my class. However, it was also during my senior year that I succumbed to gaming addiction, drugs/alcohol, and the likes. I come from a poor family. My mother and father live separately, and I did not have a comfortable childhood. I often had disputes with my mother. During that senior year I had a really long dispute with her, and I made the stupidest decision in my life. I left home.</p>
<p>After leaving home I stayed at a shelter home. Eventually I left the shelter when I found jobs and ways to make money in order to support myself. Two years quickly passed by. I’ve been through all sorts of wacky and adventurous experiences. But eventually I was able to buckle down and get back to studying in order to complete high school.</p>
<p>This is the third year of my life since that fateful 06 year when everything went wrong. In one month I’ll be graduating and working full time at a fortune500 company. In the fall of 2009 I’ll be enrolling at the top business school in Canada as a first year student. I scored a 1480/1600 on my SAT. I’ve begun studying ahead for first year courses. But more importantly I’ve returned home to my mother, and I love, care, and respect her more than ever. I’m content with my life. I’m proud of who I am, and I’m looking forward to the future.</p>
<p>But the fact still remains that I messed up 3 years ago. I wont lie. Sometimes I feel profoundly agonizing regret. When I begin university I’ll be 21 years old. I’ll graduate when I’m 25. I’ve been ridiculed by people who used to be my friends.</p>
<p>Sometimes I just can’t help but wonder. Did I just ruin my life? Am I nothing compared to those kids that graduate at 21/22, who go on to great jobs or great schools? And what can I expect from university? Will I fit in with my peers?</p>
<p>Any advice or thoughts will be very appreciated.</p>
<p>Those who ridicule you for going back to school are not your true friends. There are many, many people who go back to get their undergraduate degree after being in the workforce for way longer than 3 years since HS graduation. Don’t worry, don’t pay attention to the noise and go ahead with the plan. Wasn’t there a thread on CC about an 85-year old college graduate?</p>
<p>After you graduate and get that first job, no one will ever care why you graduated a year or two late - it just won’t matter anymore. Congrats on overcoming your challenges and putting your life back on track.</p>
<p>Lots of people graduate from college in their mid 20s or later. I even know some college professors who got their undergraduate degrees that late because they had bummed around in their youth. Only false friends or people who aren’t too sophisticated or bright would make fun of someone for graduating from college after their early 20s.</p>
<p>It is very difficult to try and distinguish a 3 year age difference between people, so relax. Once you are finished with college no one will even question the age you were when you graduated. the important part is you did! Finds some new friends, live long and prosper!</p>
<p>I believe your experiences over the past 3 years will serve you well. Stop and think how much more you know about life and dealing with everyday problems than the typical 17 or 18 y/o university student who will be living away from home for the 1st time in their lives. Your SAT scores indicate you’re ready for the challenge academically.</p>
<p>I have enormous respect for those who overcome a bad sitauation and go on to turn their life around. As for your “friends”, anyone who ridicules you for being 21 when you start University is no friend, you don’t need negative people pulling you down like this. </p>
<p>Remember that in four years no matter what else happens you will be 25. You can either be 25 with a college degree or without one, but you will still be 25!</p>
<p>And at 26 no one will ask or care when you received your undergrad degree. I was 28 when I received mine and it has never mattered. I was able to attend grad school in my dream program and have been able to do what I have wanted ever since. I felt the time I spent working and living ended up helping considerably, and would not trade that for anything.</p>
<p>My son had a 3-year hiatus during which he worked & supported himself (ages 20-23) – then he returned to college at age 23 and graduated at age 25. </p>
<p>I think his age and experience was an advantage for him. I think he did better during his last 2 years of college due to his maturity, and he won a significant honor (competitive internship) - where I think he essentially blew away the competition because of his greater experience. After graduation it was easy for him to find a good job because he had a very strong resume with work experience + college degree. </p>
<p>So good luck – you will find that you are not the only older student at your university. Just look for a housing situation where you are not in some dorm with a bunch of 18 year olds and I think you will do fine – my son lived off campus with roommates who were close to his age.</p>
<p>I think you’ve made the very best of some bad decisions and you are going to do extremely well in life. The leap in maturity between what you describe in 02 and what you sound like now will make you far better able to succeed than if you had scraped by and gone to college with the gaming/drug problems. Just read the other threads about kids who did that! </p>
<p>I just can’t tell you how impressed I am that you’ve gotten your life together and reconciled with your mom. That’s great!</p>
<p>It would have been SO much worse if you made those “bad” choices while enrolled at an expensive university. And worse still if you had not been able to get back on the path you wanted. Spending time on CC may make you feel “different”, but it is the CC kids that are “different”, not you.</p>
<p>Your life is ruined just like every other human being on the planet’s is. By the time you are the age of the parents here your life will be full of “what if’s”. We all have made decisions that changed who we are and where we are today. We are all products of our childhoods. You are lucky to have stumbled and recovered from it at a young age- you have gained wisdom while you still have so many open doors. Do not worry about not being the young, immature college freshman, you did your growing up before, instead of during, college. Keep in mind the purpose of going to college is first and foremost to get the academic education, the rest of it will fall into place. Try to be patient with all of those students who are not as far along in the journey of life and wisdom and enjoy who you are. Do not dwell on your past and only reveal details that seem relevant at the time - you have a clean slate in college, no need to disclose any past mistakes/behaviors. Let people judge you by who you are now and remember your past problems are your business, to be revealed at your discretion.</p>
<p>In lots of the world, and in lots of cultures, it’s the norm for people (well, boys mainly) to do several years of military service or missionary work at your age. Graduating from college in their mid-20s is the norm for them. Once upon a time, at an important juncture in our history, it was the norm here, too: over half of my father’s graduating class at college in 1951 were veterans on the GI Bill. We call that “The Greatest Generation”.</p>
<p>Sounds to me like you’ve rescued yourself from ruin!
You might have been on the path to ruination … but you’ve turned around and are now on the right track.
congratulations!</p>
<p>I got my undergrad degree at 31 and my masters four years later. College is a lot easier with a lot of industry and life experience. The US is a great land of opportunity - figure out where you want to go and then make a map to get there.</p>
<p>You haven’t lived most of your life yet so you can’t conclude ‘it’s ruined’. Also, it’s no big deal being a few years older than the average. There are lots of students in their early to late 20s atending college - especially at a larger U with a lot of Masters and PHD programs.</p>
<p>After all you have learned you are probably more ready for university than many of your judging friends. Go to university and kick butt! You can do a great job and have great results.</p>
Get after it. Daylight is burning and you have a life to live.</p>