Too Old To Be "Back To School Cool?"

It's that week that some dread and others look forward to: The 2011 "Back to School" season is upon us. Over the past couple of weeks, Wal-Mart, Staples and Office Depot have been slammed packed with customers stocking up on notebooks, pens and paper. Haywood Mall has been so littered with patrons, you would think it was Black Friday or the Christmas season. And this wife and mother was right in the thick of it, because she is once again a student.

I started college three months after graduating high school, like most teenagers do. I enrolled in Tri-County Technical College and I absolutely loved my experience there. I made new friends, loved the majority of my teachers and I found the major that was a perfect fit for me - early childhood development.

Marriage, a child and job opportunities moved my family out of state and away from college so my degree was put on hold. The longer my degree was put off, and the older I grew, I became less self-confident in my ability to finish. The timing wasn't right, the cost was too great and every other reason was used as an excuse for me to keep pushing my school goals aside. And while many of these reasons had some truth to them, the crux of the issue was that I doubted if I had it in me. 

In my mind, I was well past the age of going back to school. I was married. I had a child. I needed to work. I was no longer fresh from high school, taking the next step into adulthood. I was in the middle of adulthood and no longer possessed the confidence I had back when I started at Tri-County.

But, as they say, good things happen when you least expect it. My family recently was fortunate to experience blessings that gave me a second chance. The reasons I used for not going back to school were no longer a burden to our family. We were able to arrange our jobs and our finances so that my going back to school was the next big step for our family to make together. Greenville Technical College offers a major similar to the one I was working toward at Tri-County, and it would take me less than a calendar year to finish. I was finally going back to school.

So, while some mothers my age have been buying book bags and various school supplies for their children, I've literally been right beside them buying supplies for myself. At Wal-Mart I saw parents check off their child's school supply list while my husband checked off mine. Returning home that day, I enjoyed the rush of knowing I was going back to school but I was hit with major self-consiousness because I felt so out of place at the store.

The weeks and days leading up to this back to school week have been a bit strange for me. I'm thrilled to be going back to school, but I have also struggled with self-doubt and self-confidence. It has been years since I first stepped foot in a college classroom, and the anxiety of returning left me sleepless many nights. 

Once I parked my car on Greenville Tech's campus this past Monday, I took a look around and realized I was not alone. In my first class I met many other students who were returning after taking a break, just like me.

Much to my surprise, I wasn't even the oldest person starting school all over again. I also realized that the students who just finished high school were just as nervous as myself. I witnessed many of them go to the wrong class or show signs of stress on their faces.

Looking back, I started becoming aware of how common it is for adults to return their focus to education. Many of my friends and family also went back to school, all for various reasons. My aunt is in her 40's and recently recieved her nursing degree, because she desired something different in her life. My sister-in-law went back to school because she wanted to do something for herself. One of my friends graduated from a university and was unable to find a job with her bachelors degree, so she went back to get an associates and found the job of her dreams.

Just days ago I was biting my nails, trying to get my nerves under control. But, since I've been back in the classroom, I am gaining the confidence I once had. I have realized you can always be "Back to School Cool," regardless of your age. Forget the reasons and excuses - if you have the urge to go back to school, DO IT. Your fears and anxieties will be taken over by self-confidence the moment you walk back into a classroom.