I’m thinking about starting to study again! I graduated as fashion designer from university of applied sciences at 2016, and swore I will never again study.
But now I have been thinking about taking some art classes at open university! I only have some doubts about my ability to complete studies. I have very very bad memory problems, much worse from that 2016 when I was studying the last time… and I get these dissociative episodes on a weekly basis, that pretty much disable me for a whole day.
Has anybody tried to study as an adult, or thinking of going back to school?
I am on disability pension and I believe art studies would do me good. It would not be full time studying.
Any tips and experiences of studying as an adult would be welcome!
Is it possible to go through school at 30+ years old?
I know art is the thing I’m most interested in and I believe these art studies would help me on my career as an artist… I’m just doubting because I have schizophrenia and my symptoms have gotten so much worse through the years. When I was young, everything was so much easier.
I started college in 1984; I took a few classes. Then I stopped and didn’t go back until I was 30 in 1990. I took two classes at a time for the next five years then I stopped again. I started taking online classes in 2010 when I was 50 years old. I took online classes off and on until I just graduated two weeks ago with an Associates degree. I am 61 now.
When I attended community college 1990-95 there were lots of older students, it didn’t feel weird being a little bit older. I used to enjoy strolling through the campus and having lunch in the cafeteria. I actually did better in college than I did in high school; I got better grades and was more likely to do my homework.
I just finished my undergraduate degree in psychology. The school that i went to had a very helpful disability department. They would take books and have them transcribed into audio books which helped because reading was difficult. It also helped me that covid was going on because that made most of my classes online as ive developed a difficult social anxiety as ive been on this schizophrenia journey. Im 38 and went back. Id already completed part of my degree when i was younger too.
I’m most concerned about my own mental well being as I’m still struggling with my illness.
I would hate to be in a place where I have paid for my studies but wouldn’t be able to finish it.
Have you ever told your teachers/tutors about your illness? How did they react?
I think I will take the change and enroll myself in to these studies. If I keep on fearing of what could happen, I’ll get nothing done. I need to ask my psych nurse how she feels, I meet her tomorrow.
I went back to school at 45. Got an associates degree in aircraft maintenance. I got all As.
Finished right before I turned 47. The FAA exams to get my license were the hardest tests I ever had to take. There was a written, an oral and a practical for three different topics. General, airframes and power plant.
I took most of the FAA pilot exams before I got sick. They weren’t that hard.
I didn’t have to pay to go to school though. I used my GI Bill so it was basically free.
No, I never told my teachers. My schools had a disability office that gave out accommodations such as more time taking tests and taking tests alone in a classroom with no distractions. The teachers knew I had accommodations but they didn’t know what for.
I tried to go back but I had a fair bit of trouble just doing 1 or 2 courses at a time. So reality hit me a few years later that I wouldnt be able to do the program i wanted which had 5 to 6 courses a semester for 2 years.
So i didnt pursue it. I think it would of taken me 5 years. The program only allowed 3 years maximum or you wont pass.
So find a program that allows flexibility in how many courses you need to take at a time and im sure you can do it
I had a counselor who was in school tell me she studied in different places and it helped.
I have an art school five minutes from my front door and I know they’d be crazy about me because I’m so talented, lol, no, really, I have practiced more than most people far less than the few on top. I want to do cartooning. I am fascinated by cross hatching too.
If you have reading assignments in college you may have to ditch the fiction for a time or leisurely non fiction and stick to the course.
