I finally did what I should've done in high school!

[Crescent Cat]

Next week I'll turn 29 and I've finally decided what I want to do with my life. I want to become a software developer. I'm looking at getting a bachelor's in computer science and getting experience with programming languages in my spare time. For the first time in my life I'm genuinely excited about the future and I feel like there is a lot of opportunity coming my way. It'll be a lot of hard work and I'm preparing myself to have very little free time in the up coming years. I'm a little sad that it took me this long to figure out what to do with my life but better late than never I suppose. Being this "old" and having just now decided what I want to do makes me a little nervous, but I do have years of work experience that the kids out of high school/college don't have. I'm hoping that will at least give me some leverage. Even though this is a fast growing industry I'm really anxious about not finding a job, but that's still years away. Maybe things will get better by then.

[patiokitty]

Congrats! Trust me, it's never too late to go back to school - I went back at age 34 and got my BA at 39.

[Pixilated]

And I'm back in school and nudging retirement! It really is never too late -- congratulations on having found your niche and wishing you a great future!

[Chanlin]

I did the same at 27.

I'll say its not only the best thing I ever did, but focusing on and staying in school were so much easier after deciding that this is what I really wanted.

[Sapphire Silk]

One of my nursing graduates was 63 when she finished. She's been on the job for about 5 years now and loves it.

[Kal]

In your defence, I'm 31 and started a degree in civil engineering at 18, switched after two years to building surveying, worked for one year as a site manager, the last several years as a pensions admin and am currently trying to get on a course to become a primary school teacher. I don't think that you've got anything to worry about so far as taking time to decide your life's course goes.

[sms001]

BS (Computer Science) at..... wait for it...... 31.

College is (I strongly suspect) a LOT more rewarding when you're older. Self discipline is usually stronger, work habits more effective, and being REALLY aware of how much it is costing makes you squeeze all the value out of it that you can.

Learn as many languages as you can outside of school. Then take classes in the more popular ones to refine your knowledge. (Java/C#, Ajax, PHP, etc.)

Have fun!

[drunkenwildmage]

Starting at College right after High School..*BIG MISTAKE* left after a mutual agreement between me and the school..I didn't want to be there, and they didn't want me..Took some time off delivering pizzas and tending to my gaming addiction. Actually, turns outs, chances were I would'e made more money delivering Pizza then if I got my degree....Do to my Late wife pushing me..I went back to a Community College when I was 30ish for a Networking and Electronic's Degree.. Got my first job with it 6 months before graduation. ..

[Moirae]

Congrats. And you are NOT old. Not everyone knows what they want to do when they graduate high school. When I graduated, I said I was going to be a paleontologist. I'm working as a front desk clerk in a hotel. You never know what will happen.