is 30 to old to go back to college?

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Soldato
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i've been humming and hawing over the last couple of months about a career change(i'm currently a taxi driver) and i've been putting some serious thought about going back to college to study computing.

now as usual i've left it too late for this year so it will most likely be that i'd be starting next summer now at the ripe old age of 31.

financially i'l be fine (i'll still be driving taxis and just working round any college hours but to be honest i'm worried that i'm too old to be going to college to start an HNC. has anyone here went to college in their 30's and beyond?

I've been to college previously about 10 years back and flunked out of a hnc ITA course mainly due to youthful stupidity and i've kicked myself for it ever since, as it stands i'm stuck in a rut and i want to do something about it but i really dont know if starting off with an hnc in computing is the best way to go about it or even if theres a better way to gain qualifications other than going to college
 
No - i'm 31 and starting Uni full time on Monday, with 40 years of work ahead we need to ensure we are doing something we love.
 
You may be one of the older ones in the class but don't let that put you off, people of all ages study at college so if it's something you want to do then go for it.

However I don't know if an HNC in computing is the best thing to be doing, I'll leave advice on that specific to others who are more informed. Do you have an idea of what in computing you want to do? The general term computing covers a multitude of sins so if you can give a pointer about the direction you intend then that will help others to advise you more usefully.
 
I'm 40 and considering it, so no, I'd say at 30 your fine!

(I'll still be considering it at 50 much as I was at 30 tbh :o )
 
30 isn't too old. When i was at college studying electrical engineering back in 1998 (18 at the time), there was a man in his 60's in our classes. Everyone else was less than 20/25
 
I have just started college again at 24 but in my class there are 2 people in their 30's and they are loving it. We are long time working and at 30 you still got another 40 years or so of work ahead of you so its better to get a job in something you love as life is too short otherwise.
 
i'm specifically looking along the lines of a course thats more hardware focused, , possibly tech support, unfortunately theres no colleges local with places on any it related courses at all it seems so its going to be summer 2012 before i start, so plenty time to decide what i want to do ;)

i'm having a look through the local colleges prospectuses for short and evening courses for something that might be interesting and useful atm
 
I went back to Uni for a career change in my late 30's and I was not the only person. You should have a more mature attitude to study and completing the course than younger students. If there is no financial problems, go for it.
 
It is never to old mate, good for you, go for it. I'm 24 and I had 30 and much older guys than you 40 -50 in my class when I was at Uni.

I would strongly consider what it is you want to do in computing/IT and what you want to do with the college edication outcome. Having recently finished uni and been looking for IT jobs I know how difficult it is to get in.
 
I'm starting back to uni next week after a gap year, there was literally 20% of my class over 40
never mind 30
I have 2 friends going back to be edumacated :-) this year, 1 is 29 and starting college and one 32
and starting uni. go for it man, at least u can work around your job, if you don't like it , meh pick something else.
 
Foxtrot26 said:
I've been to college previously about 10 years back and flunked out of a hnc ITA course mainly due to youthful stupidity and i've kicked myself for it ever since, as it stands i'm stuck in a rut and i want to do something about it but i really dont know if starting off with an hnc in computing is the best way to go about it or even if theres a better way to gain qualifications other than going to college
Click to expand...

did you complete any modules? and if so do you still have the paperwork showing the completed modules?

if this is the case, study at the open uni, take the hnd in computing, and credit transfer the orignal course content over.

(i have done this, in 2003 i took a hnc in computing, but failed two modules, due to a disagreement about exam times (these were in the day when i was at work, and the course was an evening course, in hindsight it was cutting off my nose to spite my face), so i managed to tranfer the credits in, and cut out all level one modules, for a foundation degree)

thou, i have also got to say i would not recommend a hnc in computing, and nobody would employ someone with this qualification IT, (for example someone who did the hnc with me, couldnt get a job with it, yet when he completed his mcdst and a+, the phone didnt stop ringing with 1st line jobs - note this was 2007). my advice also would be go down the microsoft route, with self study, complete a few ms exams and try for first line.
 
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