How do you return to college as a 30-something in the US?

[Man in Space]

I can’t deal with banking/finance/AML anymore.

What do I do to go back?

[Linguoboy]

My strategem was to get hired to work there.

[Zju]

Indeed, aren't student loans pretty hefty over there? I second that you should maybe just keep applying for jobs and not be let down by the inevitable rejections until you get hired. Although you do know better than me how that would work out.

[Emily]

i went the perpetual community college route

[zompist]

I can’t deal with banking/finance/AML anymore.

What do I do to go back?

I can't tell you how the paperwork happens, but I can at least reassure you that people do this all the time. My best friend went back to college in his late 20s to get an accounting degree.

I'm sure you're aware that it'll cost money. Because of that you may want to consider studying while you work, as many people do. You can probably deal with the soul-crushing work easier if you know that you're doing something to escape it.

[bradrn]

zompist is correct; this is quite common nowadays. In undergrad, there was at least one person in my class who was ~50 years old. 30-something is barely unusual these days.

[Vardelm]

I did this. Twice. I returned for undergrad at age 37 full time due to being laid off. It was through a combination of savings, my wife's income, and occasional contract engineering work I did. I then went back for my master at age 47 part time. A combination of my wages and my company's tuition reimbursement paid for that. No student loans in either situation, but that could be added into the mix as well. Make a detailed plan of where the money comes from and how it will be spent each semester and it can be doable.

[Man in Space]

My strategem was to get hired to work there.

That is half my problem. See below.

Indeed, aren't student loans pretty hefty over there? I second that you should maybe just keep applying for jobs and not be let down by the inevitable rejections until you get hired. Although you do know better than me how that would work out.

I work at a bank currently; I only got this opportunity after sending out my résumé and applying for jobs over 300 times. It was more than that but I stopped counting. I had a spreadsheet where I was tracking it all and maintaining it got too depressing. Student loans suck but reality is often disappointing.

i went the perpetual community college route

I don’t know how to respond to this in a germane fashion but I wanted to acknowledge that I read it.

I can't tell you how the paperwork happens, but I can at least reassure you that people do this all the time. My best friend went back to college in his late 20s to get an accounting degree.

I'm sure you're aware that it'll cost money. Because of that you may want to consider studying while you work, as many people do. You can probably deal with the soul-crushing work easier if you know that you're doing something to escape it.

Thank you. I will keep that in mind.

zompist is correct; this is quite common nowadays. In undergrad, there was at least one person in my class who was ~50 years old. 30-something is barely unusual these days.

Thank you.

I did this. Twice. I returned for undergrad at age 37 full time due to being laid off. It was through a combination of savings, my wife's income, and occasional contract engineering work I did. I then went back for my master at age 47 part time. A combination of my wages and my company's tuition reimbursement paid for that. No student loans in either situation, but that could be added into the mix as well. Make a detailed plan of where the money comes from and how it will be spent each semester and it can be doable.

Thank you as well.