What I gained and lost going back to school at 39

1w ago1 min read

Went back to get my degree while working part time. Been almost three years now and I'm supposed to graduate next spring. What I lost: weekends with the family, a lot of sleep, money we could have used on vacation. What I gained: confidence, a career path that doesn't make me want to scream, respect from my kids who see their dad actually following through on something hard. My oldest is talking about maybe going to college now too. Can't put a price on that. The exhaustion is real though. I won't lie, some nights I wonder if I'm crazy.

6 comments180 views

Comments(6)

AAdam J.Regular1w ago

Three years of sacrifice is huge. I'm managing three kids between two households and I know how hard it is to carve out time for yourself, so this hits different. You're teaching them resilience by example, which is way more valuable than extra Saturday hikes.

NNick J.Regular1w ago

Dude, respect for sticking with it. I'm just four months into fatherhood and already struggling to find time for myself, so I can't even imagine doing school on top of that. You're almost at the finish line, keep pushing.

BBrandon T.New Dad1w ago

Man, that takes guts going back at 39 while juggling work and family. Almost there though - spring is right around the corner and your kids will remember that you showed them what it means to push yourself. Worth those lost weekends for sure.

AAdam R.Regular1w ago

This is wild to me. Going back at 39 while working part time and being a dad takes serious grit. What's the degree in? I feel like a lot of dads think about doing something like this but never actually commit.

RRobertNew Dad6d ago

Three years is a grind, especially balancing work and parenting on top of it. Are you almost done or is graduation still down the road? I can't even imagine tackling something that big while managing two kids full time.

EEric M.Regular6d ago

The supposed to graduate part sounds stressful. Did the timeline slip or are you dealing with imposter syndrome? Either way finishing something like this while raising kids is legit inspiring.