Doing Something You Always Wanted to Do

[Loyal]

I am excited about achieving a life-long goal at age 53 by getting a BS History degree in December. I couldn't concentrate and had little confidence when I was 18 yrs old in order to grind out a degree program. I wasn't stupid, but am sure that I had/have ADHD, which wasn't a "thing" when I was growing up. It was called hyperactivity back then. In any case, I will get the degree summa cum laude and have already been all but offered a teaching asst-ship at my University if I want to pursue a MA in History. I also am considering getting a Law degree at a different school, instead of the MA.

I know that some have said, "you want a degree, have mine"...or..."why the hell are you doing that?"...or..."why would you spend the money for a Law degree at your age?" I barely graduated High School in 1982; although, I tested high enough to enter a nuclear field Electronic Tech program in the US Navy. Graduating at the top of my class, let alone earning a degree, checked off something on the bucket list. I am also a writer, and have been honored by having a poem published in our University's literary journal (and maybe a short story next year). Before entering college, I was trying to write a novel (have about 55,000 words written). I stopped because I felt that my work would not be honored unless I had those letters after my name. I am now not just a amateur historian, but a trained one with a degree. I hope to write interesting historical fiction for teens very soon. Anyway, this is the true purpose of the degree.

Enough about me...Are any of you doing something late in life that you always wanted to do when younger?

 

[Dodgersrf]

Very cool Loyal. Congrats man.

 

[Loyal]

Very cool Loyal. Congrats man.

Thanks Dodgersf. Just 8 more units until I get it and I can hardly believe it. there has been many a sleepless night, studying for tests and writing essays to get to this point.

 

[CGI_Ram]

I am excited about achieving a life-long goal at age 53 by getting a BS History degree in December.

WOW!!!

Congratulations LR. That is awesome and I'm sure insanely rewarding!

 

[Angry Ram]

I got to meet and interact with an Avenger!

Seriously, I went to ComicCon last Saturday and Anthony Mackie, who plays the Falcon in the Avenger series was doing a Q&A session. I was the 4th person in line and had a conversation with him! He said my name and everything. Totally fan-boying.

 

[Loyal]

WOW!!!

Congratulations LR. That is awesome and I'm sure insanely rewarding!

It is, my friend...My wife is very proud of me and that means a lot as well. I am wavering as to whether I will to do the "walk" in December...I believe that I will, because it's something that I have wanted for so long, even though I will probably look ridiculous with the "kids," lol. I'm the first one in my family to ever achieve a college degree of any kind, going back several generations..and maybe ever. The only downer is that I wanted my Mom to know that one of her kids got a degree, but she has dementia and may not understand it as well as she might have a few years ago

 

[Loyal]

I got to meet and interact with an Avenger!

Seriously, I went to ComicCon last Saturday and Anthony Mackie, who plays the Falcon in the Avenger series was doing a Q&A session. I was the 4th person in line and had a conversation with him! He said my name and everything. Totally fan-boying.

ha! That's great!

 

[IowaRam]

I am excited about achieving a life-long goal at age 53 by getting a BS History degree in December. I couldn't concentrate and had little confidence when I was 18 yrs old in order to grind out a degree program. I wasn't stupid, but am sure that I had/have ADHD, which wasn't a "thing" when I was growing up. It was called hyperactivity back then. In any case, I will get the degree summa cum laude and have already been all but offered a teaching asst-ship at my University if I want to pursue a MA in History. I also am considering getting a Law degree at a different school, instead of the MA.

I know that some have said, "you want a degree, have mine"...or..."why the hell are you doing that?"...or..."why would you spend the money for a Law degree at your age?" I barely graduated High School in 1982; although, I tested high enough to enter a nuclear field Electronic Tech program in the US Navy. Graduating at the top of my class, let alone earning a degree, checked off something on the bucket list. I am also a writer, and have been honored by having a poem published in our University's literary journal (and maybe a short story next year). Before entering college, I was trying to write a novel (have about 55,000 words written). I stopped because I felt that my work would not be honored unless I had those letters after my name. I am now not just a amateur historian, but a trained one with a degree. I hope to write interesting historical fiction for teens very soon. Anyway, this is the true purpose of the degree.

Enough about me...Are any of you doing something late in life that you always wanted to do when younger?

Pretty cool , and congrats

History has always been my favorite subject by far , I'm like a sponge

 

[Loyal]

Pretty cool , and congrats

History has always been my favorite subject by far , I'm like a sponge

Me too...It's just a blast reading primary sources, some of which no researcher may have ever read since being sorted and filed. I spent a few days at the Eisenhower Library, in studying Eisenhowers time as SCHAEF Commode in Europe at the Fall of Berlin/Germany. I'd be enthralled for hours, scanning for information I needed, reading everything. Too much fun.

 

[IowaRam]

I was stationed on the Eisenhower when I was in the Navy

The last stuff I got studying up on was like the 1920's and 1930's , everything from prohibition to the dust bowl

Think I've read everything there is on Bonnie & Clyde

 

[Memento]

You're a writer? I'm also a writer, and I'm hoping to self-publish online. My work delves into fiction and has twists on the teenaged superhero genre, the elite squad (such as the A-Team and Expendables, if you want examples) genre, the Dungeons and Dragons genre, and the concept of an in-game hero who turns into a villain for entirely selfish reasons.

So, I've currently got five books planned out for that series, and it's really exciting. I'm cursed with writer's block, at the moment, but hopefully I'll get back to it soon!

Also, it's awesome that you got a degree in history. I've always loved history, and you're amazing for doing it!

 

[Loyal]

You're a writer? I'm also a writer, and I'm hoping to self-publish online. My work delves into fiction and has twists on the teenaged superhero genre, the elite squad (such as the A-Team and Expendables, if you want examples) genre, the Dungeons and Dragons genre, and the concept of an in-game hero who turns into a villain for entirely selfish reasons.

So, I've currently got five books planned out for that series, and it's really exciting. I'm cursed with writer's block, at the moment, but hopefully I'll get back to it soon!

Also, it's awesome that you got a degree in history. I've always loved history, and you're amazing for doing it!

Thanks Memento. My unfinished novel is a dystopian novel about the USA after an EMP attack. When I started it, no one knew anything about EMP, but now many know about it (missed opportunity?). It's very cool with the series you have planned. I have thought about e-publishing, but I want to take a stab at the big-boy print publishers in New York first. Nice to know a fellow writer here at ramsondemand. We had a writers community in my last class (creative writing), and it was exciting to hear what they really thought about my work. It's powerful when a poem that you have written makes someone cry, face to face....I will miss that community...

 

[bnw]

I am excited about achieving a life-long goal at age 53 by getting a BS History degree in December. I couldn't concentrate and had little confidence when I was 18 yrs old in order to grind out a degree program. I wasn't stupid, but am sure that I had/have ADHD, which wasn't a "thing" when I was growing up. It was called hyperactivity back then. In any case, I will get the degree summa cum laude and have already been all but offered a teaching asst-ship at my University if I want to pursue a MA in History. I also am considering getting a Law degree at a different school, instead of the MA.

I know that some have said, "you want a degree, have mine"...or..."why the hell are you doing that?"...or..."why would you spend the money for a Law degree at your age?" I barely graduated High School in 1982; although, I tested high enough to enter a nuclear field Electronic Tech program in the US Navy. Graduating at the top of my class, let alone earning a degree, checked off something on the bucket list. I am also a writer, and have been honored by having a poem published in our University's literary journal (and maybe a short story next year). Before entering college, I was trying to write a novel (have about 55,000 words written). I stopped because I felt that my work would not be honored unless I had those letters after my name. I am now not just a amateur historian, but a trained one with a degree. I hope to write interesting historical fiction for teens very soon. Anyway, this is the true purpose of the degree.

Enough about me...Are any of you doing something late in life that you always wanted to do when younger?

Big congrats on achieving one of your dreams. Don't give the naysayers the time of day.

 

[Loyal]

Big congrats on achieving one of your dreams. Don't give the naysayers the time of day.

Thanks very much...I can hardly believe it...The bad part is that I have to grow up now...

 

[bnw]

Thanks very much...I can hardly believe it...The bad part is that I have to grow up now...

No you don't.

 

[Ramhusker]

I am excited about achieving a life-long goal at age 53 by getting a BS History degree in December. I couldn't concentrate and had little confidence when I was 18 yrs old in order to grind out a degree program. I wasn't stupid, but am sure that I had/have ADHD, which wasn't a "thing" when I was growing up. It was called hyperactivity back then. In any case, I will get the degree summa cum laude and have already been all but offered a teaching asst-ship at my University if I want to pursue a MA in History. I also am considering getting a Law degree at a different school, instead of the MA.

I know that some have said, "you want a degree, have mine"...or..."why the hell are you doing that?"...or..."why would you spend the money for a Law degree at your age?" I barely graduated High School in 1982; although, I tested high enough to enter a nuclear field Electronic Tech program in the US Navy. Graduating at the top of my class, let alone earning a degree, checked off something on the bucket list. I am also a writer, and have been honored by having a poem published in our University's literary journal (and maybe a short story next year). Before entering college, I was trying to write a novel (have about 55,000 words written). I stopped because I felt that my work would not be honored unless I had those letters after my name. I am now not just a amateur historian, but a trained one with a degree. I hope to write interesting historical fiction for teens very soon. Anyway, this is the true purpose of the degree.

Enough about me...Are any of you doing something late in life that you always wanted to do when younger?

Dude! That's fantastic. Congrats! I did things a little similar. I went back to school at 34 and graduated magna cum laude (got a B+ over some PC crap) with a BA in Business Management. I graduated HS in 1978. I also was published in the University's literary journal (poem as well) and also once started on a book but only a few thousand words before I realized I was too scatter-brained to stick to a plot. I was writing that while in the Air Force working the night shift. I still have it handwritten somewhere in a box. I went back to school while working full time and coaching two little league baseball teams. It was an exercise in time management on steroids but I pulled it off. My wife went back to school too. My reasons for going back were threefold. One, my wife was going back so I wanted to experience it with my wife. We were able to help each other by being competitive (I won!). Two, I wanted to be able to stick that diploma in a place where my kids could see it so when it was time to push them to college I had the example. And three, it really was a self-esteem/bucket list/security thing. I wanted to be a more well-rounded person and the next level of education seemed to be a minimum requirement to satisfy myself. I really didn't need it for income because I had a well paying job but it seemed like a good idea for a fallback. In hindsight, those letters behind our names are just that, just letters and they are no measure of the people we are or have become. They definitely mean more to us than anybody else just because they serve as a badge of honor and achievement. That and a couple of bucks can buy us some truck stop coffee! I've never "officially" used my degree but I practically use it everyday. My wife, on the other hand, is now a college Dean. I love history by the way! We can say "non traditional students KICK ASS!" Congrats again! On to the next thing you always wanted to do.

 

[Loyal]

Dude! That's fantastic. Congrats! I did things a little similar. I went back to school at 34 and graduated magna cum laude (got a B+ over some PC crap) with a BA in Business Management. I graduated HS in 1978. I also was published in the University's literary journal (poem as well) and also once started on a book but only a few thousand words before I realized I was too scatter-brained to stick to a plot. I was writing that while in the Air Force working the night shift. I still have it handwritten somewhere in a box. I went back to school while working full time and coaching two little league baseball teams. It was an exercise in time management on steroids but I pulled it off. My wife went back to school too. My reasons for going back were threefold. One, my wife was going back so I wanted to experience it with my wife. We were able to help each other by being competitive (I won!). Two, I wanted to be able to stick that diploma in a place where my kids could see it so when it was time to push them to college I had the example. And three, it really was a self-esteem/bucket list/security thing. I wanted to be a more well-rounded person and the next level of education seemed to be a minimum requirement to satisfy myself. I really didn't need it for income because I had a well paying job but it seemed like a good idea for a fallback. In hindsight, those letters behind our names are just that, just letters and they are no measure of the people we are or have become. They definitely mean more to us than anybody else just because they serve as a badge of honor and achievement. That and a couple of bucks can buy us some truck stop coffee! I've never "officially" used my degree but I practically use it everyday. My wife, on the other hand, is now a college Dean. I love history by the way! We can say "non traditional students KICK ASS!" Congrats again! On to the next thing you always wanted to do.

Thanks for the words. We have followed similar paths, and congrats to you as well! and yes, non-traditional student always "bust the curve" if there is one!

 

[Ramlock]

Congrats LR!
Wonderful achievement.

I can identify with some of your experience.

In my 30's, I was still struggling, didn't really believe in myself and going nowhere career wise.

My Dad helped me with an opportunity and I've been pretty darn successful. I've risen to a position that I would never have dreamed of in my career. My former manager, who has retired, referred to me as a cult hero figure to our Corporate HQ ....an upper Midwest company while I am a Southern boy.

The respect and recognition is the most gratifying piece.

Good luck as you continue!