Feeling really down at the moment as I will be 22 / 23 when I enter uni ..

Anyone done the same? Or advice? I can't believe ill spend most of my 20s learning and not travelling etc. I can't even believe this is happening.

Hi there.

It's not quite the same for me, but I will be turning 25 by the time I finish my degree, so I understand your situation. A lot of my friends at university are younger than me, or my friends from home at other universities will finish their degrees this academic year as they went to university when they were 18.

I try my best to disregard my age and how long I'll be at university as I know I'm here at the right time for me, and I feel like I am working at a pace and time that is right for me - as cringey as it may sound! And I would encourage you to think the similarly!

The fact that you're going back into education during your twenties is not going to limit you in terms of other things you can do - like travelling - as there is still so much time to do both of these things. Maybe you can look to see if your university offers study abroad schemes so that you can do both!

Try not to dwell on your age and going to uni in your twenties. You're still very young and I'm sure there'll be some amazing opportunities coming your way once you start.

Best of luck!
Emily
Student Ambassador at BCU

Thank you so much that helps. Sadly I also have to face parents (who aren't happy with what I've done to go to uni this late) and family friends enquiring and jusging me for going to uni this late.

No problem at all and I'm really sorry to hear that. Try your best to keep a positive mindset about your studies, especially if this is what feels best for you.

It might seem like you're being selfish or going against your family, but your education is your decision - I think giving it some time and working hard towards your studies will show them that it's worth the wait.

And regarding your friends, they will come around. I sometimes feel my friends don't always respect my decision to study an art and design related degree as they study academic subjects, but I try my best to block out any comments that feel like judgement and focus on my subject - as it's what I love.

I hope things get better for you soon.

Emily

Anyone done the same? Or advice? I can't believe ill spend most of my 20s learning and not travelling etc. I can't even believe this is happening.

I'll be 25 when i start uni, I really don't see what the issue with it is.

Being delayed in life I guess? I look at celebrities doing major stuff as early as 19. Not common or healthy to do of course but I really wanna get started with life after uni.

Life is a marathon, not a sprint. Elon Musk got his degrees when he was 26, now he's the richest man in the world.

If you're comparing yourself with celebrities then you will never reach a point where you'll be happy and satisfied because they will always have something you want, and also you don't see the sacrifices and negative side of what they have to deal with to get and maintain the lives they have, there are lots of child celebrities that did major stuff earlier than 19, many of them have crashed and burned because the life they got wasn't what they actually wanted.

If you're that concerned about doing travelling in your twenties then do some travelling in your twenties, get a job for a bit then use it to fund your travels. You can do your learning in your thirties if you're that way inclined or you can study overseas and incorporate both travelling and learning into your life at the same time, its honestly up to you.

What is the reason you're starting late out of curiosity?

Thank you for the reply. I'm starting late because I had (and still do) have no clue what to study at university beyond stem. I like everything but nothing sticks out to me. That's it. I was meant to go do physics last year but I messed it up and didn't go because I was worried I might like another course better, now I'm realising i'm wasting years of time doing this.

Thank you for the reply. I'm starting late because I had (and still do) have no clue what to study at university beyond stem. I like everything but nothing sticks out to me. That's it. I was meant to go do physics last year but I messed it up and didn't go because I was worried I might like another course better, now I'm realising i'm wasting years of time doing this.

I did the same as you. I didn't want to pick a random degree when I was 18 because everyone else was doing it. I waited until I was 25 to go to uni, when I had figured out what I wanted to do with my life. I am glad I waited, because I've now been able to go into a career I love. I'm only just getting started, really, and am now 34. I'm glad I didn't waste my time and money on a degree I wouldn't have used and waited until I was more sure about what I wanted. Not being at uni isn't a waste - there is more to life.

Tbh it's sensible not going if you're not absolutely sure about what you wanna do, lots of people end up choosing a degree that they end up hating just because people told them to do it and they either drop out or finish it but regret it afterwards. I was originally going to Economics when I applied back in 2017 and got accepted into uni but decided against it heavily in part because I realised it wasn't what I actually wanted to do and it was just something that my sixth form forced on me. Now I've just reapplied to do Accounting and Finance because its more to my liking.

If I were you, just try find people that did the same course at the same uni that you're planning on going to and ask them about it to see if its something that appeals to you, also would recommend looking through a textbook from the course's reading list to see if its the type of stuff that you think you'd capable of doing and wouldn't find too boring.

I just asked my old sixth form teacher >_< yikes she'd be embarassed of me I bet

Why do you care if she'd be embarrassed of you? You're not gonna get far in life if you're that deeply entrenched in what people think about you.

Absolutely but I can't not think about it a little that's all. My family aren't supportive and family friends won't be either so its painful right now.

That's unfortunate for them but you shouldn't let your family and friends choose your life for you, if you let them rule over you then you will be asking the exact same questions in 10 years from now having not done anything or you'll have spent years doing something you didn't actually want to do followed by years of regret in both cases. It can be tough to hear but the reality is friends and family don't always have your best interests at heart, they're often making decisions for you that benefits them and them alone.

Thank you so much, I needed to hear that. I'm glad I wrote this out here, its gonna be a while but I really can't wait to get into uni its been too long squandering here.