Making the decision to go back to school at 34

In my introduction post, I mentioned that I made the choice to go back to school. I thought I might share a little more information on the events leading up to that and transitioning into college after being out of school for 17 years...

I graduated high school as the class of 2000. At the time, I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life and no means to go to college (even if I wanted to) so, I worked. I worked countless jobs.

At 22, I decided that I was going to go to school for hair styling. I managed to get through 8 of the 10 month program. I left school 2 months before I was set to graduate. Being in school 8-4 mon-fri did not allow for me to pay my bills and I had to leave school to maintain my living. I apprenticed pt in a salon and planned to just get my hours and write my boards but plans changed and I left the salon to relocate my life.

At first, I did hair from my house while I worked job after job and eventually, lost the passion for hair and the constant education it requires to stay "current." It got to a point where I sighed and threw my head back, like an irritated teenager anytime someone asked me to cut their hair.

Fast forward a few years and add in relocating back to my home town, having my mini and getting into the job that led me to where I am now...

I worked for 3 years as a quality control inspector for the internal components of wind turbines. The pay was great, it offered full benefits and a pension... but... sadly, in the company I was in, having a VAGINA meant I was next to nothing. I was the lowest of the low. Just a number. Replaceable. And I would NEVER. I repeat, NEVER move up into a higher position.

Day after day, I was shit on, over looked, over worked, under appreciated and again... replaceable. There was so much uncertainty and no stability in my line of work and there was eventually a massive lay off that affected roughly 300 employees. I was among those 300. I took my lay off and waited for my call back...

Joke was on me. I came to find that they gave someone else my job... I found she had been doing my job since the day I got laid off. So.. I do what I do best.

I raised hell.

I filed a grievance with my union. Yes. Believe it or not... This was happening, WITH a union in place!

While I sat around making phone calls, texting, emailing, etc.. trying to figure out what was going to be done, this bitch was doing my job. Someone I had up until this point considered a friend. (that will teach me) But for every hour that she worked and I didnt, my pay out went higher and higher. My company refused to budge so the next step was for the union to take it to the courts.. It was at this point that I was done. 3 years. 3 fucking years of my life I gave to this company. 3 years of time with my family I lost out on that I will never get back and they couldnt even be bothered to settle and give ME my job.

Between what they owed me and what the court cost would have been, the total would have come to roughly $20, 000 and they wouldnt budge. They would rather suffer the penalties than give me MY job. Talk about a slap in the face.

I started looking at my options. Enough was enough. I wanted stability for my family. I wanted to be in a career that would appreciate my hard work and VALUE me as an employee. I decided that I would go into Medical Office Administration. In a matter of weeks, after mountains of paper work and countless hoops I jumped through, I was going back to school...

or at least I thought I was...

My company, conveniently called me back to work... assholes.

I spoke directly with my department manager and explained that I was trying to go back to school but I would not qualify unless I was laid off. After talking for a bit, we reached the decision that he would get me my indefinite lay off... if I dropped my grievance. Done and done. Tell me where to sign so I can leave this life sucking hell hole behind and move on to better things. Sure, I lost out on $10,000 but I would have had to continue to endure the same shit. That $10,000 retro pay was nothing in comparison to what I would be getting out of going back to school.

And so, I went back to school Jan 30 2017 at 34 years old. I honestly felt like Billy Madison. *sings "back to school. oh back to school"

It was WEIRD. I thought I was going to be the oldest one there. I wasnt!!! Come to find, I was in the middle! That was a relief!! I transitioned easily! A lot easier than I expected. Getting used to hours of homework and balancing time with the fam was the biggest struggle. But I told myself that if I was going to do this, I had to give it my all. Go big or go home, so to speak.

I set a goal of graduating with a 4.0 GPA and Im happy to say that with just a little over a month left of school, I have a 94% GPA!!! The hardest part of my course was my highest grade!

The more we discuss in class, the more I uncover passions I never knew I had! Im absolutely fascinated by being able to SEE things that are IN the body! (not in a morbid way!) I want to learn phlebotomy (drawing blood) or even train to be a radiologists assistant!

It is crazy how one shitty event in life, can turn around if you take a leap of faith. I knew when I made the choice to sign the paper to drop my grievance that I could have very well been shooting myself in the foot. It would have taken nothing for my company to fuck me over and NOT give me my indefinite lay off after I signed away the grievance but I had to do it. If for no other reason than to be free of that place!

Best choice I have ever made for my family! I know my husband and mini are both proud of me and I am proud of me!

So, for anyone out there, who might be reading this.. waste NO opportunity! Take a shitty situation and use it to your benefit!

One of my instructors had a couple sayings that really stuck with me...
"If I dont want to, I must"
"You get back, what you put out"
and
"Ask and you shall receive"

I have applied each of these sayings to my everyday life and it has truly changed the way I view a lot of things now.

Let me know below what life changing moves you have made!!!!