Being an older transfer student can be difficult. I have a hard time connecting with fellow students.
Sometimes I say to myself, “I feel like I’ve been lagging behind other people my age,” or “I’d rather be on with my career.” I’m also older than most students here, which can make it hard to connect with many people.
My interests are different than a lot of fellow students here at Ferris, especially when it comes to social media. I’ve used Snapchat once, I had an Instagram account that I forgot the password to years ago, I deleted my Twitter account years ago and I’m one of a hundred people that still uses Facebook.
Knowing that I will have to compete with people who are younger than me in the workforce is also scary. I’ll have to sell myself harder than others, but I’m prepared to do that. Being older, I have some qualities that might come in handy for some employers.
But I’m glad I’m doing this now. I’m glad that I will graduate soon and will be moving on with my career and doing all the things normal adults do — which is to say I’ll still be as boring as I am now, but I’ll have more money.
I would much rather be here at Ferris working my way toward the career I want than working at a low-end job I hate. I’ve had enough of those kinds of jobs: the kind of job where you’re taken for granted, you’re paid horribly and every second you’re there you think about not being there.
Being an old person, I guess it’s my job to pass down advice (or something like that). If there’s anything I’ve learned from my experience as an older student here at Ferris, it’s that people take life at their own pace. I’ve learned that it’s OK if things don’t go exactly as planned right away. Things sometimes take time to fall into place, and I’ve learned to live with that. Life happens in the way it is meant.