Let me paint you a picture (I’m an artist, what did you expect): It’s 5:30am. The house is quiet, the coffee’s just starting to kick in, and I’ve got a solid 90-minute window to study before the world I help hold together wakes up. By 7am, it’s time to rouse the troops – kids to school, husband to work, and me logging into my full-time job as a software engineer.

From 7 to 4, it’s go-go-go: coding, meetings, debugging, more meetings, and somewhere in there, remembering to eat. After work? It’s grab my kid from school, piano lessons, or whatever she’s into at the moment, dinner, then the family retreats to their corners of the house to play videos or whatever they feel like, while I sit back down at my desk. Whether it’s tackling a school project, brainstorming my next business idea, or wrestling with code, there’s always something waiting for me.

Weekends? If I’m lucky, I get to escape into my garden, or I’m out doing something fun with my family. But let’s be real: sometimes even the garden waits while life pushes forward.

And when it all hits at once (because of course, it does), my saving grace is my husband. He’s my calm in the chaos. The guy who’ll step in with a “What can I do to help?” or “Babe, let me cook dinner tonight.” He knows when I’m about to tip over the edge and always, always shows up with steady hands. Seriously, babe, I love you more than I could ever say and now it’s immortalized here…I win!

Why I Went Back to College at 50 (When No One Was Asking Me To)

I did a good chunk of college in my 20s, but I never finished. Fast forward to now, with almost 30 years of software engineering under my belt, and I still hate interviewing for jobs, because the “So, where’d you go to school?” question always comes up. It’s not that I need a degree. I’ve already proven myself, and once potential companies see my mad skills…they know a degree isn’t a requirement with me. But it’s still that one awkward gap on my resume, and I absolutely hate trying to explain why I don’t have one.

And then came AI.

A few years ago, I was terrified of it. Like, legit “Skynet is coming” levels of fear. But the more I learned, the more I realized: AI isn’t some rogue robot uprising (Terminator is not coming for me). It’s a tool. A wildly powerful, game-changing tool that’s already changing our jobs in big ways. So instead of fearing it, I decided to learn it. To use it. To master it. Because I want to keep this career going for another 15 years, and I plan to do it better, faster, and smarter than those who are coming late to the game.

The final push?

Watching my son graduate with his master’s degree. I am so thankful he was able to start college immediately after high school, but I didn’t get to see him graduate with his Bachelor’s (thanks Covid), so being able to see him walk the aisle for his Master’s was really special and it lit something in me.

He even told me later how cool it would be for him to watch me graduate one day. So here I am, grinding through late-night assignments so my kid can watch me walk the aisle. You better be there, Ethan!

Put up or shut up, right?

What College Looks Like the Second Time Around

Back in the day, college was simpler. I had one or two kids, a little more freedom, and fewer distractions. Now? It’s multitasking to the max. There are nights I’m reading a book on AI, listening to a YouTube video about tomatoes (because, priorities), working on a school assignment, and bouncing business ideas off ChatGPT…all at the same time.

And yet… something’s shifted. I used to think I knew all I needed. But let me tell you, nothing humbled me quite like a statistics class. I passed with an A, but not without a fight (and a few moments of questioning all my life choices). As I get closer to graduating, I’m finally seeing the value in that little piece of paper. It’s not just a checkbox. It’s proof of perseverance.

Learning New Tricks at 50 – Yes, It’s Possible (Mostly)

Let’s be clear, I can still learn new things. But that doesn’t mean it’s easy.

Take academic writing. I’ve been writing just like this blog post, my entire adult life. Blog-style. Conversational. Real. So, having to switch gears into formal, citation-heavy academic prose? It was a major curveball. But I pushed through, and now I’m actually proud of how far my professional writing has come. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not happening here on my blog, you get the real me here!

And then there are the family distractions that you have to learn that #1…they are distractions you need to work around and #2…totally worth it! Like the time I was doing a Python assignment while listening to a gardening video, and my granddaughter came bounding in like a little firecracker. She jumped on my bed, started giggling and bouncing everywhere, begging to play. My brain was like, “Yep, we’re done here.” School got sidelined for snuggles and giggles. No regrets.

The Balancing Act: Career, Family, Finals – and Me

Here’s the thing about balance: it’s not a tightrope. It’s more like a spreadsheet (at least in my world). I run on logic and structure. My life is scheduled down to the hour, sometimes the minute, and when something derails that plan? I panic. Dinner plans change? Cue internal meltdown, where’s my husband to save me?

But I am learning to flex (no, not my muscles). If one of the kids needs me, or my husband wants to go on a walk, I’ll pivot. I am learning to choose to prioritize the people I love. It’s hard for me not to make school and work my focus because it’s who I am to my core, but work and school can sometimes wait, and the spreadsheet doesn’t always have to win.

If there’s one tip I’d give? Don’t forget yourself. Take breaks. Eat well. Move your body. Say no to sugar (seriously, sugar crashes are the worst). Spend time alone. And most importantly, don’t forget to pray. God has carried me through the messiest moments and reminded me I don’t have to carry everything alone.

Let your family help. Let people support you. You don’t have to be the hero all the time.

What This Journey Has Taught Me (So Far)

If you’re thinking about going back to school later in life, don’t wait. Start now. Loop in your family. Their support can make or break your ability to stick with it.

The moment it all became real for me? This term, I ordered my graduation cap and gown. My actual cap and gown. I’ve got one class left after this term. That’s it. It’s surreal. I’m so close I can almost hear “Pomp and Circumstance” playing in the background (or maybe that’s just the coffee pot percolating…hard to say).

Life is messy. And trying to grow in the middle of that mess? Even messier. But here’s what I’ve learned: You’re never too old to change your story. You’re never too far along to dream a new dream. And you don’t have to do it alone.

I’m balancing it all, one spreadsheet and snuggle at a time.