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Going back to study abroad in your thirties — anyone else?

Joy Villanueva ⭐ Helpful member
24 Aug 2026, 02:37

I started a nursing degree part-time at thirty-one, after three years of caregiving in Canada. My classmates are mostly twenty, and some days I feel like everyone's big sister, which I don't mind. Other days I wonder if I'm too late, because they have so much more energy and I'm studying after long shifts.

Is anyone else studying abroad in their thirties or later? How do you manage it with work, and did you ever feel like you'd started too late?

5 replies

Elena Popescu 🏆 Community expert
25 Aug 2026, 09:55

Joy, you're not late. I went back to a course at thirty-five with a child, and I was the one who did the reading, because I knew exactly why I was there.

Lucía Herrera ⭐ Helpful member
26 Aug 2026, 19:58

I did a UX course at thirty-two, and the twenty-year-olds asked me for advice about everything except the software.

Fatima Al-Rashid ⭐ Helpful member
28 Aug 2026, 17:55

Being the big sister in the class is a gift, and they'll remember you for it.

Joy Villanueva ⭐ Helpful member
30 Aug 2026, 18:03

Thank you all, reading this after a twelve-hour shift made me a little teary. I'm keeping Elena's "I knew exactly why I was there" on my desk for exam season.

Jimmy 🏆 Community expert Admin Premium
2 Sept 2026, 21:22

It's never too late, and mature students often do very well, precisely for the reasons Elena gives. For the practical side, the Education section of each country guide covers part-time study and support for adult learners, for example the Education section for Canada.