I went back to college in my 30s after 10 years in the corporate world and realized I wanted to pivot into a career that was more creative and fulfilling. I enrolled in a hybrid program at a local community college that had in-person classes and online coursework so I could balance work, family and school. I set a strict schedule - mornings for studying before work and weekends for projects and assignments. I was lucky to get a small scholarship for adult learners and employer tuition reimbursement which covered most of my tuition. What inspired me most was seeing my peers my age thriving and realizing education isn't age limited - I wanted to prove to myself it's never too late to follow a passion and grow. The sense of accomplishment and new career opportunities I got made every late night study session worth it.
After years working in HR, I perfected my craft but needed credentials to solidify me as a consultant. This was not easy, especially working full time with a wife and two kids. However, after doing some research I found that I was eligible to write the SHRM-CP and CPHR exams. While this seemed easy at first, I read about the low pass rate and the hours that applicants spend before passing. I talked it over with my wife and she said that it would be for the betterment of our family and offered to take over some more of the responsibilities, allowing me to dedicate time to studying. While the paths were not materially expensive, I spent countless nights doing mock tests, with textbooks and phone applications. However, on the first try, I was successful and scored near the top of every testing criteria. While I would not have been able to pull this off without personal motivation, it was those around me who really supported me during a very pivotal season.
Hi! I'm Jeanette Brown, a midlife transitions and habit-change coach — founder of Jeanettebrown.net and lead coach of Reset Your Life Compass. I'm replying because I went back to college in my mid-50s — not for a new degree, but to learn the language of modern marketing so I could build a small business that felt true to me. I'd left public education and launched a coaching practice, but my "if you build it, they will come" website sat silent. I enrolled in my local community college's evening Digital Marketing certificate and paired it with free online certifications (Google Analytics/Ads and an email-marketing course). Just imagine a room of twenty-somethings in hoodies and me with a fountain pen and a thermos of tea — equal parts thrilled and terrified. I kept telling myself that I wasn't there for a grade but to buy vocabulary. I made it work by treating school like a client. I blocked 6:00-7:30 a.m. study sessions, took a single night class each term, and did "Sunday soup and study," stirring a pot while watching lectures. To keep momentum, I turned my assignments into a live experiment: I built a tiny newsletter for 50 friends, tested subject lines we learned in class, and tracked open rates like a hawk. That newsletter became the backbone of my business — believe it or not, the first hundred paying clients came from those early lists. Thanks so much for this insightful topic! Hope my pitch resonated! Cheers, Jeanette Brown Founder of jeanettebrown.net Creator of Reset Your Life Compass: https://jeanettebrown.net/work-with-me/