Hey don't say "real job". Every job is a real job no matter what it is, and all jobs are important! Stop allowing others to have such a major input on the way you steer your life. If you keep allowing people to steer your choices and emotions about yourself all of the time you'll grow to resent yourself. I started school back in 2012 completed three years and just returned back to finish in 2020! Eight years!!! but I feel no shame in coming back to finish after all of this time. I am now 26 and will be 27 when I finish next year. Within those eight years I worked, some not so great jobs and some really really great jobs, had a kid, got married, got divorced haha and now I am back.

It feels good to be back and I haven't had a single person judge me for my late return. I am currently studying Biochemistry and plan on going for a Masters once I'm done with my BA. My age has never even crossed my mind because realistically what else would I been doing. As long as I am bettering myself in a subject I will enjoy thats all that matters to me. The oldest student in my Organic Chemistry II class is 68! I asked him what made him come back to school and he said he has never been and thought it would be super cool to get a degree. Don't let others burden you with their expectations. If they expects so much from you they can go to school themselves and do things how they want to! You've got this!