Going to college in your mid-twenties comes with both perks and downfalls. Some days I feel like the “unc” on campus. Other times, I feel completely relatable. I was born in 1999, so I’m still Generation Z.

If I had gone to college right after high school, I would not be as focused as I am now. I can appreciate being more mature. At 18, I didn’t have the discipline, patience or sense of direction that college demands.

Now that I’m older, I can appreciate school in a way I couldn’t have back then. I take my classes seriously because I understand the value of an opportunity I didn’t always have.

One thing I would tell anyone who feels “behind” is that it’s never too late to go to college. There is no deadline on growth. So many people have started later in life and go on to accomplish so much. My aunt finished her bachelor’s degree in engineering and technology at 40 years old. Watching her push through proved to me that timing does not define success.

At 18, I would have been broke and immature. Now that I’m older, I have more financial freedom and a better understanding of responsibility. I know how to manage my time, money and priorities.

There are also practical benefits people don’t talk about enough. After age 24, full-time students qualify as independent for FAFSA, which can make a huge difference for those paying for school on their own.

That doesn’t mean it’s easy. Making friends can be harder when you’re older. It’s easy to feel like an outcast when you don’t want to drink or party the way you might have at 18. But that shouldn’t deter you from talking to people and making friends. We’re all students trying to figure things out. I didn’t know anybody when I transferred to Fresno State, but over time, I have made so many great friends here.

Before coming to college, I enrolled at Aveda Institute to study cosmetology. I ended up dropping out because I couldn’t afford it. That experience stuck with me. It showed me how quickly opportunities can disappear when finances get in the way. It made me realize how badly I wanted stability and a future I could build on.

My sister and I were first-generation college students. We didn’t grow up with guidance on higher education. We never had the motivation or push to go to college. Growing up, my parents often said that they were “saving for college,” but that never happened. College felt distant for a long time. Choosing to go back later in life felt like reclaiming something I once thought wasn’t meant for me.

Going to college is about finding yourself. I’m genuinely interested in what I’m learning now. I enjoy studying law and politics, subjects I once couldn’t care less about. Age brought curiosity, and curiosity brought purpose.

Going to college in your mid-twenties isn’t a setback. For me, it’s been a second chance, one I do not take for granted.