Older International Freshman - thoughts or advice?

I am not an older college student, but I will tell you, age doesn't matter in college or university. Plenty of people in similar stories to you have gone back to school due to work, family, career change, etc. Shouldn't be shy or worried for any reason, if anything younger students will maybe be a bit hesitant at first to speak with you, but may look to you for guidance in both school and life. Embrace it, be comfortable with yourself, know that you're doing this for you, and everything else shouldn't matter. You'll make plenty of friends both young and old through study groups.

UH D (University of Houston Downtown) may be closer to Toyota Center than UH Main (University of Houston Main Campus) by the way (Two different schools, two difference systems, it's weird). Would you need to start off at a University, or could you attend community college (A LOT cheaper for your basics) first such as HCC ( Houston Community College)then work your way up? Hope this helps!

 

If you go to a school like UH or community college, there's no problem being an older guy like LCAhmed says. If you do want to live in Houston/Texas though, I recommend getting a car, public transportation is not the best here. I hope you do end up coming here, it's a great city!

 

No one cares. In college I was friends with a guy 10 years older than everyone. In fact he was probably more popular than I was. Trust me you will be way more interesting than anyone else that is there with your life experiences. It might even be easier to make friends.

 

I'd look into University of St. Thomas in the montrose area. Great location and not far from Toyota Center

 

No need to feel out of place. Dangerfield was like 60 when he went back to college. make sure to post spring break pictures!

 

One thing is for sure.....you're gonna absolutely wreck shop on college girls with that Australian accent. One of my roommates was from Brisbane, and I'd say he was responsible for over 50% of my sexcapades in college. All he had to do was open his mouth, and the girls came running.

On a more serious note, I'd say your best bet would be to attend Houston Community College for a semester or two just to get your feet wet, and familiarize yourself with the system and the environment. Once you've done that, you'll be equipped with more tools to make a better decision as far as where you want to actually get your degree from. There are some really amazing universities in Houston and in Texas. Good luck!!

 

I went to school with a 70 year old widow. Everybody loved her. It wasn't an issue in the slightest.

If money is an issue, I'd definitely go the community college route. There are plenty in the area. 3 systems: HCC, San Jacinto, Lone Star.

You can probably establish residency during this time and get in state tuition when you transfer to a university.

http://www.collegeforalltexans.com/index.cfm?objectid=6D1466D9-AEA5-DE00-C12F3F75E7367718

 

get on the bangermobile. Our chicks probably don't compare to the aussie ones though.

 

Do it man.

 

As long as you don't have your head up your ass, no one cares.

Relax, enjoy, and be in good company.

 

Check out HCC Central Campus which seems to check most of your boxes. It's in Midtown, has really good access to public transport, it's cheap. Midtown is a central area that's close to "everything" but the area itself is decent. It's a diverse neighborhood with a decent food, music, art, scene. But it's an urban area for sure with some rough edges so keep that in mind.

University of St. Thomas also checks alot of your boxes but it's a private school and really facking expensive. Same goes for Rice and you've already mentioned UH. UHD (downtown) doesn't feel or look like a college campus.

 

international students on the F1 visa can't establish residency.
are you applying as an F1 student, Sniper? I work in a community college international admissions office and l say go for it!

one thing you should keep in mind is, the 35 grand is only the requirement for admission to receive the acceptance letter and I-20. That's estimated combined cost of full time tuition and living in the city. if you use a financial sponsor such as a family member, or if you can show a bank letter with those funds in a checking or savings account, and you can prove the same when you are applying for the visa, then you will be past that obstacle as far as that goes. depending on where you decide to apply to, they will all have similar financial requirements, but where you find a place to live is up to you, and maybe through the power of clutchfans networking you can find yourself a decent place to stay and save some cash. it may be difficult to get a job outside of campus work unless you are doing internship/practical work related to your major. you could also apply for scholarships and other kinds of financial aid as an international student once you arrive.

you are a shoe in for admission and visa application coming from an English speaking country. age is the last thing you should be thinking about, you would be surprised once you enter the halls of a US university or community college. if you have any questions, I would be glad to try and help you reach your goals! say the word and I will email you... good luck!

 

I wanna reiterate what others have said, and enroll in some community college classes, first. This allows you, not only to perhaps transfer credits to your intended destination (A&M, UT, UH, etc), but it's also cheaper and you're able to get used to the pace of college classes.

I'd also advise to you ask your academic advisor, at whatever school you decide to enroll in, about these very same questions. More often than not, they're able to elaborate upon their answers. CF means well, but when you get answers like "just do it, man!" or "it wasn't a problem when I was there," the stuff behind these answers is a bit lacking.

In saying that, though, I had a classmate in my gen chem lab, back in 2011, and he looked like he was about 50 or so - dude was the life of the party.

Personally, I don't think it matters one bit whether you're Australian or American, 30 or pushing 100. People in college are very accepting of every lifestyle and background.

 

I'm gonna give you some low key secret advice:

You can get in-state tuition if you work certain (I'm not sure about all) jobs on campus.

What are you looking to major in? I can help guide you in a lot of regards.

 

I know you can work on campus jobs on a F1 Visa without a problem. Just get a SSN and you're good to go.

 

This ^^^

Also, if its something you can arrange I THINK if you can establish residency for 1 year before actually starting school you can gain in state residency. Again, check with your advisor for whatever school you select to attend...1 year was the requirement when I moved to Texas A&M from Montana but that was almost 30 years ago.

Also....I can't imagine ANYONE having a problem with a 30 year old in school here. There are actually a fair number of people in this position...for example folks who were in the military first and decided to go afterwords. Really impressed you're stepping out of your comfort zone and doing this. I am certain you will not regret it.

 

Tell the other freshmen you can buy beer and become a sex god.