I graduated from college at 39, after almost a decade in the military. I feel behind, but I think I made the right choice.

Josh Rose (not pictured) graduated in May 2024 with a computer science degree.

Sean de Burca/Getty Images

Josh Rose graduated from college at age 39 after nine years of active service in the military. As a recent graduate, he said he feels behind in life compared to his younger peers.But having a degree has allowed him to secure a job in tech and boosted his confidence, he said.

This as-told-to essay is based on a transcribed conversation with Josh Rose, 39, from Texas, about trying to get a job after serving in the United States Armed Forces. The following has been edited for length and clarity.

I was a pretty bad student in high school. I had stopped trying academically, so I wasn’t really college material at that time.

My dad went into the military straight out of high school. I followed in his footsteps and joined the Air Force in 2004 after graduating from high school.

I served nine years on active duty — five years in the Air Force up to 2009 and four years in the Army from 2010 to 2014, with two deployments in Afghanistan.

After my time in the military, I tried to complete a degree several times but didn’t stick with it until May 2024, when I graduated with a computer science degree from the University of Arkansas at the age of 39. This led me to an infrastructure engineering job at a bank.

I feel behind because many colleagues at my level are younger than me, but I think getting a degree was the right choice.

Rose spent five years in the Air Force and four years in the Army on active duty.

Josh Rose

I tried a few colleges after serving in the military but didn’t finish the course

My job in the Air Force was never that challenging. It mostly consisted of swapping a bad circuit card or radio component with a good one. I realized I had underachieved.

I was deployed to Afghanistan for a year. While there, we had access to CLEP tests, which are college-level exams. I took several of them and got an associate degree from the Air Force’s community college in 2007. It warmed me to the idea of college.

After leaving the Air Force in 2009, I applied to schools but didn’t get in. I spent a year applying to technical defense jobs with my Air Force experience without landing anything. I also went to EMT school to become a paramedic, but couldn’t find an EMT job either.

The job market was really tough after the 2008 financial crisis. People experiencing the job market right now can probably relate.

Out of desperation, I returned to the military, joining the Army. I was out of options and felt like a complete failure.

When I got out four years later, I spent a few months traveling using my Army savings. I also tried some colleges but dropped out before graduating because of things I didn’t like about the courses.

Because I had access to the G.I. Bill, I was studying without going into debt. Looking back, I might not have committed to the programs because I wasn’t on the hook for the money.

I enrolled in a computer science program in 2019 to get a white-collar job. Halfway through my first semester, I got a call from the Federal Aviation Administration about a telecom job on their satellite network. I decided to drop out of school to take it. It paid well and was familiar from my time in the Air Force, but looking back, it was a mistake.

Instead of following my passions, I followed money and stability. Had I not done that, I probably would have graduated from school earlier.

I graduated at 39 and got a software engineering job

It wasn’t until May 2024 that I graduated from college at age 39.

I stayed in the FAA job for about 16 months before deciding I missed going down the software path. After that, I tried to shortcut the college route by enrolling in a coding boot camp, but in May 2022, I decided to go back to school to get my degree, enrolling in a computer science program at the University of Arkansas.

It took me two years to complete the course because I could transfer credits from my previous college experiences.

During that time, I did a summer internship with a Fortune 500 financial bank, which led to a full-time job offer. It was just before layoffs got really heavy, and the job market seemed to shrink in the tech industry, so I feel very fortunate to be employed right now.

I feel behind in life, but I think finishing college was the right choice

Having a degree boosted my confidence. I’d been questioning if I belonged in the professional world or if I was a freak who couldn’t get my act together. Seeing something through to the end felt rewarding.

My degree is the only reason I have a professional job right now. I was hired as an infrastructure engineer II, and a degree was a requirement.

The military helped me establish myself, earn income, pursue education, progress in my career, and receive G.I. Bill benefits. But it also set me back.

Going into the Army in 2009 to escape the bad job market was probably a mistake. I should have stuck it out and found a civilian job.

Now, I feel behind in life. At college, I felt silly sitting next to these 24-year-olds who would end up in a similar job to me afterward. At my current workplace, many colleagues at my level of seniority are younger than me.

I generally have better confidence in public speaking than younger peers, but I think learning this job at my age, with its rapidly changing technologies, is more difficult than it would have been when I was younger.

I’m working hard to get promoted and grow to where I think I should be. I’m still thankful, and I think I’m in a way better position than I would be if I hadn’t gone back to school. I can’t say for sure, but I think this was the right choice.

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