Graduating from university as a working adult, it took 7 years!! [Qualifications/Study]

When it comes to entering university, it is common to enroll right after graduating from high school. (Obviously)
I developed depression when I was in high school, and since I knew I wouldn't be able to attend, I didn't enroll in a regular university.
To be precise, I did enroll in a correspondence university, but in the end, I couldn't balance my studies with a part-time job while battling illness, so I dropped out soon after.

Looking back now, I feel like I was pushing myself too hard.

After going through that experience, I became a working adult and enrolled in a correspondence university when I was around thirty!

I graduated!

Even though it took 7 years! (If I were an elementary school student, I'd be in middle school by now)

This time, I'm going to talk about the circumstances behind why I decided to go out of my way to enroll in university after becoming a working adult, and about the time I spent in university—well, I wouldn't say I felt like I was coughing up blood (wait, I wouldn't?), the difficulty of balancing it with work, and how I managed to avoid dropping out even when I felt like I was going to.and so on.

Well then, let's go!! (Who am I?)

Graduating from university as a working adult

Yes, I was able to graduate!!
It took 7 years!! (I'll say it as many times as I want)
Since there was no one around me at the time who had graduated from university as a working adult, I want to praise my past self for having the drive to make that decision. (My self-esteem is high, isn't it?)

Why university?

As I mentioned at the beginning, I had the experience of dropping out of the correspondence university I entered right after high school, so I was anxious about whether I would be able to graduate.
However, there was a qualification I wanted to get at the time, and I didn't have the necessary track record for it, so I needed the fact that I had graduated from university.

Yes, I enrolled in university for [Qualification Acquisition].

However, I gained much more from university than just studying to get that qualification.

Credits that just won't come

Even if you have the motivation and realistic goals, there are things you just can't get, and that is credits.

[CREDITS!!]
[CREDITS!]
[oh CREDITS!!] (I'm breaking down)

You just can't get them, those credits.

It's truly pathetic, but my credits for the first year were only 10.
Moreover, these credits were only obtained by attending schooling, which are classes held at places other than the university.

In other words,

[Credits you can't get unless you go to class]
[A disappointing working adult who stops studying all at once if left to self-study]

that's what it means!

I really think it's amazing that I managed to make it to graduation from there.
For 7 years, too. (I'm being persistent)

What you can't get isn't credits, it's study time!

This really sums it up!!
I just can't find the time to study!!

No, it's not a black company, so I'm not working all the time, and since I'm single, I had plenty of time off to myself.

And yet, I couldn't get it done!!

Why is that!!

I was just spoiling myself!! (A useless adult)

Going to university means you're paying money.
Compared to a university you commute to, it was an amount I could afford as a working adult, but costs were still being incurred. If anything, I was supposed to be attending university because I wanted to get a qualification!!

Why is that!!

I was putting off finding time to study.

Looking back now, I hadn't had a habit of studying for a long time, and since I was single and had no time constraints, I didn't feel any urgency.[I can study anytime]was the kind of thinking I had.

It's like, "This is hopeless," isn't it?

Things I tried

Just lamenting that I couldn't get things done wouldn't have allowed me to graduate from university.

I started to feel the urgency from my 5th year (too late).
I tried various things I could do immediately.

Actually, out of the 7 years until I graduated from university, I only focused on getting credits from the 5th year onwards, so I obtained a torrent of credits in 3 years.If I could get that many in 3 years, I probably could have graduated in 4 years if I had worked hard from the beginning.


That's life, it doesn't always go that well. (Sudden enlightenment)
What I tried during those 3 years was deciding on the timing for studying.
I wrote down my study goals on paper every month to visualize them.
Personally, I think visualizing it was especially good.
My credit goals, which had been vague until then, became actionable by regularly making plans. As a result, a PDCA cycle was established, which led to a study habit.
Also, I often thought about my future vision. Thinking things like, "Once I get the qualification, I want to do this. Maybe I'll work like this," made it fun, and I felt like I could work hard at my studies!

In my 6th and 7th years, having study buddies also became a huge motivation, which increased the momentum of my studies.

Even if the subjects are different, having study partners really helps things progress.

There are four points I used to manage earning my credits.

1. Decide on specific study times. (e.g., from what time to what time on days off, or until what time after getting home)

2. Visualize your plan and execute PDCA cycles on a monthly basis.

3. Imagine your future self to stir up excitement.

4. Make study partners.

If you feel like your studies aren't progressing, please try using these as a reference.

Graduated after 7 years!

I somehow managed to graduate.
It was a 7-year journey that felt long, but ended in the blink of an eye.
Above all, the sense of accomplishment was incredible.
Since I had never experienced achieving a goal over such a long period before, I feel like I've shed my skin even in my late 20s, evolving from a Slowpoke into a Slowbro. (Why Pokémon?)

Thank you for reading until the end.
See you again ☺