There are some sentences I honestly didn’t expect to be saying at 27.
“I’m going back to school” is definitely one of them.
But here we are.
On August 17th, I’ll officially be trading some of my cozy evenings for textbooks, assignments, studying, and probably an unreasonable amount of coffee as I start school for Medical Assisting.
And I’m excited.
I’m also nervous.
Actually, depending on when you ask me, I’m somewhere between “This is going to be so good for me!” and “Why on earth did I think I could do this?”
You know. Balance. 😂
☕ Going Back to School Looks a Little Different This Time
The last time I thought about school, my life looked very different.
Now?
I’m a wife. I’m a mom. I work. There’s a house to take care of, bills to pay, laundry that somehow regenerates overnight, three dogs running around, a blog I’ve fallen back in love with, and approximately 700 other tiny things competing for space in my brain at any given moment.
And now I’m adding student to the list.
No pressure, right?
Going back to school at 27 doesn’t feel like the stereotypical college experience. I’m not picking out dorm decorations or wondering which dining hall has the best food.
I’m thinking things like:
When am I going to study?
How am I going to keep up with everything?
Do I have enough coffee for this?
And perhaps most importantly…
Am I going to need another cute notebook?
The answer to that last one is obviously yes.
🎒 Why Medical Assisting?
As nervous as I am about everything that’s about to change, I’m genuinely excited about what I’m going to school for.
I’m starting a Medical Assisting program, and there’s something really exciting about knowing I’m working toward a career where I can continue helping and caring for people while also building something better for myself and my family.
I don’t expect every part of it to be easy.
There will probably be subjects that make me question every life decision that brought me to that particular homework assignment. 😂
But I’m ready to learn.
And more than anything, I’m ready to see what I’m capable of.
📚 Preparing Without Trying to Reinvent My Entire Life
If there’s one thing I’m trying not to do before August 17th, it’s convince myself that I need to become a completely different person in order to succeed.
You know the back-to-school fantasy.
I’ll wake up at 5 AM!
I’ll meal prep every Sunday!
The house will always be clean!
I’ll exercise every day!
I’ll study for two hours every night!
I’ll never procrastinate!
Meanwhile, actual me is standing in the kitchen at 9 PM wondering why I opened the refrigerator.
So instead of creating some impossible “perfect student” routine, I’m trying to make my actual life a little easier before classes begin.
That means getting school supplies together, figuring out where studying can realistically fit into my week, planning easy meals, keeping our household routines simple, and accepting that some things are probably going to slide when school gets busy.
I’m trying to prepare for the life I actually have—not the aesthetically perfect student life Pinterest thinks I’m about to have.
Although I reserve the right to buy cute highlighters.
Obviously.
🏡 The Part I’m Most Nervous About
Honestly?
Balance.
I’ll be working five days a week while going to school, and I’m still a mom and wife when I come home.
I still want time with my family.
I still want to read.
I still want to work on Coffee, Books, & Dragons.
I still want occasional evenings where I do absolutely nothing productive and stare at my phone for longer than I’d care to admit.
I don’t want every minute of my life to become something that needs to be optimized.
That’s probably going to be the biggest lesson for me over the next few months: figuring out the difference between “I can technically fit this into my schedule” and “I actually have the energy to do this.”
Those are two VERY different things.
So I’m giving myself permission now to not do everything perfectly.
Some weeks might be organized.
Some weeks might be held together by coffee and vibes.
Both count.
🐉 A New Chapter—Literally
It’s funny that this is happening right as I’m bringing Coffee, Books, & Dragons back to life.
When I started rebuilding this little corner of the internet, I knew I didn’t want it to only be about the books I was reading.
I wanted it to be about life between the books, too.
The coffee.
The cozy moments.
Motherhood.
Trying new things.
Figuring myself out.
And apparently now…
going back to school at 27.
I’m nervous about August 17th.
But underneath the nerves, I’m really excited.
Because maybe starting over—or simply starting something new—doesn’t have an expiration date.
Maybe sometimes you just decide that the next chapter needs to look a little different.
So here’s to new notebooks, new routines, probably way too much caffeine, and finding out what this next chapter has in store.
I’ll let you know how it goes.
Assuming the homework doesn’t take me out first. 😂
Are you going back to school this fall—or have you ever gone back as an adult? Tell me your best advice, because this momma is accepting ALL the help she can get.
☕🐉 See you in the next chapter.
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