Studying Later in Life

When I moved to Canada in 2015, my first goal was simple: I wanted to study.

My twins were only two years old, and my oldest daughter was three. I was just 25, but I clearly remember feeling like time was passing quickly and that I was already falling behind.

Back home in Lebanon, I had a Bachelor of Science in Graphic Design along with a Teaching Diploma. I had also worked as a teacher, a role I truly enjoyed, so naturally education felt like the path I was supposed to continue.

At University Of Alberta - 2025

From the beginning, I had one clear goal: studying later in life at the University of Alberta. Other options were available, but my mindset was clear. If I was going to start over, I wanted a degree from a reputable university something respected worldwide, because no one really knows where life will take them.

I started from zero. I enrolled in ESL and academic upgrading at NAIT. Looking back, those days were actually very sweet. I took things slowly but steadily, studying while my kids were at school. It wasn’t fast, but it was consistent and consistency mattered.

In 2019, I applied to the University of Alberta for the first time and was declined because one required document was missing. The frustrating part was learning that if you miss a requirement, you can’t simply submit it later if deadline passed, you have to apply again the following year. Still, I didn’t lose hope.

That same year, COVID hit and everything moved online. During that period, I realized something important: I no longer wanted to be a teacher. Instead, I became interested in business. In 2020 , I applied to the School of Business, but I was declined again because I needed to complete prerequisite courses first.

Here comes my first real piece of advice: Before applying to university, speak to more than one academic advisor. Book meetings, ask questions, and read admission requirements very carefully. Understanding the process early can save you years.

To complete the required prerequisites, I applied to the Faculty of Arts as a Sociology major with an Economics minor. I did this specifically because the School of Business requires prerequisites to be completed through another faculty , you can’t enter business directly without them. Alongside those prerequisites, I also took a few sociology courses to maintain a full-time course load.

During my first year, I applied again to the School of Business and was accepted. I received an offer but by then, something unexpected had happened. I had fallen in love with sociology. I declined the offer and decided to continue in Arts. Because I still loved business, I added it as another minor and later completed two certificates: one in Sustainability and one in Innovation and Entrepreneurship.

Certificates are something I always recommend. They strengthen your degree, and in many cases, they can be completed by choosing specific courses that already fit within your academic requirements. Often, it’s just one or two additional courses plus a capstone, and you graduate with an extra credential.

In my final year of sociology, I became involved in civil claims and court processes. I found myself genuinely enjoying writing affidavits, attending court, and navigating legal procedures. That experience made me pause and ask myself: Should I study law?

And yes I applied to law school.(That story deserves its own blog.)

At the same time, I applied for a Master’s in Social Work, because no matter how much my interests evolved, sociology and working with people always felt right to me.

The moral of this journey is that God draws your path in ways that fit you better than you could ever plan yourself. Five years ago, I would have never imagined myself pursuing social work or applying to Law school. I still don’t know exactly where I’ll end up, but I’m genuinely excited about what’s coming next.