Back to College After 30 Years: Christy’s Online Individualized Studies Degree

It’s never too late to go back to school. For adults returning to college after years away, NMSU Global Campus offers flexible online degree options that can help you finish what you started — just ask Christy S.

In 2025, Christy S. proudly graduated with her online Bachelor of Individualized Studies (BIS) with a minor in Counseling and Educational Psychology from NMSU Global Campus.

“I’m keeping a promise to myself,” she told us at her commencement ceremony. “I started my degree 30 years ago. Then my children happened, life happened, and I decided I would go back to school eventually. After spending several years here in New Mexico, I decided to see what NMSU Global Campus had to offer and to finish my degree.”

Christy attributed her success as an adult learner to the support, affordability, and flexibility of returning to school online at New Mexico State University. She also addressed concerns other adult learners may have about enrolling in college later in life.

“I’ll be 58 in May. It doesn’t matter what age you are. Don’t let people fool you into thinking that you can’t accomplish it — you can do anything you believe that you can do. I highly recommend going back to school as an older adult.”

Christy S., Class of 2025

An Online Individualized Studies Degree: Christy’s Flexible Pathway

For Christy, affordability was an important factor in returning to college, and she especially appreciated the New Mexico Opportunity Scholarship.

“The New Mexico Opportunity Scholarship is fantastic for all the people who are trying to go back to school,” she said. “If you are a state resident, you have the opportunity to have your education paid for by the state of New Mexico.”

Related: New Mexico residents may be eligible to get up to 100% of tuition covered toward earning a bachelor’s degree online at NMSU. Get your scholarship questions answered here.

Christy also reflected on how much distance learning has changed since she first attended college. “Online education is very easy to follow,” she explained. “The instructors are always available, and it’s very comforting to be able to do it from the safety of your own home.”

Online learning also made it possible to fit college coursework around her full-time job.

“You can pretty much go to school from anywhere in the world,” Christy said. “I was working full-time. I could bring my laptop with me; I could study on my breaks, which is also very convenient. You could literally go anywhere and do your homework.”

Why She Chose an Online Individualized Studies Degree at NMSU Global Campus

Christy was honest about the uncertainty she felt when first returning to school.

“I was very nervous at the beginning because I wondered if I was going to be intelligent enough,” she admitted, adding that she worried “if education had changed so much that I wouldn’t remember some of the things that I needed.”

Fortunately, Christy was relieved to find that her fears were unfounded. “I was very surprised to find out it was easier being older coming back to school for many reasons,” she said. “You’re more emotionally mature, and you’re focused on what you want to accomplish. When you are younger, you’re not necessarily sure which direction you want to go in.”

Explore the Bachelor of Individualized Studies (BIS) at NMSU Global Campus

Her Personal Graduation Team Kept Christy On Track

Looking back at her academic journey, Christy expressed gratitude for the support she received from her instructors, academic advisors, and classmates at NMSU Global Campus.

She was particularly impressed by the “compassion” and “support” she received from her NMSU Global Campus Graduation Team when she decided to change majors.

“I was initially coming to finish my degree in sociology,” she recalled. “After the third year, I decided I was going to change and go into individualized studies and counseling. It ended up being a lot easier than I anticipated.”

The online Bachelor of Individualized Studies (BIS) at NMSU Global Campus gives adult learners the flexibility to build an interdisciplinary program around their academic interests and goals. Working with an academic advisor, students develop a personalized program of study that brings together coursework from multiple areas.

“The advisors helped me obtain my goal and guided me step by step in the direction that I needed to take in order to fulfill that promise to myself,” she said. “Without the support of the team, it wouldn’t have happened.”

Christy particularly appreciated the help of her NMSU Global Campus academic advisor, Megan Boyd, in navigating registration for her individualized studies coursework.

“Megan knows exactly what to do, but she also has empathy,” Christy said. “She’s very good at being supportive and having compassion when there is an issue that you have to deal with.”

Find Your Place at NMSU Global Campus

It’s never too late to finish your bachelor’s degree, even if you’ve been away from school for a while, as our student success story, Christy S., has proved.

“I really thought that the academic level would be beyond my reach,” she shared. “It had been 30 years since I had been in college — and I was surprised to find out that I remembered far more than I imagined.

“I thought maybe I might be outdated, but when you are engaging with your peers online, it’s very surprising how the young people connect with you and respect you for coming back. And they’re extremely supportive.”

If your previous coursework, academic interests, or career goals don’t fit neatly within a traditional college major, an online individualized studies degree at NMSU Global Campus can offer a flexible path toward completing your bachelor’s degree.

Enroll Now in Your Online Bachelor in Individualized Studies

Like Christy S., you can choose an online Bachelor of Individualized Studies (BIS) and work with an NMSU Global Campus academic advisor to develop a personalized program of study based on your educational goals at your pace.

Apply now to NMSU Global Campus and finish your bachelor’s degree with the flexibility and affordability of this 100% online BIS program. The application process takes only about 10 to 15 minutes, and your first application is free.