What are the most difficult things about going back to school at a later age?

You will feel like Billy Madison in kindergarten no bullshit. Get ready for professors and other students who both have no life skills outside of a classroom and who will piss you off. Get ready for proselytizing regarding politics and if you have a differing opinion(which many of us vets do) to suffer for it. Honestly the only good educational experiences I've had were both at Catholic universities because of politics. I am pretty much a libertarian cause I think government needs to stay out of people's lives for the most part; however I have liberal leaning when it comes to aiding the elderly, children and the severely injured/ill, but I am also super conservative fiscally. I tried going to a liberal arts college and left before one semester and ended up owing like $7k to the VA cause it was either that or kill some people!

Honestly, I agree with most of what has been said here. I was 26 when I started college, had just gotten married, and nine months later, had a baby on the way. I went to Central Washington University, which has excellent AFROTC and AROTC programs, a good flight program, and a few other okay areas of study, but by and large is known as a very liberal school where most kids come to party and drink away four years on Daddy's dime before leaving with a Liberal Arts Degree because that is all they qualified for. Then, they get thrown out into the "real world" with no skills, no real education, and no direction in their life.

I had to be different. I had a family to support (working almost full time while going to school too) I was paying for everything myself, and I knew I could not fail. So, I was more dedicated, more focused, and more able to concentrate. Plus, I had a wonderful wife to lean on for support. Lessons in life helped me along the way. I knew exactly what I wanted to major in, and I was able to get my GenEds out of the way early and start right in. Plus, there were a LOT of non-traditional students at Central ...Many of them Vets. I became friends with several of them, and they too helped me maintain my focus and discipline.

In order to not deceive anyone, I want to be upfront here and say that I am not a vet myself. I wanted to serve from a young age, but have had disqualifying medical issues my entire life, and despite applying multiple times to multiple services, was not accepted. However, my Dad served, and I've been around the Military my entire life, and know "the life" you guys lead, and know many of the things you guys go through. I believe that my experiences in this instance are relevant to the OP's question. I hope I am correct.