You are soooo right r_salis! I do think that me being "as old as I am" has actually been a help. I am so focused right now because there is no question in my mind that this is what I want to do. I carried 9 credits over the summer (and got all A's) and am carrying 21 credits now (it's midterm and I have all A's). Sure, I work really hard at my studies, don't have as much social time as I used to (and boy do I like my social time!), and don't sleep much over 4-5 hours, but I love it! It actually irritates me to hear people in my chemistry class whining about how they don't understand anything because the teacher has a PhD from Harvard and doesn't know how to teach; they don't open a book long enough to even try to understand it. They say they couldn't do what I'm doing. They just don't get it, but I have a feeling they will in a few years. I tell them that I do it because I just have to. There's nothing I feel that I can't do if I want it bad enough. It's that easy for me.