text: i'm 21yrs old. is it too late to go back to school? i went to a good university my freshman year but i totally slacked off. i've been out of school for almost 2 years and i feel as if i am waaaay behind now and it is too late :0(  i really want to earn a degree.  is there anyone out there who took a couple of years off college but still managed to return and achieve that goal??? while i didn't take time off from college, i work at one. from my observations and statistics, you are the prime student to succeed in college.  you know now the value of an education and will appreciate it more, thereby retaining and understanding the information better.  go for it!