I am having the same problem recently. I want to get a degree in a non-tech-related area, Biological Science, but although there are online options, they are expensive, and this degree in particular has a lot of lab work. I also considered going back to my country, where university is free (but with a tough national exam to enter), but the idea of doing the degree with people 30 years younger doesn't sound exciting to me. So I’m kind of thinking about a risky path: building a curriculum with a reasoning AI model, matching it with textbooks (I don't like classes, I prefer learning from books), and studying by myself while documenting everything, so I could apply for a master’s or PhD later on (the risky part). About the labs, I will talk to some colleges and see if I can attend locally with non-degree credits. Not sure if this will work, but every other option seems worse.
I wonder why there isn't a program for self-taught students that provides validation for their efforts, like exams and access to local labs, but no classes. I believe a lot of older adults would like to go back to school but don't want to be in an environment that hasn’t even been remotely designed with them in mind.
- In the morning, I work at the Airbnb/hotel. I start the day without worries about packing/unpacking or preparations: a solid three to four hours of work. (Requirements: get a room with a workstation and a good chair. Tables are usually easy to find, but if the chair isn’t good enough, buy one.)
- Natural stop to have lunch, usually with a longer walk.
- Start work again around 2 PM at some coffee shop and order a coffee. Another three hours of solid work.
- Natural stop to use the bathroom (always a problem as a solo nomad, but not anymore), stretch my legs, and head to a different coffee shop.
- Final batch of work. Order something light to eat. No more caffeine. Another three hours of solid work.
In the end, I can get between nine and ten hours of solid work per day. I spend around three hours in one place, so I didn’t notice any uncomfortable looks.
I also don’t rely on power outlets or local Wi-Fi never. The laptop needs to last the entire time, but it’s easy because it’s only in the afternoon (around six hours, not the whole day). For Wi-Fi, I always get a good mobile package with unlimited data if possible. This makes it easy to sit anywhere, really.
My setup is usually my laptop, an iPad as a second screen, earbuds, and a mobile phone. It works like a charm.