Going Back to School at 41: My Career Reinvention

I earn a good living. I also need to think about what it is costing my body to keep earning it the same way.

Both of those things can be true.

Recent health issues have made me take a closer look at preserving my body. I want to keep building a good life, and I want that life to leave room for my health, my interests, and the woman I am becoming.

So, at 41, I am taking a step toward redesigning my career.

I have enrolled in Sophia Learning, started business coursework, and I am hoping to begin a bachelor’s degree in business administration at University of Phoenix in January 2027.

Yes, sis. There is homework in my next chapter.

A good living can still need a new plan

Sometimes the hardest thing to explain is why you want something different when what you have looks good on paper.

I am grateful to earn a good living. That matters. So does having work that I can continue to do without putting so much wear and tear on my body.

One of my goals is to qualify for a different role with my employer that is easier on me physically. A degree is one part of how I am preparing for that possibility. It does not guarantee a position, but it gives me something concrete to work toward.

There is also a desire I have carried to do more work connected to helping people. Social work, clinical counseling, philanthropy, and supporting communities like the one that raised me all matter deeply to me.

Those are longer-term interests. Right now, I am beginning with business administration. I want to understand business more fully, build Crissy In Charge with more knowledge behind my decisions, and create more options for my working life.

I can take the step in front of me while continuing to explore where I want it to lead.

Why I am beginning with business

Business administration connects two parts of my life: my career and the brand I am building.

I want a stronger understanding of how businesses operate. I want to bring that knowledge into the decisions I make for Crissy In Charge, rather than trying to figure out every piece as I go.

Eventually, I would love my work to include coaching, writing, speaking, and helping communities. Counseling is another path I am interested in exploring, with its own education and training requirements. This business degree is the step I am choosing now.

It feels good to make a decision that can serve more than one part of my future.

My first impressions of Sophia Learning

I am early in this process. I have not completed a course or transferred credits yet, so this is a look at what I am experiencing as a new learner.

I began with Principles of Marketing. Then I decided to pause that course and focus on Introduction to Business so I could get a broader understanding first.

That small change matters to me. I am paying attention to what helps me learn and giving myself permission to adjust the order.

One feature I like is that some lessons have audio. I can listen while I read. I also like the knowledge checks and practice questions. They give me a chance to see what I am understanding as I move through the material.

That is the part I can speak to personally right now: what it feels like to sit down, start learning, and find features that help me engage with the lessons.

What Sophia offers, and what to check first

Sophia offers online, self-paced college-level courses through a membership. At the time of writing, the advertised monthly membership is $99, with up to two active courses at a time. Prices and plans can change. [1]

For someone fitting school around work, the self-paced format may be useful. Your total cost depends on your membership and how long you use it; learning at your pace still means accounting for the subscription cost.

Sophia also has a transfer relationship with University of Phoenix. The important question is how a specific course will apply to your particular degree requirements. Check the partner course list and ask the university to confirm your course plan before relying on it for transfer credit. [2][3]

I am sharing the beginning of my experience. As I complete courses and go through the transfer process, I will have more to tell you.

The benefit that makes this feel more possible

My employer has an education benefit connected to University of Phoenix.

As it has been explained to me, the agreement allows eligible employees to continue qualifying coursework after reaching the annual tuition cap without additional tuition for the remainder of the benefit year, subject to the program’s terms.

That is a meaningful part of my plan. It is specific to my employer’s agreement, so if you are considering school, check what your own benefits cover, how payment works, and which courses or programs qualify. I am also keeping Sophia costs separate from that benefit until I have confirmed what is covered.

Before deciding that school is out of reach, it may be worth finding out what support is already available to you.

Making room without turning my life into a second shift

My plan is to study after work and on days off, and use one day for creating, editing, and posting content.

That is my starting plan. I will learn what is realistic as I go.

I do not want to build a version of reinvention that requires me to ignore the same body I am trying to support. Some days, progress may be a lesson. Some days, it may be deciding what needs to wait.

I will share some of that experience too: being at my computer, working through the material, and checking in with how I actually feel.

What is changing at Crissy In Charge

You may have seen me talking about coaching before. Right now, my focus is creating content and sharing the choices I am making as I reinvent my own life.

I have updated my website to reflect that direction.

You will see career changes and school, along with home, personal style, everyday wellness, and the discoveries that fit this chapter. My story is the doorway, but I want you to recognize something about your own life when you step inside.

Maybe you want to change your career. Maybe you want your home to feel more like you. Maybe it is a relationship, a routine, or how you show up for yourself.

You get to decide what needs to change. You also get to choose a pace you can live with.

I am beginning with a course, a plan, and a little more room for possibility.

Reinvention looks good on you.