[imakecomments]

I don't really agree with this. 30 isn't that old. Also, some 30 year olds still look like they're in their early 20s, so you can't tell their age to begin with.

OP, in a university setting it is easier to find mentors. Look for professors, grad students and in-class TAs if possible.

[dizzystar]

I'm often mistaken for a 20 something even though I'm near 40. There is a mentality to older people that isn't the same as a 20 something.

In any case, I was only confirming the answer I was replying to and sharing my thoughts, which you can choose to agree with or not.

The OP is 30, perhaps a bit late to take on a full college schedule.

[imakecomments]

Thanks for taking the time to clarify your points. Although, I still disagree on a few views. Even if OP is 30 there isn't an inherent reason college is too late either at the undergraduate or graduate level. If OP had the funds or made specific life choices they could enroll back into a university and study. Some people aren't married/have kids at that age and can work side jobs or what have you to enroll back in school. Not everyone studied CS in their 20s and are satisfied with the careers they had up until that point. I know of individuals that made career changes in their mid-20s/30s. Most of them went back to school in one form or another. I think for those that did that actually set themselves up for a "career upgrade". I've seen students in class that look much older than everyone else taking undergraduate courses. I don't know their story but they aren't treated any differently by the university and I've even heard from professors they prefer older students over younger ones as their graduate students. Also, I've seen a CS PhD student that is 40+.