[iainctduncan]

Background: Didn't finish undergrad (half a jazz music degree, bunch of a classical degree, spread out over many many ears), went back to school very part time for years (ie one course at a time), then did Masters when Covid hit, now in 2nd year of PhD, age 50.

Don't know if this will work for you, put I discovered my school (UVic in Canada) was able to allow in grad students without a completed undergrad based on an exceptional portfolio and 15 years of experience in the field. I did a combined CS/music degree (technically a Masters of Music Tech), and am now in a interdiscplinary Phd (principal faculty CS, secondary music).

Stuff is way different once you get into grad school. You then have a chance to find a supervisor who is onboard with your life situation and this makes all the difference in the world. It's critically important you find supervisors and teachers who get your situation. There are those who are actively a pain in the ass (they have some kind of axe to grind or resent having peers in their classes or whatever) and others who love mature students and will be accomodating if you're handing in great work. I have two fantastic supervisors in the second camp and had various other profs like that as well. Of course, you need to hand in top shelf material to make that work.

So... an option is to do undergrad CS courses online at your own pace, build a great portfolio, and try to go in at a Masters level. I think this is, for adults, far more practical than trying to do an in person undergrad. And if you have non CS courses in your transcript, consider interdisciplinary work.

It's very hard for me to quantify how helpful the degree (and in progress degee) are because I'm so far into my career, but definitly being able to share that I have finished a Masters and am into a PhD is a huge credibility indicator for many types of consulting I do.