I did a BFA in Filmmaking, some years in the industry, then went back and got a BS in Computer Science at a pretty highly ranked engineering school. My email's in my profile.
You're definitely doing the right thing by starting with MOOCs and community college. Even though I was good at math in high school, that knowledge had really atrophied without consistent use so I had to re-learn a lot of trigonometry and pre-calc material.
Also in my case the engineering school required students with prior undergrad degrees to apply as transfers, which meant I needed a bunch of math and science pre-reqs from community college before I could even apply.
CS for me is a fantastic day job. I miss the arts, but I don't miss the film industry, and I don't regret the choice to give up my "dream career" in favor of a more balanced life.
Oh, and when I was interviewing, my age and previous work experience were attractive to employers, not repellent. That probably varies quite a bit depending on field and geography, but in my experience is false that employers only want candidates in their early 20s.
You're definitely doing the right thing by starting with MOOCs and community college. Even though I was good at math in high school, that knowledge had really atrophied without consistent use so I had to re-learn a lot of trigonometry and pre-calc material.
Also in my case the engineering school required students with prior undergrad degrees to apply as transfers, which meant I needed a bunch of math and science pre-reqs from community college before I could even apply.
CS for me is a fantastic day job. I miss the arts, but I don't miss the film industry, and I don't regret the choice to give up my "dream career" in favor of a more balanced life.
Oh, and when I was interviewing, my age and previous work experience were attractive to employers, not repellent. That probably varies quite a bit depending on field and geography, but in my experience is false that employers only want candidates in their early 20s.