Hello seddit,

I'm new to this community and have found myself in a situation that is unusual in the opportunities it's presenting me. I'm 26, and currently in college with one semester left. I have an internship in software development in the summer and will likely not have a problem finding stability when I graduate -- so I'm good there, thankfully. I'm just really doubtful of my credibility because of my age; 26 is, after all, not something that I think works in my favor. I read this post by Mark Manson and am basically wondering if all of the rules still apply to a dude in my age range who's still in college and whether or not I should invest myself in the main recommendation he's giving (networking heavily) given the following:

I can work to improve myself from a social standpoint despite having struggled with shyness for the past 10 years. But are college kids going to be okay with the fact that I'm older? I suppose it can go one of two ways: (1) you're the cool older guy, or you're the (2) creepy older guy who's just hanging around. At the end of the day, whether or not you're liked will depend on more than just your age.

But has anyone seen it happen where an older guy is well connected in college, goes to parties, and so on? My main reason for wanting to do this is because I don't want to miss out, despite being 26. The way my life's worked out, I have only been able to become socially cognizant at this age, so you could say I've bloomed rather late in this regard. I just want to hook up and meet people who are relevant to my interests and goals, and it'd be cool if I can accomplish it in the semester I have left.