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

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.