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  • Ep 6: Controlling Your Career

    Ep 6: Controlling Your Career
    Feb 6 2026
    How much control do you have over your career? In this episode I am going to talk practical steps about career and life and how you manage your expectations by following your heart. I am going to share my personal experiences, my stories, and my ideas with you. Towards the end I am going to ask you a very important question and I need your help. Come along with me as we explore the world of college after a career.

    College After Career is hosted by J. Matthew Pierce. This show explores the lived experience of returning to college over 40, building academic discipline, and preparing for a second career in the AI era. This podcast is educational and reflective. It is not therapy and it is not clinical advice. If you want links, tools, or references mentioned today, check the episode notes. If you found value here, please follow the show, rate it, and share it with an adult learner who is doing the work. Until next time, stay curious, stay honest, and keep moving forward.
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    20 Min.
  • EP 5: Comfort Meets Motivation

    EP 5: Comfort Meets Motivation
    Feb 6 2026
    Going back to college later in life takes a bit more motivation than you'd think. But it also takes a certain amount of comfort. In this episode I am going to be going over the things that I do to stay comfortable and motivated to carry out this next phase of life. Come along with me on the journey to discover how the enxt great adventure is just a comfortable decision away!

    College After Career is hosted by J. Matthew Pierce. This show explores the lived experience of returning to college over 40, building academic discipline, and preparing for a second career in the AI era. This podcast is educational and reflective. It is not therapy and it is not clinical advice. If you want links, tools, or references mentioned today, check the episode notes. If you found value here, please follow the show, rate it, and share it with an adult learner who is doing the work. Until next time, stay curious, stay honest, and keep moving forward.
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    22 Min.
  • EP 4: My Own Backpages

    EP 4: My Own Backpages
    Feb 4 2026
    For some of us the idea of college at 20 is more rigid. But add on a few years and it becomes more about purpose and legacy. In this episode I break down my biggest reasoning for wanting to do this so late in life when the reality is that I don't have to be here. Come along with me on the journey and explore what life is like going back to college after my career.

    College After Career is hosted by J. Matthew Pierce. This show explores the lived experience of returning to college over 40, building academic discipline, and preparing for a second career in the AI era. This podcast is educational and reflective. It is not therapy and it is not clinical advice. If you want links, tools, or references mentioned today, check the episode notes. If you found value here, please follow the show, rate it, and share it with an adult learner who is doing the work. Until next time, stay curious, stay honest, and keep moving forward.
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    19 Min.
  • Episode 3: Learning Without Visuals

    Episode 3: Learning Without Visuals
    Feb 3 2026
    Welcome to the College After Career Podcast. In this episode I am going to explain why going the podcast route and cutting back on some of my YouTube video content only makes sense. As somebody who generally doesn't feed into the "I will pay to make myself popular" scheme, I am talking to a very different crowd of people these days. I believe that science shows us how to really connect with people we have to take away some of the visuals. Let me explain.

    Links:
    Learn about College After Career: https://collegeaftercareer.com/
    Here is what I do for work: https://readpeople.pro/
    Read The Blog: https://mattpierceblog.substack.com/

    Support the podcast! Leave a Review.

    College After Career is hosted by J. Matthew Pierce. This show explores the lived experience of returning to college over 40, building academic discipline, and preparing for a second career in the AI era. This podcast is educational and reflective. It is not therapy and it is not clinical advice. If you want links, tools, or references mentioned today, check the episode notes. If you found value here, please follow the show, rate it, and share it with an adult learner who is doing the work. Until next time, stay curious, stay honest, and keep moving forward.
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    24 Min.
  • Understanding the Role of Cognition

    Understanding the Role of Cognition
    Feb 1 2026
    In this episode of College After Career, we explore the deep psychological and cognitive impact of language education through the lens of history, brain science, and adult learning. Host J. Matthew Pierce uncovers the hidden legacy of Mexican American schools in 20th-century Texas and draws a powerful connection to what modern neuroscience tells us about language, thought, and lifelong neuroplasticity.

    What we will discuss:


    • How language functions as a cognitive tool, not just a method of communication
    • Why critical periods in brain development matter for learning and self-expression
    • What adult learners can do to reclaim cognitive power and overcome educational trauma
    • Practical strategies to enhance learning as a non-traditional college student

    Whether you are returning to school later in life, navigating bilingual identity, or healing from past educational systems, this episode will shift how you think about language, mindset, and what it really means to be a student again.

    College After Career is hosted by J. Matthew Pierce. This show explores the lived experience of returning to college over 40, building academic discipline, and preparing for a second career in the AI era. This podcast is educational and reflective. It is not therapy and it is not clinical advice. If you want links, tools, or references mentioned today, check the episode notes. If you found value here, please follow the show, rate it, and share it with an adult learner who is doing the work. Until next time, stay curious, stay honest, and keep moving forward.
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    10 Min.
  • College After Career EP1: Pilot

    College After Career EP1: Pilot
    Jan 31 2026
    What happens when you finish one career and decide to start over on purpose? In this pilot episode of College After Career, I introduce the story behind the podcast and why I chose to return to higher education after building a career in photojournalism, Human Intelligence (HUMINT), and human-centered analysis. This is not a motivational highlight reel. It is a real second act. The identity shift, the discipline, the learning curve, and the challenge of developing a serious academic voice in the AI era, where information is everywhere but thinking is not automatic.

    You will hear what this podcast will cover, what I am trying to learn, and how I plan to turn experience into understanding. If you are over 40, returning to school, changing careers, or simply trying to build a sharper mind and a more intentional life, you are in the right place.

    In this episode:


    • Why I am going back to college after a career
    • What “doing school the right way” means in the AI era
    • What you can expect from this podcast moving forward
    • A practical mindset shift for non-traditional students starting again


    College After Career is hosted by J. Matthew Pierce. This show explores the lived experience of returning to college over 40, building academic discipline, and preparing for a second career in the AI era. This podcast is educational and reflective. It is not therapy and it is not clinical advice. If you want links, tools, or references mentioned today, check the episode notes. If you found value here, please follow the show, rate it, and share it with an adult learner who is doing the work. Until next time, stay curious, stay honest, and keep moving forward.
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    20 Min.