Thoughts on Education Later in Life

[yellow]

Anyone here decide to go back to college or through what I will call "retraining" while in their mid- to late 40s and beyond?

Why did you do it?

Would you do it again?

What was the hardest part?

What were your biggest "But" thoughts and how did you smack them down? (e.g., "But I don't want to work for another 25 years!" or "But I don't want to go back to only having 2 weeks of vacation!" or "But it would be so easy to stay in this sh!tty job that I hate for another 10 years than to retrain to work for another 20 years!"--you get the idea)

Thanks in advance, from someone who really, really, really needs to move on but is ch!ckensh!t.

[shootingstar]

I'm sure Crankin will offer advice.

My greatest respect for you in considering retraining or full-time (?) studies program! (I think my appetite for full-time college or university studies is abit zapped at this time.)
What do you have in mind?

As for the questions: "But I don't want to work for another 25 years!" or "But I don't want to go back to only having 2 weeks of vacation!"

May I comment: I'm 54, and hope to work until 65. And yes, I did have some jobs where I only had 2 wks. of vacation. This is what happens when there are boomers who did have a varied career with several different employers for full-time jobs, but didn't build up decades of retirement pensionable years for 1 employer. For myself personally, if I hadn't switched employers (in a semi-calculated way) + take several part-time courses, I would have learned a lot less, at a less faster pace.

Whatever it is that you choose to do, be passionate about it.

[Crankin]

Three things:
DH went back to finish his Bachelors degree when a) we had just bought our first home b) we had our first child when he was in his last year, and c) he sold his business and took a 50% pay cut to get a "professional" job. Was it worth it? He would say yes, unqualified, yes. Sure, we suffered financially for awhile, but without it, he never would be where he is now. Our lives would have been totally different.

I went back to school to get a second master's and start a new career when I was 55. I was making in the high five figures as a teacher and only needed to work a couple of more years to retire. I quit, took my pension $ and invested it myself. I had the luxury of not having to work while I went to school full time for 3 years, in a very intense program in clinical mental health counseling that included 2 years of internship. I had no issues with the work/academic part of school, as I have been in school all of my life. But, my first master's did not require the degree of writing and collaborative group work; it was memorize, a little bit of research, and study for comprehensive exams.
You have to learn to prioritize. I made the decision not to give up other things (like cycling) and those were the things that kept me sane. I wanted to quit about half way through, but once I registered for my last year, I knew it was smooth sailing. I am making slave wages, but now, after 5.3 years, I am about to be fully licensed. This will let me continue working on a flexible schedule, on my terms as long as I can talk and write!

My son left college after 1.5 years to join the military. He is super smart, but no one could stop him. He is now, after 9 years, back in school and loving it, and appreciating it so much more. He is very focused. He will be about 30 when he finishes and he feels way more able to deal with the stress of school.

[Blueberry]

So I'm a bit earlier than you are in age, but have chosen a *very* long path. I have a BA, and a JD. I practiced law for almost 9 years. I wasn't happy, and I really didn't think there would be a happy place for me in law after a lot of soul searching. At 34, I started taking pre-medical classes. I'm more than half way done with the pre-med requirements now. I apply to med school next year. I will be 45-46 when I finish residency. I do not have *any* regrets now. I would rather do this and have 15 happy years working than to have the 20-25 years in a career I wasn't passionate about.

I was worried about losing more than 10 years in the workforce, and the impact of that on my retirement. But....I'll be making a higher salary as a doc - so it should all even out. DH and I have also made a lot of decisions (like selling our house) that make the finances work now. We are setting up good spending habits that we intend to keep - and the plan is to live well beneath our means so that we will still be able to save sufficiently for retirement. It's how we want to live anyway (smaller house, not an extravagant life at all).

My biggest concern was that my DH will likely have to hold off on any college-type things until I am done, and the strain that might put on our relationship. We have had several honest talks, and he is OK with the situation. He is also not 100% sure what he wants to do at the moment, so that helps. He also works in academia, so he is involved in research in his field, even if he isn't in school.

I was also worried that I would fail organic chemistry. That didn't happen, thankfully!

[salsabike]

I went through graduate school a second time when I was in my early 40s, having gotten somewhat burned out by school psychology. Since about '94, I have split between the two occupations (school psych and workforce/economic development policy research), and it's saved my sanity by allowing me to have two really diverse kinds of work, both of which I like in quite different ways. I would absolutely do it again.

The hardest part was being a poor grad student again. I didn't have any second thoughts, really, and I really loved learning totally new stuff that I was really interested in (international political economy, labor economics, stuff like that). Did an internship at a UN agency in Geneva and had to take out a bank loan to do it, but loved every minute.

But Chris DOES have standing orders to shoot me if I propose going back to school again. Actually, I love school except for all. those. papers.

What are you thinking about doing?

There's a lot to be said for enjoying what you do at work. Worth the pre-work to get there, for me.

[ACG]

Yellow
Whatever you decide to do, good luck to you.
I got married young, worked and had 2 kids. I sporadically took college classes at night. I have moved up in my 'career', changed employers several times, raised 2 kids, divorced, re-married, become a grandmother and now am the mom again of an 11 year old step daughter. I've been very lucky in my chosen career and am in a pretty great job right now. Most people here think I have a degree by the way. I never volunteer the information to them.

My spouse is very very supportive and encouraging. So I am back at night college, taking algebra! I have many units so it is just a matter of time before I can transfer to a 4year university.

Why did you do it? Well because in my career I was turned down many times for promotions because I didn't have a degree. I have been told this in almost every position I've had, by lawyers, by accountants and by engineers. You don't have a degree, so you can't make more money and can't have this promotion. I had to work my way up to be a manager.

Would you do it again? I'm doing it now, so yes. It is a life goal at this point.

What was the hardest part? There are two answers, one, the time away from my family. Two, having to deal with taking classes that are a pre-requisete to another class, that you really only need to get into yet another class.

I'm 52, by the way.

Again, good luck to you.

[GLC1968]

I think you know my story, so I'll try to be brief.

First degree was a BA in Sociology and I spent 7-8 years in retail management. Quit at 30, started bartending and had no idea what was next. I was single, debt free and had the freedom to decide. I ended up with a BSEE and an MSEE in a highly specialized field (that has been booming in recent years). I worked as an engineer for 8 years and then struggled with my choice. I *almost* went back to school for veterinary medicine (at 43) but landed my current job instead. Currently I am the college program manager for my company. I am a liaison between the technical and the non-technical in a hi-tech industry. I like that I get to combine skill sets from both previous careers into one...for now.

I expected that this job would be short-lived when I took it. I mean, I could stay where I am until I retire, but I don't really have the desire to do that. My plan is to work in this role for another couple of years (to finish creating this program and to make myself obsolete so that I can move on to something else). As I plan for this, getting an MBA is high on my list of possibilities for my next step. I hesitate not because of my age (45 now) or any fear of the academic challenges, but because of finances. When we sold our farm last year, the plan was for us to retire in about 10 years (at 55) and farm again. If I do an MBA that'll shift our finances quite a bit and might require us to delay retirement. I need to decide if it is worth it at this point in my career. Will the MBA do that much for me or not? I'm in the research stage of this decision right now.

Anyway, my advice is to really weigh the options. When it comes to a full on career change (like I did at 30), it was 100% worth it. No question about it. BUT (and it's a pretty big BUT), make absolutely sure you are choosing the new career for the right reasons. I don't think I did and there was a time there where regret was pretty dang high. What are the right reasons? I can't say. The wrong ones are really any reason that stems from your dissatisfaction with your current career/job. Don't let what you don't like now influence your future. Choose your path based on what you truly want to do, not on what you want to avoid.

To answer some of your questions:

Why did I do it? I saw no future in my job at the time and I really wanted a totally different career path.
Would I do it again? Yes - but I might have made some different choices. Timing was right, the impulse was right, but my decision-making algorithm was wrong. No regrets now though as it has all worked out for the best.
What was the hardest part? Living as a broke student after having been fairly 'well-off'. This is the biggest hurdle for me about business school, too.

Sometimes it's important to feel the fear and do it anyway.

[Crankin]

Not to get off topic, but GLC, my DH decided against getting an MBA. He is probably the only living person in Massachusetts without a graduate degree, in the type of position he has. He could be the prof in the management classes. He didn't want to give up the time. I suggested he might do it now, so when he retires, he can teach (he would be awesome), but he said he'd rather work in the hardware store in Concord Center!

[Skippyak]

Not to get off topic, but GLC, my DH decided against getting an MBA. He is probably the only living person in Massachusetts without a graduate degree, in the type of position he has. He could be the prof in the management classes. He didn't want to give up the time. I suggested he might do it now, so when he retires, he can teach (he would be awesome), but he said he'd rather work in the hardware store in Concord Center!

I think MBAs have been seen as a big waste of time for many in the last 10 yrs. It would behoove anyone to do due diligence before laying down cash.

[GLC1968]

I think MBAs have been seen as a big waste of time for many in the last 10 yrs. It would behoove anyone to do due diligence before laying down cash.

I do think that varies greatly by position and industry. In my case, an MBA would be evidence that I have more than just the technical knowledge/background. Every member of higher management in our corporation (and perhaps our industry) has a technical degree AND some type of business degree. It is hard to be taken seriously as a non-engineer without it. (There's a switch, huh?)

That said, its usefulness will somewhat depend on my specific path which is why I still have a lot of research to do. There are roles I could do that I would probably enjoy where an MBA would be unnecessary, so I need to chose my path before I choose my degree (for the first time in my life!!).

[Trek420]

Anyone here decide to go back to college or through what I will call "retraining" while in their mid- to late 40s and beyond?

Why did you do it?

Yep, 57 and counting. No degree, none, zero, zippo, nada, zilch, double goose eggs, nothing. HS diploma is it. Why am I returning? Because I've stopped several times at the attempt in my life and it's time to have some kind of ever loving fracking flipping letters after my name is why.

I'm sick and tired of putting "some college" on everything from surveys to job applications. Sick of it I tell you.

Would you do it again?

I am doing it again. I had to leave college in about '75 when I came out to my parents. In some ways it was the best thing that could have happened.

I was aimless in college at the time and that lit a fire under me. And BTW my parents "evolved". I wish my Dad had gotten to meet Knott and sKnott. He would have loved them and they him.

So anyway I got back in school, community college because working and living on my own that was what I could afford. Got my act together, my grades up and got into CCA (private art college). Working full time nights in a hot and sweaty kitchens while I went to school full time I got within a semester of graduation when I got dumped by SO at the time. And I just never got the momentum back up.

I wound up working for my current employer and making somewhere in the low 60k's. Good pay and astounding benefits including tuition bennies but thought "I'm doing well here, why do all the extra work?" Why? Because it gives one more choices in nearly every avenue of life. I do regret not chipping away at the degree earlier. For one thing the tuition bennies were better when I started out with the company; they covered books and fees. Now it's "just" tuition. But taking advantage of it now. Whatevah, not crying over spilt bennies. Moving on.

What was the hardest part?

I think the hardest part is prioritizing time for me to do this for me. I could just do my job, it's a good one with fantastic benefits which include tuition reimbursement for some of my classes. I could just do this till I die in the harness or am retirement eligible and call it fine. It feels selfish to take what little free time I have for this.

The other issue is fighting the internal voice that says "You're 57 what does this matter?" The bulk of my family have doctorates. They've never given me grief about my lack of a degree. But I have feelings around this. Around the dinner table with my professor siblings, doctorate nieces and nephew, Knott has 2 bachelors degrees, sKnott's near getting his ... I hold my own in conversation but a tiny voice says "You, you got nuthin'"

What were your biggest "But" thoughts and how did you smack them down? (e.g., "But I don't want to work for another 25 years!" or "But I don't want to go back to only having 2 weeks of vacation!" or "But it would be so easy to stay in this sh!tty job that I hate for another 10 years than to retrain to work for another 20 years!"--you get the idea)

That one's easy. I quit my job to move North here with Knott. (That was an absolute hoot!! Just saying. Do it sometime. Walk up to your manager at the front desk and quit. Do it! Right now! 'cmon. It's fun! We'll all do this together. I'll show you how! Quit your 60k+ a year job. It's fun!)

Funny thing is I'm back with the same company but lost all my seniority. We're union so that means a lot. In January 2017 should I still be with the company and on the planet I get it alllllllll back as if I never left.

So at that time I'd have 22 years with this sh**ty job and pension eligible and possibly social security eligible. If I still want to work I don't want to be a greeter at Wallmart which is what I'd be able to do at 62 with no education!!

Or maybe Knott and I will just ride off on a tandem and tour. Who knows. Anyway; 4.5 years I want choices.

Thanks in advance, from someone who really, really, really needs to move on but is ch!ckensh!t.

No problem!

TLDR; I have a lot of college credits and nothing to show for it. I'm gathering up the transcripts, seeing what can be done with it and taking one class at a time while working to see how far I can go.

[Crankin]

I agree with Trek. About all of it.
And I had no trouble getting a job in my new field at age 57. I even went and spoke to career services at my school and the lady looked at me and said,"You don't sound old or look old." Now, I don't look 25, but I knew what she meant. My boss is 20 years younger than me.
I didn't discourage my sons from liberal arts degrees. Sorry. You learn how to think, write, and collaborate. Those are the #1 skills employers want. Not everyone wants to be or can be an engineer or scientist. I fear for our society if we devalue the liberal arts to the point that college is just career prep. My older son has a degree in linguistics and a minor in Italian. He was employed the day he graduated (from a state university) and never moved back home. He learned how to do all kinds of business stuff and stuck around for 5 years, despite *****y pay and no benefits. He has had 2 jobs since and is doing quite well. Bought his first house at age 29 and is married. I think his liberal arts degree taught him a lot...

[indysteel]

Trek, your post has me in tears. You go girl!

[Trek420]

;

Trek, your post has me in tears. You go girl!

Thanks. Next class: English 101 or the equal. You suppose I can submit my TE posts for credit?

[Pax]

;

Thanks. Next class: English 101 or the equal. You suppose I can submit my TE posts for credit?

Definitely!!

Do they still offer CLEP credit in school? I did that 30 years ago and got 9 hours of credit in English. Short test, a little money = two semesters worth of school tuition I didn't have to pay.