Thoughts on Education Later in Life

[Becky]

Pax, for the same reason I am thinking about what I will call "vocational" training--that is, not college. I've spent many years just using brain skills. As time goes on (and I tire of the corporate environment and all of its expectations), I am leaning toward something that requires brain AND what I call "hand skills". I think that combination will be better for my soul, which has been sucked dry.

This is exactly what I'd like to do, but I find myself stymied by how to translate that into something meanful and financially viable. Yellow, if I may ask, what types of careers are you considering?

[roadie gal]

I've been an ER doc for over 30 years. In the last year I've become involved in training the other doctors for the new electronic medical records that the hospital will be installing. I've discovered a new passion in doing this, and after so many years I'm about ready to move out of patient care. Somehow I've been able to talk the hospital into putting me through an introductory medical informatics course and hiring me part time as the medical director of informatics (while still working my full clinical shifts). The course is online, so it's not full time, but it's a lot more course work than I've done in years. If this works out, I can see going on to get my master's degree and doing this full time. My only regret will be possibly having to be a "9-5er" instead of 4 days a week. But I think the change will be good for me and everyone around me. BTW, I'm 54 now and the master's would probably take me about 3 years.

[Crankin]

Roadie Gal, I have a friend in AZ who did exactly what you are doing. Of course, there was a personal cost (divorce), because he went to CA to initially do the computer stuff, but now he is back in AZ, consulting with docs about the technology stuff and seeing patients 2 days a week. He started this back in the 90s, so he got in right at the beginning.
I was lucky in that I waited to do what I want until DH could support me in the style to which I'm accustomed to! But the loss of my income was still hard for me to take, psychologically. I've always said money is power, whether you like that or not, and it felt like loss of power. But, I am going to finally be able to marry my 2 interests (counselng and wellness), fairly soon. Once I get my license, I am going to do an ACSM course in wellness counseling. It's on line, so it won't matter where I am working... my goal is to get a clinical job 2 days a week, where I see people in an office/clinic, I can ride my bike to work, and I have more free time. Eventually I will start seeing wellness clients privately. No insurance, give me the cash...

[Dogmama]

Kind of an opposite view. I decided not to go back to school, I'm 53.

My job is very dead end, I don't hate it but it certainly isn't where I thought I'd end up. The job is basically mindless but it pays well, I have excellent benefits, and am up to almost five weeks of vacation. If I was looking at having to stay here until age 65 I'd lose my mind, but I can go at 58 so I'll stick it out.

My story exactly before I retired. I called it having "golden handcuffs" because I was so close to full retirement - looking at five years of drudgery and then 30+ years of being retired and fairly comfortable financially - it just didn't make sense to throw 25 years away.

So I retired about six years ago and do not regret my decision to stick it out. I've already stuck my toe into many different things like personal training, being a Spin instructor and now a professional dog trainer. I'm also considering returning to the University - I can go for $25/semester since I hung in for full retirement. I have everything I need and my wants are modest - lucky there again.

[aponi]

I work for a big company. One time I got tapped to go along with HR to a career fair event at a uni not too far from here. I really only did it because my husband was looking for work at the time and I thought I could somehow get his resume past the computer filters if I did HR a favor. It didn't happen, but the whole thing was rather um educational for me. For one thing we were there looking rather specifically for engineers and accountants. I don't think this school even has an engineering dept so that seemed odd. Really I think what we were doing was maintaining a presence on that campus. I have no idea and maybe I'm just soft or something but I found the parade of fresh faced young kids looking to take on the world depressing. Here these kids are with their marketing or history or lord knows what all degrees from a really good private school and for a fact they're going to end up making less per year that a single year of tuition cost.

I left when this older guy came through the line. He was obviously someone who had gone back to school later in life and I didn't see his transcript or anything but this is not an easy school and like I said its private so he's obviously worked very hard to be there. The HR people just laughed him off, they didn't even look at his resume. That's when I remembered that I had some meeting back at the office that I needed to get to and left.

not to discourage anyone from going back to school
I'm sure there are places out there with sense enough to realize that someone who is older is probably going to be more serious about the job and all. I just think schools in general should do a better job of career counseling. What did these kids think they were going to do with an art history degree?

[tulip]

What did these kids think they were going to do with an art history degree?

Go to grad school. I found my art history degree to be a broad based liberal arts education that included the visual as well as history, writing and languages. Actually, it was (and is) quite useful in my subsequent jobs and graduate school. I got a good state job in the field after undergrad, with benefits and upward mobility and pretty decent pay. My grad degrees are not in art history, but in a much more practical field. That's what grad school is for -- practicality, while undergrad in liberal arts is much broader and allows the student to explore, write and THINK (not so common for some "practical" undergrad degrees). I'm all for a liberal arts undergrad education, as long as you realize that grad school or further technical training is in the future.

As for sticking out a dreaded, boring, or simply uninspiring job for years...that's not my thing. Life is for living and I want to live now, not wait until later. What if later never comes? Give my something I'm passionate about. But that's just me. Everyone has different approaches, so you have to find what works for you. Best wishes as you figure out your path, yellow.

[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.

[OakLeaf]

Trek: <3 <3 <3

[Trek420]

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.

The community college I'm studying with now (online classes, yay!) does not. But mark my words the moment I graduate; diploma, certifications, whatevah they will. This is the story of my life

I was trying to transfer my job from point A in CA to point B in WA. Same d@mn job and company. Could not do it. Even talked to the president of cough ahem AT&T. About 9 months after I dramatically quit (and it was fun! You really should try it) and was rehired VOILA! They unveil a new seamless transfer system. Also if they'd rehired me 3 months earlier I'd have all my seniority.

Could not sell the condo for love nor money while I was there. Arguably 100k underwater and I bought way low. Now that I've left we're fielding offers right now that are well over what I paid. All's well that ends well on that score.

Wanted wireless speakers for the home; went out and bought some at the Apple store. Won them at work the next day.

So ... you want CLEP credit at my school? Wait 3 months after I graduate.

Want the iPhone 5S? Wait till I get a new phone and renew my contract. etc

[Pax]

Trek, you crack me up!

[ny biker]

The community college I'm studying with now (online classes, yay!) does not. But mark my words the moment I graduate; diploma, certifications, whatevah they will. This is the story of my life

I was trying to transfer my job from point A in CA to point B in WA. Same d@mn job and company. Could not do it. Even talked to the president of cough ahem AT&T. About 9 months after I dramatically quit (and it was fun! You really should try it) and was rehired VOILA! They unveil a new seamless transfer system. Also if they'd rehired me 3 months earlier I'd have all my seniority.

Could not sell the condo for love nor money while I was there. Arguably 100k underwater and I bought way low. Now that I've left we're fielding offers right now that are well over what I paid. All's well that ends well on that score.

Wanted wireless speakers for the home; went out and bought some at the Apple store. Won them at work the next day.

So ... you want CLEP credit at my school? Wait 3 months after I graduate.

Want the iPhone 5S? Wait till I get a new phone and renew my contract. etc

This is like me and refinancing mortgages. If you want to refinance, wait until one month after I do it, because that's when the rates plummet.