Wanton Wisdom Wanted

[trickytiger]

I'm a frequent lurker, sometimes poster, nearly never a thread-starter. But. Here goes:

I want to change careers, but I'm terrified at the thought of "stepping off the cliff". I'm a geologist, albeit an unhappy one. I loved the process of getting my undergrad and master's degree, I'm proud of my thesis, but, but, but, I'm not even remotely happy as a professional in the field. I've been at this long enough to know that it isn't going to get better for me, nor are there really many choices for jobs. This job requires frequent, unpredictable, extended, isolated travel. On short to nearly non-existent notice. It's okay for the short term, but I'm not willing to give up running, biking, friends, family, etc for the rest of my working life (about 30 years). For example, I've just been sent on a four to eight-month trip to work on a mine, by myself, 12 hours day/7 days a week, living in a hotel, with one week's notice. I can't do ANYTHING in this remote town that I normally do.

Enough about that. What I really want to be is a physical therapist. I've been volunteering (when I'm home, that is), and I love it. I like the work environment. I understand the emotional challenges, and I like the mental acrobatics it requires. I'm also a people-person.

However, I'm scared out of my mind to go back and take the pre-reqs (4 quarters worth) to try to gain admission to an extremely competitive field (around 10% acceptance rate). It's terrifying to give up a reliable income, even in a job I hate, to go back to being a student so that MAYBE I can achieve this goal. I can't take classes while working this job, well, because I'm never home. I'm not used to failure, and it's hard for me to deal with the uncertainty. But, I know what I want, and I've gotten very positive feedback from the PT's that I've been volunteering with. They are my kind of people, if that makes sense.

So, I need to hear some advice. Have any of you attempted similarly crazy-sounding ideas? Am I just lacking perspective or life experience at the ripe old age of 28? Am I being melodramatic for thinking I may not make it and will be forced to make do with a less-than-acceptable job for the rest of my life instead? Oh, the drama!

Thanks,
-TT

[Pax]

Life is too short to be unhappy if you have the ability to change your circumstances. If you can live on less money for a while and truly want to follow a different path then make it happen. I can tell you from experience that it SUCKS to look back and wonder what could have been.

[KnottedYet]

Did the same thing (libraries to physical therapy) at the ripe old age of 32.

In my case, there was no way I could afford to go to get my doctorate in physical therapy. Nor could I afford to re-take all my undergrad sciences (zoology major) which were unacceptable because they were more than 5 years old. Plus I was a single mom.

So I went to community college and got my PT Asst degree.

I used to love the work. Now I'm getting burned out. I'm tired of not being able to do what I'm good at, instead I'm having to shove as many patients thru as I can. The work isn't any easier for the PTs.

Trust me, there is a huge difference between volunteering and working. I would recommend you work as a PT Tech before you go to grad school. (my clinic is hiring)

Now I'm looking at going to grad school so I can go back to libraries as a science librarian. And I'm a lot older than 32 now, and still a single mom.

[Thorn]

As Queen says, "Life is too short to be unhappy". I went back to school the first time at 22 for x-ray and the second time at 28 for engineering. I stopped going to school at 40 (just shy of finishing the PhD). Some days I think about it again, but in a totally different area.

When I started the second time my husband told me I wasting time and money and that I'd never recoup the loss. I looked at it differently. To repeat, "Life is too short to be unhappy". I went back anyway and the divorce followed shortly. Absolutely no regrets.

I once read a story about a woman who changed careers every 10 years. She was 50 and in school again. She budgeted for 2-4 years of school and 6 years of work before she stopped and started again. OK, that might be a bit excessive, but you gotta like her spunk.

But seriously, if you think you can afford it and you really want it, don't let the 10% scare you--give it a chance. If you don't try, you can't fail, but how bad will be the regret?

[crazybikinchic]

I am currently going to school after 12 years in a job that I had done everything possible in the field (and made really good money). I also changed careers because I was so fed up with the career path that I had been on. Have you thought of maybe teaching in your current career while you were going to school? By the way, I don't regret going back to school, I would have regretted not going back to school.

[LBTC]

Well, TT, you are more than half way there.

The thing is, not only have you identified that you want a big change, but you even already know the direction you want to take with the change! This is fantastic news!

Yes, you're right, the path from here to there could be a difficult one, but you know that it will be worth it. You will find a way, and the ideas will keep coming as to how to navigate that path.

Keep your eyes, heart and mind open, let the universe show you the way.

Hugs and butterflies,
~T~

[Wahine]

I'm a PT and I love my job. But as Knott says it is not easy and how happy you are depends a lot on who you work with. I'm lucky enough to work for people who are truly motivated to help and are not into the money grab.

When I was an undergrad I had a very promising path ahead of me as a molecular geneticist. I had a premier researcher take me under his wing and it looked like this would be my life. I was on track to go to grad school at MIT.

In highschool I had always entertained the idea of being a PT but circumstances were such that I ended up in sciences instead, at first anyway. The researcher I spoke of unknowingly sealed the deal for me. he gave me a vey well paying (for a student) job in his lab for the summer. I helped him with ground breaking research. I counted bacteria, washed flasks and set agar all day. I didn't talk to a soul for hours at a time and I went crazy. I decided I needed a much more social career and went back to PT. Never regretted it.

So now I make a modest living but I love my job. To reiterate what others have said, life is way to short.

I think Knott's advice is good. Work as a tech for awhile before you commit to tuition etc. It's not a decision to take lightly but it sounds like you need some sort of change.

[KnottedYet]

Also, if you have work experience in PT (not just volunteer) it will help you rise to the top of the applicant pool for grad school.

I'm serious, my clinic is hiring. What part of Seattle are you in? I'm not sure how financially stable the clinic is (lots of red flags going up), but it has an excellent reputation. We also have a very active student internship program with the U.W. and treat some of the U.W. PT faculty.

[Meaux]

I am 27 and just now going back for my grad school degree. I am scared as all get out. However, I'm exhilarated at the idea of going to school and getting to start a new career. I have been working so far outside my chosen field, it's ridiculous. I say go for it, I wish you the best of luck in all of your adventures!! (P.S. When you become a PT, you want to come to TX and fix my knee? )

[trickytiger]

Wow! I didn't expect such a quick reply and so much good advice! Knotted, I'm sending you a message so we can talk- I would be very interested in actually working so that any potentially silly romantic notions that may still be in my head are erased. And Wahine, you have a VERY good point about being careful who you work for. The others- I needed very much to hear that I'm not crazy for looking for another path.

Thanks, ladies!

[wannaduacentury]

Did the same thing (libraries to physical therapy) at the ripe old age of 32.

In my case, there was no way I could afford to go to get my doctorate in physical therapy. Nor could I afford to re-take all my undergrad sciences (zoology major) which were unacceptable because they were more than 5 years old. Plus I was a single mom.

So I went to community college and got my PT Asst degree.

I used to love the work. Now I'm getting burned out. I'm tired of not being able to do what I'm good at, instead I'm having to shove as many patients thru as I can. The work isn't any easier for the PTs.

Trust me, there is a huge difference between volunteering and working. I would recommend you work as a PT Tech before you go to grad school. (my clinic is hiring)

Now I'm looking at going to grad school so I can go back to libraries as a science librarian. And I'm a lot older than 32 now, and still a single mom.

Hey knotted, I just switched to libraries.(dh works in one too) I'm fininshing my B.A. so I work p/t in the college library and p/t in the public lib. 2 diff tasks for each one. It is much more relaxed to work there than in retail where I was burned out. It had to go. I love to read, and like computers, so an a.l.a. may be in the future for me as well.

[wannaduacentury]

I'm a frequent lurker, sometimes poster, nearly never a thread-starter. But. Here goes:

I want to change careers, but I'm terrified at the thought of "stepping off the cliff". I'm a geologist, albeit an unhappy one. I loved the process of getting my undergrad and master's degree, I'm proud of my thesis, but, but, but, I'm not even remotely happy as a professional in the field. I've been at this long enough to know that it isn't going to get better for me, nor are there really many choices for jobs. This job requires frequent, unpredictable, extended, isolated travel. On short to nearly non-existent notice. It's okay for the short term, but I'm not willing to give up running, biking, friends, family, etc for the rest of my working life (about 30 years). For example, I've just been sent on a four to eight-month trip to work on a mine, by myself, 12 hours day/7 days a week, living in a hotel, with one week's notice. I can't do ANYTHING in this remote town that I normally do.

Enough about that. What I really want to be is a physical therapist. I've been volunteering (when I'm home, that is), and I love it. I like the work environment. I understand the emotional challenges, and I like the mental acrobatics it requires. I'm also a people-person.

However, I'm scared out of my mind to go back and take the pre-reqs (4 quarters worth) to try to gain admission to an extremely competitive field (around 10% acceptance rate). It's terrifying to give up a reliable income, even in a job I hate, to go back to being a student so that MAYBE I can achieve this goal. I can't take classes while working this job, well, because I'm never home. I'm not used to failure, and it's hard for me to deal with the uncertainty. But, I know what I want, and I've gotten very positive feedback from the PT's that I've been volunteering with. They are my kind of people, if that makes sense.

So, I need to hear some advice. Have any of you attempted similarly crazy-sounding ideas? Am I just lacking perspective or life experience at the ripe old age of 28? Am I being melodramatic for thinking I may not make it and will be forced to make do with a less-than-acceptable job for the rest of my life instead? Oh, the drama!

Thanks,
-TT

You could also take another job you don't really like but gets you around people while you go back to school. Just make sure your finances are in order b/f youleap. But changing careers is a great idea- a whole new adventure -go for it. Jennifer

[Bad JuJu]

After a 20-year career in the navy, I started grad school at the age of 40. All my classmates were younger than me and many were fresh from their BAs, so I had to play academic catch-up for a while. Also, my field--college English--is quite competitive too, believe it or not. But here I am, doing it and loving it.

I don't have any words of Wanton Wisdom to help you get through it, but just want to repeat what some have already said: that it's been totally worth it--the low finances, the long hours of studying, the volumes of reading and writing, the separations from DH when classes were in session--to end up with a job that I love.

You've got a lot of working years ahead of you--you don't want to spend them hating to get up and go to work every morning.

[Dianyla]

I'm in a similar boat... after a 10 year IT career that has been profitable but ultimately unfulfilling, I decided to pursue my original dream of being a physician. Mind you, at the time I was 27 and had one less-than stellar year of college under my belt, so I was starting from scratch. I enrolled at my local state school and two years later I'm still grinding my way through an undergrad degree + pre-med requirements. If all goes well, I hope to enter med school when I'm about 32, which puts my final completion date at around 40 years old. (With about $200K in student loan debt, most likely. )

And you know what, in 10 years I'll be 40 years old anyways. I might as well be doing something I love.

[KnottedYet]

In 3 months I'll be 40 years old. Trust me, you want to be doing you love!!!