A request for some help/advice from other 50+ DUers!

[MarianJack]

I have been without a job for the last 3 months. I have some job prospects that look good but nothing that particularly excites me. I have taught and worked in Mental Health. In 1978 I spent a semester in Law School and flunked out, mostly due to alcoholism (I've been sober for 18+ years now)and poor study habits as well as going to a law school FAR from home where in a city where I knew NOBODY.! A couple of years later, I attained a Master's degree with a HIGH GPA.

I am a person whose greatest success in life has been as an advocate. It is a passion. I have decided that I am going to go back to Law School again in the fall of next year. I will be 54 when I start and 57 when I finish. Given my family's tendency for longevity, I'd have 15 to 20 years of productivity left, which is more that our moronic lame duck president would have in 30 similar lifetimes.

While I'm quite a bit older than I was the last time, and certainly a lot older than most of my prospective classmates, I'm also a LOT smarter and much more mature than I was then. I think that more than likely I'd be a popular study group member because, as a devoted family man, everybody would know that I'm there to WORK, not meet someone. Hell, sometimes my arthritis is so bad I can hardly get into MY OWN pants!

Anyway, are there any among you who've gone back to school at a somewhat advanced age? If so, I'd love to heaqr your advice and feedback. BTW, I'm a vcery YOUNG 53 today. Most people who meet me think I'm in my early to mid 40's. One of my inspirations is my State Senator, who received her Law degree the same day she received her Medicare card!

Thanks in advance!

PEACE!

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

1. My mom went back to school

in her 40s, while raising two kids. She worked hard and completed two degrees and held a job while doing it. So I know it can be done. The best of luck to you!

[MarianJack]

5. Thanx!

When did she go. How is she doing now?

[MarianJack]

6. Thanks!

How is she doing now?

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

33. alert and living in an assisted care facility

at age 89. Interested in politics and recipes. She was a Clinton supporter--I'm hoping to get her onto Obama now.

[leftofcool]

2. Well, here is some more inspiration for you........

While I was doing my doctoral work in my 40's (I am 62 now) there was a lady working on her undergraduate degree. She was a Junior, I think. She was 84.

[MarianJack]

10. WOW!

Age really IS a state of mind, isn't it?

[leftofcool]

28. Yes it is and the best part

I was a grad asst teaching a lit class where she was my student. She made A's on all five papers she had to write, an A on the final where she had to fill up that proverbial blue book. She did get a B on the midterm, also a BB fill, but only because she did not address the entire question I asked. She received an A for the course and although I never saw all of her grades, I heard she maintained a 3.6 GPA

[Eurobabe]

3. I got my master's at age 38

My mom is completing her Bachelors and she is 67. You are never too old to go back to school. My daughter just got her master's and although she is only 24, some of her fellow classmates were in their 40s and 50s. She said they were so "together" compared to the younger people.

GO FOR IT! The life experience you would bring to program is priceless. :hi:

[MarianJack]

12. I have a lot of life experience.

Because of my wife, I'm also "together". I have to be to hold onto a great lady like her.

[Eurobabe]

23. then you can do it!

Hey, I am re-learning GERMAN at age almost 48. It's challenging, but very rewarding. :hi:

[papau]

4. My father and my friends when they hit 55 dropped 10 years off applications - there's a rough bias

[MarianJack]

14. Don't think it hasn't crossed my mind.

That and a little Grecian Formula, too!

[Ms. Toad]

43. Job applications should never include age.

Although there is no prohibition against discriminating against younger workers, it is against the law to discriminate against individuals over 40. For that reason, applications should not be requesting (nor should an applicant be providing) age information.

[ClayZ]

7. It is like I told my friend, when she was thinking...

of going back to school, at 48 years old, to get a degree in Education. I said, "Four years will go by, whether you go back to school or not."

She has been teaching for 10 years now and thousands of children have passed through her classroom.


Follow your dreams!

[MarianJack]

16. You are right,...

...the years will go by anyway.

BTW, there's NO room for gray haired teachers here in Maine.

[ClayZ]

34. I bet there is!

Would you like to teach?

[MarianJack]

35. I'm a Former teacher...

...and have done some subbing.

I tried to get back in a few years ago. 60+ resumes and 0 responses including from the district that used me the most and had several teachers who would REQUEST me as their sub. In September when I went back as a sub I saw many 22-23 year olds in positions I'd applied for.

[Gormy Cuss]

8. A friend's mother went to law school in her 50s, practiced into her early 70s ,

and enjoyed every minute of it. She went to the U. Maine law school in Ptld.

[MarianJack]

19. Hey! Thats where I'll be applying!

Thanks!

[glowing]

9. It is never too late to do what you wish to...Just look at McCain, he's 70+ (LOL)

On a more serious not: Take into consideration the cost of law school... Do you have the money or grants or scholarships to go.. it can be quite expensive. Make sure you don't go broke trying to do something this late in the game.

If finances aren't a consideration, then do it. Its never too late to try or do anything. It will be harder to go back... Studying for law is takes a lot of memory (bone up on the ginko biloba). I'm 28 yrs old.. I admire your courage for wanting to push forward... it sounds like you'd use your law degree for good work as an advocate..

[MarianJack]

22. Public Interest, yes!

I won't go if I can't pay for it, you're right.

[hvn_nbr_2]

11. I went back to grad school when I was 45.

You'll probably find that your maturity is an aid for you as well as the fact that you're there because you really want to be, as opposed to just doing what people expect of you when you're younger.

When I was finished with grad school and looking for a job, I discovered that nobody wanted to talk to me despite my impressive resume. When I chopped off the oldest 15 years of my resume, everybody wanted to talk to me! Even when it's not overt, age discrimination is real. I'm in the high tech world, which is very youth-oriented, so YMMV.

[REACTIVATED IN CT]

13. Never got back to school myself after dropping out of college

amidst the 60's campus unrest.But I did work for a law firm for many, many years and they hired quite a few associates who had gone to law school later in life.

Good luck on your endeavor !

[blm]

15. I'm starting school again next year as mi esposo is getting out of news biz

soon and taking a position with a large university.

With little blm starting 3rd grade, I thought this was a good time. Especially since I worked straight out of high school in sports biz for 6 years and then in the music industry for 13 years. Had a blast and remember most of it. ;)

I really am not sure how I'll do with the structure - I'm fairly strongheaded. gee, y'think? heheh

BTW - just turned 53 a couple weeks ago. And, yeah, still hot. ;)

[jimshoes]

17. I'm 56 and I just started to learn to

play the violin and read music finally. I've played bass guitar by ear for a long time, but I always wanted to be able to read music. So I say go for it.

[The River]

30. Reading Music

was a terrible handicap for me. I learned nearly 50 years ago and
I was never able to develop an "ear" for recognizing notes or keys
unless they were written down. I did not "play well" with others.
The plus side was I developed my own style and my own tunes.

Now if I could just find some sheet music for my didgeridoo.....

[Beausoleil]

18. I'm the same age

as you are. I say "Go for it!"

I was 31 when I decided to finish my last two years of college and get my BS degree. I felt much more interested, capable and engaged when I went back to college in my 30's than when I was 19 and I graduated cum laude. I think I got a lot more out of school as an adult, not being there for anything else but the education. Also, I had no temptation to skip classes like I had as a teenager!

[Midwest_Doc]

20. Go Back to School!

In 3 years, you will either be an unfulfilled 56 year old, or a 56 year old lawyer. The process will be exhilarating.
I wish you the best!

[Raejeanowl]

21. Go For It

I'm considering it myself, and part of what's galvanizing me is our youngest daughter, who's pissing away her education fund, failing and withdrawing from classes semester after semester. That could have been my advanced degree. It might still be, if I overcome some of the same hesitations you feel.

From the few forays I've taken into primarily 20-something educational environments, I've found the kids to be very accepting once they get past the novelty of you. You have to resist being a parent or resident expert and approach them as peers, as unnatural as that may seem. They'll appreciate your perspective most.

It ain't over 'til it's over. I suspect it will KEEP you alive.

[DesertFlower]

24. i went back to school when i was 37.

worked during the day and went to school 2 nights a week.

good luck to you.

[MadinMo]

25. Mr MadinMo considered going back to school for an engineering degree

which would have made him 30 when he finished. At the time we thought that was a Great Age (old). I remember we asked an advisor at the school about the advisability of pursuing it and he gave great advice --- you are going to be 30 (or 57 in your case) anyway aren't you?

Plus, seems like I've always heard that terrible financial times are a great time to be in school. I say GO FOR IT.

[nels25]

26. You stated that you have worked with Mental Health

in some capacity??

Perhaps you can get a job with the VA.

I know for a fact they are ramping up the Mental Health side of their operations, and will only do more so one Barack and a new and competent VA director takes over.

Might be worth a shot.:shrug:

[MarianJack]

38. Thanx, but I'm TOTALLY burnt out of Mental Health!

[murray hill farm]

27. Go for it!!!

Not only will the years go by anyway, if you have the choice u might as well contribute to making them meaningful and exciting and a personal challenge. Live life to your own personal fullest...continue to grow and expand your existence. In four short years, you will be 57...and a very disappointed being...and I expect a good deal sad if you do not follow through on this dream. Live on the edges, it is where everything happens that is personally worth anything in life.

[petersjo02]

29. I started taking college courses at 60

I aced my courses, often having highest scores in my classes, won some awards for my writing, and had great fun. The kids accepted me thoroughly, and I was able to mentor several young moms who were struggling with part-time jobs, school, parenting. I loved/love the process of learning.

I also found that professors love older students because they work hard and get good grades. One math prof especially told me he loved to teach people who really wanted to learn and make a sincere effort to understand what was being taught. I never hesitated to ask for help when I needed it and help was always cheerfully offered.

Also, I helped a former co-worker with typing up papers, etc., when she went back to law school at about age 46, got her law license, and is now happily practicing law in Omaha.

Go for it. Either way, in 3 years you'll be 57. Might as well be 57 with your law degree. My very best wishes to you as you begin this new adventure.

[MarianJack]

41. Thanks,...

...I might as well be a 57 yo new to the bar lawyer!

[Moondog]

31. I attended law school

in the early 70s. Received my J.D., and sat for the Bar, when I was 23. Youngest person in my class. I had contemporaries, but there were, even then, a number of "more experienced" folks in my class - a lady of 60 plus, a gentleman who was a retired dentist who had to be in his late 50s, and a whole group of people in their 40s who were going for a career change. There was also a night section of the law school, which was a four year drill, with any number of seasoned folks, who worked full time, and did this at night. Some were in their 30s, most were in their 40s and 50s. A lot of the these people were bankers, trust officers, and accountants.

Subsequently, at 39, I went back to law school (different school) full time for a year to pick up an LL.M. The LL.M. students were almost exclusively my age or older. This was an entirely different experience than attending law school as a very, very, young man. And, I now realize, a much superior one. Got the degree, and went back to work. After ten more years of this, and suffering from significant burn-out, but having an embarrassingly large portfolio and bank balance, I retired at 50. My wife, also an attorney, J.D. only, retired on the same date that I did. She was 48 at the time.

I have a couple of observations that you may find to be useful. First, the law schools I attended were both "private", and were both hideously expensive. The school my wife attended for her J.D. was a state school. (We did not know each other at the time, and married in our 30s.) I believe that the legal education she received was, at least, the equal of the one that I received. Cachet is another argument altogether, and one that I now believe, having been an attorney my entire working life, is vastly overrated.

Second, the practice of law is not what it once was. When I started out, it was a profession. It is now a business. There is a difference. This may, or may not, make a difference to you.

Third, once you graduate and are admitted to the Bar, you can make a pile of money, or you can do good. It is difficult to do both at the same time; although some actually manage to accomplish that goal. I did not. My wife did not. Our ages at retirement should be self-explanatory. She and I have attempted to compensate for that personal shortcoming over the last eight or so years by keeping our licenses current, and accepting pro bono work exclusively. We'll probably do that for another ten years or so, and then just pack it in entirely. The point here is that law school is not an insignificant undertaking, in either time, energy, or money. To do so at your age, and for it to make sense, you really ought to focus on what it is you are trying to accomplish by doing so. Money? Altruism? Social change? Something else? The age at which you are undertaking this particular journey makes it a different one than you undertook all those years ago. Know what you are about. Keep your eyes on the proverbial prize. And you'll do fine. Fail to do either, and you may end up with some serious regrets.

Please accept my best wishes for your endeavor, and good luck to you.

[elehhhhna]

32. You, moondog, are a superb addition to the DU family. Welcome.

Excellent post. Write more.

[MarianJack]

37. Thank You, Moondog!

Your response was one of the sort I was hoping to receive.

I will keep this post for referencing as I go through the process. I'm looking primarily at public interest type law. I think I may be able to complete my working years in just trying to counter and correct a little piece of the cheney/bush damage.

Thank you for your advice and guidance!

[bemildred]

36. Masters (CS) at 48. Wife working on Masters (Lit) at 60.

Never give up. Older people kick ass when it comes to school.

[Shoelace]

39. I started college at 47

back in the early '80s. It was a wonderful experience though due to health problems, I couldn't stay in beyond my 3rd year. Back then, it was affordable.
I'd love to go back, finish my degree but gotta wait for Democrats to lower the cost of college.
Funny thing is, back then we had lots of students from the ME. That was before the "oil wars" and they were wonderful folks.
Republican elitists sure have mucked it up for those who can't afford college.
How I hope, pray that all changes soon.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

40. These days, 53 is YOUNG

I look at my parents' wedding pictures, and I know that some of the guests, including my grandmother and her siblings, there were younger at the time than I am now, and they look OLD. My grandmother had just turned 50, and she looks older in those pictures than most of the 60-somethings I know today.

I come from a long-lived family. My grandmother may have been an old-looking 50, but she literally had half her life ahead of her.

As I look at the members of the next generation up among my family and acquaintances, it's obvious that the best way to stay young and vigorous is to have a positive attitude and be active. Don't ever retire to that rocking chair.

I once knew an 80-something couple who not only volunteered for a couple of charities each but also gave public lectures related to their former careers and in their spare time traveled the world, including a trip up the Amazon. In general, the happiest older people are the ones who find something useful to do and are open to new experiences.

They may have health problems, but they don't obsess over them. They never turn into the type of older person who greets you with a recital of how awful the world is and how lousy they feel. Instead, they greet you with an account of the interesting thing they did and the interesting plans they have.

[dembotoz]

42. technology would be a concern

i assume your computer skills are fairly good.
They will need to be.
spend some time brushing up.
i don't think you need to be the geekiest kid in the room, but you do not want to look like a druid either.

good luck
i envy you