Any middle aged DUers going back to school full time

[Seedersandleechers]

this fall? I'm 55 who doesn't see retirement in my future. I'm planning on working at least another 20 years so with the help of my employer,(they're giving me a schedule so I can work and go to school), I'm going to be a full time student for a year starting July 28. My cost for this education will be $20,000. When finished I'm looking into working in Nome, or Barrow Alaska for a year just so I can pay off these school loans. These are desperate times indeed.

[Warpy]

1. I went to nursing school in my 30s

and found a lot of people there up to their early 50s, either heading for a second career or heading for a life as an educated caregiver.

If you're healthy and know your body is going to hold up for a decade or so and you're entering a field with a demand, why not? Hell, if you just want the knowledge, why not?

Enjoy the journey!

[Seedersandleechers]

3. Thanks

I'm an LPN going for my RN-so I guess there is a demand.

[MullenBank]

2. CRNA

in my future. Taking Chemistry, Anatomy and math on a PT basis now. Then FT to earn a BSN. Then work in an ICU for a year followed by 24 months of FT school (no work allowed) then at least the money will return as median income for CRNA is around 135K. Should be done by the time I'm 56 or 57.

This may not be the brightest thing Ive ever undertaken but in any event I hope to be 57 some day and Id rather be 57 with this stuff behind me than 57 wondering why the hell didn't I go for it.

Right now I run a skilled care facility. Money's good but the work bores the shit out of me.

[bamademo]

4. I'm going back to school

I almost have a BS in technical management. Heavy emphasis on management, marketing and computer science. I hope it's worth it.

[ravencalling]

5. 48 - in school now

And working full time. Finishing up BS degree, already have Associates.

It is difficult, and has taken me a long time, not to mention expensive.

Yes, hope it is going to be worth it.

[notadmblnd]

6. I'm 49. I go to school, not full time though. I pay for it one class at a time

I refuse to take out loans and I don't qualify for grants. It's fun though; with the exception of math, I have all A's. There's a lot of young people, but there are lots of women my age too. What amazes me about the young people the most, is that they're so quiet. They sit and listen, usually don't ask questions of the instructor and only answer when called on. I find that I'm usually the one that breaks the ice between the class and the instructor and draws the personality of the class out. It scares me on the one hand though, because I wonder what's happened in the public schools these past few decades.

[skooooo]

9. I bet you find...

...they also don't take their education as seriously as you do!

[Deja Q]

14. How would you know?

I always stayed clammed up in class. Accustomed to being mocked, taunted, beaten, et cetera, I kept in my corner.*

I wasn't a perfect student (though college was easier), but I sure as hell tried. Still do, but these days really have to take a leap of faith thanks to the added disincentive of offshoring.

Other people were content to wear gaudy heavy metal t-shirts, play music in class, and so on.


* not necessarily for giving answers - having a PDD and, subsequently depression and anxiety (PTSD), and being a reactionary in general, I was too easy a target; with bullies telling each other "Go fight him, he never fights back". I was also taught to go to authority figures. Much good that did too, as principals and staff just wanted to shove people into gowns than actually teach them... too many stories to adumbrate right now, but I think you get the gist of it.

[skooooo]

17. Because I ..

...work at a university and see college students every day. It's not the ones who are "clammed up" I'm talking about. It's the ones who have their cell phones out, talk during class, or are looking at MySpace that I'm referring to. It's just part of being young.

[notadmblnd]

20. Actually, no

I find that older people are just as likely to drop a class as the younger ones. The determining factor in that appears to me, to be the instructor. For example, my math class; started out with 30 people, nine of us finished. Our instructor was really old. She would be lecturing and writing out equations out on the board, get to a certain point, then stop and show us another way to work it out. She would lose the class at that point because we were all confused and as a result, no one did well on their first test (only one A) and half the class dropped. I don't know if this was her teaching style or if she was just forgetful. I got a tutor and was doing well until she died of a heart attack during our Wednesday morning league, I finally got through it with a C.


The ones that don't take it seriously, simply don't come to class

[Seedersandleechers]

10. I was talking to

a friend who is my age and is a college professor. She mentioned that many of her young students could not even write.

[notadmblnd]

21. There are many that lack writing skills

but it's not just the kids. A very close friend of mine (has his Masters); has in my opinion, poor writing skills. He makes some very common errors, forgets to proof read, and has a writing style that makes it difficult for the reader to comprehend. It's almost as if he's trying to hard to be impressive in showing off his intelligence, but to me it comes off as pretentious. I'm no scholar in English, but I'm pretty certain that people can read my writings and end without asking "what did she just say?"

[democrat in Tallahassee]

7. Just finished a PhD at 53

Just do it--it goes very quickly!

[Seedersandleechers]

11. The hardest part

will be going to school Monday through Friday and working 12 hour shifts Saturday and Sunday. But you're right-with that schedule it will go by quickly.

[gblady]

8. I just turned 60....

and am in my next to the last semester of graduate school...
getting my Master of Counseling Psychology degree...

fulfilling a 35 year dream...
it's been a blast! It was a great choice for me.

...and will be working 'til I'm 90 to repay student loans...
I figure I can counsel from my rockin' chair.

[Seedersandleechers]

13. My dream is to

work with Doctors without borders. That's why I want to work in Barrow Alaska for a year to pay off the loans. They will provide you a place to live on the hospital grounds, so I figure moving to Barrow will be worth it.

[uppityperson]

23. Sounds like you have a good plan. I had a similar one.

Had a 2 yr degree, got my bsn, thinking on working in bush in AK but got sidetracked with a nasty divorce and ended up back outside again. Things I learned (was in late 30's though):
You learn differently as an adult than as a young adult. Things had to make sense, rather than just being able to memorize. AK is very cool. You get to make lots of decisions, are expected act much more independently than down in the lower 48. As is MSF very cool. I ended up with a much higher gpa than when I went after highschool, figuring if I was taking the time to spend time, money, energies, I damn well better learn all I could. I had a very different relationship with my teachers also, working as partners rather than Teachers and student.

I wanted to work in Dillingham or Bethel, but Barrow would also be very interesting. Working with (whatever native services) you should get housing provided. Tourists do go there, but mostly it is people living there. I ended up down in Ketchikan for a while, which was ok, but think there is more need for people up north. Have you checked out the AK forum? It might be good to talk with people there since they live in AK (most of them).

Good luck to you and what a fun, interesting and great thing to do.

[Seedersandleechers]

28. I've been to Barrow

It is very isolated, bleak, and not nearly as beautiful as say Seward, Homer, and even Fairbanks. But they desperately need health care workers for their very modern hospital. The housing for the health care workers have large front windows that look directly onto the Arctic Ocean. That was the cool part IMO of Barrow. Watching the natives shoot polar bears with rifles using a fast truck not so much.

[uppityperson]

29. Having lived in black/brown bear country, I must say polar bears give me the willies.

They are in a class of their own. I would not like seeing them shot, but also would have no desire to run into one on the street. Not even Iorek Byrnison.

[Schema Thing]

12. What will you be taking as a career/learning path?

I'm 45, and wonder about doing the same as you.

[Seedersandleechers]

15. I'm

an LPN which stands for low paying nurse. I'll be getting my RN degree.

[my2sense]

16. I'm thinking about it

Don't want to take out loans so I'll probably take a few classes at a time so I can pay as I go. It's going to take me awhile to finish, but I like learning.

[Faygo Kid]

18. Did law school at night in my 30s. No more full time.

Working full time and going to law school at night while raising a young family in the early '80s was plenty enough for me.

I do intend to take some classes when I retire, but not with any degree goal in mind (mostly history, I am sure).

[skooooo]

19. I salute anyone trying to get an education...

And I'm glad I was enough of a nerd to stay in school longer than normal when I was young. Not making a *ton* of money from my education, but certainly more than enough to be comfortable, and have real job security.

[Captain Angry]

22. Finished Bachelors of Finance at age 35

It was weird being so much older than the regular students. I had to tell them of the days of yore, before cellphones and the web. It freaked them out.

Teachers love having somebody experienced in class since they can usually have you back up the lesson with a story about the application of the material.

[uppityperson]

25. I had a funny interaction with one of those "regular students"

I've struggled with looking like I was much younger than I am most of my life. Am glad to get wrinkles and some grey hairs now. Sitting in a biochem class (my chem from 20 yrs back transfered so I didn't need to take the first semester). This cute young kid sits by me and strikes up a conversation. "weren't you in chem last semester" Me, eyeroll and silent thought (I'm old enough to be your mother) "no, I wasn't". Him "really, I thought you were" nudge nudge wink wink. Me "no, last time I took chemistry was 20 yrs ago. Him "ohhhhh", sits up straight.

Some of the regular students got upset with my asking questions, getting into tangents with the teacher about things like "why do sunflowers follow the sun", many wanting only to learn what it would take to pass the final.

[Captain Angry]

27. I know your pain about asking questions.

I was trying to understand the subject and the kids wanted class to end early.

[Blue Belle]

24. I'm working on my Bachelor's degree and I am 37...

It wasn't so bad being a non-traditional student when I was at community college because almost everyone is a non-traditional student. Now that I've transferred to a small, private, Liberal Arts college I tend to be approximately the same age or slightly younger than some of my professors. It's kind-of unnerving when you figure your classmates were born the same age you graduated high school, but on the other hand, I get all the 80's references and "Adam Ant" jokes of my professors. It may feel weird at first, but once you get into your classes the things you are learning supersede anything else. Plus, I find that a lot of professors appreciate the opinion of someone who has lived in the real world and has had to pay their own bills and work 40+ hour weeks - it also gives your classmates a different perspective than their own. Your education is worth every cent... it is certainly better than living your life under-employed and dissatisfied. I'd rather be paying off college loans doing something I love than work another week in a dead-end job knowing I'm capable of more.

[Jazzgirl]

26. 54 now.

I finally got my degree in Business (emphasis eBusiness) last year. I enjoyed it. Company paid all tuition and half my books. It was a deal I couldn't pass up.

[Kip Humphrey]

30. I went back in 1996 - I was 44 - 2 degrees in 3 years - would do it again!

[hellbound-liberal]

31. I got my B.S in Special Education at 45 and my Masters 3 years later

I've been teaching for five years. I am VERY glad that I went back to get my degree. I have job that is challenging but makes me feel that I am making a difference in the lives of kids who need extra help. Plus, since nobody really wants my job, it's pretty secure.:D