I am feeling a little down because an educator at a college I was interested in made the comment to me that being that I am now in my thirties I will not be able to compete in that particular field. Had I started out of highschool I might have a decent shot, but it is a little late now. This is depressing. Does this mean I cannot get a BS degree, make a career change and have a successful career? At 32 I have a wife, two kids and bills. I will have to pull most of my education out of student loans. Is it too late? Should I just be happy with my barely middle class income in a job I do not like? My councelor told me the other day that people who enjoy their jobs either have lots of education or are lucky. He said.. let's be honest you are past the lucky stage. Does that mean it is over for me? Will I alway be behind the curve because I changed later in life? Is there no hope?
Depressing, isn't it? You look around and see all these energetic KIDS...wait a minute...YOU are still a kid! There's an idea out there that in the hard sciences you need to do your "best work" in your twenties (or whatever) or you will never accomplish anything important. Nonsense. Look in ANY hard science journal. Older people are contributing in important ways all the time. Face it; there ARE certain things that get hard to do if you are starting from scratch and no longer young (though YOU aren't there, yet) Getting an associateship in a major Wall Street law firm is probably impossible after forty. (Or so they say. I wouldn't know!) Let's see; what else? Hm. Well, you can't take a commission in the military after about 35 (unless you're an M.D.) Exotic dancing and teen idolhood become harder without major cosmetic surgery...although a few years ago, an elderly, overweight Sean Connery was named sexiest man alive or something by some tabloid... Ignore the little weasel. Who is HE, what is HIS great wisdom that you should make life decisions on HIS advice?
Hey Xarick: He is probably a miserable little dick who wants to project his misery onto you. Forget about him. take care, Abner
Xarick, That's a bunch of crap. A friend of my parents made a career change in his mid-40s. He was a mechanic with my dad for years prior to being laid off. It was at this time he decided to go to college. He started out at a Penn State University branch campus with zero credits, majored in mechanical engineering, worked his but off, and finished with a BS 3.5 years later. He is now employed as a mechanical engineer. Don't overanalyze the situation and do something.
Xarick: What field was it you are interested in? I seem to remember that you used to work in water quality, in which you have an associate's, you are now driving bus, and you were (at least at one time) interested in getting into IT, but I think you've also mentioned other possible fields of interest. True, the idea does exist that one needs to be still fairly young to get into IT and computers, but both of my brothers moved into that field when they were like way mass old geezers of almost thirty. So you can still do it, if that's what you're still interested in. Again, could you elaborate on your field of interest?
Still pinning that down Ted. IT has always been of interest to me, but I am really trying to assess why. Since I have taken multiple programming classes and yet outside of class never even consider programming. So what do I really like about IT... is it just that I like playing games? or do I really have a passion for making the IT world work better? Doing some real soul searching there. I am always interested in IT stuff, but never one to follow it closely. I don't have the time or money to keep up anymore and never have any ideas. Whenever I sit at a PC I simply wanna game. Plus no IT degree ever seems to make me say oooooo I want to go for that. Right now I am also looking at Classes in Engineering, or Natural resources. It was a particular engineering program that this instructor was from. I really get excited about the Natural Resources cirriculum at Oregon State. I think I would very much enjoy studying that program, I would only have to take the Biology at my local college. However, it would put me 15k in debt for a degree that I am not sure would profit me anything. So I have refrained from signing up. I get discourage though when educators tell me I am too old to create a meaningful career in a discipline I have some interest in. As for my career past you are correct. I was a water plant operator, left it for a telecom job, got laid off when the company went under, and am now a full time bus driver. I would like to move onto something more my taste. Leaving water was a mistake (I was just too young, too antsy and the allure of the telecom job was too much to pass up), but it is one I cannot seem to correct for the life of me. I was told by someone in the industry once you leave you can almost never come back. They were right. I got the dirtiest looks in interviews when I tried to explain why I left the industry. So anyway.. just a very discouraging conversation with this educator.
Perhaps the educator chose the wrong field for their career and is miserable and wants to make everyone else miserable. Perhaps this will help you overcome the little weasel's advice: I am currently working with an attorney on a project for one of his cases. He is in his early 50's and has been practicing law for about 10 years. He started his career in physics. Not surprisingly, there are a lot of physics majors that go to law school because they can't get a decent paying job in physics. This man went to Duke for his BS and stayed there and got his Ph.D. in Physics and worked as an experimental physicist for NASA and other governmental agencies for 15 years. He always realized that his passion wasn't in the work and that he wanted to go to law school...so he did. He has told me that every law school counselor he talked to told him a very similar thing as your educator told you....except 1 at a small law school in central Florida. He went to law school at night, graduated, got a job for a very well known firm in Dallas and now makes 3 times as much as he did in his physics career and he loves this job. He has made a point to contact every counselor that told him it would never work and point out how successful he has been and what a great alumnus he has been for the law school in central Florida.
I'm 33 and I reckon' I'll be 35 by the time I'm done my BS from FHSU - and I have yet to decide whether to apply to Law School after completing it or to pursue a Masters... There are Doctors who went to Med School in their 50's; there are Lawyers who went to Law School in their 50's... Are you too old? ..that depends on how old you think you are - nothing is in your way to get a degree and work in your field of interest for another 30 years... Especially Engineers, Doctors and Lawyers aren't affected by the age rules - I recently went for my checkup and the Doc was 82... So - how about you quit 2nd guessing yourself and just go and do it?
Xarick, Here are two links that list RA universities that offer many choices in bachelor degrees. Alphabetical by Institution: http://www.dantescatalogs.com/DEDC/InstitutionsByDegreeType.asp?RecID=3 By Area of Study: http://www.dantescatalogs.com/DEDC/InstitutionsBySubjectType.asp?RecID=3 The DANTES catalog lists are not all inclusive, but they are a good place to start.
I have heard this way of looking at it: Statement: If I start going to school now it will take me three years and I will be 35 when I finish. Response: How old will you be in three years if you do not start school? JUST DO IT!
When I was at Keiser College, there was a student there who was in her early 80's. She was studying to become a physical therapy assistant. Her rationale was that many of friends could use help in that regard, and she was still spry enough to learn it. I always thought hers was a great story. As for me, I'm 32 and will be 33 when I finish this Master's. A doctorate will take me to my late 30's. That's a decade older than some, but I find I'm not that worried about it. I'm ultimately interested in educational entrepreneurship, and in that case being a little older will be an advantage, e.g. with investment bankers and venture capitalists. -=Steve=-
I completed a bachelors at 32, a masters at 67, hope to complete the PhD next year at 75. I have been an adjunct at a small university for 3 years. Who says you are too old? Set your sights high and go for it!
Right on the money - the only person who can stop you from doing this - is you. St. Xavier senior is in a class by herself. At 82, Homewood resident is poised to become college's oldest graduate. http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-0605050253may05,1,5984198.story
Xarick, I'm having a wonderful "second childhood" re-immersing myself in education and doing things I wish I'd done 20 years ago. Just completed a B.S. at 41, studying to hit PMP (Project Management Professional) certification in three months, and beginning an MBA program in six months in a completely different career track from what I’ve been doing for the last 20 years in the military. My first military supervisor and the first academic advisor I had in my initial “crash and burn” college attempt 20 years ago were both convinced that I ate lead paint chips as a kid, and had a couple of cinder blocks dropped on my head before they had to deal with me. Had I listened to them, I’d be getting my 20 year “drive through” service pin from the local “McArbys King” franchise right about now; don’t let a twit deter you. As a tip, maybe consider more of a technical management degree, as opposed to a purely technical IT degree. System analysts and IT project managers/analysts get paychecks as well as the programmers and technicians. Dave
Weeeellllll...there IS one consideration...like it or not, if you want to be a LAWYER and you are, say, 50 or older, you'd best attend a state school or qualify for some major tuition grants. Or have lots of money. Paying off $100K in student loans is hard to do in, say, fifteen years of practice. But really, this is the same advice I'd give a 25 year old!
Xarick, you don't need to go back to school - you already have a masters in excuses and procrastination.
