Is there a certain age...

[COBI]

It's interesting because this thread is the only time where I've encountered someone expressing feeling bad for people going back to school. The general attitude that I've encountered is others wishing they *could* go back but financial and work obligations keep them from being able to. I think in general this IS a socially accepted and supported endeavor.

I more often encounter the "I wish I could go back" response or "I can't imagine going to school now (because they "hated" it), and have honestly never had anyone who saw it as a bad or sympathy-invoking event. Oh, wait, I do know a friend in a controlling and abusive relationship where her boyfriend does not support going back to school for her, but that's because he's (rightfully) concerned that'll she realize there is more to life than their destructive relationship.

Continually striving to improve and educate yourself is a great character attribute in my opinion. The day that I think I am done learning is likely the day I have given up on living or at a minimum will be a serious trigger that I need to some self-reflection.

I guess I personally have trouble grasping why someone would see a person furthering their education (regardless of their age) as a negative thing or something that should have an age cut-off.

 

[snowflakelashes]

I think that people change and smetimes its that they took the wrong degree when they first started in school (like me lol but I haven't gone back yet and I'm in my 30's) and some people never got the chance to go (couldn't afford it, had families out of high school and had to support them etc). Every situation is different and I don't feel like age has much to do with the benefits of education because ultimately taking courses and training in the field you are interested in is to benefit yourself and your happiness. So if I ever do get the courage and am lucky enough to go back to school, even if its when i'm older , is it ever too late to seek happiness?

PS at this point if I could go to school full time financially? I would rock it a LOT more than I did when I was younger I lacked focus, ambition and was internet addicted lol

I sorta got it together just as I was in my last year of my degree FINALLY got all A's lol.

Lots of people I know have gone back to school recently friends my age (29 and 30, and people closer to retirement age... like one person I know who I think is in her 50's) and they all seem happier for it. None of them went with the purpose of earning more money they all already had professional degrees and were simply strenthening their knowledge base in their field by getting a masters etc when they aren't required to have it for their job but because they are truely passionate about their careers and learning more to help them continue along that career path was what they wanted to do

NO clue if it makes sense financially but I don't really view school as something you do because of finances

For me it was and is more about personal growth and , sense of wonder, and learning and building the life you want. One of those 'tools'

 

[Lauren1981]

Quote:

Originally Posted by snowflakelashes I don't feel like age has much to do with the benefits of education because ultimately taking courses and training in the field you are interested in is to benefit yourself and your happiness. So if I ever do get the courage and am lucky enough to go back to school, even if its when i'm older , is it ever too late to seek happiness?

exactly. i knew it was time for me to go back when i came home from work one day asking myself what was the point of my job. i answered a phone and filed paperwork. that may be fine for some but it's not okay for me. i want to come home feeling accomplished. as if i'd actually helped/comforted someone and that's when i knew it was time for me to go back. i'm beyond interested in nursing and the medical field. it's my passion and this is what it is i want to do with my life. it would have sucked ass for me, being that this is what i really want to do with my life, to be considered too old to go back or if the opportunity was taken away because i didn't do it when i was 19-23 and no later than that..... and i don't feel sorry for myself not doing it back then. i'm actually happier now because i said earlier, i feel like i have a greater appreciation for school and the field now than i did when i was younger

 

[Penn]

Honestly, this post seems a tad ignorant to me.
ETA - I know that you aren't trying to offend anyone and please don't think that I'm attacking you in any way.

 

[Modmom]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Penn Honestly, this post seems a tad ignorant to me. ETA - I know that you aren't trying to offend anyone and please don't think that I'm attacking you in any way.

I think its more of an maturity thing than ignorance. Not that I think you're immature Folie, not at all. This is quite a deep topic of discussion between you and your friends. I just remember being in my 20's and thinking that 30 and 40 and beyond was so old. I most certainly don't think that now LOL

I would love for you to print off this discussion and put it away until you're 40 and then read it again. You'll be amazed at what a different person you have become in so many aspects of your life. You'll understand how fulfilling it is to know that you can better yourself and follow dreams at any age.

 

[PhuongyBaby]

I definitely think it is never to late to go back and higher your education or pursue something new. Im an EE and I've seen 40-50 year old, possibly older men in my classes pursuing a degree and just trying to higher their education. Not to mention my mother is almost 50 and she just finished getting her 9th degree and is now working on her 10th and a PHD. If anything I respect and I'm sure others would respect anyone who goes back to school and I've found that the older individuals in my classes are the most knowledgeable and I have never once looked at them and said they were too old to be in school!!! ~_~

 

[hello_kitty]

I read an interesting article the other day about how many things in society are moving up in age... like age of first marriage, first children, education, etc. Many many people are waiting until "later" in life to do a lot of things that are usually viewed as things younger people do. It's no longer abnormal to put off marriage until your 30s, or having children. Getting an education should be considered no different.

I still think it's weird to think I'm a "non traditional" student at 26, though. I guess it's because I still feel very young and that I have tons of life to still live

 

[user79]

It's never too late to better yourself, be it physically, or mentally.

 

[astronaut]

20 year old right here, and I have mad respect for anyone who is older and decides to go back to school. Not everyone is in it for the money. I've met some people who went back to school who had higher paying jobs before than what they are planning to do after getting their degree. Some people just want to take courses simply for knowledge. Some people already have degrees but wanted to change careers. I was searching through online profiles of the doctors at the hospital I go to and I found one doctor who wrote that he was an engineer for a while but decided to go back to school to become a doctor. He's employed at a good hospital so I think he's done pretty well despite not graduating med school at a younger age.

I love hearing stories about elderly people who go back to school. Education is a beautiful thing and the fact that anyone has the opportunity to get an education in my country at any age is wonderful and everyone should take advantage of it if they can. There are people in developing countries who have never gone to school and children sold into sex trafficking so I think it's unfair to judge someone older to want to go back to school.

Everyone has their own circumstances. I'd hate to think that if a person could not attend school while they were younger due to financial, personal, etc. reasons, then they missed their opportunity forever. Game over.

To say that someone is too old to further their education is pretty darn ageist I must say.

 

[hello_kitty]

^^ My friend's dad was an engineer... went to med school, and has been a GYN for many many years, and now he's thinking of retiring and going to law school. A lot of people think he's crazy, but I think it's awesome he's never stopped wanting to learn!

 

[kabuki_KILLER]

You're never too old to go back to school in general. It really depends on what you're trying to do and what for. However, if you're trying to go back to college and get into med school and become a surgeon, it's going to be much harder on a 40-yr-old body and brain than someone that knows they want to do that at 18. It's possible, but some paths are really long.

If you're really interested in doing something and have the chance to do it, I would say it's a great idea. It's awful when expectations are placed on someone because of lifestyle, parents and wife/husband/children. If you're young and not happy with what your significant other or parents want for you, I would definitely recommend either getting out of that relationship or seeing if you can change things. It's easier to change life-altering decisions earlier than later.

 

[Modmom]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kabuki_KILLER You're never too old to go back to school in general. It really depends on what you're trying to do and what for. However, if you're trying to go back to college and get into med school and become a surgeon, it's going to be much harder on a 40-yr-old body and brain than someone that knows they want to do that at 18. It's possible, but some paths are really long. If you're really interested in doing something and have the chance to do it, I would say it's a great idea. It's awful when expectations are placed on someone because of lifestyle, parents and wife/husband/children. If you're young and not happy with what your significant other or parents want for you, I would definitely recommend either getting out of that relationship or seeing if you can change things. It's easier to change life-altering decisions earlier than later.

^^ My 40 year old body still takes hip hop lessons, chases after 2 boys, works outside the house and runs my own company at home. School would be a great break!! Hahahahahaha Just kidding. I will say that its harder when you're older because of all the more responsibilities you have (family, work, paying bills and so on).

 

[katred]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Folie Basically after talking about the idea in general, we thought 35ish is kind of old to go back to school.

I can't imagine why. I'm 37, I have two university degrees and every time I see the schools kicking up again in the fall, I think I'd like to go back. Hell, I'd go back just to audit classes and learn. Which should be the point of being in any educational institution.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Folie Even if you finish in 4 years, you'll be about 40 by the time you land a job and everything.

This logic only works if you assume that the purpose of attending university is to prep you for a specific job. That is, of course, a major thing a university education can do and certainly, if you're attending a professional school (med, law, dentistry, etc.), that is the primary purpose. For many, that isn't the case.

However, even if you make the assumption that universities are only job-prep factories, there's still nothing wrong with hitting the restart button at any age. If someone has gone through 35 years making low wages (which is not always the case), it hardly seems reasonable to say that they're stuck with that for the rest of their lives.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Folie You've spent most your adult life working for lower wages.

As I mentioned, not necessarily. As I've gotten older, I've noticed a funny thing has happened with my brain. I'm way better at math and science than I used to be. I make a good living in marketing, so if I decided I wanted to go back and get a degree in chemistry, it's not because I'm earning low wages, but because I want the option of doing something different.

The days of having one career, where you did the same thing throughout your working life, are over. The vast majority will have several jobs in fairly disparate fields during their time in the workplace. Increasing your knowledge base expands your capital as an employee.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Folie So, do you think there's a certain age where you're just too old to go back to school? Too old to do something else? Why?

Personally? I think you should stop doing things when they become a threat to your health or the health of others. That's true at any age, but it's important to realise when your age is impairing your ability to do things the way you used to.

I'm a pretty fast, aggressive driver. I can get away with that because my vision is perfect, my reflexes are sharp and I have enough experience to know how fast I can go while still being in complete control of the car. However, when I'm 70, I hope that there are people who insist I take regular driving "check-ups" to make sure that I have a good handle on the extent to which my skills may have deteriorated.

For anything else, the sky's the limit.

Think about this: If you hit 35 or 40 and you're not happy with the state of your life, are you going to feel like you're stuck with what you've got? It seems like you're setting yourself up for a lot of heartache.

 

[doyoulikemymake]

I wonder if this is a cultural thing because I notice some cultures tend to think you are old past 25+ while others think it's still very young. In African American and some African cultures you are considered not young once you hit mid 20s, as I have some West African acquaintances who defintely think you are ancient if you are 30 years of age and older

 

[MissPanther]

Reading this and all the replies, I can really understand from both sides what you're talking about. On the one side, it DOES take lots of people a long time to really understand what they want in life, the other about... Well, the main topic.

I feel that it really shouldn't be about the age of a person when it comes to attending university or college. When I first entered university, the one thing that drove me was the idea that I had to finish university, I had to get a job, I had to do this and that before I got too old. But you know what? Looking back on it, I was really thinking about graduating from university for (in my opinion), all the wrong reasons. Even if I dropped school, I'd still come back eventually. Why? Because of the sense of accomplisment that comes from being able to tackle an endeavor like university.

Everyone goes through that section in their lives where they want to feel that sense of accomplishment, where they did some good for either themselves, their friends/family, their community or even the world. Older students may feel a sense of accomplishment from finishing university. Some have the thirst to continue learning, to continue to understand the world and how it works. Just like how we all want to be able to hone our skills in something (whether it be our job, make up, whatever), and some students just want to know more about the world. Because of this, I don't think there should be an age cap on university, because university is an institute of learning. The point of university is to learn, not JUST a train that you get on to find a job fast.

 

[LorraineER]

"I'm not saying not to do it, but it kinda seems like a waste to me. I always think of this lady I heard of, I forgot her exact age, who was 80 and it took her like a decade to graduate, she started at 70 or so, and she died t

he day after her graduation.

"


Education isn't simply a means to an end for everyone. That's not a waste- she did something amazing and saw it through to the end. If she spent those ten years doing the same old thing and not learning anything new, not changing anything, do you think that would have more value/be less of a "waste?" From the tone of your posts it just seems like you don't see the value that education can hold. It's never too late to go back to school and it's never to late to make a life-altering decision. If there was an age limit on making decisions to change our lives, I wouldn't want to live past it.