Why mature students pursuing degrees later in life

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Permalink Reply by Kathy Sciannella on March 11, 2010 at 10:43am

I went right after high school for one year but was not clear on what I wanted to study. I majored in English because that my favorite subject but once in school, was not sure that was what I wanted. So I went to work for a while and returned back at age 40 to major in business.

I think some people are not clear post high school on what direction they want to go in and also that you change as you age and your priorities are different. For some of us, the world changed a bit so having more education became more of an issue for career advancement.

I believe you are never too old to pursue education if that is what you want. Many of us will be working well into our 60's and 70's so even getting education in your 40's and 50's has viability.

Permalink Reply by everydaydave on March 11, 2010 at 10:51am

Now that I am out of work (going on two years), the only way to survive is to go back to school. But that may not be the same soon. Georgia is trying to balance it budget and a couple things that look like they might happen is increase the fees and also tack on an additional $1,000 per student/semester fee. If that happens, I could not even go to school, even with loans and grants.

Permalink Reply by Rebecca Roggenbuck on March 12, 2010 at 2:34pm

My story in a nutshell, I got a science degree with my undergrad that got me a job in the agency I've worked in since then (2003). It wasn't long into working in the real world that I really realized what my interests and strengths were. I knew I wanted to get a masters. But my agency moves folks around a lot and I started at a low GS level, so stability and finances were a big factor. 5 years went by and I moved to DC where even if you move, you don't move far! I have also reached a pay grade where I can pay for school without loans. So I am doing an online MPA from the University of Nebraska at Omaha.

I'm really glad I had 5 years of work under my belt before I started grad school because not only does the content make sense, but I can provide plenty of examples in my assignments and have an endless list of topics in my head for writing papers.

Permalink Reply by Charmain Griffiths on April 15, 2010 at 9:41am

I did go to college right after high school but I lived in another country then. When I got here to America (due to marriage) I found out that I had to start all over because most of my accounting classes was not based on the GAAP. I got frustrated and did not feel like starting over so I went to work in administration and finally ended in Customer Service Management. Eventually though I felt like I did need to go back and so 2 years I went and completed my BS and I am now working on my MBA. I feel alive ahead and really enjoy going back to classes. I have a son who is starting college this fall, so I guess we will both learn together.

Permalink Reply by Douglas Gerard on April 22, 2010 at 3:01pm

I started my first real college degree program in 1993 at the age of 32. I chose to do that more as a test of my own abilities than anything else, but it has opened doors that I could never have imagined in those days. Since then I have changed career fields, been promoted 3 times, completed an MBA degree and I am currently a PhD student working on my Comprehensive Examination.

While I could have gone straight to college after high school, I truly believe I would not have done as well and might have even dropped out before completing any degrees. Instead, I joined the Navy, and learned much about life, the world and myself before I began my first degree program. That experience allowed me to focus much more acutely on my studies, which enhanced my learning and grades.

It has not been easy, and I missed out on the frat parties, keggers and toga nights, so perhaps I gave up something with my choices. What I received was climbing the side of Mt. Kilimanjaro, painting school classrooms in the Philippines, tasting curry for the first time in Hong Kong, and many other experiences that in my mind are worth far more.

In the end, going to school must be a personal decision, which means everyone has their own reasons. Mine has been simply accepting the personal challenge to do something that others have chosen not to do. That has enabled me to see a future that others cannot, and possibilities they cannot reach.

Permalink Reply by Tim Peterson on December 1, 2011 at 10:55pm

I returned to graduate school 20 years after completing my Bachelors degree. A few reasons, one, personal achievement, I had always planned to get a advanced degree but life got in the way ie work, raising a family, etc.. The second reason is to make myself more marketable in this challenging economy, after having a 20 year career in the military I have had to "rebrand" myself and felt this was a good way to do that. Third, is that I now have the time and the money, plus I am much more motivated and really enjoy the course work, not to say it's easy, because it's not. I also find that as an older student I definately bring "something to the table" as far as experiences, insight, etc. I find it has been a great experience.

Permalink Reply by Mark Hammer on December 2, 2011 at 8:55am

So here is the other side of the coin.

I taught university and commuity college for some 15 years.  In all that time, I'd have to say that mature students - particularly moms in their 40's - were among my very best students.

Why?  Well, first, is there anyone with better time management skills than an experienced mom? 

Second, they were usually just unsure of their own abilities and performance to actually do the work required. 

Third, they were motivated, and there because they wanted to be, not because they didn't want to disappoint their parents or didn't know what they wanted to do.

Fourth, they wanted things to make sense.  There had to be a punch line at the end of it all, not just a pile of notes to cram from because "the prof had said it".

They say that youth is wasted on the young, and sometimes the same can be said about education.  Also all too frequently wasted on the young.

While I'm here, I'll draw your collective attention to the Road Scholar community (formerly known as Elderhostel): http://www.roadscholar.org/  Terrific bunch of people.  When I was doing my doctoral work in aging, I used to get research volunteers from there.  If you're 50+ and have a hunger for learning, check it out.  It's a great base for some inexpensive holidays in interesting places with interesting people.

BTW, I didn't get my Ph.D. until I was 42.

Permalink Reply by Faye Newsham on December 2, 2011 at 9:26am

I started college 2 weeks after graduating from high school but didn't manage to finish my BA for 15 years.  I never took a break longer than 9months but ended up going to England for 6 months and came back with a spouse at 19, had a job after that while at school, then kids at 24 and 26, still at school and still working.  I changed degree once and faced the challenges of being "grandfathered" and then having to take Freshman English in my last year of school the term following the one where I wrote (co-edited) the Guide to Freshman English (English major of course) because I had never taken Freshman English.  Also had to take "Math for Living" in that last term because even though I had passed Algebra II years earlier, it no longer qualified because of some stupid rule about having had a math course within 2 years of graduation.  I said, "Math for Living"?, really?  You know I'm a single, working, parent who does her own taxes and owns a car... I AM math for living!  I passed but it was frustrating.  I got out in 2001 and now that my kids are in college I've started a masters of science.  So far, I'm working full time and taking a full courseload in an online program with a highly reputable school.  Student loans may kill me in my old age, but for now, I'm loving it.

Permalink Reply by Paul Homan on December 2, 2011 at 9:47am

I went to school for a year out of high school, but it felt like the wrong time.  So then I decided to go live a life of riley in Los Angeles.  Then at 27 I went back to undergrad and finished my degree by the time I was 32.  Then I went to grad school and I will graduate in the Spring. For me it was the right path, I would not have ever been happy if I hadn't been a little misadventurous in my youth.

Permalink Reply by Brandie Chandler on December 2, 2011 at 11:28am

I went college straight from high school and then worked for several years, got a masters in Nonprofit management in hopes of obtaining a leadership role at a nonprofit, but then realized I loved working with organizations to develop programs and provide assistance. I worked in city government doing just that. I also worked for a foundation.  At 35, I am finishing up a second master's degree in social work to have more employment options and variety in my responsibilities. I realized that pursuing degrees later in life has given more insight about my interests. There was pressure to finish all education up front, but it is hard to do that, when you are still trying to figure out who you are and what you want. 

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