EMAIL THREAD

I want to go to graduate school but I'm older than the typical grad student

Anyone btdt? i don't want to feel stupid. Would love some inspiration here.

Wed. May 21, 12:47pm

how old are you? I alwasy thought grad school was for anyone. Heck I am getting another bachelors degree and our class is an even spread of a mix of 20-50 year olds (nursing).
There are a lot of kids going to grad school today just to prolong college. My brother is a "higher-up" at a big company and he wont hire someone who went to grad school straight out of college, he says they are just delaying growing up. only takes people who have had at least 2 years practical work experience before they went back to school.

Wednesday, May 21, 2008, 1:22 PM

Don't let your fears hold you back! Especially when it comes to bettering yourself and getting (more of an) education. Once you get through that first week or so of class and get yourself reoriented to school-life, you'll forget why you ever thought twice about it.

For inspiration, I'm reminded of the OLD (90+ years old) man who went back to elementary school to learn how to read. The story made me cry.

Wednesday, May 21, 2008, 1:26 PM

Yeah how old are you? I too am going back for my 2nd Bacherors in teaching and I'm 30. I'm going to roll straight into my Masters afterwards. One of the guys in my class is in his mid 60s.

Wednesday, May 21, 2008, 1:28 PM

Age does not matter, if anything it gives you an edge, since you have more life experience. My father went back to school and got his graduate degree when he was 60. Anyone can go back, its silly to not do something based on fear. If we all stopped doing things because we were afraid we'd be a stagnate nation.

Wednesday, May 21, 2008, 1:32 PM

i just started grad school last fall i'm 31. i thought i was old too, til i walked into class. we're all right around the same age. there's a few younger people sprinkled in, and few older. but i'd say at least in my program most of us are all the same age and phase of our careers. don't let it frighten you- GO BACK! i'm so glad i did!

Wednesday, May 21, 2008, 2:05 PM

You should go! I'm in a graduate program right now, and eventhough I'm only 23, the majority of the others in my program are older. I actually think I am in the minority. In any event, you are not too old! Go!

Wednesday, May 21, 2008, 2:11 PM

education knows no age and knowledge is power in this world.. follow your dreams and reach high for them and grabm them.. if you can dream it you can achieve it.. believe in yourself and go for it!

Wednesday, May 21, 2008, 2:31 PM

better now than later...

I'm about to turn 30 and will start grad school this fall. While some of my classmates are younger, I think my age and experience gives me an edge. More maturity, more and varied experience, less prone to "immature stunts"...go for it!

Wednesday, May 21, 2008, 3:04 PM

BTDT

don't worry about it !!
- it is not like college where people are as interested in appearances, relationships, socializimg at all, but just learning and getting what you pay for. You will not be alone in your age group and/or no one will care. People are there to do a JOB.

One caveat - make sure it is the degree that you want and are going to USE - it is a lot of $$$$ and life is short.

Wednesday, May 21, 2008, 4:01 PM

I just FINALLY graduated from a University. My class had a huge range of ages, from 20-somethings to our star student - who was 86!! She is absolutely amazing. The age for my division was 25-55, with most being in their 40's. DO IT!!

Wednesday, May 21, 2008, 6:36 PM

My sis is 44 and will finish nursing school in the fall. (She already earned a Bachelors right out of high school). She says the "kids" treat her just like one of them - she loves it and doesn't feel weird about being older at all.

When I was an undergrad there were several white-haired students on campus. I never gave it a second thought, and I don't think anyone else did either.

Follow your dreams. You will never regret it!

Wednesday, May 21, 2008, 7:31 PM

I was 10 years older than my classmates when I got my DMD. It wasn't great for socializing but many of my classmates liked me and were really helpful and sweet. I was also one of the few women in my class...the ratio was about 10 to1.

SO if you love what you are studying, go for it.

Wednesday, May 21, 2008, 9:24 PM

I will finish graduate school next year at the age of 51. Do it!!

Wednesday, May 21, 2008, 10:11 PM

My next door neighbor is in grad school and she's 64! She says it's never too late to do something that you really want to do.

Thursday, May 22, 2008, 9:46 AM

I'll be going shortly - I'm 36. It's simply the next step I need to take to move my career where I want it to go. Maybe I'm cocky, but it never occured to me for a minute that I might be too old. :-) It's just something I'm going to do for a couple years and then I'm going to move on and continue along the path to where I want to be. I'm already working towards it financially so that we can take the hit while I'm in school and not making much money.

Definitely do it and don't let your age be a factor in your decision. The biggest factor in success is determination - nothing else.

Thursday, May 22, 2008, 2:23 PM

Grad students come in all ages. My class range is 21-65, and I've never thought anybody didn't belong there. Age never entered my mind.

Plus, this is your one and only life! What are you thinking? That you'll do it the next time around?

Just start the process, get your transcripts together, take your GRE's and apply to school.

Next thing you know, you'll be there!

Then, next thing you know, you'll have a graduate degree!

You can do it!

Thursday, May 22, 2008, 3:52 PM

There is NO such thing as too old

I guess I'm lucky... I come from a family where my mom got her first master's at 41 and her second at 54. My great grandfather was a pharmacist, then a senator, then passed the bar exam at 62 and had a law career until he died about 15 years later. I, myself, earned my master's at age 35 (which isn't too old). I'm planning to start a PhD program, probably in 2010, by which point I will be 39 years old. It's at least a 6 year program, so I'll probably be 45 when I'm done. Will I be surrounded by 25 year-olds the whole time? Probably. But you know what? Don't underestimate your grad school peers who are 15-40 years younger than you are! They're more open-minded than you may think, and I found that they really valued the life experience that I have to offer.

My 42 year-old sister has been trying to get her bachelor's for years. She's tried online classes, everything. She is finally enrolled in a traditional school, and this first semester, she had to take calculus (her first math class in more than 20 years!). She panicked at the beginning of the semester when she realized she'd missed the deadline to drop the class... "now I'm stuck and I'm going to flunk," she said. She stuck with it, though... struggled, studied, asked for help. She just got her grade: A minus!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Anything, anything is possible.

If the time commitment is what makes you nervous, remember the time you would spend in grad school is going to go by whether you're in grad school or not! You might as well have a graduate degree after that time passes! :)

GO FOR IT, and have no regrets!

Friday, May 23, 2008, 11:54 AM

I graduate with my MBA in August. I am 34. Go for it! :)

Friday, May 23, 2008, 4:58 PM

I'm 41 years old and returned to college 2 years ago. (working towards bachelor's degree) There are a few people older than me, a few in their 30's but most people in my program are in their young 20's. Who cares? I'm at the top of my class and a much better student than I was the last time around. Please don't feel bad if you're older than some of your fellow students. Your life experiences will bring so much to who you are now as a student. Good luck and have fun.

Friday, May 23, 2008, 6:03 PM

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