Anyone ever go back to school/change careers in their 30s?

[proud_canadian]

I am seriously thinking about going back to school. I've always really wanted to do something in the medical field and am very interested in that field. I had wanted to be a doctor but just couldn't fathom all the years in school it would take. I ended up going into I.T. and I'm really good at it, but it's always been in the back of my head. Life got busy, and I had a mortgage, kids to support etc.

Now, our house is paid off, and we are financially stable and the kids are getting older. I am seriously consdiering going back to school to become a paramedic.

Has anyone ever done something like this?

It would be a pay cut, and it would be 2 years with no pay as I go back to school, unless I got a part time job. But I think it would be worth it to do something I really love for the rest of my life.

Would you even consider it. I am 35.

 

[bbak3030]

Yep. I was a marketing coordinator/event planner for 7 years and had a degree in marketing. When I was on maternity leave with my second child, I decided i wanted to go to nursing school. Started when she was 6 months old and finished with a BSN 6 months ago. I'm now a RN in the ER.
Was it hard--yep.
Was I older than most of my classmates--yep.
Did I make the right decision--yep.

I love my job and it was worth every sacrifice we made as a family. And the money is better too!

Good luck and you can do it!!!

 

[crz4mm2]

I became a nurse at age 29... so yes.

was almost 40 when I got my MSN....

 

[ReneeA]

Finished nursing school at 35 with two small children & husband in tow. I love my job, but it's not a career I would have chosen in my youth. I work with many RNs that chose nursing as a second career and are fantastic.

 

[ebtbmom]

I am seriously thinking about going back to school. I've always really wanted to do something in the medical field and am very interested in that field. I had wanted to be a doctor but just couldn't fathom all the years in school it would take. I ended up going into I.T. and I'm really good at it, but it's always been in the back of my head. Life got busy, and I had a mortgage, kids to support etc.

Now, our house is paid off, and we are financially stable and the kids are getting older. I am seriously consdiering going back to school to become a paramedic.

Has anyone ever done something like this?

It would be a pay cut, and it would be 2 years with no pay as I go back to school, unless I got a part time job. But I think it would be worth it to do something I really love for the rest of my life.

Would you even consider it. I am 35.

I haven't changed careers, I am a nurse. But, I learned recently that Physical Therapist can make 40-45$/hr. I'm thinking about going back now! Paramedics don't make that much, check out PT!

 

[mtemm]

a friend of mine did. she was an environmental engineer in her 20s, and decided to go back to school in her 30s and ended up in IT. Now in her 40s, she is very happy with her decision.

I'm considering it in my 40s. Have been a SAHM for years, am thinking about doing something now that the kids are in school and getting older. Not sure what I want to do when I grow up, but I am looking forward to finding out!

Good luck!

 

[disneypharm]

A chemist in my 20s and went back to school at the age of 30 and got my PharmD (pharmacy doctorate) at the age of 35; 5 years of full-time college and kept a part-time job the whole time. Great Salary and flexible hours. When I was 29, MIL told me that I will be 35 in almost 5 years with or without this degree, so I might as well get the degree.

 

[Certifiable WDW Nut]

I was in business operations/project management for 20 years. At 43 yo, I started law school at night. Graduated last spring, passed the bar last summer and have been working as an associate in a family law firm since last summer. I'll be 49 yo in December and I love what I do. I'm very glad I decided to follow my dream.

 

[indygirl99]

DH started college as his 56th birthday present. Will graduate 3 months before his 60th in just 6 months. Will have his business degree and will be making 2X the money he is now.

 

[LisaInNc]

I am doing it in my 40's and loving every minute!!!

I say is you want a change...change!

Lisa

 

[proud_canadian]

OP'er here.

Yeah, I would be taking two years off working, only to go back to work after I'm done schooling, making less money than I am making now.

That's why it might not be as much of a no-brainer!

However, now I have an extremely stressful job, where I am never really "off" work. I work crazy hours, am needed to work all the time in the evenings and weekends (with no extra pay or compensation), and I also have a crazy commute. I also literally sit at a desk all day, every day. I don't even get a break for lunch. Being a paramedic would allow me to stay active, and that really appeals to me.

I know being a paramedic wouldn't be all roses and sunshine. I know it would be stressful in a different way, and there would be hard things I would see. But I really feel like I want to do something with my life that will make a difference and I could help people doing.

The hours would be shift work also, but to me, I would consider this more of a perk, than a drawback, because it would allow time off during the week for errands and appointments, and by the time I finished my training, my oldest daughter would be old enough to stay home with younger sis and I wouldn't need to worry about daycare.

The biggest thing is that I am just super interested in learning all about basic medicine and such. I took a look at the curriculum and it looks AMAZING!!! I remember going to school the first time for computer science and looking at the classes and most of them looked really interested, but a few were kind of boring. This curriculum, every single class looks so interesting.

The other issue is that it is too late for Sept enrollment. And I don't see any Jan enrollments around here, so it would likely have to be a Sept 2014 start, if I were to do this. Which again, makes me a year older. And is a long wait. But I guess it would give me time to really make sure this is what I would want to do.

Any more advice?

 

[mtemm]

my only advice would be to do what a lot of my working friends did when they were pregnant and planning to stay home after having the baby. While still pregnant/working, they started living only off of their husband's salary. They took their own salary and put it right into savings. That way they got a realistic picture as to how they would be living after the baby came (in your case, after you stop work/start school), and the bonus was a tidy little nest egg.

good luck!

 

[BadgerGirl84]

Are you married? What does your wife think?

I work in healthcare IT and I absolutely love it. I have a ton of interaction with nurses, physicians, therapists, etc in my job, so that's enough of the "medical" aspect for me. If you end up not choosing to go back to school (personally, I would only consider switching for a more lucrative field such as nursing or PT/OT...not paramedic), you might consider trying to get into IT in the healthcare field.

 

[clarkshel]

Have you considered switching IT jobs? There are so many different areas you can work in for IT. Your current job does not sound like it would be very enjoyable. You said you are good in IT, you could probably go to a less stressful company. Or as the PP said, try IT in the medical field.

With all of this being said, you should do what makes you happy, and what is good for your family. I'm in my early 40's and in sort of an IT field. I have been wanting to try something different these past 5 years, but can't think of what else I would like to do, or even if I should switch fields.

 

[DisneyCowgirl]

I did it at 30. The money wasn't a big issue (I wasn't making a whole lot before the change). The hardest part was dealing with being so much older than the group of people starting the new job with me. I didn't really have an issue having people my own age or younger being my boss, but I was in a field where a lot of people start all at the same time, and I just had very little in common with that group. After a while though, that was not an issue.

 

[proud_canadian]

Thanks for all the advice everyone. It really does feel like a calling to me, but it also is a huge step, and completely different than anything I would have ever done. There is a lot to consider and to talk over with my family including my husband.

Any more advice keep it coming!