Need some advice

[GalDisney]

Hi all,
I need some advice.. I am am adult, way over 40 (lol) and returned to college a few yrs ago, and am still enrolled. One reason i started going to school is because i wanted the degree and education to help me get a better paying job..but now it has occured to me that when i finish( if i ever do, i am going part time and it is taking forever) I will be over 50 and am worried no one will hire me..my major right now is business admin. Now i am wondering if i am wasting my time.. although i am also going to school because it is always something i have wanted to do, (earn a degree) if only for myself, not for a potential job..and i also am considering changing my major to Psychology but i am not inteersted in becoming a phsyciatrist or work in the field or work in the field, i am intersted in why people do what they do, etc..I am 40 plus yrs old and still dont know what i want to do when i grow up lol

 

[FredinFL]

Look at it this way. Whether or not you finish your degree, four years is four years. So, either in four years (or whatever) you have your degree, or four years and you don't. You'll still be 50.

Go for it.

 

[Aisling]

Look at it this way. Whether or not you finish your degree, four years is four years. So, either in four years (or whatever) you have your degree, or four years and you don't. You'll still be 50.

Go for it.

GREAT way of thinking!!!!!!!

 

[Feralpeg]

You can never learn to much. If you find it interesting and you enjoy attending school, go for it. If you are just doing it because you think it might help with a job in the future, you might want to reconsider.

 

[LisaR]

Are you currently employed? Are you working for a company where you could potentially move up once you have your degree? Are there companies around you that you are interested in working for that would look for someone with your experience?

My own personal opinion, I would not change your major to psychology. That is one of the top three undergrad majors year after year.

Unless you are wracking up tons of debt, I believe a higher education is a great thing. Hang in there.

 

[kaytieeldr]

GREAT way of thinking!!!!!!!

She didn't think of it - Dear Abby did, probably years before FredinFL was born

OP - if you want to get the psychology degree later, great. But don't change majors now if you're not going to use the psych degree. And don't think nobody will hire you because you're fifty.

 

[marybet]

I went back to school at 40, got an associates degree in accounting. This was in 1994, I couldn't get a job because they all wanted experience, one told me I was too old for an entry level job. I did find a better paying job but it wasn't in accounting.

If you have some experience in the field and are getting more education then you will probably be okay. As another poster said you will be 50 either way.

 

[bellarella]

While I am all for getting a degree at any age (and I got another degree later in life, so I know what it's like being older on the job market for a new field), I also believe that you should know what you want out of the experience.

It doesn't sound like you've decided what you really want out of this. Are you looking for a "life long learning" experience? Do you want to jump start/switch careers? I think the first step is to figure this part out. Once you do, it will be easier to make decisions.

Unless you are getting classes for free, you are going to have a pretty significant investment of both time and money. Both things are too precious to waste. If you really just want the classroom environment, the adult extension programs or community college course probably make the most sense and it doesn't really matter what your degree is in or how long it takes you to get it. But if that's the case, your investment of time and money should be compared to that of hobbies and vacations and other discretionary items in your life. Spend as much as fits your budget and equal to what you get out of the experience.

If you want to jump start your career, then you probably need to get much more strategic about the process. Figure out what career you want, and then get the courses and degree that will move you in that direction. You mentioned that you are going part time and it is taking forever. For there to be a real financial payoff to it all, you probably need to step up your pace. It's tough juggling a full-time job and school, but if this is an investment in your career, you will probably see much bigger payoffs if you push the envelope in getting the degree as quickly as you can manage. While you are in school, you will want to start networking to put yourself in a good position to get the job you want after graduation. One of the biggest mistakes people make is thinking that the degree gets you the job. This is rarely the case. It's how you use the resources of your school to meet the right people and get your resume seen by the right people.

Good luck!

 

[hereyago]

I say go for it!!!!!!! I am trying to gather to courage to go back as well, I am 43 and never went to college, but I have been longing to change careers and I can't do that without going back to school.

 

[piperdown]

While I am all for getting a degree at any age (and I got another degree later in life, so I know what it's like being older on the job market for a new field), I also believe that you should know what you want out of the experience.

It doesn't sound like you've decided what you really want out of this. Are you looking for a "life long learning" experience? Do you want to jump start/switch careers? I think the first step is to figure this part out. Once you do, it will be easier to make decisions.

Unless you are getting classes for free, you are going to have a pretty significant investment of both time and money. Both things are too precious to waste. If you really just want the classroom environment, the adult extension programs or community college course probably make the most sense and it doesn't really matter what your degree is in or how long it takes you to get it. But if that's the case, your investment of time and money should be compared to that of hobbies and vacations and other discretionary items in your life. Spend as much as fits your budget and equal to what you get out of the experience.

If you want to jump start your career, then you probably need to get much more strategic about the process. Figure out what career you want, and then get the courses and degree that will move you in that direction. You mentioned that you are going part time and it is taking forever. For there to be a real financial payoff to it all, you probably need to step up your pace. It's tough juggling a full-time job and school, but if this is an investment in your career, you will probably see much bigger payoffs if you push the envelope in getting the degree as quickly as you can manage. While you are in school, you will want to start networking to put yourself in a good position to get the job you want after graduation. One of the biggest mistakes people make is thinking that the degree gets you the job. This is rarely the case. It's how you use the resources of your school to meet the right people and get your resume seen by the right people.

Good luck!

If your goal is to get a better paying job, you need a more specific plan. If your education can build upon your work experience, you might even end up ahead of the curve at graduation. At least it worked that way for me.

 

[The_Alice]

With a Business Administration degree, couldn't you run your own business thereby hire yourself?
Also you wouldn't believe how much a psych minor will help with running a business, understanding how to market and manage etc. So maybe a psych minor to back up your Buss Admin maj?
I think it's awesome you are completing your degree, something I hope to pick back up once my boys are a bit older. Congrats!

 

[LuvOrlando]

Go for it! I'm 41 and looking to start an entirely new career once the kids go off to college. The way I see it we all have 3 different 'lives', the life of our youth, the life in the middle (for me this meant kids and being a SAHM), and what we have cookin' as we round home towards retirement. So what if all 3 are different, make yourself happy

 

[Jewel1310]

Hi Gal,

Great for you to have gone back to school. That is so exciting! I don't think it is worthless. I went back to school at 45 in 2009. In May I will have my associates and have been enrolled as well in a Bachelors program. I plan on really applying myself and finishing up in May of next year (summer semesters are wonderful).

I have a great job and am pleased with my career progression, but even as recently as Nov I got a call about 2 jobs but couldn't wrap up the position because they required a degree.

I don't think you will be too old or that it won't have value. I think it is a great course of action. I know how hard it is and how never ending it seems but you will get there.

Hang in there - great job.

Jewel

 

[GalDisney]

I am working full time ( I actually work for Disney) and i would like to stay with the company which is why I am choosing a business degree, thinking this would be the best degree for various positions within the company..

 

[FredinFL]

She didn't think of it - Dear Abby did, probably years before FredinFL was born

OP - if you want to get the psychology degree later, great. But don't change majors now if you're not going to use the psych degree. And don't think nobody will hire you because you're fifty.

YOU are off my Christmas card list.

 

[frijolefrito]

I feel sometimes my advice is the least popular but I think that stems from how blunt I am. Soo.... I'm going to give it anyway:

Most likely no. You're school isn't going to help you. All your schooling is going to do is make you feel better. A degree isn't a magic ticket to more money. Ask anyone who has graduated the job market is tough. It's even tougher during these times. My little sister case in point has a degree in psychology from a private expensive college. She applied to any and all jobs nothing. All her friends and people she knows... NO jobs for them either. These are math, science, ect. majors. The only ones who are doing anything are people with hookups. That means daddy big bucks asked xyz person and bam she's making 60K entry. She also had a family hook up to make 5k a week but decided to take a "break" after 8 months. I think working for family was a lot of drama.

Now I'm in the computer field. I have 10 years of experience with networking and a couple certifications under my hat. Would a degree help me yes. Why because I have experience and some jobs they want the schooling even though it has NOTHING to do with performance. Luckily for me I'm in the military so I only have to take one or two classes a year and it's free for me so...

My advice: If you are getting a degree do it because you feel a degree makes you a better person. Don’t expect the money train to roll in. If you are doing a degree that is needed to get better higher paying jobs than YES! This is with your current experience. My wife finished her degree because she didn't want to be a stay at home mom who never finished her degree. She got a bachelors in business. Does she use it.. no. Is she ever going to use it ... no.

My wife used Ashford university is an online college that is fast paced and each class is only 5 weeks. On the flip side it's a lot of work and alot of papers. Pay attention to regionally and nationally accredited schools. Do research on what place you attend.

Are you ever to old to start anything? NO! Could it work for you? YES! You can't get ahead without taking atleast some risk.

Here are a round of nanners to cheer you on.

 

[low-key]

If its a financial hardship I would quit

 

[HugsForEeyore]

Like the OP, I been kicking around the idea of more college. I currently have a masters degree, but I work in a dying field: libraries. I don't see libraries surviving 25 years until I retire. Right now my job is OK (busy urban-area library), but I logically know it won't last (thanks e-reader). I keep thinking I need to be proactive and retrain, but into what? And like the OP, I would face age discrimination if I wait too long. Sigh. No easy answers with no path to likely success.

Pretty bleak and confusing future for some of us out there.

 

[GalDisney]

Hugs for eeyore, i dont think liobraries are dying.. With the economy the libraries have been packed with people using what they have to offer..I love libraries and would LOVE to be a librarian.
And no, my school is not a financial hardshpi as i am attending a local community college and Pell Grants are payimg for it so i really would like to continue with my education as long as i am reccieving grants..It is an opportunity too good to pass on.

 

[FredinFL]

We love our library, it's always hoppin' in there!