Poll of the Day > Going back to school in my 30s feels weird

(+) Yeah! (+)

I originally went to college right after high school and dropped out because I wasnt able to get my parents to finish the FAFSA stuff at the time. Being older at least lets me avoid that issue though.

Ive been looking at anthropology as a field and I like cultural anthropology a lot the more I look into it.

I know there isnt really a stigma for going to school later on in life but I feel like I should have been able to get this done sooner. Idk. What are your experiences with college? Did you find work in the field you went for?

Shananagainz posted...

What are your experiences with college? Did you find work in the field you went for?

In short, it worked for me. I got scholarships and later worked as a research assistant so the cost wasn't prohibitive and, while I had to stick around to get my Master's, I ultimately got the job I most wanted. 20ish years later it's still a good fit.

In my case I knew I'd never have the drive/fire to come back to it so I had to finish while I was there. More power to you!

That said it was a pure transaction between the college and I. I never sensed they cared greatly about their students (donors and prestige over student services) and I therefore have no lingering warm fuzzies for them or their sports teams despite all of the mail they send me asking for donations.

My mother didn't finish her degree untill she was in her late 50's, and she even went in person, no-one cared, dont sweat it.

Good luck!

I'll be 34 in June and just finished a Master's degree. When I was getting my undergrad there was a 70 year old taking courses. Never too late.

wpot posted...

In short, it worked for me. I got scholarships and later worked as a research assistant so the cost wasn't prohibitive and, while I had to stick around to get my Master's, I ultimately got the job I most wanted. 20ish years later it's still a good fit.

In my case I knew I'd never have the drive/fire to come back to it so I had to finish while I was there. More power to you!

That said it was a pure transaction between the college and I. I never sensed they cared greatly about their students (donors and prestige over student services) and I therefore have no lingering warm fuzzies for them or their sports teams despite all of the mail they send me asking for donations.

Glad to hear it worked out for you in the end. I dont expect to be emotionally connected to the student body, but Im hoping to make some friends in the area since finding work has been difficult for me.

And thanks! Im finally in a position where I can take this somewhere. Before I never imagined having a chance like this. Im very grateful.

Cruddy_horse posted...

My mother didn't finish her degree untill she was in her late 50's, and she even went in person, no-one cared, dont sweat it.

Glad to know. Ill probably try going in person when I can just cuz the fresh air will be good for me.

BigOlePappy posted...

Good luck!

Thank you!

Jen0125 posted...

I'll be 34 in June and just finished a Master's degree. When I was getting my undergrad there was a 70 year old taking courses. Never too late.

Im only a few years younger than you so thats promising to hear. I dunno if Ill get a Masters but well see what opportunities arise.

You are better off gong later in life because you will (likely) be more responsible about school. The only real downside is the several years away from the Math & Science classes.

The biggest downside are the amount of useless classes they make you pay for where you just want to sit in the back, blend in, and get your checkmark so you can graduate. Being older makes you stand out, however, and you get made an example of (like History, Art, Music, Women's studies, African American studies, etc.)

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/0/5/0/AAA-LjAAD-Ka.jpg

graduated a field I immediately went to work in, realized that I hated it
got lucky and nabbed a decent job in another field and now my company is footing the bill for me to get my Masters in that field

When I was in school, I saw people of all different ages in my classes, and never thought any different about it

bo_danvers posted...

You are better off gong later in life because you will (likely) be more responsible about school. The only real downside is the several years away from the Math & Science classes.

The biggest downside are the amount of useless classes they make you pay for where you just want to sit in the back, blend in, and get your checkmark so you can graduate. Being older makes you stand out, however, and you get made an example of (like History, Art, Music, Women's studies, African American studies, etc.)

Thankfully Im married to a programmer so the stem oriented courses should be less difficult for me since Ill have help.

Im used to the second part. Going for anthropology is going to temper me well at least haha.

I enjoyed my two years of college as a 30 year old. Didn't care as much about the BS.

Thats good to hear. I might join a club adjacent to my major but I think that would be the extent of it.

Don't feel bad about it at all. Everyone does things at their own time.

Lil_Bit83 posted...

Don't feel bad about it at all. Everyone does things at their own time.

Yea, I dont absolve myself of blame in the situation that led me to drop out originally but I dont entirely blame myself either. On top of the money situation with my dad, I just wasnt handling school too well. Couldnt do what I wanted because the pressure to be my dads retirement pension was there. And now I can do what I want because I care about it. Its a good feeling.

what are you planning on doing with a cultural anthropology degree? Staying in the field would require a PhD and academia positions are scarce.

not saying you shouldn't pursue it, just wondering what the plan is

(I have a bachelor's in anthropology, and computer science when I realized I wasn't going to use it)

I tried to go to college right after high school. I was met with derision. My father literally said youll never go.

i went to a technical school for computer programming. It was a 9 month course, three semesters and the school was a joke. I ended up dropping out after 7.5 months for a multitude of reasons.

My college had a mandatory year of paid internship before they would hand you a degree. That and the founder of the college was the owner of the biggest tech company in my area (which I now work for). Combined with the fact that I have pretty much wanted to work in this field since I was 4 years old and I had no problem getting a job out of college and have been working in my field for over 17 years.

I remember even my introductory classes had people in their 40's and 50's in them. Hell, I literally had a class taught by a person who ended up being a student and my lab partner for a different class the next semester. Really not that odd.

grimhilde00 posted...

what are you planning on doing with a cultural anthropology degree? Staying in the field would require a PhD and academia positions are scarce.

not saying you shouldn't pursue it, just wondering what the plan is

(I have a bachelor's in anthropology, and computer science when I realized I wasn't going to use it)

Ideally, it would be cool to be able to teach it but I recognize that itself would be scarce. Im mostly using the field as a springboard to get myself motivated in school by trying out something that interests me, since Ive been dealing with depression a lot recently. If I find something that has a bit more of a job market within a couple of semesters then Id probably switch majors.

ZangsBeard posted...

I tried to go to college right after high school. I was met with derision. My father literally said youll never go.

i went to a technical school for computer programming. It was a 9 month course, three semesters and the school was a joke. I ended up dropping out after 7.5 months for a multitude of reasons.

My dad didnt have much faith in me but he told me to go into comp sci because it makes a lot of money and that was about as much direction as I got with that from him. When I went for comp sci, I didnt really have any motivation to keep going because a lot of the motivation wasnt really mine to begin with and it was hard to feel engaged. I did well in my classes, it just didnt mean much to me. When I dropped out, he said he wasnt surprised, even though he was part of the issue that caused me to drop out.

Dikitain posted...

My college had a mandatory year of paid internship before they would hand you a degree. That and the founder of the college was the owner of the biggest tech company in my area (which I now work for). Combined with the fact that I have pretty much wanted to work in this field since I was 4 years old and I had no problem getting a job out of college and have been working in my field for over 17 years.

I remember even my introductory classes had people in their 40's and 50's in them. Hell, I literally had a class taught by a person who ended up being a student and my lab partner for a different class the next semester. Really not that odd.

Thats cool that you managed to get something so readily in your field though. And the certainty you had for what you wanted to do is admirable. I wasnt really allowed to explore much in terms of careers and interests as a kid so Im just kind of wading around now figuring out what feels right.

Shananagainz posted...

Thats cool that you managed to get something so readily in your field though. And the certainty you had for what you wanted to do is admirable. I wasnt really allowed to explore much in terms of careers and interests as a kid so Im just kind of wading around now figuring out what feels right.

That is probably the biggest mistake a lot of parents make. They either force their kids into something they don't actually want to do, or don't do enough to encourage them to find something they like doing.

You know, other then the more blatant examples of bad parenting...

Dikitain posted...

That is probably the biggest mistake a lot of parents make. They either force their kids into something they don't actually want to do, or don't do enough to encourage them to find something they like doing.

You know, other then the more blatant examples of bad parenting...

Yea, my dad has plenty of examples of more blatant instances of bad parenting, but early adulthood was a big eye opener in regards to how much potential he saw in me and being a humanities nerd didnt amount to much for him I feel.

My older sisters got a pretty similar treatment as well despite having similar interests and skills to him (mechanical and carpentry) but they still seek his approval even well into their 40s.

My parents are very useless people when it comes to guidance or advice lol. It was tough to learn that their advice was rarely practical or helpful. I did two years of school in my early twenties. One was just random classes in college to 'find out what I liked' (hint, it didn't help) and then a year of jazz school that I wish I finished (two year diploma, dropped out to travel with my gf at the time).

I wish highschool counselors/teachers were more aware of 1-2 year certificate/diploma programs in college that they could talk you through. Everything's all about 'getting a degree' that won't necessarily help you, and will cost a ton. Going to college/uni can range between very useful and very useless, it's too bad that people take it as a hardline that it's one or the other. It's just very difficult to find something that you enjoy a bit and can make a career of. I kinda wish I had just become an electrician in my early 20s really.

Shananagainz posted...

Yea, my dad has plenty of examples of more blatant instances of bad parenting, but early adulthood was a big eye opener in regards to how much potential he saw in me and being a humanities nerd didnt amount to much for him I feel.

My older sisters got a pretty similar treatment as well despite having similar interests and skills to him (mechanical and carpentry) but they still seek his approval even well into their 40s.

It's pretty funny how people will maintain what I call the 'cult of family' for their entire adult lives. Like, you don't have to simp for mom and dad your whole life, looool.

ReturnOfFa posted...

My parents are very useless people when it comes to guidance or advice lol. It was tough to learn that their advice was rarely practical or helpful. I did two years of school in my early twenties. One was just random classes in college to 'find out what I liked' (hint, it didn't help) and then a year of jazz school that I wish I finished (two year diploma, dropped out to travel with my gf at the time).

I wish highschool counselors/teachers were more aware of 1-2 year certificate/diploma programs in college that they could talk you through. Everything's all about 'getting a degree' that won't necessarily help you, and will cost a ton. Going to college/uni can range between very useful and very useless, it's too bad that people take it as a hardline that it's one or the other. It's just very difficult to find something that you enjoy a bit and can make a career of. I kinda wish I had just become an electrician in my early 20s really.

Sounds like a weird inverse of what I went through. I had some suggested careers AKA things that would make a lot of money so I could take care of my dad, but getting help or guidance about how college worked was a null point. I tried to get an associates degree but like I said, all of the shit I dealt with prevented me from being able to continue past the first year which kinda sucks.

ReturnOfFa posted...

It's pretty funny how people will maintain what I call the 'cult of family' for their entire adult lives. Like, you don't have to simp for mom and dad your whole life, looool.

No kidding. Im one of those Girls with daddy issues the internet warns you about except my dad is the kind of guy to confront you in traffic about cutting him off (while in traffic, not pulled over or anything) and try to pry your door open to fight you. Theres a very very good reason why I dont maintain a relationship at this point.