I’m entering school to earn an associates in a healthcare related field. I found out that I could apply my credits at the end of 2 years towards a higher degree. I suddenly had the thought of going all the way and becoming a dentist. Assuming another 6 years of school I would be around 32 years old when I get out. That sounds old to me. But is it too old?
Do you think it would be worth it to continue and persue this career? Will I be able to find work at 32 fresh out of dentristy school?
That’s not even close to being too old. I am 32 now and I plan to go back to school to become a Nurse Practitioner sometime fairly soon. Most medical schools have examples of students that didn’t even start until they were in their 40’s.
I went to community college at age 28, got my B.A. at 32, M.A. at 35 and just finished my doctorate at 38. You’ll be however old you are anyway, why not be edumacated?
As both a student and now a professor, my feeling is that older students often tend to be more focused and invested in their educations. While grown up life certainly has stressors that 18 year-old freshmen don’t have, there’s a lot to be said for not being 18 while doing college
I received the latest edition of the graduates’ magazine from my uni last week. There was a story in it about a woman who had left school in the 1970s without gaining any formal qualifications. She entered uni through some special mature age entry scheme and had just graduated with a first class honours BSc degree and picked up the university medal in Computing.
I finished nursing school last year, and I was 30. This year, I’m starting nurse practitioner school. I’ll be 35-ish when I finish, if all goes according to plan.
32 is mighty young to be asking the how old is too old question.
In my Master’s of Science in Information Science program, the average age was probably about 30. We had our share of squeaky new graduates from undergrad getting a(nother) degree rather than a job. We had a bunch of “the first degree didn’t pan out let’s try again, it’s depressing to be 30 and not yet acting like a grownup” whiny people (I’m one).
We also had a number of persons, usually but not always female, who were working on their master’s at the age of 40 or 50. More than one had college age children- and had declared that now was Mommy’s Time to go back to school, get a degree, and put it to work- having been a stay at home mom while her kids needed her.
And we had a few who were shifting gears in mid-life- going to school part time while continuing to work their day job.
It depends on how much money you have, and how important money is to you. Obviously, it is most often the case that the later you go in life, the less time you will have with the (hopefully) increased earning power that comes from the job you get with the education.
It always makes me worry for people who sink $100,000 into professional school and graduate at age 40.
No, being 30 and being expected to act like a grownup because you’ve got a Real Job (even though you’re not at all sure how to act like a grownup) is more depressing.
There is no too old. I’ll have my bachelor’s by the time I’m 27; my husband is about to start law school and will finish at 37. My aunt, the first in my family to have a degree, graduated I think in her 40s.
My mum graduated with her degree in education at 40, and is now VERY happy as a teacher (she’s 55). I asked her if she regretted finishing school at 40 and if she would recommend it to anyone else, and she said:
“Well, whether you go back to school or not, you’ll eventually be 40 either way. Unless you die young, of course.”
That was the first thing that popped into my mind.
I’m a librarian and some of the best and most gifted students I’ve worked with have had children older than 32. I didn’t get my B.A. until I was 29 or my Massas til I was 34 and I never felt even slightly awkward when I returned to school. You’ll be fine.
That is if you are only looking at a job to equal money. Certainly money is a consideration, but it’s only one factor. What do you want to do? What makes you happy. If you can invest $100k into a professional school, graduate at age 40 and recoup doing a job you prefer, then you’re going to be a lot better off.
You’re never too old. I am 51 years old. I got my associate degree when I was 34 and began a new career as a computer programmer. I have just recently enrolled at a university to work on a BS. This degree will probably not have the impact on my earnings that the AA degree did, but that’s not why I’m going this time. I’m actually not sure why I’m in school again, but I think it has something to do with achieving a personal goal from long ago, and making my mother happy.
I went back at age 38 and will graduate with a BS when I’m 42. I am not nearly the oldest person in most of my classes. My major is one of the smaller ones at my school, but in those classes there is another woman my age with 4 older children (a few out of high school), plus a gent who is at least in his early 70s. There was also a mother-daughter pair going for the same degree; the mother graduated and the daughter is still plugging away.
That doesn’t even take into account classes outside my major - there are many students in their late 20s, 30s, 40s and older. Do it; go back to school. You won’t regret it.
I don’t think one is ever too old to get more education or learn new skills. The big question for the O.P., however, is what the dental schools think. It would be a good idea to find out if dental schools have age restrictions on admissions.
Well, I start college (again) in a week and a half. I’ll let you know the answer to your question in about three years when I am an R. N.
When I started worry about this issue, Cub Hubby said almost exactly what Corrvin’s mum said: “In three years, you will be three years older whether or not you go to school. So go!”
