How old is too old...

[rich_t]

How old is too old to begin pursuing a degree?

I'm on the back side of my mid 40s.  I've been in the telecommunications industry since 1985.  But the stuff that I have spent a lifetime working on is rapidly becoming obsolete.  Without a degree it is becoming more and more difficult to find decent jobs in the industry as it changes and becomes more IP based.  I am reasonably well versed in IP technology and have been working with IP based networks for years in various capacities, but CCNA's and even CCNP/DA's have become a dime a dozen in the past decade or so.

So this has me considering getting a BS in Information Technology with a concentration in either Telecommunications and Networking or Information Systems Security.  Both concentrations have their pluses.

But when does one reach the point of diminishing return when considering pursuing a degree?  I assume that it will take me 5+ years to complete the full program (I do still have a full time job after all). That will put me into my early 50s, leaving me about 15 years left in my working career.  I will need to attend an online school, as my current work responsibilities aren't particularly suited for attending classes in a campus environment.

The programs I have been looking into will cost about $70K (assuming the prices stay the same throughout the program period).  Not a small chunk of change for me.  My current income will preclude me from any form of financial aid as far as I know.

I'd hate to invest the time and $$$ only to find out that due to my age, it wouldn't pay off in the long run.

Any thoughts from you fine people?



*mods* - If you think this thread belongs in another topic area please feel free to move it.

[Tucker]

What are you going to be doing 4 years from now if you don't go back to school?

[rich_t]

What are you going to be doing 4 years from now if you don't go back to school?

That's a reasonable question.  The answer is that I don't know.  I am expecting to get laid-off from my current position within 2 years.  But I will cross that bridge when I have to.  Needless to say that I am constantly looking for other employment opportunities in my field.

[obumazombie]

My wife was 40 when she started on her second degree. There are all kinds of stories about people who have had their biggest successes later in life. You're never too old is a cliche, but there's a lot of truth to it.

[Tucker]

That's a reasonable question.  The answer is that I don't know.  I am expecting to get laid-off from my current position within 2 years.  But I will cross that bridge when I have to.  Needless to say that I am constantly looking for other employment opportunities in my field.

Let me put it another way.

Where would you be today if you went back to school 4 years ago?

[rich_t]

Let me put it another way.

Where would you be today if you went back to school 4 years ago?

Perhaps in a better position than I am now.  But I honestly don't know for sure.  At this time I am strongly leaning toward saying to hell with it and pursue the degree and let the chips fall where they may, but on the other hand it will seriously put a crimp in my current ability to put additional funds aside for my retirement years.

It's a speculation balancing act.  I won't have a lot of time to recover if I jump in the wrong direction, especially if I lay out $70k+ for a degree that might not work out like I had hoped.

Age discrimination in the career field does exist regardless of what the law says.

Sometimes I am my own worse enemy.

[vesta111]

Let me put it another way.

Where would you be today if you went back to school 4 years ago?

Tucker,  

Acquaintance's Hubby is a skilled auto mechanic, Problem is he is nearing 50 and for the last 20 years the wife has begged him to get training in all the new computers and the analyzing divices on the market.

He has had all kinds of training and schools in his field 30 years ago-----BUT--he is so far from todays technology he has a huge problem getting work.   He is in fear of technology and now finds he has to compete with kids that are well under half his age.

Poor guy, his Mother left him money in her will to be used just to go back to school so far for 10 years he has not touched it.  He is afraid of all the new stuff, afraid he is not smart enough to grasp new inventions and how they work.

So this man at 50 is now working at rotating tires, changing head or tail lights and replacing blown fuses, he is called in to a shop to work when a highschool kid calls in sick.  He works on the old clunkers for friends part time, but damn he passed up an education where he could make big money at and do for the next 20 years, now down to 15 or more.

There is no limit on age to become educated for a good job or just for fun and a hobby.  The biggest hurdle is laziness and getting set in your ways.   Wife works 2 jobs and keeps one in their boy toys, why bother to get off the sofa and attend classes, long as you are bringing in enough money to keep wife off your back--------Time comes when you are out dated and realise that life has passed you by.     Depression sets in, self hate for not taking advantage of an opportunity that one must blame on others, it is all ways someones Else's fault or you go Nuts.

Regrets are much harder to face from the things we did to the things we never did.

Go back to school for any reason, earning power or just for a new interest that will open doors to you.

Community colleges have classes for 70-80+ adults to explore their world.  At mid 40's you are still a young fella, Get out by on line or spend a few nights at a Community college or even a Highschool that offers very cheap classes in something, anything that interests you.

All about net working, the more people you know with like interests the better off you are at any age.

Best benifit is you may find you are much better in a different field, the old life style and job may not have been what you were born to do.
    

[cmypay]

The first job I had out of college was as a recruiter for college. Our oldest new student was 80 and doing it for the challenge. If you choose to return to school, don't look only at being able to work for others, you could end up with your own company providing Internet Security, if that is the degree you choose.  There are so many possibilities. 

Another thing you might consider is CLEP testing. They generally run $50-$60 (at least around here, could be different where you live), but it saves you so much money vs. taking the class.

My feelings are that you are never too old.

[rich_t]

The first job I had out of college was as a recruiter for college. Our oldest new student was 80 and doing it for the challenge. If you choose to return to school, don't look only at being able to work for others, you could end up with your own company providing Internet Security, if that is the degree you choose.  There are so many possibilities. 

Another thing you might consider is CLEP testing. They generally run $50-$60 (at least around here, could be different where you live), but it saves you so much money vs. taking the class.

My feelings are that you are never too old.

Excellent point.  CLEP testing is another option that I had forgot about.  Do they still do those?

I've been reviewing the course descriptions at the University of Phoenix.  Hell, I could probably teach a couple of those courses.

I will have to schedule an appointment with one of their enrollment advisers to find out if they give credit for life experiences.

[Delmar]

I'd suggest that you shop around for a school to see where you can get the most transfer credits to apply.  You might be able to shave a considerable amount of time and tuition money off the degree.  As long as you're thinking of an online school that would make it easy to look around and see which school offers the best deal.

[rich_t]

I'd suggest that you shop around for a school to see where you can get the most transfer credits to apply.  You might be able to shave a considerable amount of time and tuition money off the degree.  As long as you're thinking of an online school that would make it easy to look around and see which school offers the best deal.

I've spent the better part of today doing just that.

There aren't that many accredited schools that offer degrees that I am interested in.

At least not that I have found so far.

[cmypay]

Excellent point.  CLEP testing is another option that I had forgot about.  Do they still do those?

I've been reviewing the course descriptions at the University of Phoenix.  Hell, I could probably teach a couple of those courses.

I will have to schedule an appointment with one of their enrollment advisers to find out if they give credit for life experiences.

I know my college still offers CLEP tests, as do the military bases. Many accredited universities will take a ton of credits, as long as you do 30 or 60 hours (depending on their policies) in house.

[rich_t]

I know my college still offers CLEP tests, as do the military bases. Many accredited universities will take a ton of credits, as long as you do 30 or 60 hours (depending on their policies) in house.

From what I can tell so far, the schools I am looking at don't accept CLEP.  I will have to get in personal contact with them to verify.

[Eupher]

I have no idea about your industry, but what I was thinking was screw the degree and get yourself certifications, should they exist in your field.

I was confronted with the same dilemma you're describing, but as I already have an undergrad degree, pursuing a master's degree simply wasn't worth the money and what I MIGHT get out of another employment opportunity. So instead of a master's degree, I got a certification in the American Society for Quality systems as a Certified Manager of Quality/Organizational Effectiveness. (Yeah, I know it's a bullshit, faggoty sounding thing, but that's what they call it). Studying for that exam took about six months and it was, without a doubt, the toughest exam I've ever taken -- but I passed it and now have that cute sounding set of acronyms after my name on my business card. 

Any chance for certifications, as opposed to a full-blown degree?

[seahorse513]

You are never too old to get a degree. My friend, in her mid fifties is going to college for a paralegal degree. People are living longer, with the economy, inflation, gas and food prices, people are somewhat (encouraged is not exactly the word i want)but have no choice if they want to live their silver and golden years in a nice lifestyle. You may be in your mid forties now, but you might have to work another 20 to 30 years to keep ahead of the game. Getting a degree and acquiring knowledge about up and come technologies whether in your current field or a new one that is similar can't hurt you. It will look great on a resume as well...Good luck my friend...

[DumbAss Tanker]

There's no limit, Rich.  My wife just finished a graduate degree she had to get to keep her teaching job, due to a change in accreditation requirements at her school...she is in her mid-50s.

[obumazombie]

There's no limit, Rich.  My wife just finished a graduate degree she had to get to keep her teaching job, due to a change in accreditation requirements at her school...she is in her mid-50s.

That would make her Thirty twenty five, or just thirty something for short.

[CG6468]

In what other ares are you interested?

[redwhit]

From what I can tell so far, the schools I am looking at don't accept CLEP.  I will have to get in personal contact with them to verify.

CLEP and various tricks like that are nifty but more important is the program itself.  I started undergrad in my late 30s and I wasn't the oldest in my class by any stretch of the imagination (although now I'm the oldest in the grad program).

You may want to carefully look at night school programs.  My experience was that you have a more mature and motivated student body coupled with academics that are every bit as rigorous as any day program.  The teachers also tend to be better, probably because they are not fighting for tenure anymore, they are teaching because they love it.  Many of my undergrad teachers were retired college professors, some of whom had been teaching longer than I'd been alive, and they were doing it completely out of love for the profession.

Finally, since the night school programs tend to be focused at working adults, it's easier to maintain a more normal family and work life.  The administration will be far more understanding and responsive to your needs than the administration trying to corral a whole bunch of 18 year olds with homesickness, STDs, and substance abuse problems.

[Crazy Horse]

I have no idea about your industry, but what I was thinking was screw the degree and get yourself certifications, should they exist in your field.

I was confronted with the same dilemma you're describing, but as I already have an undergrad degree, pursuing a master's degree simply wasn't worth the money and what I MIGHT get out of another employment opportunity. So instead of a master's degree, I got a certification in the American Society for Quality systems as a Certified Manager of Quality/Organizational Effectiveness. (Yeah, I know it's a bullshit, faggoty sounding thing, but that's what they call it). Studying for that exam took about six months and it was, without a doubt, the toughest exam I've ever taken -- but I passed it and now have that cute sounding set of acronyms after my name on my business card. 

Any chance for certifications, as opposed to a full-blown degree?

I also have an American Society for Quality Certified Calibration Technician.  I also say that test without a doubt is the toughest exam I have ever taken.  I had 4 hours to complete 125 questions and I needed every last second to just guess on about 10 questions at the end.  I have told my management that I will never take that exam again and to ensure they give me the opportunity to become re certified without the exam.  I have been in calibration/metrology for over 20 years when I took this exam.

I have no degree, I am just shy a few hours.  Not having a degree hurts me when trying to get promoted as everyone else has undergrad or graduate degrees that I compete against.  Cost however has been an issue of late.

[JohnnyReb]

This reminds me of my high school days, 1960-61-62-63. There was an older man and woman (not married or couple) in their 40's that were in some of my high school classes. They could have gotten a GED I guess but they wanted a high school diploma. I bet it was somewhat embarrassing for them but they stuck to it and got their diplomas....graduated with us too.

Then there was my X-wife. She went back to college at age 35. Majored in computer science, got a BS in it at age 38. I googled her the other day when this first came up and lo and behold she became some kinda excutive with a computer components company. She's got money, I got a wife, son and happiness...who's better off?

So go on back to school and if it isn't working out for you, you can always do the DUmmie thing, quit.....but you won't.

[vesta111]

I have no idea about your industry, but what I was thinking was screw the degree and get yourself certifications, should they exist in your field.

I was confronted with the same dilemma you're describing, but as I already have an undergrad degree, pursuing a master's degree simply wasn't worth the money and what I MIGHT get out of another employment opportunity. So instead of a master's degree, I got a certification in the American Society for Quality systems as a Certified Manager of Quality/Organizational Effectiveness. (Yeah, I know it's a bullshit, faggoty sounding thing, but that's what they call it). Studying for that exam took about six months and it was, without a doubt, the toughest exam I've ever taken -- but I passed it and now have that cute sounding set of acronyms after my name on my business card. 

Any chance for certifications, as opposed to a full-blown degree?

     To Eupher, grand idea, for the youngsters out there.

Tec speciality's are essential to aid the masters and PHD candidates.   I so far know of no one big professional job that can operate on it's own without the tec's to run equipment that the professionals do not have the time to learn to do themselves.  

Few doctors have any idea of how their diagnostic equipment actually works, so the certified tec's come in to do everything from taking EX-rays to overseeing the use of space age technology in the micro cameras used in brain surgery.   Problems with the plumbing, call in a plumber, can he himself do the labor to fix the problem, never had a plumber himself dig up a septic tank -----They hire outsiders with the machinery and equipment and under his directions fix the problem.  The people from Rotor Router all are certified and the reason your bill is so high is the certification of just one worker leads to a increase in pay at from 20 to 25 $ ph.

Those big oil trucks and propain tankers, the drivers are paid 3 or 4 times the pay of a dump truck driver as they have the certifications to do so safely.   -----Today one needs a CDL license to drive a school bus, takes training to pass the test and darn if one moves to another state they have to take and pass the test again.  Helps to be certified in first aid, and know something about why a bus will die if he distributor cap is wet.   A 6 hour course in how to check for oil leaks, worn belts and rotting hoses looks good if one wants to drive a city bus or a student bus in a college town.

So many retired people augment their retirement with driving jobs that take few hours a day, there is no shortages in applicants for the job.   Was it in the 1970's that on the west coast hundreds of rocket scientists were laid off and some because their field was flooded with youth made a living driving cabs.

Want to work with in the computer field, every year colleges graduate kids that unless you kept continuing studies up to date put you 5 years in the past.  Big problem for those in the tec industry to stay informed as well as a kid just out of college.

If you are marching into your 50's even if you work in a fast food restaurant to keep up to date on the workings of new machinery, new computer print outs to the new Computers used to man the front desk, to make and order delivery's of food, costs for cleaning supplies etc.  one must be educated every day on 100 and 1 things that change over night.

BTW I was told that when a child goes into college as a freshman by the time they graduate 4 years later all of the first 2 1/2 years knowledge is now outdated. for computers.  
Certified can mean as much in some fields as a degree, go for both if you wish and can afford it.  
 

  

[JohnnyReb]

-----Today one needs a CDL license to drive a school bus, .... this is true but when I was 15(1960) I took bus driver training and a 16 was assigned the biggest bus in the fleet and the longest (54 miles), most difficult route (over 30 miles of dirt roads and several wooden bridges) in the county school system. I was never late and never had an accident.

My wife has never allowed our son to ride the school bus. Liberals haven't just effected the school room and teaching but everything else too.

[DumbAss Tanker]

That would make her Thirty twenty five, or just thirty something for short.

She'll be pleased to know she's passing for under 39 again, anyway.

[obumazombie]

She'll be pleased to know she's passing for under 39 again, anyway.

That is so sweet.