Is it ever too late to start a degree?

[TopCat]

With most people studying at university/college between the 18-21 age range, is there a point after this when going to university becomes a pointless exercise? I ask because as somebody slightly older myself, I often wonder about whether going to college later in life would offer me any benefits.

Whilst yes, the experience would be good, it seems to me that unless you start early, then it becomes more difficult to learn and more difficult to take advantage of the degree afterwards (i.e. in a career sense). That and the fact is if you start later, you're already years behind many graduates who have already had an early start in their careers. I'd be interested to know what you all think about this.

 

[Some JERK]

Lots of people attend universities and colleges after serving in the military for years. They usually do as good, if not better than their younger classmates.

 

[Golly]

You're never too old to go to school. It's all about knowing how to learn and being receptive to new information, regardless of your age. Your 18-21 range isn't necessarily accurate either, since many students choose or are required by their chosen profession to pursue higher degrees after their bachelor's, either directly after their first degree or years down the road. Some people even go back for a second bachelor's. When I went to my college's orientation, there was a man in his 40s who was just starting a composition major. In short, if the will and the resources are there, you can do it.

 

[TopCat]

You're never too old to go to school. It's all about knowing how to learn and being receptive to new information, regardless of your age. Your 18-21 range isn't necessarily accurate either, since many students choose or are required by their chosen profession to pursue higher degrees after their bachelor's, either directly after their first degree or years down the road. Some people even go back for a second bachelor's. When I went to my college's orientation, there was a man in his 40s who was just starting a composition major. In short, if the will and the resources are there, you can do it.

I appreciate that many people do go back to college after pursuing a career or to undertake a Masters, however I am referring to people who have never done a degree before and are doing so for the first time later in life (i.e. after 25). Would you suggest that doing this is too late to reap the full benefits from it?

 

[Cunty Boo Boo]

If your purpose is to get a degree to make money (which is totally valid), then probably not.

If you're going back to school for the accomplishment, for growth, or simply to learn more--then yes, of course.

I guess it really depends on what your goal is for after you get your degree. You might be lucky and break into a new field of work, but it's going to be really difficult. Watching people in my life who didn't get their degree(s) until their 40s+ vs. people in my life who got their degree(s) in their early-mid 20s, I'd absolutely say that the people who got their degrees when younger are having an easier time breaking into their field successfully.

If it's for self-betterment, there's never, ever too late a time for that.

 

[TopCat]

If your purpose is to get a degree to make money (which is totally valid), then probably not.

If you're going back to school for the accomplishment, for growth, or simply to learn more--then yes, of course.

I guess it really depends on what your goal is for after you get your degree. You might be lucky and break into a new field of work, but it's going to be really difficult. Watching people in my life who didn't get their degree(s) until their 40s+ vs. people in my life who got their degree(s) in their early-mid 20s, I'd absolutely say that the people who got their degrees when younger are having an easier time breaking into their field successfully.

If it's for self-betterment, there's never, ever too late a time for that.

Interesting points. I wonder why people who get degrees later in life have less chances of being successful than those who get degrees earlier on. Is it an age thing or just lack of experience?

 

[AnimuGinger]

Interesting points. I wonder why people who get degrees later in life have less chances of being successful than those who get degrees earlier on. Is it an age thing or just lack of experience?

When you do it later in life, you typically have other responsibilities that take focus away from being successful. If you're younger, you typically have less to worry about. There are exceptions both ways, but it's a general rule.

 

[Pickle Inspector]

I went when I was 21 and there were people from 30 to 40s on my course (A number had been sent by their work to relearn skills (It was an IT course) ).

Being slightly older might work in your favour since employees assume that an older person is more reliable than a 20 something although it'd depend on the type of course, I'm not sure how it'd work if you were say, studying to be a doctor.

 

[Bassomatic]

It never hurts, now in regards to the cost to benifit ratio, it'll depend on what. I would wager a dead end degree might be more so crippling to someone in their 40s.

Spoiler: powerlevel

I have 5 degrees and am 9 credits away from my 6th. I have no life.. My biggest passion is to learn This one won't open any doors and I kinda got talked into college look at me now... My employer paying for it is really why I've kept at it

Older students are often better, I've seen that teaching myself.

Also many people who are with companies feel or see a need to swap gears and can stay internal sometimes you get stone walled by lacking some letter on your name. Other people just want to change gears.

Either way you'll walk out with more tools a better resume and more educated, if lucky the hole in the wallet won't be bad enough to sour you on the experience that is growth.

 

[Carlos Thin]

I'm 27, in second year in a course I should have done when I was 18, but I'm doing fine

 

[Broseph Stalin]

It's only too late when you're dead. Believe me, I've seen people in their 50's in some of my classes. It's never too late to start/go back to college.

 

[wet_butt]

I would argue no. My former department had (and still does, to my knowledge) a higher population of older students than most, and a lot of my classmates were established adults looking for better/more stable fields to enter. I want to say the mean age of my graduating class was closer to 30 than 22. What I'm getting at here is there's a lot of adults these days who are either going back to school or going to school for the first time.

Also it's been my experience that older students tend to be the ones to take shit a bit more seriously and work a bit harder than the kids who are just showing up because going to college is what you do after high school these days.

This is assuming, of course, that you're aiming for a worthwhile degree in a field that's actually hiring, or will be hiring in four to five years. If you're changing career paths, make sure you'd be able to actually justify to a potential employer why you decided to make the switch after X many years in your previous industry, and why they'd trust you not to do the same if hired in your new field. If you're just looking to move up in your current field and you feel like the only way to do so would be with higher education, then that's just a common sense decision, I think.

TLDR go for it, brother.

 

[feedtheoctopus]

I was in classes with like, 80 year old men. So no.

 

[Mariposa Electrique]

If you have all your cognitive processes and know you won't have a heart attack in basic biology after dissecting something, then sure, it's never too late.

 

[ScrewTheRules]

My Nan got her degree after my Mum and Aunt had grown up. She went from working minimum wage jobs, often things like cleaning jobs, to now being a psychology tutor and psychoanalyst, and seems to have done alright with it. So no, it's never too late to go back to school. Just make sure you're doing so for the right reasons, and try to pick a course with some real world applications, or at the very least one which produces some marketable skills, like History, and try and have some idea what the plan is for afterwards.

 

[Sonic Speed Monkey]

Back when I was in college, the grand majority of people in my human anatomy class were 30+, and about 1/4 of them were 50+. I, myself, have thought about returning to college so I could continue studying to be a medical examiner, something I was aiming for when I was still taking classes. If you've got the motivation, time, and funds, it don't matter none how old you are in the least.

 

[Anime Dad]

I have to agree with the statement that it's never too late. Incidentally, with age and experience under your belt, you may be better equip than most college freshmen to begin your higher education with clear-cut goals in mind. Ideally you're doing this to better yourself and open up achievable opportunities for that are realistically within your reach. There's an advantage to being a jaded old prune when it comes to selecting your college classes---you're cynical enough to know what fields of study will actually stand a chance at turning into a profitable career path and what majors are just hot air and hubris. You know what you're good at, what you want to be good at, and what you absolutely can't stand.

Even if you're non-trad, there's never a bad number age-wise to start learning. If you want to delve in slowly? Consider meeting with an adviser at a community college and attending part time. Many associates programs are tailor made to adult learners with evening schedules and light credit loads. You may even qualify for credits depending on Equivalent Experience you've worked in your job/jobs over the years. A decent CC will filter into numerous local universities as far as a four year degree goes.

Source: I work at a University.

Good luck!

 

[Ol' Puss]

It's never too late to start college/university. I started when I was 23 and graduated late last year and there were plenty of people who graduated with me who had adult children and grandchildren, even parents that graduated with their children.

That said, speaking from experience, I think going to a community college and learning a trade would lead you to better results in finding something stable.

Either way, I wish you luck in your future.

 

[Kartoffel]

I'd say it depends on the degree you want to study. If you choose something that is in high demand then you'll have no problems entering the field you want to work in later. And don't forget that you might be younger than the others but you have instead accumulated life experience - ideally you worked at a job that is somehow related to your later business.

Spoiler: People who left school early and studied later in life

In my country there is the option to finish school without a degree that enables you to visit university, to follow up with a apprenticeship instead. After that you can take your education in your job even a step further and become a "Meister" which not only makes your pay way better and enables you to teach apprentices - but you also gain the opportunity to study something related to your field - without having to aquire any additional degrees first. This option would not exist if there were neither demand nor use for studying later in life.

 

[H3LLH4MM3R666]

No. It's significantly less embarrassing to be an old person working on their degree than one who never even tried. And no matter what school you go to, there will always be students older than you.

Measurable cognitive decline doesn't start until one's 30s, and even then it's negligible.

Just don't get suckered into going to a for-profit college.