Is it worth it to go back and finish my degree?

[Adrienne_in_TX]

I know that situations vary a lot, but for anyone who has gone back to school later in life and finished a degree . . . was it worth the time, effort, and expense?

 

I'm trying to decide if it would really be of benefit to me (which I'm willing to spend money on), or if this is just a need to finish what I started so I can say that I did it (which I'm probably not willing to spend money on). I'm 43, have one daughter in college (on a full ride), and still have 3 at home for school (12th, 7th, and 5th). When we're done with kiddos in school, my career will very likely be entrepreneurial; we own rental properties, and I've owned a consignment store in the past.

 

I have 96 credits, but never went back after my oldest child was born. I'm just thinking that if something happened to hubby then I will need to support the family. He thinks it makes more sense to invest in extra life insurance on him which will be cheaper than tuition for me. He may be right in that.

 

Anybody been there and done that?:bigear:

[Zebra]

This is an excellent question! I have wondered the same thing for myself.

 

:lurk5:

[Beth S]

I'd be hesitant to spend a lot of $$ on tuition, but I would be VERY desirous of finishing.

 

You didn't mention what your former major was, or what you could finish up with locally. A business degree would likely help your future business endeavors, and not require clinicals in a hospital, for example.

 

If your dh and children were supportive, I would begin to research it, talk to a college advisor, and just take one class that first semester. Several mom-friends I know have been successful with this, once their homeschooled kids were in high school.

 

You could also study at home to CLEP a general ed class, or find online courses (our community college system is networked across the state for this).

[SpecialClassical]

What kind of degree would It be?

[Hannah]

What kind of degree would It be?

 

My answer would depend on this too.

 

If your degree automatically opens doors to a profession for which graduates are still somewhat in demand in your area (here it would be teaching, medical sciences, accountancy, some fields of engineering, etc) then paying for the peace of mind might be worth it.

[Rosy]

If it's entrepreneurial work that you're planning to go into, what skills/knowledge do you think you're lacking? Is college the best way to prepare yourself for your chosen career? I would look at it that way--figure out what your goals are, then think about what is required to meet them. Degrees are more important in some businesses (for credibility or whatever) than others, so that would be something to factor in as well.

[Joanne]

I didn't "finish" a degree, but earned an advanced one. I started at 43. It was HARD.

 

It was worth it.

 

For me, I honestly believe it would be worth it just to say I did it. In my case, it was practical as well as existential.

[xixstar]

What is your work plans? If you don't need a degree to run your own. Usiness then I would not spend the money on it.

 

Era: this from someone that finished a degree because I was a single mom at the time but I always planned to be home if I had more children. I also run my own buesiness and my degree isn't needed for that. I have considered a masters but the reality is that it isn't needed for the self-employed work I will continue to do in the future. But if I was on my own, then I could see more benefit because I would be seeing traditional employment options most likely.

Edited October 4, 2012 by xixstar
Sea

[Barbara H]

My suggestion would be to start with contacting the college to see what your options might be. Some schools have a plan in place to offer a fast track to students who were within a couple of semesters of graduation. If there is some type of program like this in place it may be a lot faster and less expensive than you'd guess.

 

If, on the other hand, you live far away from your college and you'd be having to transfer those credit in to another program it will be more expensive or difficult. One route that some adults consider is something like Thomas Edison State which allows transfer of a high number of credits (80 community college or up to 120 four year college). They also give credit for life experience and so forth. You'd have to really talk with them and crunch the numbers to see how much it would run you.

[Elizabeth in MN]

I'd do it.

[Wheres Toto]

One route that some adults consider is something like Thomas Edison State which allows transfer of a high number of credits (80 community college or up to 120 four year college). They also give credit for life experience and so forth. You'd have to really talk with them and crunch the numbers to see how much it would run you.

 

Thomas Edison is where both my degrees are from (Biology and Business Administration, Marketing). They are great for accepting transfer credit, I took a few of their online courses and a lot of their testing options.

 

I finished my degrees in my 30's. One when I was 30, one when I was 35. I started with traditional college right out of high school, took lots of breaks due to money or family situation. At the time I worked for pharmaceutical companies and the Biology and Business were both very helpful for advancement opportunities.

 

It wasn't long after I finished my second degree that I remarried and ended up staying home with kids. I don't regret finishing my degree at all. It was important to me that I finish, regardless of how much I end up using it.

[DragonFaerie]

I, too, have a BA from Thomas Edison. I finished my degree in 2009, at the age of 40, and I don't regret it at all. I haven't "used" it, per se, but now that I am divorced, I am needing to figure out something. I have actually just applied to graduate school to get my master's degree in English. I plan to teach at the community college level when I'm finished.

[dbmamaz]

I've been wondernig about this, too. I'm 47 and spent way too many years at college without a degree. i actually had finished the rough draft of my undergraduate thesis at my last school, but never managed to get back and defend it before the time ran out (long story)

 

I worked since then as a database analyst/programmer, and assume i'll go back for the same thing. I probably will just get some certifications, but I really want a degree. Dh doesnt understand - he has 5 degrees, and skipped the 6th one because he had an offer to sell his (MS) thesis . . . no degree, but some money to pay off college debt, so he took it.

 

but i'll be 49 before i can get started . . .

[G5052]

I have an unfinished dissertation that will never be submitted. I had some major misunderstandings with my advisor and had come to the conclusion that I really didn't love that field enough to fight it out with him. When a temporary position in a related but different field opened up many states away, I left and ended up staying there.

 

Personally, I wouldn't finish a degree just to finish a degree. If it was in a useful field that I still cared about, I might though.

 

I've taken classes, worked in professional positions, and homeschooled all along, and it drives me nuts at times. My family has paid a price, but in the big picture it has been positive.

 

As you get older, keep in mind that everything is harder though. Last summer I took a graduate-level seminar that required a lot of reading, and it was *tough* keeping focused even without the pressures of homeschooling. Periodically I think about earning another degree versus just bit-and-pieces here and there, but I've decided to wait until I have just one older teen still at home.

[Crimson Wife]

If you don't need it for your career, I'd say no.

 

My whole family keeps harping on when am I going to get a graduate degree (I'm one of the few who doesn't have one). I may go back to school if I decide to get into a field that requires an advanced degree (something I am considering), but I'm not going to spend the money unless I think it is a wise investment.

[razorbackmama]

I did it - graduated in Aug. 2011. I have no "career" other than SAHHM and owning a direct sales business (I started my business just before I graduated). My degree is a multidisciplinary studies degree, which is sort of a mish mash of different topics - my major is a combo of business, accounting, and education. I received absolutely no support from my husband or immediate family. My mom, sister, and mother-in-law were proud of me, but I knew going into it that I would have to do everything in my spare time because running our home, taking care of our family, and homeschooling were TOP PRIORITY, and there would be "leave Mom alone so she can do her schoolwork." (I was correct.)

 

All that said, it was worth it to me. Mostly because it was finally something I did for ME. I'm not even allowed to go to a Bible study alone without some sort of complaint, so to know that I finished my degree, despite all the negativity surrounding me, was huge. I even managed to graduate Summa Cum Laude with a 4.0.

 

Have you ever seen True Lies? There is a scene in there where they are interrogating the wife, wondering why she had partnered up with this guy who claimed to be a spy. Her reasoning is exactly the same as mine when it comes to finishing my degree.

 

A 2nd reason is because in my state we are required to test. We have always used the Iowa tests, which require a bachelor's degree to administer. (We can use the CAT, but we prefer the Iowa.) My husband has always administered it because he has a doctorate. But he also works non-stop, so finding a time to administer it was AWFUL. It's amazing my kids got the not-so-great scores they did, since he would make them test in the evenings, on weekends, etc., to fit it around his work schedule (which is absolutely crazy). This past year I was FINALLY able to test them myself and leave him out of it. It was GLORIOUS (for testing LOL). No longer do I need him to do it; no longer do my kids have to "do their best" despite a lousy situation.

 

So...should YOU do it??? Honestly only you can answer it. But for me the time and expense were worth it, even though I have nothing tangible to show for it. I guess I just have a lot of baggage and wanted to be able to say the same thing that the lady in True Lies did: "I *(&$ing did it!"