For Those Who Have Entered Grad School as Adults

[HollyinNNV]

I would like to hear feedback from those of you who have entered grad school after an extended absence from the collegiate world. How was the transition to back to college. How was the work load. How did other students react to you in college? What was your educational background, time away from school and then what field were you entering?

 

Here's what I am trying to figure out. About twenty years ago, I received a Bachelors of Music in music education and viola performance. I would have liked to also major in prel-law or literature, but that wasn't feasible. I was going to go to grad school to get a MM in viola performance. Instead I married my husband (at that time a pre-med student) and had a lovely baby girl. DH's aspirations took us to Nevada, then Texas and back to Nevada. In the meantime I homeschooled our kids did a great deal of co-op teaching-mostly in reading and writing. I also taught in the public schools in Nevada while he was in medical school.

 

During this time, my viola skills have dulled and frankly I've gotten older and I know my neck/shoulders could not survive a viola masters degree. I am also graduating my baby girl to college and have one 8th grader at home. I would like to continue my education that was cut short, but I have lots of questions as to whether I should.

 

Can I handle the work? It has been awhile!

How can I transfer over to a subject like literature, when I do not have the bachelors degree in literature already?

Is a masters degree worth jumping through hoops like taking a foreign language for two years?

Why do I want to do this at all? I've wanted to for a long time, but what will I do after I'm done.

 

I told my dh that maybe I'm just past my educational prime......he said that now is the time to enrich myself however I want to, though it doesn't have to be college.

 

I don't know what to do or where to start. Any experiences you would like to share?

Thanks so much!

Holly

[Joanne]

I entered after 40. My kids were all "double digit" age. I earned my Masters in Counseling.

 

I went to a small institution, and continued to homeschool for a good portion of it. I was able, then, to bring my kids to grad school with me. They'd work in the library (safe, cozy, and eventually I became staff there) while I attended school.

 

The kids loved having me sit at the table with them and study/do homework.

 

I enjoyed the learning, the classes. It was a welcome break from the kids and from my work settings - but I am a natural student.

 

My grad school was primarily for career-life change students. In that way, I was not age conspicuous.

 

I had been a very good student in college, and I was even more so as a graduate student.

 

Although my field does not pay well, I do not have any reqrets.

[Giraffe]

I have two stories.

 

DH re-entered school after a 10+ year absence. He's getting a PhD in Bioengineering and is, by far, the oldest student there. We suspect he's older than some of his professors. It doesn't seem to matter - his classmates just take him as he is and his professors treat him with respect and have occasionally leaned on DH's prior work experience to assist them in their own research. This is a career shift for him - he was a computer programmer with a second degree in Biology, but was always drawn to the medical field and is now pursuing his dream. It's a LOT of work. We never (hardly ever) saw him his first year. When he wasn't in classes he was in the lab and when he wasn't there he was in the Clean Room or the library. He came home to sleep, that's about it. His second year DD and I moved overseas to start her education in DH's country of origin so that her language skills are up to par and she can handle school here (where we want to live after he graduates - homeschooling is illegal so she must attend a B&M school). We say, half seriously, that we see him more this year through FaceTime and Skype. We call each other daily, FaceTime every evening (his morning). The time difference actually works in our favor. When we visit, especially when he comes here, we get ALL of him, not just the leftovers after a long day standing in a stifling bunny suit or hitting the books in the library with a study group. DH is lonely, of course, and I am too, but he is able to concentrate completely on his degree and we are able to build a life here where DD is over-the-moon happy and finally coming out of her turtle shell.

 

The second story is mine. I majored in Business in college and seriously considered going back to school to get my MA or PhD in History or Literature once DH was finished with his advanced degree. I have decided not to pursue a graduate degree because while I would love the classes, the camaraderie, the study sessions that cause you to lose all track of time, etc., that is simply not realistic for my life. DD needs my complete attention when she's not in school for a variety of reasons, and I am afterschooling her in English reading (that will eventually expand to include other subjects). I am not sure what I would do with such an advanced degree once I was done. I may, eventually, get a certificate or degree in education so that I could pursue more job opportunities here as a foreign language teacher (English). I am, instead, pursuing a self-directed course of study based in part on the Well Educated Mind and in part on the History of the " " World series by Susan Wise Bauer. I can study what I want to study (which is basically everything having to do with history and literature) and move at my pace, not a professor's. For a while I was blogging about it, and I'd like to get back to that as it helped me organize my thoughts and feel more "schooly". :001_rolleyes:

 

Do I wish I could just chuck it all and go back to school? Sometimes. Am I jealous that DH got to? Sometimes. But I look at my girl and my apartment and I'm content. It really depends on what YOU want - what your goals are, your reasons for going back. Your DH is right - enrich yourself however you think is right for YOU. For DH it was formal school. For me, it's not. Both are OK. :)

 

I don't know if this makes any sense or helps, but it really helped me to write it out!

[DragonFaerie]

I am 43 and in my first semester of grad school. I am only taking one class at a time to ensure that I can handle the work while still homeschooling DS. So far it's been really good. I am doing my degree through online classes (as was my bachelor's degree), so there's no age issues. An actually, I think some of the others in my class are closer to my age anyway. Online classes seem to have more "older" students, in my experience. I am really happy to be back in school. I'd be a professional student if I could. :D

[Momof3littles]

DH returned for a PhD in his late 20s after working for several years. We had one child at the time.

 

One thing that was helpful in his case was that he had a specific advisor he wanted to work with. In his work life, he had several mentors who studied under this particular professor. They encouraged him to return to school and get his PhD. He narrowed down schools and advisors, met with the advisors, and ultimately ended up working for the one he wanted to all along. A side benefit was that he knew in advance this particular advisor was focused on results, not # of hours put in. So my DH was able to keep relatively normal hours in lab as compared to many of the labs out there. DH was serious when he was in lab, he wasn't checking facebook every 5 mins like some of his colleagues. He worked pretty normal 9 hour days and then came home. His first two years he had classes during daytime hours, and had to study in the evenings. That was the most difficult period, by far. We had our 2nd child during finals week of his last semester of classes. He also had to TA during that period of time. His last 3 years were focused almost exclusively on lab.

 

He was older than most of his peers, and it was really not an issue. He formed friendships and so forth. We didn't really have many "couples" friends from his lab, since we were oddballs with a child already. We were just in a different phase of life that way.

 

I don't know how it would work to switch to a master's. I imagine you'd have to retake or take certain bachelor's courses as a prereq for being admitted into the master's. Best of luck!

[NotSoObvious]

I had only been out for five years, but I did grad school while fostering and adopting our twins and teaching first grade full time.

 

I loved grad school. It was just different than undergrad. The coursework, for the most part, was extremely relevant and interesting. There was more writing- that's the only big difference I noticed with regards to the course load. It was the first time that the quality of my writing was actually evaluated, which I thought was interesting.

 

It was worth it, but looking back, I honestly don't know how I did it.

[JFSinIL]

Not grad school, but I want to toss out there that my mom went back to school and got her BA over a decade after the last child left home. Grandma got a BA!!!

 

My neighbor got her advanced degree from a school in Florida (reputable long distance for the most part) in education (not a PhD - ED? I know there is an E in there ;-). She is now a college registrar at a local LAC, a job she could not have gotten w/o that advanced degree. She was in her 40's when she worked for and got the degree.

 

It is never too late to go back!

[Lisa in Jax]

My aunt earned her master's degree last year - at age 70! I say, "Go for it!" :)

[FaithManor]

My aunt earned her master's degree last year - at age 70! I say, "Go for it!" :)

 

 

AWESOME!

 

I'm 44 and slowly working towards mine. Online classes as well as on campus...one class at a time. But, that's because I'm homeschooling three for high school plus tutoring, plus 4-H, plus rocket team. If I gave up 4-H leadership and rocket team, I could handle much more.

 

Most of the musicians are far younger than I am, but it doesn't affect my ability to get it done and I don't feel weird. When it comes to music theory, I'm generally regarded as the guru to go beg for help! It's like having really big kids to homeschool, LOL. But, again, one class at a time so it has not been an undo stress.

 

Faith