Back at university to retrain - worried that I've made a mistake

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I'm in my late 20s, single and childless. I had somehow managed to fall into a decent career after graduating from my first degree, and was on track to be earning a good salary and on my way to being able to move out of my parents and buy a flat.

However, I really hated my job and it triggered a bit of a nervous breakdown last year. After a lot of reflection and talking it through with friends and family I felt like the only other thing that appealed to be was working in healthcare as an allied health professional so after a bit of research I decided to apply on a whim to get onto a place for September which I managed.

I'm now around a month into my course, and it's a 4-year course. I'm enjoying it, but feel really anxious about wasting time, and feeling like I should be back in my old career earning money, travelling and buying a flat.

There are other mature students on my course but they tend to already be settled down and married with children.

I'll be 32 when I graduate, starting on a band 5 salary which is lower than what I was earning at 25.

Not sure what I want out of this post, just felt like I wanted to get it off my chest.

Could you move to a medicine degree? Some of my family are/were doctors (my father was) and earned quite a bit particularly if you have private patients too.

I did seriously consider medicine, however I felt like it wouldn't offer the best work-life balance, and I didn't like the idea of having rotations and not much say in where I live.

Bump to see if anyone else has any advice

If your previous career was making you that ill, you wouldn't have been making whatever salary by 32 because you would have had a full nervous breakdown and left employment.

I think it's natural to have a bit of a wobble about something as major as a degree course once the initial excitement has faded.

You sound like you made a thoughtful considered decision. I wish I was as courageous as you!

Band 5 is usually just a starting point, there will be options to progress and specialise and develop still won't there? And 32 is still very young in career terms, it's not a race.

Thank you @user1846385927482658 Your post has really calmed me down a lot. It's probably the biggest decision I've ever made in my life, as I kind of coasted a long before just doing what felt right rather than thinking things through. Worrying I've made a mistake in going back to university has been keeping me up at night a lot lately

Hi OP sounds like a wobble but hopefully no more. Starting from scratch is a brave thing to do. Remember what you disliked about your previous career as well as the what if’s had you continued. It’s always easy to look with rose tinted glasses whether forwards or backwards. I’m a doctor and you are right about the work life balance issues -it is not something to just transfer into!

You’re going to be 32 either way, whether that’s working yourself to a breakdown in your previous career or whether it’s when you graduate. Might as well graduate at 32 into a career you’ll enjoy!