AIBU to even contemplate this at 38?

[fourandahalfkids]

I am in a job that I love but it pays peanuts I mean literally peanuts. I work 40 hours a week for around 12 grand a year. I have 4 children and chose to put my life on hold to raise them. I don't regret this in any way. But they are now almost 17, 16, 13 and 10. I never went to uni but got a job straight out of college to start building a home with my then fiance (now dh for 18 years), and then was at home with my children for 12 years (from when the oldest was born to when the youngest started school).
As much as I love my job (been doing it for 6 years), the progression is pretty dead end unless I undertake a degree anyway. Too be honest i have seen too much from the inside, mine is a supporting role in a profession where people are leaving in there droves because of the stress and work load involved. So it is not something that i myself would like to go into.
I am thinking of embarking on a degree to enable me to gain better prospects. I love English and was very good at it way back when and had desires to have a career in a writing capacity.
But dh doesn't have an amazingly well paid job, better than me but we couldn't survive on his salary alone. I have done some research and found out that I can study part time (around 16 hours per week) and I could work at the same time. I should get student loan assistance. Alongside my work hours I currently do a few hours voluntary work a week connected to a group I am part of. Is this too much? I can do this right?

I would invest in further training/ qualifications, but I wouldn't spend six years on an undergraduate English degree at your age, unless you have a clear career in mind for it. You will accumulate student loan debt and you may find you are no more employable than you are now.

You say you live in the west country - assuming you aren't going to move, what industries are there in commutable distance from you? A poster above mentioned graduate schemes, but are these available within commutable distance? Would you be happy working full time?

At the moment you do a job you love that pays peanuts. You love English but it may not boost your earning power. What you love doesn't necessarily correlate with what pays well. If you want to earn more, you may need to choose a path based on practicalities rather than passion.

English is a poor pay off, the only real job is teaching which you don't want to do. Tuition fees, loss of earnings I'm sorry it's not worth it. My English degree was a waste of money

My best friend went back to studying a few years ago, and has just got her Masters in Psychology at age 42.
Go for it OP!

I have an English degree, qualified teacher status (and a slightly random MSc an employer sponsored me to do almost 20 years ago) but am currently retaining in a non graduate career...

I have 3 kids a bit younger than yours on average so it's doable - I'm at college 16 hours per week plus about 4-10 hours a week of self study depending on time of year, and work 20 hours a week (job is a requirement of the course but moderately well paid - about 18k (€) for 20 hours per week).

You can do it with kids your age but I wouldn't say an English degree is necessarily a great career move! I loved doing mine back in the day but if I were choosing a degree to finish at 41 and juggle with kids with the aim of earning more I'd pick something more vocational!

The open university have a rang of free courses online called open learn. It may be worthwhile trying a few to see what interests you and how you manage life/study balance. Good luck.

Retraining not retaining, my English degree did not give me brilliant proof reading skills (to be fair it was so long ago that I hand wrote my essays or in the third year used a "word processor" )

Sat here guffawing at those ridiculing an English degree.

There are SO many career options beyond just teaching, and OPs current work experience will all count too when she eventually graduates with that generic English degree. I graduated 6 years ago and currently earn enough to be in the higher tax bracket. I'm in a creative role that I absolutely LOVE and it's my English degree that landed me the role, not my previous decades worth of experience in something else.

Go for it OP!

I work in marketing and I rarely look at someone’s educational background, I look at experience when recruiting. I’d suggest looking at growing your skills in things like creating online content, SEO etc and volunteering for a charity to get some work experience. Maybe a diploma would be easier and more useful? And look at free courses on Futurelearn etc. Good luck!!

Hi OP - am a similar age to you and just finished a degree. I would reiterate that whichever degree you do make sure it actually leads to a job. Not just "you can find jobs in these areas" followed by wishy washy 'council' etc. Mine was a very interesting BSc but vary broad. As a result (and thanks to various cuts in funding) there are no local jobs. If I commuted to London I could find lots, however at just over an hour away and thousands pa to fund, commuting isn't an option for me as a single parent. I've got so much knowledge (was top of 3 of the modules) but cannot get anything local that makes it worth my while. I was doing legal and PA work previously so it looks like going back to that is all I can reasonably do. Initially I wanted to do a very specific course but was told they have over 300 applicants and only 50 spaces, so unless I already held a science degree it wasn't worth my time. I am now seriously considering going back and doing that degree now but it is a lot of money and not easy with kids. Don't forget Uni's are used to catering for 18/20 yr olds, with no other responsibilities. Timetables are frequently late and changeable so childcare is hard. I don't want to put you off, just give you a little bit of insight from the other side IYKWIM.

Hmm well I graduated two years ago with a first class degree, aged 36, and it’s done me bugger all good. Still in exactly the same position as I was before.

I enjoyed it though.

I agree with others, have a very clear idea of what kind of career you want and which degree would be best to get you there. And do you have the childcare available locally to do that job?

Personally I’d spend the time/money on learning a trade such as plumbing. I think you’d earn a lot more money that way.

I am 39 and halfway through a foundation degree with the hope I will go on to 'top up' to a BSc afterwards. I also work FT. It's do-able. Especially distance learning with a uni, because you follow traditional term times which leaves you with June - Sept off to relax.

I study canine behaviour (I work in IT) so my situation is a bit different in that my current job pays well but a future one may not. Whatever happens, the very process of going through formal education again at this age has been invigorating.

Pick a subject you love - to do otherwise is too hard - and the worst thing that'll happen is that you'll end up learning a lot more about a subject you are already interested in.

Student loans mean it is a no loss gamble. You get a better job, you pay back the loan. You don't, you don't.

If £ is an issue i'd go for it if you can get a better job out of it. If you can't, then it's probably best left for now & seeking another job with better pay & more prospects.

I'm a writer and I assure you that you do not need a degree of any kind if that's what you want to do. However, I can also tell you that there's no money in it! If your aim in doing an English degree is to get into writing, I think you'd be better off doing an evening class and joining a writing group (or starting your own). I don't have an English degree but I have a masters in creative writing and that was one huge waste of time and money! I ended up in teaching and as much as I love it, I wish I'd seen a different path for myself. If I had the opportunity to retrain I would do something practical, like hairdressing or learning a trade.

On the other hand, education is a joy and a privilege, and who knows what doors an English degree might open for you. I always tell students to study something they are passionate about. Doing a degree is hard, and if you don't love the subject it will be hard to stay motivated. I would also consider the money. Student loans are no fun at all. So if you're going to do it, make sure it'll get you where you want to be! And good luck!

Do it, yes, but time to dream first.

I agree you should pick your desired role(s) first and work back from that into a degree. Journalists are in excess supply, so it's probably not the best profession. English teacher to link your TA skills in? Marketing needs a lot of additional skills, would you find that fun? Book editing? Legal routes have plenty of writing but can take longer. Can you write an amazing book, no degree needed? Website manager with the technical skills but also content editing (some copywriting jobs, but lots of web manager roles include just a bit of writing)? Customer service manager responsible for the team but also managing responses to customers? Look at local large companies or specialist jobs near you; decide what's fun, has a salary you'll be content with and where roles are likely to be available when you've studied. Then ask for help in picking a suitable degree.

Honestly, I’d think twice. I did a humanities degree and it got me nowhere. Unless you’re simply doing it for enjoyment, look elsewhere, someone else suggested training for a trade which is a much better idea.

I've got a first class English degree from a top bricks and mortar university. I really enjoyed it at the time as a teenager, early 20-something. But jobs-wise, I would pick something else. I'm thinking of retraining now in my early 50s, because I'm finding it hard to find a new job - my area of work - writing based - is being taken over by artificial intelligence. Even 20 years ago, a friend of mine with an English degree from Oxford retrained as a midwife. I would look at something more vocational - where you know there are job shortages.

I'm a writer earning £50k+ and then whatever I get for the fiction I write for fun. I don't have an Engliah degree and having one wouldn't have helped in ether my fiction or nonfiction careers.

People are trying to be encouraging and supportive but please listen to the ones advising against an OU English degree if the goal is to get a higher paid job.

I completed my degree in 2016 and am 43 this year so go for it. OU degrees are well respected

Of course I would miss typos in a post about being a writer!

I'm 37 and a full time student! Currently doing an internship and am about 16 years older than all the others I was unhappy in my old job/career and figured I've got another 30 years of work before I can retire, so I should do something I enjoy.

Don't let age put you off, it's never too late to start again. Just try to find something that you enjoy, can juggle time-wise and absolutely check out the job market before you sign up!

Most degrees have transferable skills, so even if you undertook the degree and your career didn’t go in your intended direction, it would probably open new paths fir you.

I studied part time and worked full time for my undergraduate degree, although no children so our situation is less complicated. I’m now half way through my Masters, also part time. My income has gone up 20k, and it’ll increase another 10k within two years. I didn’t end up in the area I thought I would, but the areas interesting and has lots of opportunity to progress (two promotions within 3 years, with another conditional on completing my Masters).

As pp have said, I wouldn’t spend money on a degree without a fair guarantee of a job at the end of it. That would be my advice to anyone regardless of their age.

Honestly, in your situation it sounds like you want to invest both your time and money very carefully and have some confidence of a good result employment wise. I'd stick my neck out and knock on the door of the Head or a senior member of staff that you like - ask them outright "Love my job, but hoping to put in some personal study time to enable me to step up in the future.....what would you be looking for?"
I'm sceptical about an English Degree I'm afraid....I think there are probably better more employable and vocationally focussed courses and degrees out there now that could boost your employability and earning potential OP.

If your interest lies in writing and you have a knack for it, what about becoming a freelance writer?

What about becoming a specialist TA of some kind and getting your employer to fund some of the training?.....might that be possible?