University in my 50s Am I mad???

[Lyndyloo17]

Had the opportunity a few years ago to train as a speech therapist but husband was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer on the day I was to enrol. Nursed him till he died in the new year. Have now got the chance to study a masters in language but not sure what to do. My children are very keen for me to do it. They think it’s my time etc. However. most of my friends think it’s a waste of time and I should forget it at my age(54). I am ok financially but I will not have a big pension. I have the option to do it part time so I could probably work part time as well. I just don’t know what to do. Am I mad and am I wasting my time?

Oh, I wanted to add that when I attended my graduation ceremony for my MA, I was sat next to a PhD graduate in her nineties. You are never too old to learn.

Do it. Do it. Do it.

I once knew a lady in her 80s who was studying for a B.A. I don't think studying is ever a waste of time. And so what if it doesn't lead to a career. Personal development is a worthwhile aim in itself. After you graduate you can continue to study the subject while working in Tescos if that's what makes you happy.

She's 80 now and still researching. She can't get around as well now so the international conferences have stopped

Has she been able to get to grips with Zoom? That has opened up opportunities for many people.

Do it op, you have nothing to lose and everything to gain. Listen to your kids and not your friends who seem to be very fixed mindset

Absolutely, why not!

The only thing I would really consider is:
Is it for a job - worth to work part time for a while
Is it more of a hobby - maybe wouldn't give up ft job and would try as part time aa possible course

Another enthusiastic supporter saying do it and flourishing Pom Poms in support.

I got through Uni straight out of school and honestly didn't appreciate it make much use of the opportunities just had a great social life and did enough work to not get thrown out.

As a mature student I went back and had a very different and equally interesting experience. Devoured the reading list as soon as I got my hands on it. Really enjoyed discussions, to discover ideas and reactions I had bit even thought of first time round.

Such a great experience.

Now in my diaries and I am planning what I might do next. Got my eye on a part time DBA and already looking out for my thesis.

Enjoy.

OP, If you have the means you should go for it. I went back for a Postgrad when I was 42 and now I'm considering a career change and thinking in going for a masters on a completely different field. It's hard work but time goes so quickly and you will have a new career in few years.

I went back to college in my late 30s for PhD, and I had similar concerns. While most were younger, there were several older including one retired lady in her 60s.

It's not the same as been teens/20s, but enjoyable in a very different way. You''ll' have a wonder time. I'm jealous :)

Yanbu depending on the course.

If it's a course just to improve your quality of life and for the sake of learning go for it, arts, language, literature, history I'd consider all the way up to being incapactiated through illness or old age.

Putting yourself through something intense like healthcare professions or law or teaching, no I wouldn't, too much stress for little reward and also you aren't likely to work for long in them and are taking the place of someone who could contribute to the future of the professions longer term.

I'd say if you arnt giving up a good job for it then do it. Even if it doesn't get you anywhere much job wise it's all life lessons and fun, it would be a new adventure

@SpringSparrow

To be honest, if it was the speech therapist course, I would think it was worth doing. But will the linguistics MA lead to a job? Or do you not need it to lead to a job? Would there be other mature students? I did a vocational MA when I was about 27 and it already was not as sociable as an undergraduate course, but maybe because it was vocational?! We had a couple of older people in their 40’s.

I'd second this (plus SALT gets the NHS training grant as well as being available for student finance even for a second degree at the moment because of being an Allied Healthcare profession).

I'm currently starting the final year of a SALT degree (I just went the longer undergraduate route) and in mid-forties I'm not the oldest on the course (think the oldest is mid-50s). There are bits of it that I find frustrating in terms of stating the bleeding obvious - like "don't wear trainers and your thong hanging out of your jeans for placement" but I just grit my teeth through those. As for part-time... I know my uni doesn't openly advertise it, but they have rearranged module structures for students with various difficulties to enable a reduced timetable load at one point or the other - I was offered the chance to split my final year into two if my mental health was still shot, and I've been allowed to move around assessments and placements to fit around the schools being fucked up cos of the pandemic.

I like linguistics (and phonetics), and I'm really fucking good at it (my ancient Latin GCSE is finally useful) - but I think I'd go nuts without the other stuff in my course and just doing all that content.

@Lyndyloo17, SALT seems to be a great career choice and you can then specialise in many different areas our age groups. You could spend some time with speechies before making your decision (NHS or private). I know a couple of speechies and they usually have people shadowing them to learn more about the profession. I have seen the amazing work they do with children with autism, adults with tracheostomies and post strokes. From my experience, SALTs are very respected whiten the healthcare field.

Do it. I know someone who’s started a fine art BA this week. They’re 46. They got five unconditional offers too.

I'm starting a PhD this year and I'll be 46 when I start, and it's 16 years since I did my MA.

Absolutely go for it. I'm 42 and just going into my second year of Phd. Thinks have been different due to c-19 but I'm hoping this year will be better. I start teaching on Tuesday and I'm so excited but also really nervous. I never appreciated my education when I was younger and didn't start my undergrad til I was in my 30's - now I can't seem to leave studying lol. Go for it!! Good luck!

@Ozanj

Masters are a substitute for 2-3 years experience for new to industry or to give you a step up to a leadership role. If you won’t be doing either with this degree then I would question the value of a masters specifically

That depends on your motivation. It is worthwhile to do a masters to study a subject in more depth than you would do at undergraduate level, if that's what you want to do, or to focus on one area.

Depends whether it’d be for the personal interest / challenge or to work towards earning more given your pension situation. If the latter, wouldn’t do it as the financial benefits unlikely to outweigh the costs.

* That depends on your motivation. It is worthwhile to do a masters to study a subject in more depth than you would do at undergraduate level, if that's what you want to do, or to focus on one area.*

Masters need to be an applicable entry route to industry otherwise there really is no point in the university accepting you. I think the speech therapy masters would be useful but Applied Linguistics, unless Op is working in a field where she can apply it, is a bit of a waste of time and money.

Sorry, late to this thread. There’s another one here exactly for you:

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/site_stuff/4327788-Is-there-a-specific-Mature-Study-Retraining-board?msgid=110096218

Lots of people who also wondered if they were mad. (No one is.)

If funds allow I’d like to study an undergraduate maths degree in my late 50s or 60s, mainly for personal challenge, but - all else being well - will depend on financial circumstances!

Of course you're not mad. What a wonderful idea. Do your sums, make sure you can afford it with any necessary adjustments to your spending, and take the plunge. If you don't do it, in ten years you'll still be in your 60s, you'll just be in your 60s without that qualification or career.

Do it! My bf has just started a degree course as a mature student in his fifties. I support him all the way.

It doesn't matter whether your friends think this or that. Or even whether it's 'mad'. Only you know what it means to you and why you'd like to do it and you should have no fear so long as you have considered the practicalities of finance and employment so that you can remain self supporting and have a plan should the studies not work out for you.

I think it would be a wonderful thing to do; after all you have been through you deserve to please yourself. It will be a challenge but you know yourself, if you believe you can manage to study and work, go for it. What an achievement!

It's great that your children are supportive, pay no attention to anyone else.

I know a woman who did a PhD in Child Psychology in her fifties.

Thank you all for the support. Had a chat with my kids last night. Wise heads on young shoulders! They want me to go for it. Daughter said if I don’t like it I can stop or do something else. They think I should do anything I want now asI spent so many years supporting them and nursing their dad and as I can’t really travel at the moment it’s a good option. So, I have registered today, start in a 2?weeks😮

Woohoo! Really exciting!

[Time to buy a new pad of paper and a pen, just saying]