Is 32 too old to start a degree?

[Samantha312]

That’s all really. Tired of being in the job I am in and would love to go and get a degree? Anybody else done this with young children?

Yes and a lot of people on my course were 30+ with small children.

What is it you are planning to study?

Probably not, but what subject are you doing and how much free time will you actually have?

Nursing..I am going to give up my job to do it so I have the time, also waiting for youngest to start full time school in September

I started a PhD at 39 and now have students in their 50s. Go for it!

You're either going to be in the same place you are now in 3 years. Or almost graduating to start your career.

It's never too late. Go for it. You only get one life OP.

I went to uni at 36.

You'll be fine with nursing! Half my cohort were mature students and I would say half of them were over 30

I'm 34 and in year 3 of 6 of an OU degree. There is at least 30 years of working life ahead you are far too young not to aim for better things.

I'm always banging on about education for women on here so of course, go for it!

'Education is wasted on the young' as one of my lecturers used to say. Go for it OP although, I think, nursing is likely to be particularly arduous if you have children too? Others will know better than I but definitely go for further study, it will be a great benefit to you. Good luck.

No too old. I'm 24 and starting a course in college this year so I can start nursing degree next year which will take another 4 years. I'll be 30 by the time I graduate, my DD will be 8 by that time too.

Never to late to do a degree

If you have the time and money, it's not too old, when I was a student there was the odd in every sense of the word mature student knocking around.

(Not all of them were odd. Just the one who disappeared for a year, because he was in prison for assaulting a police officer, and another one who kept asking "is that a cat?" when the lecturer was drawing something on the whiteboard.)

I started around that age and am now graduating 10 years later. But I managed to apply what I was learning directly to my job and so my skills directly helped me to gain promotions & eventually buy a business. For Nursing I think you should only go for it if you can get the work experience too.

I'm doing one aged 38. Will qualify at 41.
Still working full time. It's hard going, but I'm making it work.

When I was considering taking on part-time study to gain a degree, I mused that I would be forty before I graduated (five years because spread out so that I could continue the day job). A dear friend pointed out that I'd be forty in five year's time anyway! Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
It does need stamina and organisation though; some of my essays were definitely, "Do you want it good, or do you want it Wednesday?"

Samantha312, you may have missed the ‘Mature Study and Retraining’ board, here:

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/mature_students

Enjoy!

It's not your age that is the question, more your time management, and whether you can fit it in, look after your child (or get childcare) and afford to do it all.

If you can, it's NEVER too late. It might not be as easy as if you went to uni childfree at 18, but you will be glad you made it happen when you're in your new job with your degree :).

I'd make sure you're doing a degree that will realistically lead to a job, though. So many graduates struggle to find work.

Do you not think nursing/midwifery is a good idea then?

I started mine at 30 and got a first.
My friend started a nursing degree at 39, completed it in the standard time period, and now works as a qualified nurse. She had a young daughter with SEN at the time, no partner, but some childcare help from her parents.
My other friend did a midwifery degree in her 30s with three small children. Partner took over the childcare.
It’s definitely achievable.

The time will pass whether you do the course or not so the question is really where you want to be in 3 years time.

It was for pleasure rather than for a career but the oldest person on my course at uni was 71 when he started. We all loved him, he was like the course grampa (and worked harder than the rest of us).

Looking around me, (socially, and at a Uni I work with - I’m not a HCP) I think 32 is almost an average age to start a nursing degree. There seem to be large numbers of nature entrants to nursing.

I wonder if there are stats for that anywhere?

It’s certainly a versatile career with a decent pension. I’d be happy if one of my DC went into nursing.

I teach on a nursing degree course and a very high percentage of our students are 30s or older and have young kids.

The ones without family help are the ones that struggle as it can be tough finding childcare for placement times etc…

You’re definitely not too old though! Good luck!

The thing I have only recently considered especially since having the kids is my husband could leave at any point..in which case I would be F***..I need to know I will be able to manage without him as I don’t like the vulnerability even though I earn a decent wage.I would have more potential with a degree

You posted yesterday saying your husband had temporarily moved out, that you can't afford more childcare etc.

Being a student at 32 is fine. Being a student doing a degree that will require a lot of flexibility with an unsupportive husband who already resents paying all the bills is a massive risk.