I'm doing a second degree.... :/

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   ryankettposted 13 years ago

   I made a big decision recently, and that was to undertake some further studies.
   
   I got a first class honours in Property, and thought long and hard about pursing a Masters degree in a Real Estate related area. Ultimately, I wasn't too interested.
   
   I made a big decision recently, and that was to apply for a course in Online Communications. Basically, it covers anything and everything online. I'm not going to give the exact title of my course, for want of a little anonymousy.
   
   I'm going it part-time, starting in September, whilst juggling my full-time job and hubpages. It is going to take me 4 or 5 years, taking me up to 30 years old.
   
   Am I insane? I have a strong desire to gain a BSc (Hons) First Class and a BA (Hons) First Class, that is probably a slight ego thing, but primarily I really want to study this new subject. I already have the former.
   
   The ultimate aim is to grow my earnings to a level which allow me to sustain myself whilst studying without a full time job getting in the way.
   
   At the end of it, at the age of 30, I will probably pursue a masters degree in something related to either one of my degrees. Is 30 too old? Am I crazy? I consider myself to be a bit of a free spirit, a bit of a libertine, certainly a mercenary or a journeyman.
   
   I don't want to get to 30, looking back, thinking what the hell have I done for the past 5 years. For that reason, I am going to write a book on the very subject that I study. In otherwords, I am going to compress my whole degree into one book, one which I would seriously seek publication of through reputable organisations.
   
   Aaaarrggghhh.... life doesn't get any easier does it?

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   Daniel Carterposted 13 years ago

   My friend, I'm 54, new grandfather, wrote religious music for 30 years, and am reinventing myself as nonreligious with no past regrets. All those things I did were for good reasons. They added to me and others in betterment.
   
   Too old?
   
   Celebrities have their 15 minutes of fame and fortune and as soon as the headline changes and another new face comes to the lime-light, their viability is often gone in an instant.
   
   Adapt and reinvent, or die.
   
   I wasn't taught this by a religion or the goodness of people, I was taught it by life. Over and over again. I think your plan is sound. You are working on financial stability and independence while you increase your viability in anything/everything you pursue.
   
   I say it's a good plan. Your work and rational mind are very sound, in my estimation.

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      ryankettposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Thank you Daniel for your kind words.
      
      I think that I have come to the conclusion that right now I haven't really got anything to lose, whilst there will probably be lots to gain. Even if the only thing that I gain is enjoyment, that would be enough.

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   Sufidreamerposted 13 years ago

   Not too old, mate - face it, with pensions going the way they are, you are going to be working until you are at least 80 years old!
   
   On a serious note, I only started writing for a living 3 years ago, at the age of 33 - you still have plenty of juice in the tank for a career change. Just be careful of burnout - otherwise, it sounds like you are finding what you want to do in life rather than what you think you should do.
   
   I am pretty sure that you will do just fine

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      ryankettposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Yeah those damn pensions, I still pay into them though. A financial advisor friend of mine (no vested interest), once responded (when mentioning the poor performance of pensions) "those who have a retirement plan will be wealthier than those who do not, that is a given". Not exactly rocket science, and he didn't need his long list of qualifications to come out with that one liner, but it worked for me

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   frogdroppingposted 13 years ago

   Great idea Ryan and no ... you're not too old. You appear to have thought long and hard about this, due consideration and all that so go for it!
   
   My husband is starting an MBA after Christmas and he's my age. My sister is on with her Masters at 35.
   
   You have a fantastic attitude regarding your future prospects and I can't fault your application to improving on what you've already gained.
   
   You go ... go go go!

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      ryankettposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Thank you frogdropping, that helps a lot. I have also factored in the recession, there isn't exactly going to be big bucks to be found easily over the next few years... hopefully in 5 years I will come out into a fast growing economic environment... otherwise, what do I really lose? I don't have a 'career', I have a basic admin job, its not like I can't get another one of those is it?

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         frogdroppingposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         
         
         See what I mean? You've thought it through. Maybe it's a quote you've used in one of your hubs but the old chestnut ... 'fail to prepare, prepare to fail' is a great yardstick.
         
         I'd love to return to study, even now at 42. But - my husband will achieve far more and reach a lot higher, and deserves the opportunity. Plus I have a bunch of qualifications already so it's his turn. And one of us needs to work
         
         All I can say (further) is well done you. I wish you all the very best for your future.

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   Daniel Carterposted 13 years ago

   P.S. Crazy? You?
   Why, of course.
   Welcome to reality....
   

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   skyfireposted 13 years ago

   Is 30 too old ? No. In next five years i'm going to be 30, so Big NO.  And i'm planning for M.Tech (AI) after 30, So again NO it's not too Old.  x(
   
   You're never too old or young when it comes to education. All the best for Msc.

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      ryankettposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Thank you for that, I guess it just feels like we all get old quickly, but then I suppose at 40 I wouldn't even be anywhere near halfway through my working life...

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   Richieb799posted 13 years ago

   What's your full time job doing mate? I think I remember you saying you were doing magazine editing at one point.

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      ryankettposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      No don't think I said that
      
      If I was, I would probably be blissfully happy
      
      I once offered myself for free to any editors of print magazines, after the mag I was contributing to folded, maybe that is what you are confusing it with?
      
      At current I am working in an office, in a mundane job, with far too much false pressure in return for very little money.
      
      I can handle the little money bit, but not the mundane part of the equation.

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         Richieb799posted 13 years agoin reply to this

         Ah yes thats right, I think it was editing I got mixed up with.
         
         As far as the office job, I know what you mean because Im in the same boat..and i have a degree too

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   girly_girl09posted 13 years ago

   The love of learning could keep me in school forever. As long as you want to do it, why let anything stop you?
   
   I would be leery about getting a degree just for financial purposes. It sounds like you love what you do, so it is probably worth it! Just make sure you can afford it and that you have the time for it. It sounds like you can do both?
   
   My aunt spent almost 20 years going to college - I'm serious! She has a ton of degrees, and tried out many different majors. She's loves her current job, although it wouldn't surprise me if she aims for another degree.
   
   Some people just love to learn and constantly crave new challenges via education. If you have that drive, embrace it.

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      ryankettposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      It is education which drives me on, challenging and stretching myself to be precise, my last degree took me to a whole new level of confidence and maturity. I just have a feeling that another could do the same.
      
      If my decision was to be made purely on financial motives, I would be doing a masters degree. But that would be selling myself out. Without meaning to sound arrogant, I know precisely what job I could take right now for some very good money. But I don't want to take that job, it would also bring me 60 hours of misery per week for 48 of the 52 weeks in a year.
      
      So no, my reasons are not purely financial. It does have an ultimate objective of allowing me to further myself in an area which I enjoy, which will bring financial dividends, but that is an afterthought.
      
      I got my last First Class degree for the wrong reasons, and that was to prove some people wrong. I want to do another to prove some stuff to myself, effectively saying f' it to the other people.....

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      ryankettposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Oh and I forgot, yes I can afford it Already budgeted for...

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   seanorjohnposted 13 years ago

   Too old at 30? Has the world gone mad? I am 55 and haven't even begun my journey towards my future brilliant career.
   Best of luck for the future YOUNG MAN.

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    livewithrichardposted 13 years ago

    Why stop at the Master's level? Go for the Doctorate then you can teach. Basically what you are doing now but with a set income and benefits.

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    liljen23posted 13 years ago

    Ryan, you are never too old to do something you want to do.. I remember when I went to a college on ground and there was a 70 year old attending college!! I talked to him for a bit and he said, You probably think I am too old to get a degree, huh? I said well it is really up to and what you want to achieve. He said well I want to pursue this dream now and it least said I did it. If I don't achieve it, at least I can say I tried.. So, I figured it doesn't matter what age, at least you are trying to do something positive in your life that will bring you joy while doing so.. In the next 5 years, I will be 30 myself and I have a whole lot of dreams as far as criminal justice and writing.. I just feel proud of myself that I have goals for the next 5 years.. So, Ryan go for it and don't look for it.. Don't regret anything and strive for the best.. You never know where it will lead you to.. It can be something GRAND!!
    
    Jennifer

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    myownworldposted 13 years ago

    It's a wonderful idea Ryan! Anything is better than waking up one day with regret that you didn't do all the things in life you could've done.... or that you had a chance to improve on it and failed to do so.
    
    With me, I did just the opposite: I actually fast forwarded all my life even before I reached 30 - my Masters degree in english literature, marriage, children, work, so that it seemed I had already 'set' myself in a mould. And here I am now... trying to break free from it... starting my second degree in psychology... a completely new field altogether! And yet, every day I meet people in their 40's even who are making a a career change and discovering who they are...and what they really want from life.
    
    I always felt someone like you was too brilliant to be confined to just this place... (not to take anything from HP) but seriously... studying is one of the best experiences ever... and it'll open up avenues before you such as u never imagined before. Best of luck

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    Lifeallstar1posted 13 years ago

    I think you should go for it!! You obviously have the drive and the will. I feel you have answered your own question. You can only gain experience and become more educated in more ways than one by doing so. I think it's an excellent choice and age 30 is not too old! I will not be done with all my studies until close to then. I'm only 19 now, with many road blocks, but I will not stop. The earliest I could be finished is in 8 years but I'm prepared for it taking longer. You can never do enough to better your life, and test your abilities.
    
    I see many people much older just starting out and I say good for them! Maybe they didn't have the opportunity before but they never gave up. You are an inspiration to many to want to further your education. Let me ask you this, what would be the down side?? You seem to be extremely bright and the worst that can happen is that you do not finish your goal. Actually, the worst that could happen is not even try when you have the opportunity.
    
    The old saying "where there's a will, there's a way" I have learned is very true. People might look at me and say, "what does she know, she has only written 3 hubs" (which is true) but they do not know my life, my struggles, what else I am doing and accomplishing. I do the best I can do and if people can appreciate that then great, if not, that's fine too. I know who I am and that I try my best which is all that matters. You should definitely try your best and go for it! That's my opinion.

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    jenblacksheepposted 13 years ago

    I'm starting a Masters in September, because I can't get a job and it seemed like a good way to pass the time until the economy picks up, and because I like learning new things. When I went for a meeting with one of the tutors he basically told me that I was a bit young (well, inexperienced) for the Masters. The people that apply for my Masters are generally people who are already professional but want to further their career. I'm doing it a bit backwards.
    
    I think being older is probably a benefit, and having the experience of studying a degree before, you know what to expect etc. I know so many people who didn't really know what they wanted to do when they applied for their degrees at 17/18 but have gone on to study something they have decided they really a career in.
    
    Even if you just get enjoyment from it then it hasn't been a waste of time. Good Luck!!!

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    thisisoliposted 13 years ago

    I say go for it!

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    IzzyMposted 13 years ago

    Know something Ryan? When I wanted to change careers at 21, I thought I was too old. When I fell pregnant with twins at 35, I thought I was too old. When I had my last child at 38, I thought I was too old.
    Then I did a year's full time college course in computing when I was 42/43 and thought I was too old.
    I didn't go on to university because I had young children that needed me, and the university I would have had to go to was a lot further away than the college,and dropping them off at school before I left wasn't possible within the time frame.
    Looking back, I was a baby myself.
    Honestly the years fly by so fast, I don't feel any older inside, and looking back I wish I'd done a lot more and to Hell with the finances or whatever it was that held me back.
    Life's too short. Do what you want to do with this life, and if you're not sure what you want, keep studying and learning until you do.
    Then you'll be in a position to deal with it.
    Good luck with this next course!

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       seanorjohnposted 13 years agoin reply to this

       Great advice Izzym.I think this will clinch it for Ryank.

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    alternate poetposted 13 years ago

    Too old ! !! ! !   don't be childish     I got my degree five years ago at 57 years old - and we are planning to get married next year and just one kid the year after that, while she is still under 30.

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    SomewayOuttaHereposted 13 years ago

    ..i'll add my 2 cents...returned to school again at 35 and became an accountant by the time i was 40....the time flew by....and now I work in the charitable sector, but my designation comes in handy.....these days I keep toying with a degree in horticulture...just have to figure out the time and balance while working full-time to do it...without completely exhausting myself.  I'm thinking of it only for interest purposes; not as a career change.
    
    Friend of mine has too many degrees and won't tell me the truth about how much education she has...she's embarrassed...why? I don't know.....
    
    Here in Canada...(I think) university is free when you reach 65...so....I'll be studying something again then too I'm sure....if the opportunity is still there.
    
    I only stopped studying and reading text books about 5 years ago...all of it business related....got tired of it...but now I want to get back into the study mode again....but something that is fun - horticulture sounds fun to me....I know I sound boring...but it's an interest....or something artistically relevant.
    
    When I hire people and read the resumes, I'm just amazed at the education some people have and career changes they've made.

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    Randy Godwinposted 13 years ago

    Yep, you are too old!  Give up and party down, Ryan!  Besides, it's all going to end December of 2012!  LOL!

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    Money Glitchposted 13 years ago

    Go for it Ryan!  You're only as old as you feel! Once read that learning new things exercises the brain and keeps it young.
    
    When I was finishing my Masters, there was an 89 year old grandmother that graduated the semester before. 
    
    Besides now that everyone is living longer, 30 is said to be the "new 20 year olds."

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    rmcrayneposted 13 years ago

    Ryan, whatever limits you may perceive, don’t let age be one of them! 
    
    I went to tech school right out of high school and was an x-ray tech.  Never really liked it, but liked the medical field.  I was 28 when I graduated with my BS in Occupational Therapy.  I joined the Air Force a year and a half later, weeks before I turned 30.  The Air Force paid for my master’s in pediatric OT, which I completed just before I turned 40.  I retired a year and a half ago, just before I turned 50.  Ryan, I started a 20 year military career at age 30!!  And now I’m on to another chapter in my life. 
    
    Recently someone who knows me pretty well said, “Rose Mary, maybe you’re not an OT anymore.  Maybe for the next chapter of your life, the next 20 years or so, you’re a writer and a teacher.”  She may be right.  But on my way there, I can still work as an OT, as many or as few hours as I need to for paying the bills.  And this is okay, because I will always love OT and being a therapist. 
    
    For many of us, it is just our nature to always be searching, growing, evolving.

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    Teresa McGurkposted 13 years ago

    Well, Ryan, I wouldn't worry about whether you get a first or not. Like (nearly) everyone else here, I'm a great believer in education. 
    
    Oh, and I'm going to law school this year.  I'm 51.

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    Spacey Graceyposted 13 years ago

    Go Ryan! I am so interested in what it will be like for you. I have a BSc in Business Management and I'm 29. I really seriously considered re-starting my academic career with an online-marketing qualification but decided that with two small boys I could afford neither the time nor the money. I thought I'd have a go at teaching it to myself instead. 6 months in I am pretty impressed at what I have learnt.
    
    Do you think the course will teach you something new, or just give you credit for what you already know?
    
    I will be watching with interest as one day I might do it myself. I would definitely buy your book .

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    psycheskinnerposted 13 years ago

    If you already have a bachelors and honors couldn't you cross-credit most of the courses and get to the masters level quicker? Personally one bachelors was more than enough for me, I found the later degrees far more interesting and specialised.

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    vmarkerposted 13 years ago

    Sometimes the biggest decisions are difficult to make in the beginning... and even more difficult to execute once you have made them.  But the best thing for you is not always going to be the easiest thing.  High risk, high rewards kind of thing.

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    LaMamaLoliposted 13 years ago

    too old??? too OLD? are u kidding me??? GO FOR IT!!!

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