Whether or not it is "realistic" for a Baby Boomer to begin college (or other training) in order to start a new career is really a two-part question.

The first part of the question involves whether being over 50 means being too old to start school and complete the studies. It's never too late to get an education. There are people who "go for it" in their 70's and later.

As it is for students of any age, successfully completing school requires commitment, sacrifice, hard work, and energy to do that work; but being over 50 doesn't mean not having what it takes to get through school. To the contrary, the motivated older student can have more of what it takes to do well in school.

Although some people over 50 will say they have less energy than they once did, there are many, many, people that age who will tell you they have more. If most of us look around at different families we see that middle-aged parents and older grandparents often appear to have far more energy than teenagers or people in their twenties. Then, too, the middle-aged person who isn't happy in his work, and who may suffer lack of energy as a result of that unhappiness, may find returning to school is just what he needs.

Many mature people discover, too, that what didn't capture their interest years earlier may have become far more interesting as they matured.

One thing that could stop the mature person from beginning school could be the thought of the age he'll be upon completion of the program. The person who truly wants the education would have to consider that; and whether it should be the determining factor depends on the person and his situation.

The point is that, provided a person is motivated, it is never too old to get education or training. Many people decide to get more education later in life, but some are more interested in the education, itself, rather than the job it may get them once it's completed.

Part two of the question of how realistic it is for someone over 50 to start school in order to begin a new career is whether or not he will be able to find work. That may depend on the particular career/work.

The first step in determining the likelihood of finding work upon completion of the program should be to do research. Talk with plenty of people in the field. Talk with plenty of people with substantial and current experience in the human resources field as well. Depending on the work and how far a potential new graduate is willing to commute, focusing on talking to people in one's own geographical area and talking to people with a broad picture of the field itself would be wise. Others who may have knowledge in this area could be individuals involved with advising or placement assistance at the school, itself. Also, whether online or local, there may be advice from agencies/groups specializing in assisting mature people with career changes.

One thing to keep in mind when considering the chances of finding work in any field is whether it would be possible to "hang a shingle", and whether the prospective new professional has the personality and know-how to build his own business. Many professions lend themselves to hanging a shingle and not relying on the chances of being hired as an employee.

Something else to consider is whether the education could build on one's previous education/experience or whether past education/experience would "no longer apply". (While human resources experts will often advise people to make their past education and experience "apply", the reality can be that potential employers aren't interested in anything beyond what directly applies to any position.) There are times, however, when one's new training may enhance one's existing resume. For example, a writer who gets a degree in teaching may gain more credibility and credentials. A hairdresser who gets a degree in writing may find that's what he needed to write articles/books about becoming a hairdresser or hairdressing in general. The individual who already written about hairdressing may then find a move to writing about something like fashion a little easier (in terms of his own confidence and skill level, as well as his credibility in the eyes of future publishers).

Something else to consider is whether there is a shortage of professionals in the field in which one is interested. Another consideration is whether one has been unemployed for a substantial length of time. (The stay-at-home mother; who hasn't worked from the time the first of her four, well-spaced, children was born to the time the fourth one graduated highschool; may have a harder time getting hired than the laid-off engineer who gets a degree in teaching math.)

In making the decision about returning to school some Over-50's may think (at least for a moment) about the chances of developing a health condition in the near future. After all, as we get older we do get closer to the eventual development of some kind of health problem. Many people remain in good (or reasonably good) health well into old age. Others are not as fortunate. On the other hand, some 30-year-olds develop health problems too. The decision about starting training should not be based on trying to guess the chances of developing a health problem. It is perhaps around 50 that most of us become aware that health problems "are getting closer and closer", but most of us, too, usually find a way to realize that we are not entirely and that it doesn't make sense to begin planning for health problems at such an early age.

How realistic it is to return to school with the aim of finding a new career can depend very much on the person and the set of circumstances (both his personal circumstances and the general conditions of the job market in any particular field).

There are people who know, and have seen, that we can do anything we want to do if we put our minds to it. Then there are people who either never believed that to be true, or else who have learned that life can be more complicated than that.

Part of being over 50 is that we learn that both ways of thinking can be true at different times. What is always tricky - regardless of our age - is knowing when either of those ways of thinking will later prove to be correct.

In spite of having suggested asking others for opinions about making the choice to return to school; although I do maintain that's wise, there is a point where such a decision can only be made by the individual, himself. There will always be someone who will say, "It can't be done," and always someone else who will say, "You can do anything you put your mind to."

In the end, how realistic anything may be for any of us usually depends on how much we want something, how hard we are willing to work to get, how much risk we are willing/able to take; and how much courage and determination we have. Understanding the potential obstacles and figuring out ways to eliminate or go around them is also important.

Sometimes finding the right answer to a question like this one is to ask what it is that has led to asking the question in the first place; and from there, building a set of questions that will lead to the answer.