swimcatsmom15816 replies346 discussionsRegistered UserPosts: 16,162Senior Member
I went back in my mid 50s and graduated with my bachelor's a couple of days after I turned 60. I had been an accountant back in England but back then you did not need a degree but instead did your training while you worked and took the exams for the accounting association you were in. I was half way through when we moved to Egypt and I never finished. When I wanted to work I was told I needed to get my GED to answer phones at a call center - well I got it but enjoyed the prep classes (I had forgotten most algebra since school!) So much that I decided to go back and get my degree. Enjoyed it a lot and graduated with a 4.0 despite having to take some incompletes at the end of one semester when my H was diagnosed with cancer (it was nearly a year later when I took this exams!). When I re retire I plan to take some more classes. Never too late - I would never try and talk someone out of it!
techmom993386 replies6 discussionsRegistered UserPosts: 3,392Senior Member
Our local CC offers some classes that you can audit for free at age 60. I want to take classes like chemistry that I avoided in HS and college because I didn't want to destroy my GPA for going to law school. I studied honors chem with S17 and found that I enjoyed it. I have a JD so I don't need any further degrees, but I would like to learn for the sake of it without being concerned about my grades.
surfcity2478 replies59 discussionsRegistered UserPosts: 2,537Senior Member
Nope...Ive learned far more during self study, youtube, and google than any class. (Labs excluded)
Is that what you would advise a HS student? that Google and YouTube can replace formal education?
Apples and oranges to me. Kudos to everyone back in the classroom! I would love to join you - when I see the course catalog for D's school I am very jealous! My job is very satisfying now and fulfills some of the need I think education would. But I would go back in a heartbeat!
HImom33942 replies387 discussionsRegistered UserPosts: 34,329Senior Member
I downloaded the iPhone app for Spanish on Duolingo (free) and am renewing my acquaintance with the language which I took in HS & college. It's easy and you can do it at your own pace. It has helped me, tho I'm still NOT fluent.
veruca1304 replies91 discussionsRegistered UserPosts: 1,395Senior Member
I wound up dropping one class but I made As in the other two. I have really enjoyed being back at school -It was a good distraction from my empty nest.
I would like to mention this to anyone young or old going back to Vo-tech- check and see what the average GPA is for what ever program you are interested in. I assumed vo-tech would not be competitive, but it is. At least for the allied health programs and I think some of the other programs as well. I learned that the program I am interested in has 150 applicants for 20 slots and I understand most of the Allied health (radiology tech, sonography, OT assistant etc...) are similar.
HImom33942 replies387 discussionsRegistered UserPosts: 34,329Senior Member
edited December 2017
There’s Rosetta Stone and other programs as well. Our neighbor taught himself so well on some old programs that he could conduct business in Mandarin! He has my greatest respect as that’s not something my kids could do even by taking classes for several years. Their pronunciation and tones were good but they just found it very difficult.
JHS18299 replies70 discussionsRegistered UserPosts: 18,369Senior Member
My mother started a PhD program when she was in her early 50s. Her youngest child was still in college. She had been a high school teacher for almost 30 years at that point. She had gotten an MA in English Lit on a part-time basis while I was in college. Then she had been a finalist in a process to appoint a new Head of School at the private school where she taught, and the board ultimately chose the other candidate who was pretty much her opposite in every respect. She lasted one semester under his regime before handing in her resignation. After some negotiating around, she started a PhD program in Philosophy of Education.
It took her almost 10 years to finish, in part because she designed a course that became a huge hit at her university, and all of a sudden she had a full-time job again teaching 500 students per semester and supervising an army of TAs. Finally, though, the administration told her she couldn't keep doing that if she didn't finish her degree. She made a colossal push, and got it done a few months shy of her 62nd birthday. I was so proud of her!
She continued to run her course for another 11 years, until Parkinson's Disease forced her to turn it over to a successor.
Lizardly2486 replies11 discussionsRegistered UserPosts: 2,497Senior Member
Somehow I missed this thread. I am playing with the idea of going back to school to get a masters, in the meantime taking courses to get ready, like how to do research type courses.
I am attending a large, local public U that has a diverse student body. There are kids just out of high school and old folks like me. Lots of vets and retired military looking for a career change at this school. A good number of students who are putting themselves through school and so are not on the four year plan. The most intimating part has been the tech. The young students have no problem with it while I have to call my kids for help. But I am better organized and not tempted by parties. I also struggle with how much to reveal about myself and my background. I do feel very different from the other students: older, better educated, better off. I have been THE oldest person in my classes despite the presence of retired military. I am older than the professors. The age part doesn't bother me per se, but the stuff that comes with it, like having seen more of the world, I feel like I have to be discrete about.(An example: chit chatting with fellow students on a group project we were talking about what we were doing over a long weekend. They were going to various parties. I was flying to Hawaii. I didn't mention that.) I am trying to fit in!
I have done well so far and am having a blast.Why didn't I start taking classes years ago? I am worried about this coming semester and possible parent health problems causing me to have to drop a class.
BunsenBurner38410 replies465 discussionsRegistered UserPosts: 38,875Senior Member
Lizardly - that is about how I felt when I was going through my program. The tech did not scare me, but some other issues did. For example, I don't type as fast as the youngsters, but there was no way in hell I would handwrite my exams. I managed to type 6-7 pages in the time the fastest of them cobbled up 13! But the profs apparently liked brevity and quality over quantity, so my exams were consistently in the top pile. Go for the degree - you will not regret it.
Replies to: Parents going back to college
Is that what you would advise a HS student? that Google and YouTube can replace formal education?
Apples and oranges to me. Kudos to everyone back in the classroom! I would love to join you - when I see the course catalog for D's school I am very jealous! My job is very satisfying now and fulfills some of the need I think education would. But I would go back in a heartbeat!
I would like to mention this to anyone young or old going back to Vo-tech- check and see what the average GPA is for what ever program you are interested in. I assumed vo-tech would not be competitive, but it is. At least for the allied health programs and I think some of the other programs as well. I learned that the program I am interested in has 150 applicants for 20 slots and I understand most of the Allied health (radiology tech, sonography, OT assistant etc...) are similar.
It took her almost 10 years to finish, in part because she designed a course that became a huge hit at her university, and all of a sudden she had a full-time job again teaching 500 students per semester and supervising an army of TAs. Finally, though, the administration told her she couldn't keep doing that if she didn't finish her degree. She made a colossal push, and got it done a few months shy of her 62nd birthday. I was so proud of her!
She continued to run her course for another 11 years, until Parkinson's Disease forced her to turn it over to a successor.
Now I have to figure out how to go to her graduation in May!
I am attending a large, local public U that has a diverse student body. There are kids just out of high school and old folks like me. Lots of vets and retired military looking for a career change at this school. A good number of students who are putting themselves through school and so are not on the four year plan. The most intimating part has been the tech. The young students have no problem with it while I have to call my kids for help. But I am better organized and not tempted by parties. I also struggle with how much to reveal about myself and my background. I do feel very different from the other students: older, better educated, better off. I have been THE oldest person in my classes despite the presence of retired military. I am older than the professors. The age part doesn't bother me per se, but the stuff that comes with it, like having seen more of the world, I feel like I have to be discrete about.(An example: chit chatting with fellow students on a group project we were talking about what we were doing over a long weekend. They were going to various parties. I was flying to Hawaii. I didn't mention that.) I am trying to fit in!
I have done well so far and am having a blast.Why didn't I start taking classes years ago? I am worried about this coming semester and possible parent health problems causing me to have to drop a class.