@Engineer80 Thank you for sharing your experience! I suppose you’re right that not all, or even most, PhDs will necessarily be doing cutting edge work. I hope that being in a field that itself is regarded as cutting edge will help, but I’ll keep in mind that it’s no guarantee.
@boneh3ad I appreciate the encouraging words, glad to know I’m not crazy for considering this. Like you and @Engineer80 said, the opportunity cost and the idea of going back to a stipend are the biggest issues in the con column. I guess I have to weigh the time and money lost against the satisfaction and opportunities over the course of the rest of my life/career.
Which, like @juillet said, comes back to the fact that it’s all about trade-offs. Also, I hadn’t thought about the possibility of starting a PhD, and leaving after a couple years if it seems like it was the wrong choice. Obviously, this would be a worst-case, but it is an out should I need one. Glad I come off as “level-headed” by the way–sometimes, I don’t always feel like it!
Comments about the age and family thing are also good to hear. @boneh3ad Come to think of it, I knew of a couple PhD students who got married and had kids in grad school, as well. Nice to know this isn’t necessarily uncommon or unheard of. @juillet Also nice to hear about the ages.
Thank you all for the advice and encouragement! It’s given me some things to think about.