The unexamined life is not worth living.

--fantasm

A police officer with a law degree and then a bypass gone wrong. Very wrong.
Ironic init.

So Mont...

You a lawyer now?














Actually, I've considered going back to school to finish my degree, possibly even in criminal law. If I wasn't almost 40...

I know it's not my business, but I think you really should go back: almost 40 is nothing these days. We probably won't be retiring before about 67, and that means there's still a lot of time for you to have a second (or third) phase or your career.

I've heard you mention the almost 40 thing before and just don't understand why you see that as such an obstacle.

--fantasm

I agree with the lovely Fantasm here Dirtycopper. Although I'm from England and the education / job world is different, 40 years of age is not old. I work in Higher Education (hence I have no details for my profile), and I see lots of people of this age going through our system and the UK is far more ageist than the U.S. If you really want it, then go for it. All that Fantasm says about the rising working age means that at 40 you have 25 years plus in a new career ahead of you. I went back late and it took me in a direction I didn't expect

Thanks for the words of encouragement.

I know I want to do it, I just don't know if its feasible. I work full time, and with that and the extra care my wife needs due to her disability, there aren't always enough hours in the day to begin with.

Also I can't afford not to work, so...

I just don't see getting deeper in debt right now, and the only way I could go back to school would be student loans. It's not a matter of whether or not I want to, or that I'm to old, its just that at my age I have so many other responsibilities.

Plus, going to school, especially law school, would be a full time endeavor. Working full time and having a family life aren't conducive to maintaining a decent GPA.

Sometime reality bites, don't it?

What you say makes sense. But on the other side, you're clearly very, very smart. That will count a great deal in favor of your getting a GPA sufficient for admission to law school. And your grades in law school itself may not matter all that much. As for the cost, it makes sense to take out big student loans if you're likely to end up in a much more lucrative line of work.

Of course, if your current circumstances make going back to school simply impossible, that's another matter. I'd love to hear that it is feasible, but maybe for you it really just isn't.

--fantasm

It's not impossible Fantasm, but if I were to go back to school, it would put a larger burden on my wife. That's something I do my best to not have happen, so it's a barrier.

She encourages me to do it, that's not an issue. It's just that I don't want to make life any tougher on her.

I'm looking into starting class at the local community college this fall. They have opened a campus here in town now, and offer some online courses also. It's where I started my associates in criminal justice 15 years ago. I dropped out to attend the police academy. I called an advisor there a while back and she said I can pick up where i left off, so I'm going to complete that at the very least.

After that, we'll see.

Thanks for the encouragement though.

That sounds great!

--fantasm

Another thought is whether you can do it part-time? I am not sure how long your course will last, since you indicate that you have already done part of it. If you have 2 or 3 years left then you could take the long view and not put yourself under financial and emotional strain, since you may be able to get a part-time job and be able to look after your wife. Again - I have no idea how the American system is set up and so I may be well wide of the mark of what is possible. Four or five years may seem a long time but it soon goes.

Anyhow, good luck Dirtycopper

copper, one of my classmates in music school was in his 40's. he graduated at age 45 with a B.A. in Music Education

Alright already, I'll do it.














Just kidding. Thanks for the words of encouragement everyone.

only if you are smart enough to use that knowledge properly many educated people are knowledgeable in stupidity or lies they learned in a university.

Good Day

if you have a professor that was taught by a professor that was taught by a professor that was full of shit and was a no nothing............

what is the student of the most recent professor? besides the flouride problem

Good Day

Actually Forreal, if you want to get anywhere besides a basic entry level job anymore, or flipping burgers, unless you have a specialized skill set, you have to have at least a bachelors degree.

Hell, the food distribution company I work for won't accept my application for a supervisor job because I don't have one, yet they'll hire a 23 year old kid fresh in off the street and put him in charge of guys who've been doing the job for years. Some of the guys I work with have been there since they graduated high school, and know more about how to do the job than some kid that hasn't ever gotten his hands dirty doing any real work.

It doesn't matter anymore how good of a job you do, what matters is how good you look on paper.

So, if you want to get ahead, you've got to go back to school, or be satisfied just getting by the the rest of your life.

I'd love to go back to school....I just can't afford to

softcell, I thought the same thing, but you can get grants and student loans. I've discovered there are several programs specifically for adults who are returning to get/finish a degree.

Contact your local college's financial aid department, they can point you in the right direction.

Also, the company I work for will reimburse me 50% of any tuition cost once I receive my degree (associates or bachelors either one).

Knowledge is power, however it is never wise to give a chimpanzee a loaded gun

Going to school is hard at any stage in life. I have been on a step-wise program since high school. lol. However, I am finding this my most challenging degree yet. I work 40 hours a week, have two small children, and am working on Masters. (Thus the crack to join NN. haha.) No really, very very stressful. But if I can do it....anyone can. I am carrying a 4.0 GPA and the silly faculty keep trying to recruit me for the doctorates program. How much stamina do they think I have? ugh!

I'm not going to say it is easy (it's not), but when it is something you want, something you are passionate about or something you can't afford not to do--well we are powerful. Good luck, DC and softcell, you can do it.

I know it may sound trite for me to ask, "if you think you are too old to go back to school to complete the degree you want, Today...how much older will you be in five years if you DON'T get that degree than if you DO get it?"

With the advent of colleges and universities making themselves available online.......anyone with the desire and ambition to complete a degree can do so relatively easy. Not all online colleges are cheap..but, not all of them are expensive either. Just be careful not to fall into the trap of the non-accredited diploma mills. Regardless of what "some" school recruiters will tell you....accreditation DOES matter.

As for law schools....there are many reputable law schools who have extremely flexible schedule options. Evening programs, part time day programs, weekend programs.......just ask around. Beware though...the Bar Association doesn't fully accept online law degrees...however, some law schools are eligible to sit for the bar exam in California only. But, no states I am aware of have a reciprocal arrangement for law degrees that were earned online.

Financing a degree may require a bit of creativity and careful marketing of yourself...but there are lots of scholarships available for people who fit into unique demographic niche's. Also, you can check with your church, union, civic organizations such as Masons, Elks, Chamber of Commerce, etc, to see if there are funds available to assist students in your circumstances. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

Good Luck.


Good Luck