Advice: Going back to school, in your 30's

[bigtmac19]

Originally Posted by MattyC

As a relatively new university student. Don't be the older guy who always speaks up in class from "Life experience". Everyone hates that guy

Ha Ha, I've heard a few stories about people like this from my son's girlfriend. She hates those people too.

[Sainters7]

Originally Posted by MattyC

As a relatively new university student. Don't be the older guy who always speaks up in class from "Life experience". Everyone hates that guy

Haha why is there always one of these? I once had a woman in my class where every single lesson somehow reminded her of one of her kids and she had a story for. It got to the point where me and my buddy in the back of the room made up a fictional friend for a while that everything reminded us of. I hope she picked up what we were layin down.

On a side note, I chose to go back to school as well(although I was 24, I'm finishing up next year). Sometimes I felt old(especially in those first year classes with the kids straight out of HS), but for the most part I've loved it. Best decision I ever made. Had I not done it and stayed in my original career, I'm convinced I'd be doing the weather in Indian Head, Saskatchewan right now.

[killer_carlson]

I was coming in this thread to say the exact same thing about the older "know it all".

Resist the urge.

Do not ever ask a hypothetical that begins with "what if"; AND
Do not ever start a "contribution" that could be started with "and one time, at ____"

[Buff]

Originally Posted by MattyC

As a relatively new university student. Don't be the older guy who always speaks up in class from "Life experience". Everyone hates that guy

Ha ha! We had a girl like that in our class when I was taking Business. She started nearly every comment with "Well, when I was a manager...".

[troutman]

Now, that's what I call marine biology! - Thornton Melon

[RougeUnderoos]

I don't know why everyone is hacking on "the older guy". They can be helpful.

This one time I was in a class (college) and the guest speaker was a female news anchor from a local television station. "The older guy", who commented or argued about absolutely everything, said "I hope you don't mind me saying so, but you look a lot better on TV".

[Dion]

A good friend of mine went back to University in his mid 30's. Decided he wanted a career in electrical engineering. He did quite well and graduated with honors.

The downside for him was a loss of 5 years of earning potential. In the end he made more than triple the money he was making in his old job. More to the point he's now doing something he enjoys.

[automaton 3]

Originally Posted by 4X4

Blargh! Reminds me of a guy that was in a land development course I took a couple months ago. No idea why he was there; all he did was interrupt the teacher and tell him "in reality, blah blah blah" Or "Not always... Sometimes this or that can happen..."[/rant]

Anyway, as for going back to school in your 30s, I've found that my brain doesn't absorb things the way it used to. Seems like I just learn stuff long enough to pass tests. But that's ok because it has taught me to reference my textbooks and to write alot of notes and specific page numbers on the table of contents page to lead me back to that one fact that I want to reference.
For some reason, I was always afraid to write in textbooks. Nowadays, I don't even bring a notebook. All my notes go in the margins of the texbooks.

Back then you were probably banking on selling your textbooks for beer money and the inevitable end of year partying.

[bcb]

I have my B.Sc in Biology from U of C.

Good for you for going back!
Be aware though, that you will encounter math at some points in the four years. It's pretty standard in B.Sc programs to have two math courses (calculus or linear algebra). Organic Chem and General Chem both have math. (You'll be required to have at least 3 chem courses and Biochem also has math. That's all in the first two years.

I did my first two years at MRC and then transferred to U of C. The thing is, U of C is great in 3rd and 4th years; however, the first twp years are incredibly weed-outish with impersonal professors and mediocre teaching at best. If you can, I would suggest MRC the first two years.

The nice thing is that 4th year bio classes are often run seminar-style, with 10-20 people in each class.

[Thor]

Thanks bcb, I'm planning to go the MRC 2yrs then head over to the U of C route.

I'll have to work harder on Math than anything else but we have a good friend who's a math teacher and she can tutor us on any sticking points we have.

Just curious did you continue on after your Bsc to any specialty, and if so/or if not what are you working as today?

[stuck_in_chuk]

I went back to school in my mid-30's. Best decision I could have made. I now have a job that I love and work with people who I like, which was certainly not the case prior to (or during) my re-education.

I found it easier - being at a different stage of life, I did not party as much as before, and being married I was not chasing women. I was still able to hold down a part-time job. I was also more committed to my studies as I was doing something that I wanted (and my life experience had taught me what I did not want to do with my life).

[Rathji]

I went back when I was 30. I also took Math 30 before hand and am so glad I did because over 50% of it was totally new material.

I will admit that sometimes I think I come across as 'that guy' but only because I ask questions. 4X4 is totally right, it is hard to process this much new information as you get older. I deal with that by asking questions to clarify the material as it is being taught.

[henriksedin33]

Originally Posted by Buff

Ha ha! We had a girl like that in our class when I was taking Business. She started nearly every comment with "Well, when I was a manager...".

Anyone else notice how these know it alls only seem to be found in lower-level courses? At least in my experience, the only ones I can remember were all in ridiculously easy first year classes (which I'm sure also contributed to making them feel smarter than they actually were). They generally don't seem to make it too far...

Prove me wrong OP, prove me wrong.

[bcb]

Originally Posted by Thor

Thanks bcb, I'm planning to go the MRC 2yrs then head over to the U of C route.

I'll have to work harder on Math than anything else but we have a good friend who's a math teacher and she can tutor us on any sticking points we have.

Just curious did you continue on after your Bsc to any specialty, and if so/or if not what are you working as today?

I "unofficially majored" in botany and zoology with an "unofficial minor" in history.

I went on to do my B.Ed and am currently a high school science teacher.

But, there are plenty of field-related science jobs out there. With all the focus on climate, how can there not be?

You can also register as a "professional biologist" with ASPB, which is kind of cool.

[bcb]

And I also retook math 30 after high school

[eddly]

I enjoyed the classes where there was actual class discussion the most. Find a balance, don't talk just for the sake of talking, but don't think you have to be a mute. Be "that guy" if that is how you need to learn. Do whatever you want, at the end of the day you need to get what you want out of it.

As far as Sciences go, I came close to finishing a degree in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry. About 5 classes away to be exact. I just found that while I had the passion to learn the material, I had no desire to find a job related to what I was studying. I switched to a Business degree with a concentration in accounting (probably sounds boring) and moved my Science credits into a MBB minor. It was an expensive change, but at the end of the day you have to enjoy your job.

By the time I finished school I was 29 (still am now actually). Sometimes I was the oldest in the class, but most of the time there were a few older. It isn't high school though and consequently no one really cares how old you are.

[NSFL]

Originally Posted by onetwo_threefour

Why what's wrong with that??

Let me tell you a little story. There was this guy in my history classes I liked to call Chatty Wanker. Because I swear to crap, he probably wouldn't be able to shut up while wanking either. God, he would derail class all the freaking time because he would pick some random point and decide to start arguing with the prof. We literally had to skip 300 years of history because we didn't have enough time to go through it. Near the end of the semester, you could tell the prof was just trying to ignore him. I hope sincerely that you aren't Chatty Wanker. *Is still angry after all this time*

[onetwo_threefour]

Originally Posted by NSFL

Let me tell you a little story. There was this guy in my history classes I liked to call Chatty Wanker. Because I swear to crap, he probably wouldn't be able to shut up while wanking either. God, he would derail class all the freaking time because he would pick some random point and decide to start arguing with the prof. We literally had to skip 300 years of history because we didn't have enough time to go through it. Near the end of the semester, you could tell the prof was just trying to ignore him. I hope sincerely that you aren't Chatty Wanker. *Is still angry after all this time*

Nah, I was kidding. I was pretty high on class participation, but never to carry on a conversation or challenge what we were being taught. (well except maybe a couple of times at MRC when the teacher would get basic facts wrong). I was more the type to hang out with philosophy profs at the pub to have discussions about tthe more intellectually stimulating topics.

[John Doe]

Best of luck. I went back in my mid 20's (a long time ago) and it was the best thing I could have done. I wasn't mature enough to have gone straight out of high school, and would have failed out within the first few years (it would have been fun, though). I even came out of it with a wife, so be careful!

As for being the guy who argues with the prof, don't worry about it. I know those guys are annoying (note: I wasn't one of them) but if you have a question or don't understand a concept, don't be afraid to ask, especially in math courses. You can do it after class, but sometimes it is something small that you are missing that will keep you from understand the concepts being taught that day. Remember, you are paying the school a lot of money for an education. Make sure you get your money's worth.

[DESS]

I think going back in your mid 30s is a terrible idea, unless of course you have rich parents that can subsidize your schooling costs, your life while in school, and the years after school as you struggle with earning a starting salary at 40ish. And this would also presuppose you would be willing to take their money even though you are an adult, which is a tad unmanly, IMO. (much like using the word "tad" is unmanly, lol)

If you do not have rich parents, here is the bigger problem. School should be looked at as an investment. Your career is likely not going to earn you enough money to give you a payoff on your investment. Say you work until you're 55 or 60...that's only 15-20 years of work after your degree. You're going to have to do a calculation kind of like this to see if this is worthwhile:

ROI = [what you can realistically make with the degree over course of your career after you graduate - what you would realistically make had you not earned a degree over the same time period] - [(cost of education including living expenses, tuition, books, etc.) + (loss of salary calculated at approximately your current rate for the four years you're in school) + (interest on any loans you may need to finance your education)]

I hope that makes sense, but my point is from a purely financial perspective, this is likely a very bad idea in that you're going to end up with a negative return on investment, particularly because you're exploring a career that isn't going to be very lucrative.

If you have rich parents and don't mind sucking on their teet at 35, however, go nuts and good luck!