50-yr-old considering Master's degree - thoughts/advice?
I'll be turning 50 soon. Since my undergrad degree many, many years ago I've had a career in consulting and finance and am currently in a mid-senior role in the financial sector. In the last couple of years I've become a bit disengaged and demotivated. I'm in the very fortunate and privileged position of having the option to take an (unpaid) sabbatical and being able to afford to do this (and to pay university fees).
I'm considering taking a year-long break to do a Master's degree in a subject that interests me but is unrelated to my professional field (i.e. I'd be doing it not for career development, but purely for the enjoyment of studying and experiencing a new intellectual challenge).
I'd be really interested in hearing from any other older students on this forum who have done something similar. Did you enjoy/are you enjoying it? Did/does it feel weird to be twice as old as most of the other students (and probably older than a lot of the lecturers and professors)? Did/do you find it intellectually stimulating and challenging - especially if you've had an intellectually stimulating career?
I'd also be interested to hear people's thoughts on how universities might view a application from someone like me. How would they view an application where the motivation is purely interest in the course/research with no ambition to seek a career in a relevant field? How will they assess the value of my professional experience/skills in comparison to younger applicants with more recent/current academic experience?
I'd really welcome thoughts from both older and younger students. I'm excited about doing something different but also aware of the possibility that this is just a form of mid-life crisis that I'm going to end up regretting!
I'm considering taking a year-long break to do a Master's degree in a subject that interests me but is unrelated to my professional field (i.e. I'd be doing it not for career development, but purely for the enjoyment of studying and experiencing a new intellectual challenge).
I'd be really interested in hearing from any other older students on this forum who have done something similar. Did you enjoy/are you enjoying it? Did/does it feel weird to be twice as old as most of the other students (and probably older than a lot of the lecturers and professors)? Did/do you find it intellectually stimulating and challenging - especially if you've had an intellectually stimulating career?
I'd also be interested to hear people's thoughts on how universities might view a application from someone like me. How would they view an application where the motivation is purely interest in the course/research with no ambition to seek a career in a relevant field? How will they assess the value of my professional experience/skills in comparison to younger applicants with more recent/current academic experience?
I'd really welcome thoughts from both older and younger students. I'm excited about doing something different but also aware of the possibility that this is just a form of mid-life crisis that I'm going to end up regretting!
I recently completed a 2 year part-time online MA, Global cohort, ages ranged from mid 20’s to mid 70s. It can be a big commitment time wise if you are employed along side your studies, E.g. visual arts courses are labour intensive! 20 hours per week was the baseline commitment. Most students did more than this when module deadlines were looming. For me it was a route to re-engaging with the arts & creating again after a 30 year hiatus, not to enter a profession. I chose Falmouth because of the course content & as they offered an alumni discount on fees, many unis offer that incentive. If you are happy communicating online over various platforms & apps then don’t discount an online course. Having the MA has helped me get interviews in totally unrelated fields, purely based on the academic research skills I’ve gained. Intellectually stimulating? Depends on the tutor & your peers & how much prior knowledge you have surrounding the subject.
(edited 1 year ago)
Original post by JayZed
I'll be turning 50 soon. Since my undergrad degree many, many years ago I've had a career in consulting and finance and am currently in a mid-senior role in the financial sector. In the last couple of years I've become a bit disengaged and demotivated. I'm in the very fortunate and privileged position of having the option to take an (unpaid) sabbatical and being able to afford to do this (and to pay university fees).
I'm considering taking a year-long break to do a Master's degree in a subject that interests me but is unrelated to my professional field (i.e. I'd be doing it not for career development, but purely for the enjoyment of studying and experiencing a new intellectual challenge).
I'd be really interested in hearing from any other older students on this forum who have done something similar. Did you enjoy/are you enjoying it? Did/does it feel weird to be twice as old as most of the other students (and probably older than a lot of the lecturers and professors)? Did/do you find it intellectually stimulating and challenging - especially if you've had an intellectually stimulating career?
I'd also be interested to hear people's thoughts on how universities might view a application from someone like me. How would they view an application where the motivation is purely interest in the course/research with no ambition to seek a career in a relevant field? How will they assess the value of my professional experience/skills in comparison to younger applicants with more recent/current academic experience?
I'd really welcome thoughts from both older and younger students. I'm excited about doing something different but also aware of the possibility that this is just a form of mid-life crisis that I'm going to end up regretting!
I'm considering taking a year-long break to do a Master's degree in a subject that interests me but is unrelated to my professional field (i.e. I'd be doing it not for career development, but purely for the enjoyment of studying and experiencing a new intellectual challenge).
I'd be really interested in hearing from any other older students on this forum who have done something similar. Did you enjoy/are you enjoying it? Did/does it feel weird to be twice as old as most of the other students (and probably older than a lot of the lecturers and professors)? Did/do you find it intellectually stimulating and challenging - especially if you've had an intellectually stimulating career?
I'd also be interested to hear people's thoughts on how universities might view a application from someone like me. How would they view an application where the motivation is purely interest in the course/research with no ambition to seek a career in a relevant field? How will they assess the value of my professional experience/skills in comparison to younger applicants with more recent/current academic experience?
I'd really welcome thoughts from both older and younger students. I'm excited about doing something different but also aware of the possibility that this is just a form of mid-life crisis that I'm going to end up regretting!
A few things to note:-
1) Do a course that you will enjoy AND will likely get something back in return from a career perspective.
2) You may get some younger students being a bit reluctant to socialise with you much, due to their personal preference or immaturity.
3) Masters study full-time is intense, and you will not have time for much else, other than joining 1-2 societies, or sport.
Original post by JayZed
I'll be turning 50 soon. Since my undergrad degree many, many years ago I've had a career in consulting and finance and am currently in a mid-senior role in the financial sector. In the last couple of years I've become a bit disengaged and demotivated. I'm in the very fortunate and privileged position of having the option to take an (unpaid) sabbatical and being able to afford to do this (and to pay university fees).
I'm considering taking a year-long break to do a Master's degree in a subject that interests me but is unrelated to my professional field (i.e. I'd be doing it not for career development, but purely for the enjoyment of studying and experiencing a new intellectual challenge).
I'd be really interested in hearing from any other older students on this forum who have done something similar. Did you enjoy/are you enjoying it? Did/does it feel weird to be twice as old as most of the other students (and probably older than a lot of the lecturers and professors)? Did/do you find it intellectually stimulating and challenging - especially if you've had an intellectually stimulating career?
I'd also be interested to hear people's thoughts on how universities might view a application from someone like me. How would they view an application where the motivation is purely interest in the course/research with no ambition to seek a career in a relevant field? How will they assess the value of my professional experience/skills in comparison to younger applicants with more recent/current academic experience?
I'd really welcome thoughts from both older and younger students. I'm excited about doing something different but also aware of the possibility that this is just a form of mid-life crisis that I'm going to end up regretting!
I'm considering taking a year-long break to do a Master's degree in a subject that interests me but is unrelated to my professional field (i.e. I'd be doing it not for career development, but purely for the enjoyment of studying and experiencing a new intellectual challenge).
I'd be really interested in hearing from any other older students on this forum who have done something similar. Did you enjoy/are you enjoying it? Did/does it feel weird to be twice as old as most of the other students (and probably older than a lot of the lecturers and professors)? Did/do you find it intellectually stimulating and challenging - especially if you've had an intellectually stimulating career?
I'd also be interested to hear people's thoughts on how universities might view a application from someone like me. How would they view an application where the motivation is purely interest in the course/research with no ambition to seek a career in a relevant field? How will they assess the value of my professional experience/skills in comparison to younger applicants with more recent/current academic experience?
I'd really welcome thoughts from both older and younger students. I'm excited about doing something different but also aware of the possibility that this is just a form of mid-life crisis that I'm going to end up regretting!
Hi, it is really cool and so inspiring that you are wanting to get started with a masters degree! These opportunities are always here and ready to be taken by any students who are interested! My mum is an example of this and I am so proud of everything she has achieved. She started her masters course in Autism Spectrum studies at the age of 46 and met so many like minded people on her course, from a huge range of ages too! It re-opened her mind to education and has really inspired her to get on with the next stage of her life, she has even considered writing a book! Please do not be discouraged from taking on this challenge because there are so many exciting times to come and even if you don't want to apply this to a career or to a particular goal you will learn so much, 'education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world' - and that can just be your own world
Thanks all for your helpful and positive comments, much appreciated.
I'm aware that studying full-time will be a significant time commitment, but I currently have a fairly demanding full-time job (certainly not just a 9 to 5, and not something that I could easily fit alongside part-time study as well as family time, life admin etc) so I'm prepared for something that will keep me busy - anything that doesn't involve ten meetings a day will feel quite luxurious!
An online course is definitely not for me - after all this time mostly working from home I definitely need something that will get me out of the house. I'm also not that bothered about socialising - I'd obviously like to get on with other students but my idea of a good night out is probably not the same as most 20-somethings (mostly, my idea of a good night out is a quiet night in!). I suppose I'm mostly just worried about being the weird older guy!
I'm aware that studying full-time will be a significant time commitment, but I currently have a fairly demanding full-time job (certainly not just a 9 to 5, and not something that I could easily fit alongside part-time study as well as family time, life admin etc) so I'm prepared for something that will keep me busy - anything that doesn't involve ten meetings a day will feel quite luxurious!
An online course is definitely not for me - after all this time mostly working from home I definitely need something that will get me out of the house. I'm also not that bothered about socialising - I'd obviously like to get on with other students but my idea of a good night out is probably not the same as most 20-somethings (mostly, my idea of a good night out is a quiet night in!). I suppose I'm mostly just worried about being the weird older guy!
(edited 1 year ago)
Original post by JayZed
An online course is definitely not for me - after all this time mostly working from home I definitely need something that will get me out of the house. I'm also not that bothered about socialising - I'd obviously like to get on with other students but my idea of a good night out is probably not the same as most 20-somethings (mostly, my idea of a good night out is a quiet night in!). I suppose I'm mostly just worried about being the weird older guy!
It's entirely natural to feel apprehensive about returning to FT study as a proper 'adult'. In my experience of teaching cohorts with older students (including those aged similar to you) it's an overwhelmingly positive experience. In very short order, students tend to forget the age difference so long as you don't keep drawing attention to it and you become a very valuable member of the cohort. People may lean on you a bit for 'advice', as you will by virtue of your age be seen as an 'old sage', full of valuable advice and guidance. Some students love fulfilling this role; others are more distant. In the end, it doesn't matter - it really isn't likely to be a problem. It's usually the student himself who is much more hung up on his age than his standard-age fellow students, and this can end up ironically as marking you out as 'different' and be a little alienating for your fellow students. My advice would be to just be you, and not feel the need to draw attention to your age, or keep mentioning it.
Another area in which age can sometimes be an issue is with academic staff: it will probably be the case that you will be the same age, or older, than most of the teaching staff. Again, it rather depends on the individual student as to whether or not this is problematic: most students (and staff) are fine with it, and I know that I personally really enjoy interacting with mature students: not least because they're usually quite driven, focussed on their work rather than mucking about and are a pleasure to talk to. Some students feel a bit awkward about being older than their lecturers, and can on occasion become a little defensive or prickly about it, but they are very much in the minority.
Finally, there will always be occasions to socialise with your cohort which don't involve visiting clubs and swinging your pants, and I'd always recommend you take these opportunities wherever you can. There is often a Christmas shindig, end-of-term parties, evening jollies etc, and a reasonable amount of socialising always seem to happen at lunchtime symposia and the like.
Original post by JayZed
I'll be turning 50 soon. Since my undergrad degree many, many years ago I've had a career in consulting and finance and am currently in a mid-senior role in the financial sector. In the last couple of years I've become a bit disengaged and demotivated. I'm in the very fortunate and privileged position of having the option to take an (unpaid) sabbatical and being able to afford to do this (and to pay university fees).
I'm considering taking a year-long break to do a Master's degree in a subject that interests me but is unrelated to my professional field (i.e. I'd be doing it not for career development, but purely for the enjoyment of studying and experiencing a new intellectual challenge).
I'd be really interested in hearing from any other older students on this forum who have done something similar. Did you enjoy/are you enjoying it? Did/does it feel weird to be twice as old as most of the other students (and probably older than a lot of the lecturers and professors)? Did/do you find it intellectually stimulating and challenging - especially if you've had an intellectually stimulating career?
I'd also be interested to hear people's thoughts on how universities might view a application from someone like me. How would they view an application where the motivation is purely interest in the course/research with no ambition to seek a career in a relevant field? How will they assess the value of my professional experience/skills in comparison to younger applicants with more recent/current academic experience?
I'd really welcome thoughts from both older and younger students. I'm excited about doing something different but also aware of the possibility that this is just a form of mid-life crisis that I'm going to end up regretting!
I'm considering taking a year-long break to do a Master's degree in a subject that interests me but is unrelated to my professional field (i.e. I'd be doing it not for career development, but purely for the enjoyment of studying and experiencing a new intellectual challenge).
I'd be really interested in hearing from any other older students on this forum who have done something similar. Did you enjoy/are you enjoying it? Did/does it feel weird to be twice as old as most of the other students (and probably older than a lot of the lecturers and professors)? Did/do you find it intellectually stimulating and challenging - especially if you've had an intellectually stimulating career?
I'd also be interested to hear people's thoughts on how universities might view a application from someone like me. How would they view an application where the motivation is purely interest in the course/research with no ambition to seek a career in a relevant field? How will they assess the value of my professional experience/skills in comparison to younger applicants with more recent/current academic experience?
I'd really welcome thoughts from both older and younger students. I'm excited about doing something different but also aware of the possibility that this is just a form of mid-life crisis that I'm going to end up regretting!
I've done it twice first time at 39, then again and 50+. A Masters degree is trivial compared with a large professional job, it's a fantastic way of taking a career break, owning your schedule again, having masses of free time etc. Universities just need to know that you are in current practice with the academic basics of IT use, research, and paper writing. Beyond that, they know that people who have earned their money make sensible decisions, and there will be very little chance of you quitting within weeks, having a meltdown, becoming an admin burden etc.
I never had any issue at all with the age gap. I didn't drink/party, but I played by part in cramming sessions, helped with the things i could help on, played sports at Uni and joined societies etc. No-one ever commented on my age.
I just finished an llm at 49, it sort of assists my career (finance in a tech company) but mostly for interest.
Was full time but I also worked 1 day a week -i didn’t need any time for networking or applications etc.
Hardest part works be turning hand to writing academic essays -masters gives you no real time to practice - ie 10 week term then exam or essay. Then over. Not much feedback on technique (compare to undergrad -a year long module with usually one practice essay with detailed feedback.
Friends wise, I made friends bit mostly other mature students but the younger ones would ask me advice on stuff. But I already had my existing mates so that wasn’t an issue. I organised lots of online study sessions before exams that helped people.
I miss the studying now!
Was full time but I also worked 1 day a week -i didn’t need any time for networking or applications etc.
Hardest part works be turning hand to writing academic essays -masters gives you no real time to practice - ie 10 week term then exam or essay. Then over. Not much feedback on technique (compare to undergrad -a year long module with usually one practice essay with detailed feedback.
Friends wise, I made friends bit mostly other mature students but the younger ones would ask me advice on stuff. But I already had my existing mates so that wasn’t an issue. I organised lots of online study sessions before exams that helped people.
I miss the studying now!
Thought it might be worth updating this thread to say that I'm now in my first term at UCL, enjoying it enormously and age hasn't been an issue at all. As with others on this thread, the people I socialise with are other mature students, but I get on fine with the younger students in class.
I did end up not taking a year out from work, so I'm doing the degree part-time on top of a fairly demanding full-time job. That is really quite hard, and I'm definitely not spending as much time on my studies as I would like - although this is my busiest term so hopefully the next few terms will be easier.
I have found rediscovering the skills of academic writing challenging but enjoyable - it certainly beats doing a paper for a governance committee meeting!
I did end up not taking a year out from work, so I'm doing the degree part-time on top of a fairly demanding full-time job. That is really quite hard, and I'm definitely not spending as much time on my studies as I would like - although this is my busiest term so hopefully the next few terms will be easier.
I have found rediscovering the skills of academic writing challenging but enjoyable - it certainly beats doing a paper for a governance committee meeting!
Original post by JayZed
Thought it might be worth updating this thread to say that I'm now in my first term at UCL, enjoying it enormously and age hasn't been an issue at all. As with others on this thread, the people I socialise with are other mature students, but I get on fine with the younger students in class.
I did end up not taking a year out from work, so I'm doing the degree part-time on top of a fairly demanding full-time job. That is really quite hard, and I'm definitely not spending as much time on my studies as I would like - although this is my busiest term so hopefully the next few terms will be easier.
I have found rediscovering the skills of academic writing challenging but enjoyable - it certainly beats doing a paper for a governance committee meeting!
I did end up not taking a year out from work, so I'm doing the degree part-time on top of a fairly demanding full-time job. That is really quite hard, and I'm definitely not spending as much time on my studies as I would like - although this is my busiest term so hopefully the next few terms will be easier.
I have found rediscovering the skills of academic writing challenging but enjoyable - it certainly beats doing a paper for a governance committee meeting!
This is so great. What subject did you end up deciding to study? And do you think it will bring you benefits in your future work, or do you anticipate it will only really be for personal growth?
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