don’t give me the it’s never too late bs. Life happens, people have jobs, debts and rent to pay.
Going back to school when you’re employed means debt, earning way less or nothing during your bachelor or master, stress, opportunities you’re not aware of because you’re simply not at your workplace anymore, unpaid overtime during those 2 to 3 years… the money you lose is more than what the bachelor / accreditation costs.
When does it start being a stupid idea? Is it when you’re 30? 40? 50?
Never?
When you’re dead?
I’ve seen 70-80 year olds get degrees
Sorry but it’s never a stupid idea. It’s only a situational thing where the question is whether you can make it work. That’s not necessarily age related.
Actually going through the other side of this right now with a kid not doing well at school. At what point is it a better idea to consider a gap year? The problem is any age after schooling is interrupted is much harder to get back. Some people make it work, fantastic, but once you hop off the treadmill you’ll probably stop running
Depends on your situation and objective. If you’re currently employed and want to increase potential earnings in the same track, then probably around 30/35 from my personal judgement. You should really have enough professional experience and context at that point to make up for a degree, especially if you’re engaging in continuing education, staying up to date on professional articles, watching conference talks, etc.
If you’re looking to get an MBA to move into a management track, it’s probably worth it later in life until like your 40s and 50s earnings wise.
If your current industry is tanking and you need to pivot to a new one, then you don’t really have any other options than to reskill no matter how old you are.
If you just want to learn philosophy or history independent of your work, then there’s not really a point where it’s too late, just how many classes you have time for which is wholly dependent on your life circumstances and doesn’t depend on age.
When you’re dead.
depends why you are attending school. If it’s to get a piece of paper, likely will not affect you later in life. if it’s just to learn, walk in and audit a class. I have never said no to people auditing my lectures.
When you’re dead.
Menopause and severe brain fog would like a word.
I’ve been through surgically induced menopause and I’m fine? It’s a bit baffling and honestly misogynistic to suggest that basically any woman from middle age onwards is incapable of doing a degree. I don’t think menopause made me stupider.
The only time going to school isn’t worth it is if you’re already burnt out in your job, genuinely have no time to do it, and make so much money that adding university classes on top of that isn’t worth the effort or time investment. Having said that, if you need the degree to increase your earning potential, even in your 30s or 40s or whatever, then it’s worthwhile despite all the challenges. My mom got her degree in her 30s and massively increased her earning potential and that has paid off over the decades, and I’m currently getting my degree in my 30s to increase my earning potential as well.
There are remote school options where you don’t need to attend classes so those are much easier to fit into your schedule, and much cheaper, places like Western Governors University.
My Mother got her Bachelor’s degree at 55. She graduated with some rare honours.
NEVER stop learning!
Did she do it for the joy of learning? Or personal growth and satisfaction? Or was it for career enhancement?
All of those reasons. She was a housewife, and felt she missed out. At that point kids were on their own paths.
Similar thing with my mom, only she retired soon after graduating.
It’s got nothing to do with age. As you pointed out there are financial reasons where you might not be able to. But that’s realy the only hurdle. And there are plenty of ways to clear it.
My grandmother graduated law school at the age of 65 and practiced for the next 15 years. It’s never too late.
It is never too late to go back is not bullshit.
people have jobs, debts and rent to pay.
I had all of the above and a family to support and I went back to school and got my masters degree.
OP is saying at some point it financially doesn’t pencil out. Like, if I make x now, spend y to get a degree, and then make z, about when does it stop making sense to spend y? Obviously this depends on a lot of things but the answer is definitely not never. I suspect they are trying to get a general sense of around when that would be because they don’t know the exact values of x y and z.
All of that is what you are going back to school for.
Your good until your in a pine box or an urn.
Learning should never stop for any reason. However you do have to temper your expectations when learning a trade or skill you can’t use due to personal limitations. This needs to be taken into account but that is something an individual should weigh on their own with the people in their life.
It’s never too late. If you’re 110 you might not make it to graduation though.
It depends on what you want to do when you go back to school.
If you’re switching careers, I’d put the early 40’s as a limit unless the career has age limitations.
If you’re getting a degree to enhance your existing career, I’d put the early 50’s as a limit unless you intend to not retire immediately.
If you just want the degree, there isn’t really a limit.
I went back to school in my 40s and changed careers.
Me too.
The increased pay covered the training costs and lost earnings within five years and I’m so much happier.
Do you feel it was a viable and smart decision still?
For sure. I was in a dying industry, and now I have the makings of a career. I would say: have a goal, map out the steps it will take to achieve it, then take the first steps!
