# Back to school?



## Craggy456 (Feb 22, 2011)

When the divorce is final, I'm moving back east to be with my family. I had a long talk with my dad the other night and I told him my plans of taking a few months off then getting another job, save up some $$ and get a little studio apt for me and my dog.

He got irritated by the thought that I'd just be "getting" by with a job in my current field (which doesn't pay well). He said that I have a second chance at making a good life and maybe I should go back to school. I gave it some thought and the other night I was at my gf's house cooking dinner for her and her family. I started wondering...should I go back to school to pursue my only passion? Culinary School? I found a school an hour north of where I will be staying and I can get an Associate's in just under a year. And the tuition is reasonable.

I just turn 32 this summer and truthfully the thought of going back to school with younger people scares me but...would you do it?


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## WhereAmI (Nov 3, 2010)

Honk yes! It sounds like fun! I'll be heading back to school when I'm 29. You're only looking at a year.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## golfergirl (Dec 8, 2010)

WhereAmI said:


> Honk yes! It sounds like fun! I'll be heading back to school when I'm 29. You're only looking at a year.
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


Go for it! It's not like your 100! My 19 year old daughter has friends from school in their 30's. The age gap doesn't really matter in that situation.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Anonymous_Female (Apr 16, 2011)

I am doing it this very moment! Just turned 31, have a degree in social science (was a stay-at-home-mom since graduation though), and am going back for an RN/BSN. To me there is NO better time than right now, especially since it will mean financial security for myself and my son.  At orientation I met a woman who is going back at 42, and I know there are many more where we came from. Good luck to you, and have FUN with it!


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## Craggy456 (Feb 22, 2011)

thanks for all the encouragement! This may be the path I choose to take.


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## Sparkles422 (Jun 3, 2011)

craggy: I am changing careers and I am 54! I'm going back to school and it doesn't concern me at all. You're young and you will see you are not the only person around with a cane. No really, you're at a perfect age: mature and reliable.

Go do it. I am.


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## Jellybeans (Mar 8, 2011)

Yes! Do it! You only live once. If it's your passion...go for it!


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## Runs like Dog (Feb 25, 2011)

Shark's Motto: swim or die.


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## Anonymous_Female (Apr 16, 2011)

Runs like Dog said:


> Shark's Motto: swim or die.


I like this. A lot.


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## Homemaker_Numero_Uno (Jan 18, 2011)

Heck yes.
I am 47 and have a degree in business/computer information systems and relational database programming plus an advanced degree in health care policy/epidemiology/decision science from an Ivy league. I used to make plenty of $ then I had some brain damage due to oxygen deprivation with a missed diagnosis of allergic reaction (severe). Math skills are the first to go! I always had a thing for literature and writing (hard to guess LOL!) and films so have a veteran's scholarship of my own plus husband's military educational bennies he transferred to me. I am going back to school for comparative literature and writing at age 47! My son will graduate from his college program about the same time I do!!!! I get along fine with kids and young people as well as old people. When you have a passion in common such as film or literature or dancing or cooking age makes no difference. Don't worry about it at all and nobody else will make an issue of it. 

You have to see the movie 'The Trip' among other things it is a food movie. I suppose you have already seen Last Holiday (I think that's it). You should definitely own a copy and watch it whenever you have doubts. 

Go for it, what's the worst that could happen? You make yourself happy cooking for a year. OMG, that's criminal! (Not!) I am thinking my second career will be helping families and individuals and groups write their stories. Kind of like a photographer takes photos of families. Like a micro historian... My H who used to be all about $ has not even flinched, I have my own apartment in the college town whereas he is stilll in our house, and did not even raised any objections when I suggested my new second career. It does help to be brain damaged and not really able to work in one's old career but I don't recommend it.

There is a saying though that life has a way of forcing us to do that which we knew we should do but were too afraid to...so if you don't have the courage to do this now at the age you're at you will likely find yourself doing it when you are even older! I wanted to study literature when I was 12, 18, 23, 30, 35, 40... never took the plunge although other programmer friends did, well here I am! I start classes a week from Wednesday. Nobody thinks it is weird to go to school at my age. People are just happy for me and that's the way it should be. Nobody says I could make so much money if I just too Rx so I could regain math ability and so forth. Two of my former clients think even brain damaged I am useful so I still have work in my old career field even. It is not as demanding as my other client which was heavy in decision analytics and exploratory development but it is nice to still have work that is somewhat familiar even though I can't do math in my head the computer can do it.

I would say stop thinking about the logic and just see if it feels right. If it feels right and you are not morally deficient person then it is the right thing to do. Nobody can predict the future so anyone who tells you what you should dobased on what is financially beneficial is going into sketchy territory making a lot of assumptions about the flow of money and how it happens on an individual or even social level. The fact is our food sources are rapidly changing and people who can create new ways of eating will be in demand. It is a necessary function for society and the people who have passion for it are the ones who should step up to the plate to do it. Otherwise we will be eating nutritional crackers at every meal a decade from now.


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