School Again

[White Peacock]

After getting my Associate of Arts degree a decade ago, I opted to experience life, moving to another state, moving back from that other state, get married, have a kid, hold down a long term job, etc. But I've finally stopped procrastinating and will be starting at UCO in Spring, working toward a B.A. in Philosophy. I'm a bit reluctant to be seen as that old guy in the class, but I also don't want to die being only an esteemed associate of the arts.

Has anyone else here started (back) at schooling in their mid 30s?

[Pete]

That's awesome.

I started graduate school at age 30.

I was a far, far better student than as an undergrad. The second time around, I really wanted to be there and truly loved the whole experience.

When you go straight from high school to college, you are coming off 12+ straight years of school and most people just want to be finished rather than really relishing the learning experience.

Also, real-world experience makes you think more about what you want to learn and it's hard to have that perspective if you've never been away from school.


Good luck! I'd actually love to go back again and may at some point.

[FighttheGoodFight]

Congrats! Enjoy the experience.

[loveOKC]

I went back at age 31, attending the SNU adult program. It was a tremendous experience, as Pete said you have a much better appreciation of school and are really committed to the whole learning experience. I really enjoyed being able to use my experience in my career to really engage in classroom discussions. I'm thinking of getting my MBA because of my experience going back to school.

You will enjoy it, Good luck!!

[White Peacock]

I definitely feel like my life experience so far will make me a better student than I was in my early 20s, despite the fact that smartphones seem to have decreased my attention span somewhat, which I'm hoping will be remedied by mandatory textbook reading.

I used to have a pretty cavalier approach, and still managed a decent GPA, so I'd wager with the no-excuses attitude I have about things nowadays, I'll fare far better.

[TU 'cane]

I recall the "older" people in my classes and they said they were able to experience and remember everything in a much more enjoyable fashion the second time around.

Some had kids, some were married, some weren't. Most were in their 30s and 40s and were usually the top performers in class. I say good on you for doing what you want, and I bet you'll be a better student this time around.

I do have one genuine question: Why philosophy? Job related, interest, etc.?

[Zuplar]

I started grad school at 26, and I get that that may not be that much older from when I graduated with my undergrad, but still had been a few years and I found myself much more engaged and wanting to learn when I was there. Not that I didn't want to learn the first go around, but let's be honest we all had those days where we didn't show up because no one was forcing us. Being in your mid-thirties, I can't imagine people are really going to think you are that much older, so it probably won't be that big of a deal. I remember while at UCO hanging out with students 10 years older than me and at the time, really didn't know they were 10 years older until we discussed age. In general I really wouldn't let it bother me. Maybe if you are lucky you will have a few 50 and 60 year olds in class so they can be the old guy lol.

[White Peacock]

I do have one genuine question: Why philosophy? Job related, interest, etc.?

Interest. My approach to university is classical; I'd rather go there to enrich myself with education than to go there with a job as an end goal. I already have a job. Been here for 8 years, 3 of which I've used it to support a family of three while my wife went through nursing school, so I'm not hurting for money.

My other career is as an author. I write religious/philosophical work, and I feel I'll get the best bang for the buck, so to speak, with a BA (or higher) in Philosophy. It will fuel me in my literary career, and open me up to higher paying mundane jobs, since many positions just ask that you have a Bachelor degree...any Bachelor degree...to be eligible.

[TU 'cane]

Interest. My approach to university is classical; I'd rather go there to enrich myself with education than to go there with a job as an end goal. I already have a job. Been here for 8 years, 3 of which I've used it to support a family of three while my wife went through nursing school, so I'm not hurting for money.

My other career is as an author. I write religious/philosophical work, and I feel I'll get the best bang for the buck, so to speak, with a BA (or higher) in Philosophy. It will fuel me in my literary career, and open me up to higher paying mundane jobs, since many positions just ask that you have a Bachelor degree...any Bachelor degree...to be eligible.

Makes total sense. I believe I follow a similar train of thought, to an extent. So that's why I was curious. I've thought about going back to school to get a degree in an area that actually interests me that has little to nothing to do with my job. Although as you stated it'll actually pertain to your work in a way.

And who says philosophy is dead?!

[dankrutka]

I regulaly have students in their 30s, 40s, and 50s in my classes and they do bring maturity, wisdom, and experience to class activities that younger students and I tend to appreciate. Good luck!

[dankrutka]

What philosophers interest you? I get to delve into philosophy a little bit in my classes and I -- like many in education -- have always enjoyed exploring John Dewey and pragmatist ideas.

[SOONER8693]

I have an AA, BS, and 2 Masters with enough more hours for a couple of PHD's. I worked on all of that and did not finish 2nd Masters until I was in late 40's. There is no such thing as too much education at any age.

[Zuplar]

I have an AA, BS, and 2 Masters with enough more hours for a couple of PHD's. I worked on all of that and did not finish 2nd Masters until I was in late 40's. There is no such thing as too much education at any age.

I absolutely agree with this. It's never a bad thing to better your self.

[White Peacock]

What philosophers interest you? I get to delve into philosophy a little bit in my classes and I -- like many in education -- have always enjoyed exploring John Dewey and pragmatist ideas.

My original major was Psychology, which is what I got my A.A. degree in. The reason I switched is because the deeper into psychological study you get, the colder and more scientific it became, whereas in the time of Freud and Jung, it was strongly philosophical with a bit of scientific observation added, and it's the Psychoanalytic era that attracted me to Psych in the first place.

Being a Gnostic, the neo-Platonic train of thought that was currency throughout Hellenistic Egypt during the heyday of Gnosticism has always interested me. That sort of sense-from-nonsense method of delivering ideas always struck me as an effective way to confuse the casuals and draw in only the sincere seekers. The authors of the time generally tended to be anonymous, or pseudonymous, so it's best just to say I'm most drawn to Gnostic philosophy as a school of thought.

My favorite 20th Century philosopher is also a pretty unorthodox choice: Terence McKenna. At times, he veered into the ridiculous, but by and large his ideas were as coherent as a psychedelic philosopher's ideas could be. And listening to the man speak is a delight; there are countless videos of his speeches online, thankfully.

I'm also partial to other less desirable voices like Aleister Crowley, who well defined a philosophy of magic.

I love some of the ideas of John Locke and the various other contributors to the political philosophy that helped form the foundation of the USA during and after the Revolution.

So essentially, most of my favorites aren't really recognized as orthodox philosophers, and I don't know how much of this material may be taught at higher academic levels, if any. So perhaps my knowledge of extracurricular philosophy will be of help in writing a thesis at a later date.

Can't say I've delved into Dewey enough for a conversation as of yet.

[White Peacock]

And who says philosophy is dead?!

I remember in my Zoology class, the teacher made a quick mention of philosophy, followed by a snark of something along the lines of "but who needs that?" followed by a brief circle jerk with another student who shared his disdain for philosophy. That stuck with me, probably most notably because of the irony involved: you have to employ philosophy in order to determine the validity of anything. Using philosophy to determine that philosophy is an invalid practice is dividing by zero.

[CaptDave]

I went back late 30's. I was a 17 year old freshman and 40 year old graduate. It was actually kind of cool being "the old guy" especially in classes when the discussion turned to Iraq since I had been back less than a year when I started.

Go for it and enjoy the ride.