Doing a degree in your 30's - worth it?

[Pommygranite]

Due to a potential total change in life (location, job etc) I am seriously considering becoming a mature student and doing the degree i wish i had done when i was 18.

I'm 32 with 12 years experience as a financial consultant in both private and corporate arena's, having completed degree standard financial studies. However i really want to further myself and undertake a 'proper' degree to really push into a non sales role that is more technically driven with the ability to move into senior positions. In other words i can only go so far without one presently.

So i am thinking of doing a 3 year full time degree as a mature student. Does anyone have any tips, experiences or thoughts on starting again?

[JuniorD]

Media studies is where its at.

[stuart-b]

IMHO it will be a disappointment for you.

The material they will cover will be things you already know, or having 12 years experience already, very irrelevant.

I set up a business during university and now, 3 years after, I have learnt 10x more than any business school could have taught me.

I think being out of business will be detrimental.

Is it not possible for you to complete part time studies, funded by the employer?

[308mate]

[ihatesissycars]

If you were going for a completely different career change then yes, to continue what you're doing then no I can't imagine it'll open many new doors for you.

If you want to do a degree simply for the challenge and to live the student life then go for it.

[Simpo Two]

It'll need to be a subject you're really hungry about, because studying as a mature student is much harder than doing it fukl time at 18. I have a lot of respect for anyone who has the determination and staying power to do a (proper) degree.

Note also that people without degrees will always tell you they're rubbish and a waste of time - better to listen to those with appropriate knowledge. Follow your heart not your wallet.

[Pommygranite]

I should probably add that i'm thinking of Law. I did GSCE Law and 18 months of A-Level Law at College but ceased the course due to stupidity and lack of foresight on my part.

In financial services now which is basically technical sales.

I'd like to move in to Law and potentially finance and taxation, hence the degree requirement.

[Mr E]

stuart-b said:

The material they will cover will be things you already know, or having 12 years experience already, very irrelevant.

Depends what the degree is. If it's utterly different to what the OP currently does I'd be surprised if he they know any of it.

If you can fund it, and really want to do it then go for it.

But do it because you want to do it, not because you think it will open doors or get you paid more. That goes for all students, not just mature ones.

[Mx_Stu]

Pommygranite said:

I should probably add that i'm thinking of Law. I did GSCE Law and 18 months of A-Level Law at College but ceased the course due to stupidity and lack of foresight on my part.

In financial services now which is basically technical sales.

I'd like to move in to Law and potentially finance and taxation, hence the degree requirement.

I did accounting and finance at uni (when I was 18) and have been in tax ever since. I reiterate what was said above, university really is about learning the basics which you most probably all ready know (without realising).

If you want to do a professional qualification then how about doing ATT? http://www.att.org.uk

It will give you a grounding in all aspects of tax with law modules as well. From that you'll no doubt be able to get a job in tax and from then you can move onto becoming a CTA. http://www.tax.org.uk

ETA:..or if you want to get someone else to pay for your studies then how about looking for entry level jobs here http://www.etaxjobs.co.uk/

Edited by Mx_Stu on Friday 31st July 10:19

[johnfm]

Pommygranite said:

I should probably add that i'm thinking of Law. I did GSCE Law and 18 months of A-Level Law at College but ceased the course due to stupidity and lack of foresight on my part.

In financial services now which is basically technical sales.

I'd like to move in to Law and potentially finance and taxation, hence the degree requirement.

Just finishing my LPC - aged 40.

You will need to do:

1. the GDL (1 yr full time or 2 yrs part time)
2. the LPC (1 yr full time or 2 yrs part time)

fees fro both, probkly £20k~ish.

This is a tight time for law recruitment, BUT, by the time you finish the LPC, there will be loadsa jobs for trainees.

But, you don't want to pay the fees yourself.

Use your contacts to get a training contract sorted out before you start - the decent commercial firms will pay your GDL and LPC fees and a small allowance.

So, ring every partner or associate at a decent law firm you know and shortcut your way to the grad rec partner.

As for the courses, if you have half a brain you will breeze through the GDL and the LPC. The GDL is more academic and more 'difficult' but both are not overly challenging for clever people. (Unfortunately, they're not too challenging for slightly thick people - so quite a few slip through the net!)

Good luck.

[drivin_me_nuts]

Do it because you want to do it - because you have a passion or it, oherwise it is going to seem much harder.

[GingerWizard]

I found uni to be a wasteful time. I got a 2:1 in Psychology BPS approved and its not helped me one iota. IMHO you could complete a degree to fairly high spec in a year if you put in the hours a working person does in a hard job (45-60hours study a week). It depends on what you want out of it in the end.... Do it part time for the first year, they dont even count that towards you final grade......

[ewenm]

If it's purely to advance your current career (not a wholesale change in direction) then I think the penalty of being out of the workplace for 3 years would outweigh the benefit of the degree. In that case would it not be better to do the degree part time?

If it's something you've always wanted to study, something you have a passion for, then go for it. If it's merely a stepping stone to something else then I'd think carefully about whether doing it full time is a good idea.

[condor]

Think about an Open University degree - means you can study part-time.

[Rude-boy]

johnfm said:

As for the courses, if you have half a brain you will breeze through the GDL and the LPC. The GDL is more academic and more 'difficult' but both are not overly challenging for clever people. (Unfortunately, they're not too challenging for slightly thick people - so quite a few slip through the net!)

Good luck.

Agree with most of what you say however whilst I found the GDL (CPE when I did it) the harder from an academic PoV the LPC is more intensive in terms of work rate I found.

You will be very lucky to get any form of sponsorship unless you have the right connections and are very high on someone's wish list.

In all honesty if it is law you are thinking of going into my first advice would be not to. Over the 7 years since I qualified we have been squeezed on price at every corner whilst being required to take on more and more responsibilities and deal with more complex regulation. And that's before you move into the corporate world.

[Deva Link]

GingerWizard said:

I found uni to be a wasteful time. I got a 2:1 in Psychology BPS approved and its not helped me one iota.

It would have done if you wanted a job in Psychology. Although my daughter does that and thinks she's have been better doing a nursing degree. Certainly better paid.

[XJSJohn]

what about a professional MBA whilst you continue working?

[Deva Link]

Pommygranite said:

In other words i can only go so far without one presently.

Is that defintely the case or is just that you feel it to be the case?

In my industry the very vast majority of people have degrees but I don't - I have an HNC. The only time I find it awkward is when someone asks "what uni did you go to?" or when there are discussions about university life over a beer etc.

[alock]

GingerWizard said:

I found uni to be a wasteful time. I got a 2:1 in Psychology BPS approved and its not helped me one iota.

What career did you plan on building on the foundation of a bachelor level degree in psychology? I know many people who swallowed the whole 'it doesn't matter what degree you do because any degree shows you can work hard' line. The few people I knew who did psychology found they actually needed a PhD to get the job they thought they would get with their bachelor degree.

If you have a career path in mind and that path favours people with specific degrees then do the degree.

[davido140]

You'll find yourself with a lot a spare time on your hands if you do a "full time" degree, 12 hours of lectures and 8-12 hours of follow up work does not take up a week!

Do an OU degree, as has already been said you might find a lot of it old-hat or irrelevant but at least you'll get some letters after your name!

Oh, one other thing, all the kiddie students think mature students are s of the highest order. unlikely you'll be very popular.

Edited by davido140 on Friday 31st July 11:24