Yes! Thank you for this. I went back to school part time to finish my Bachelors degree when I was 34. I had stopped my earlier college education which was begun when I was 18 in 1964 as it all seemed irrelevant given the state of the world at that time. So, I had a baby and went back to school. I thought it was the perfect time to continue my education as, I thought, babies sleep all the time. I got my bachelors, continued on to get an MSW, (Master of Social Work) and then completed the requirements to become a licensed clinical psychotherapist at the age of 42. I also taught social work to undergraduate students at a state college. I taught both day students as well as night students. The difference in the students was profound. The day students (most of them 18-20 years old) had their energy and interest torn between dating and having fun and their studies (guess which suffered most….) whereas the night students generally had considerable responsibilities and obligations as parents, as partners, and employees but nevertheless worked very hard at their studies and never complained about the many writing assignments. I know that at 42 I brought life experience as well as education to the treatment room—life experience that I could not have had at 24. Thank you for giving numerous examples and shining a light on all the people who began and succeeded in their field at an advanced age.
Yes! Thank you for this. I went back to school part time to finish my Bachelors degree when I was 34. I had stopped my earlier college education which was begun when I was 18 in 1964 as it all seemed irrelevant given the state of the world at that time. So, I had a baby and went back to school. I thought it was the perfect time to continue my education as, I thought, babies sleep all the time. I got my bachelors, continued on to get an MSW, (Master of Social Work) and then completed the requirements to become a licensed clinical psychotherapist at the age of 42. I also taught social work to undergraduate students at a state college. I taught both day students as well as night students. The difference in the students was profound. The day students (most of them 18-20 years old) had their energy and interest torn between dating and having fun and their studies (guess which suffered most….) whereas the night students generally had considerable responsibilities and obligations as parents, as partners, and employees but nevertheless worked very hard at their studies and never complained about the many writing assignments. I know that at 42 I brought life experience as well as education to the treatment room—life experience that I could not have had at 24. Thank you for giving numerous examples and shining a light on all the people who began and succeeded in their field at an advanced age.
This is encouraging! Our culture is obsessed with youthfulness – all the "40 under 40" lists – but there's a lot to be said for being a late bloomer.
Just what I needed today today