I'm 47-should I return to school?

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-07-2008
I'm 47-should I return to school?
11
Tue, 06-09-2009 - 10:16pm

I am a 47 year old attorney. I have been licensed to practice for 20 years. My DH and I have been talking about moving to Louisiana after our sons finish high school. DH is from there and I LOVE New Orleans. The problem is, the LA bar requires all attorneys to sit for their bar exam, regardless of the number of years they have practiced somewhere else. This has lead me to do soul searching. Do I want to continue to practice law or do i want to do something new? At this point, i am thinking i want to try something new. I am thinking about nursing school to become a RN. now, i don't know how i would finance this or how long the clinical work takes and how i would handle my current job when clinicals come up, but i expect to talk to someone at the school about these issues. My question is, do ya'll think i have gone off the deep end to consider, at my age, such a drastic career change?

to be honest, i get excited at the thought of a new challenge. i thought i would start off by taking a couple of courses to see if i can even make it in school now. studying, taking tests, i used to be good at it, now i don't know.

or should i be content with what i know and order the LA bar materials?

since i have known my DH (married for a year and a half) i have gone thru quadruple bypass with him 3 years ago and a motorcycle accident last year. so i have had some exposure to nurses. some wonderful and others HORRIBLE. if they can do it, why can't i, and be better than they?

am i nuts? naive? or lucky enough to see that i need a change?

thanks for reading and sharing your opinions.

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iVillage Member
Registered: 03-20-2003
Wed, 06-10-2009 - 5:07am
I say go for it!!!

       


 


                              &n

iVillage Member
Registered: 11-12-1998
Wed, 06-10-2009 - 12:07pm

I am one who has BTDT with the going back to school late in life. My experience going back to school was phenomenal. I absolutely loved every bit of it, even statistics class. The "kids" embraced me as a fellow student. I got my degree and am very proud of how I did.


Now, reality. Five years later and still I am not living my dream. It has been difficult to compete in the job market with younger candidates. It's the whole thing where they think because I'm older I probably demand too much salary. Or there is blatant age discrimination, or what felt like it (when you know you are quite qualified, nail the interview, but they hire a cute, blonde 20-something, duh).


Now, you will be entering a field

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iVillage Member
Registered: 03-19-2003
Wed, 06-10-2009 - 12:13pm

Hi and welcome to our board.


Nursing is a field in need of good people. So if you feel you would like to change careers why not. I would check things out first but if you want to go for it. What has age got to do with it?


Good Luck


                          &n
iVillage Member
Registered: 06-10-2009
Wed, 06-10-2009 - 6:47pm
I'm 54 and went back to school last semester to get my Masters in Social Work (after working 30 years as a business manager.) So, I understand doing a complete turn around career-wise. My DH has also had some serious health issues and I can tell you, good nurses are angels. I would think at your age, you would be MORE in demand. You have a proven work history, dealt with confidential matters and you have maturity. Further, some hospitals will pay your way through school (or subsidize a large portion) and in return, you would go to work for them for a year or two after you graduate.

The homework and test taking - it takes awhile to get back into the groove of actually remembering new material. But, I've found that I have much more discipline than my fellow students. I attend class, pay attention, turn in homework on time, etc. It comes from working 8-5 plus for many years and building maturity. I'm sure you would find the same thing.

Finally, I can't think of anything worse than being on my death bed wishing I would have done "X". I've always wanted to be a therapist. I have three years to my master's degree. So, I would urge you to really think about it. Heck 47 is young!
Avatar for cl_campmum_of3
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-19-2003
Thu, 06-11-2009 - 2:12am

Hi and welcome to our group!


I have not read any of the other responses yet, but I think if you are feeling an urge to go back and learn something completely different then I say go for it!


Just because you are 47 does not make you at a negative age for starting new.


I wish you lots of luck and hope that you do decide to do it because you sound like you would enjoy it!


Hugs,

     

 

          

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-01-2006
Thu, 06-11-2009 - 4:14pm

I have read your post and the replies..I think Red has a great, comprehensive response


I am all for continuing education, and I too, greatly respect nurses.


Perhaps you should get information on both, especially as it pertains to Louisiana..and see where it leads


good luck!

Dutch



Dutch

 

iVillage Member
Registered: 02-19-2009
Thu, 06-11-2009 - 11:57pm

I think it's a great idea to go back to school if thats what you want to do. My Sil is an rn and it's long hours and she's on call all the time. But the pay is good and the medical nohow comes in real handy when a family member needs a little advice.


In most states the hospitals have programs for training to help lower the cost. You start out LPN and work your way up. It's a really good program in our area.


Avatar for sassysooze
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-25-2003
Fri, 06-12-2009 - 9:50am

There are at least two ladies on this board who have pursued degrees at "our age".

Susan siggie
iVillage Member
Registered: 10-27-1999
Mon, 06-15-2009 - 11:06pm

Hi there!

I was just lurking on here tonight and read your post and came up with a thought that no one else has mentioned yet.

How's your health? How well are you physically?

Have you considered how much more physically demanding nursing would be than your current profession? Can you tolerate being on your feet for 8, 10, 12 hours at a time?

Are you typically a "high energy" kind of person? Do you wake up every day feeling refreshed?

I ask about whether you can stand on your feet for that many hours or not because when your feet hurt, you get worn out so much faster. Plus foot pain can also cause knee pain, lower back pain, and headaches, and will suck the life right out of you. (Take it from one who knows!) If you just assume you can tolerate being on your feet all those hours, and then go through all that schooling, and then land a nursing job and THEN discover how bad your feet are hurting every day, you'd find yourself in quite a pickle. So my advice on this issue is, if you're not sure, then go out and spend 8 to 10 hours on your feet doing something you enjoy. If you can get through that without noticing any foot or back pain, then this probably won't be an issue for you.

Asking if you wake up each day feeling refreshed might sound like a silly question if you're one of those that does wake up feeling refreshed. But this is one of those things I have never taken for granted because I can't remember when the last time was that I experienced that, if I ever even have. Nearly every day I *struggle* to wake up and get myself going in the mornings; and it makes no difference if I get 5 hours sleep or 10 hours sleep, I always wake up feeling exactly the same way. Considering how much more physical nursing would be compared to what you're probably used to now (unless you're on the athletic side, and spend time exercising each day), I'd say that one of your considerations should be whether or not you are physically up to the challenge.

If the foot thing and the energy thing are not likely to be issues for you at all, then heck, go for it! Don't let age be the thing that holds you back! I've never known anyone who went back to college later in life and regretted it.

Best of luck to you, and try to remember:

"Education and youth are wasted on the young." ;-)

--Bridgette

You can also check out my L

iVillage Member
Registered: 06-16-2009
Tue, 06-16-2009 - 1:41pm

I don't think you've gone off the deep-end at all but wonder if you think becoming a nurse will help you protect your dh? Given what you've already been through, it's understandable, however I think there are two different issue here: 1) Dedicated caregiving for your dh 2) Wanting some new excitement in your career

I think before investing in a Nursing career you should ask yourself if you want to tend to strangers that have been severely injured, suffer from disease, or on a brighter side, about to give birth. Or do you just want to learn enough to be of help on the chance something else happens to dh? And there is absolutely nothing wrong in doing that...

If you still think you want to be a Nurse, try Volunteering for 90-days. It won't cost you a thing but your time and will give you a small flavor of day-to-day life working for a hospital. It may also give you an opportunity to meet interns that you could ask questions about careers in the medical field.

With your background, I have no doubt you could get through all the schooling but wonder exactly what is the motivation? Not wanting to take the Bar-Exam? I think you could probably write a book on how to pass it. Perhaps you might want to consider being an attorney that specializes in the medical field. You could work for a hospital in that capacity using your strength in law with your interest in the medical field. Just a thought...

Best of luck in whatever you choose to do.

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