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Question for graduate math students in their 30's | 3 comments (3 topical, 0 hidden)

[new] Older student (5.00 / 1) (#1)
by umgaowa on Mon Jan 14, 2008 at 03:49:21 AM PDT

Hi, I had the same concerns you do right now - only I'm 47. Turns out you only need the desire to learn, which it sounds like you do. You'll also find out there are others out there also doing the same thing - going back for whatever reasons (job changers, bored, adding new skills "teachers", part timers taking the long road ...). Of course the ranks thin out as the age increases, but you'll find out the other students don't look at you in any strange way. Eventually you'll make friends with some if you are in the same classes - I did with some Chem-engineers that took some of the same classes. It has been 25 years since my BS degree, and I wanted to get a good foundation before going on to get a MS in Math. I'll say the only thing I've found that might be a problem is finding the time to read everything in the textbooks (about 200 - 300 pages per class a semester). I think most Professors either forget students have other classes than their own, or they really don't expect you to read the text and instead go by the notes you take in class. Personally, I need a good book and only go to my notes as a reference when doing problems. I can't say for sure if I'm that much slower reading/understanding that when I was in my 20's. But I can say I have a better understanding of where things are going from past experience. I would recommend to anyone to go full time if possible, otherwise you could be forever trying to complete the requirements. Also, as a full time student, I found I could get the student health plan which is not as good as most work plans, but it's not as bad either. And it turns out the money I was paying for my own health plan before school, actually covers the in-state tuition and the student health plan together! If I knew that I would have gone a long time ago. One other thing, as someone who has been working for a while, you'll bring a different dimension to the class. I've found almost all of the young student hardly ask any questions, or reply to any of the Professors questions - except for the very few that are interested like you are. Good luck on whatever you do, remember, you only live once.

Question for graduate math students in their 30's | 3 comments (3 topical, 0 hidden)

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