[ann m]

Apart from a Master Gardener's course in 2008 which I did for fun, I have not done any schooling for 20+ years. I completed my first official 3-credit course last semester (hey, get me - semester), and have just signed up for another. They are business courses and are, to me, reasonably interesting but won't exactly set the world alight.

I left UK schooling in the late 80's with A levels and a Two-Year Diploma. University wasn't really an option at that time - and the lack of a degree has never bothered me, nor been an issue. If the world had been my oyster back then I might have studied English/Drama/Music type of stuff.

In my mid-40's now, and currently working as an admin assistant in a college, I am in a dilemma. I am not out to carve a new career but can see no other way of making any progress, albeit in the bureaucratic world of administration, without more qualifications. Bizarrely, if I did possess that Music degree, I would be qualified - to better administrate! Luckily, my employer is funding this latest foray into the classroom. I am the old fart of the group. It turns out I am actually quite a good student. Who knew?

Further/Higher Education is massive in this country - or so it seems. Everyone I know is studying something. Adults in their 30's, 40's and 50's are still striving for their professional certifications, degrees, Masters and PhD's. I am a little taken aback that they have the time, inclination and motivation to do so. Don't even mention the costs. It is totally acceptable, or even expected that you just keep on learning a bit more, and a bit more.

I'm struggling with a Wednesday evening and bit of homework.

I know many people on this forum, new to Canada, have had to study to get their qualifications recognized or offered equivalencies in their field.

How many of you have completely changed career direction? How many of you are doing full-time studies? And I'm addressing the more mature people here, not the 19 year olds. How many of you are doing part-time Con Ed classes? Would you have opted for any of these if you were still in the UK?

Is the old (and I love this phrase) "life-long" learning just something I missed out on, or is there the same passion in the UK for this? I've obviously never been in my mid-40's before - so is this a common mid-life crisis point? My lovely husband is considering upgrading a recent diploma to a degree.

I'm not really going anywhere with this - just pondering really. Who currently "goes to school" ?

And for the teachers/instructors/professors out there among you, how is your faculty life, and are you still learning?!

[Alberta_Rose]

I think it is partly a mid-40s thing ..... You tend to re-evaluate your life from time to time, and this is one of those times. You suddenly get the urge to do something daring and/or stimulating.

I guess it's cheaper to go back to studying than to emigrate!

[Merry]

Aha, Ann - I wonder if my thread has anything to do with this too??

I am 'early forties' but have not gone back to school - to the despair of my family I have never left and never stopped loving learning. That said, I never anticipated still doing exams when I arrived in Canada! My career history had gone like this (with appropriate qualifications gained along the way) : lawyer, health governance, music teacher, music therapist, mental health policy, psychologist and guess what....now (nearly!!) lawyer again, though working as legal assistant. We moved to Canada on the basis of my occupation 'manager in healthcare' only to discover that there were no available jobs in that field in NS. By chance, networking ended up with me covering a couple of weeks in a legal office and I am still there, now getting my original Scottish qualifications equated with Canadian ones.

I do think though that moving to a new country so often opens up lots of new opportunities that may not have been available or apparent in the UK - if it's what you are happy and fulfilled doing right now, then it's right.

Good luck!

[Chookie]

I am one that went back to school once I came over here - and I did a complete about turn from what I was doing previously.

my background is in Nutritional Biochemistry (degree and PhD), but I went back to school to study massage therapy.... a 2 year full-time course (2200 hours in total).

And I absolutely LOVE my new career. So much so, that MrChookie has become really jealous of how much I love it and has decided to do a career change himself - he is giving up IT and going back to school to do massage therapy as well, with the eventual aim that we will run a business together. He starts his course next week.
.
I should add that I am 42 years old and Mr Chookie is 39.

I still do a fair bit of continuing education though - it is a requirement as part of my professional association membership (MTAA requires you do 30 hours every year). In May I am going to Edmonton for the weekend to train in lymphatic drainage techniques for example.... and the best bit is that all these workshops and training add extra modalities to my practice that I can then charge my clients for.

[kazbob]

We make our final move over next month and I really want to go back to college/uni and have a career change. I am 43 this year and my career ladder goes like this - left school in 85, year of college, joined Navy in 86, left the Navy and have been an office manager up until now. I really want to do a veterinary assistants course but it is soooooooo expensive that I don't know if we'll be able to afford for me to do it.

I may just end up trying to find some work in a veterinary practice and hope something leads on from there.

[Almost Canadian]

I am so sick of exams that it is my intention to never take another one. Not even a 5 metre swimming badge.

I have also found the pace if the courses I have had to take in Canada way too slow for my liking. I cannot imagine sitting in any form of classroom ever again.

Unless something unforeseen impacts my life, I will continue plodding along until I retire.

[Flossie and Jim]

I'm in the "back to school" group too!

I really don't want to work as a town planner any more, which is what I trained as in the UK and then worked as for about 14 years. So, I went into temping to try and get an idea of what else was out there and I'm still really none the wiser, but I have a nice little admin job, not too easy, not too hard, great colleagues, and good salary and benefits given that I'm dealing with so much less cr@p than I used to have to.

I have quite fancied venturing into HR for a while now, and I get a little bit of training budget from work, so I've been doing some courses on the U of C's continuing education Business Management Certificate Course (because I can't get work to pay for the HR certificate because its not strictly related to my job). Although, once I get through the certificate, it will count towards half of an HR certificate so I'll only have to pay for half a certificate myself!

I've done about four modules so far, mostly online although I got a week off work to do a one week intensive classroom module and I must say I preferred that! Intensity of the courses and work has varied greatly depending on the instructor. What did surprise me was the number of people I have come across in all the modules who want to get into HR - am I onto a good thing or am I flogging a dead horse? I was also surprised at the cross-section of people taking the courses - we had a nightclub hostess in her early 20's, a few immigrants brushing up their skills, a copper who was still working his nightshifts while taking the course, and loads of people from oil and gas companies looking at a change.

Anyway, apart from having to take some compulsory units which have been a little bit dry, I've quite enjoyed the optional units and there are loads to choose from. I figured I might as well get a piece of paper from a Canadian educational institution while I can get the funds to do so as its not cheap - around $550 per module - although I get 5 years to finish it.

I did read somewhere recently that after about 15 years we tend to re-evaluate our career paths and perhaps that's why there are so many of use entering the "glorious 40's" who are going for a change. I also feel that it is more "acceptable" (not sure that's quite the right word) for people to change careers over here whereas none of my similar-aged buddies back in the UK are contemplating such a move, despite some of their tenuous job situations.

Good luck with your studies!

[YYZlover]

Raises hand!

I went back to "school" this fall just to have something to do. Within what I have been doing just a slight career change.

The result of it is that I decided to do this for real and have applied to college in Canada. I am going for an assessment test at the college next month. Fingers crossed I am accepted and start studying september this year.

I've passed the "mid 40's" marker. I did enquire how that would be looked at by faculty and other students and they had this "you'e worried about your age because..??" look on their faces. Asked a friend in US who teaches at a university and he laughed and said "I'm not going to talk you out of it". While teaching there he also studied for a bachelors and is now thinking of going for a masters. He graduated his bachelors when he passed 60.

Good luck to all of us.

[Aviator]

Used to quite regularly. My whole career was checks and studying, keeps the mind active. Now I do school stuff for fun and teach flying as well (Scares the hell out of me sometimes!) as run a couple of businesses.

[Piff Poff]

I want to go back to school, to learn something OR I want to set up my own business - for which I will want to do a small business course and maybe book keeping too, can't remember much of that from college. I'm 40.

[ExKiwilass]

Originally Posted by YYZlover Raises hand! I went back to "school" this fall just to have something to do. Within what I have been doing just a slight career change. The result of it is that I decided to do this for real and have applied to college in Canada. I am going for an assessment test at the college next month. Fingers crossed I am accepted and start studying september this year. I've passed the "mid 40's" marker. I did enquire how that would be looked at by faculty and other students and they had this "you'e worried about your age because..??" look on their faces. Asked a friend in US who teaches at a university and he laughed and said "I'm not going to talk you out of it". While teaching there he also studied for a bachelors and is now thinking of going for a masters. He graduated his bachelors when he passed 60. Good luck to all of us.

Someone I know got into PM work in her 50s and has done well. Ultimately it's the work you do that counts and once you start gigging word of mouth helps a lot too.

[ann m]

Originally Posted by Flossie and Jim I have quite fancied venturing into HR for a while now, and I get a little bit of training budget from work ... it will count towards half of an HR certificate so I'll only have to pay for half a certificate myself! What did surprise me was the number of people I have come across in all the modules who want to get into HR - am I onto a good thing or am I flogging a dead horse?

Hi Flossie - I'm doing much the same as you then.

With regards to HR, I've already got the admin job in that department, but I cannot really go any further. Or should I say, I can't progress any further with regards to a recruitment or an advisor role because this employer is insisting upon the CHRP certification. Last year, CHRP changed their own requirements, and you must have a degree now to be eligible to take their exams. (FFS!). And this is where I get cross, 'cos it could be a degree in anything - so Music would work OK. (FFS!).

I could train to do payroll or benefits or stay in admin, but I'm just not ready or willing to put the time in for a degree - I'd be in my early 50's and looking to retire shortly thereafter!

So do I just take any experience I can get, take the employer paying for my courses and then move to another not so fussy employer in a few years time?

I've no idea what else I would like to (practically, that pays the bills) do with my time.

Edit: My manager recently told me that I was more than capable of doing the recruiting role, but that she couldn't put me forward for it due to the certification issues. She then proceeded to tell me she would be happy to train me to do all the jobs relating to that role - bascially train me up for another employer. I couldn't decide whether that was completely barmy, completely kind - and I haven't decided if I'm insulted yet!! Just feeling flat I guess.

[ann m]

Originally Posted by Chookie ... but I went back to school to study massage therapy.... a 2 year full-time course (2200 hours in total). And I absolutely LOVE my new career. So much so, that MrChookie has become really jealous of how much I love it and has decided to do a career change himself - he is giving up IT and going back to school to do massage therapy as well, with the eventual aim that we will run a business together. He starts his course next week.

This sounds such a happy tale! Chookie - how did you decide to take that leap? And decide you could pay for/afford not to work during a 2-year full time course, and did you supplement you income while studying?

That's the rub - for us anyway - kids are expensive. We could downsize and release some funds to pay for school - but not sufficient to actually eat aswell.

[YYZlover]

Originally Posted by Aviator Used to quite regularly. My whole career was checks and studying, keeps the mind active. Now I do school stuff for fun and teach flying as well (Scares the hell out of me sometimes!) as run a couple of businesses.

Speaking of which. I was out flying with a buddy who is a pilot at a major airline and who also teaches pilots for the airline. Small 2-seater cessna. Had a blast.

On our way back, enjoying the views, over the intercom I hear "you want to fly?" I look over at him and he's sat there looking at me and pointing at the controls in front of me. I got to fly the plane for a few minutes and if there was ever a time I was afraid of flying it was then. But what a thrill.

[YYZlover]

Originally Posted by Kiwilass Someone I know got into PM work in her 50s and has done well.

That's reassuring. I'd graduate when I'm 50.

Ultimately it's the work you do that counts and once you start gigging word of mouth helps a lot too.

That is so true! Especially in that line of business. I still want the education. :-)