# University in late 20s



## martinkunev (Mar 23, 2017)

For various reasons out of my control I studied just up to Bachelor's degree. I have always been very curious and I keep on learning things in my free time. However a university puts you in the right environment for learning - it motivates you and can provide a well-structured approach. It also allows meeting people with things in common. There are also various advantages of having a diploma.

For these reasons I plan to get a master's degree. I'm 28 already so I guess I'll need to study with people several years younger than me.

What is your opinion on studying at such an age? If you're in university, how would you perceive somebody older studying with you? Would it make a difference or will they be just one of the students?


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## Coburn (Sep 3, 2010)

No opinion. Learning is not limited by age, nor should it be.

When I was getting my undergrad, I had classes with some older students. They generally tended to have greater focus and take college more seriously. Primarily because they were working to pay for it and had made a conscious decision to go back (rather than just shuttling into it from high school like most).


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## with water (Aug 13, 2014)

Okay, but the social structures are stacked against you, and you can't participate in groups in any normal way. You just have to shut up and focus on your work.


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## Notus Asphodelus (Jan 20, 2015)

When I was in college, most of my classmates were 9 years younger than me.. Some are older than me. Some are somewhere in the middle. So, there's a possibility you won't feel left out in Uni, socially. You will learn to intermingle with all ages.


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## MarthePryde (Oct 1, 2017)

It's perfectly fine. I, myself, am hoping to go to university later this year as a mature student. I think as long as you behave well and get on with your work well then the younger students will be perfectly fine with you. As a mature student you have life experience that these youths lack, so it's a good opportunity to share your wisdom and allow others to develop well with you. If you remember your responsibility of being an older example to them, then I think you've got the right mindset. Of course, I wouldn't suggest that you should show condescension or arrogance. Just keep it normal and enjoy your university life.


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## xraydav (Jan 3, 2013)

martinkunev said:


> For various reasons out of my control I studied just up to Bachelor's degree. I have always been very curious and I keep on learning things in my free time. However a university puts you in the right environment for learning - it motivates you and can provide a well-structured approach. It also allows meeting people with things in common. There are also various advantages of having a diploma.
> 
> For these reasons I plan to get a master's degree. I'm 28 already so I guess I'll need to study with people several years younger than me.


I’m sorry I laughed, this sounds like a doomsday scenario. 






> What is your opinion on studying at such an age? If you're in university, how would you perceive somebody older studying with you? Would it make a difference or will they be just one of the students?



No one will care. There are university students who are mothers and fathers and uni students who are apparently grandfathers, and they seem to get along well with others. 

(I was good friends with a person in law school who was around 30, he and I hung out and talked a lot. Just like any of my other friends or housemates atm, some age around 30, but still just friends like any other friend around my age. I guess at some point I stopped seeing people as 21 or 27 or 34 . I see it more like 20-40 (people who are easiest to relate to, going through the same cycle and problems), 40-60 (more like “mentors”, or my dad’s age, they’re wise and more experienced)


Most uni students are mature, some are not, but most are and will be accepting of any one in their 20s, as “one of their own”. Depends if you have that hazing/pledges stuff where you live, I would reconsider, but maybe that’s not a problem? 

Anyway, what I noticed going to uni with peers lower than my age is that they were exactly the same types and personalities and I could relate to them, in the same way as my same aged peers. The only difference would be that their millenial* music interests and behaviours were a result of their millenial upbringing post 9/11 thinking - they listened to a lot of post-Alternative like Sleeping with Sirens (lol) stuff from the late 2000s almost biblically. I couldn’t relate as much to that, so we didn’t have as much to talk about in terms of music. They called my music like Soundgarden, something their parents would listen to. 

It’s always good to be the older and wiser person in such a group. That’s life man, any way, some of the younger millenial guys, were actually much more accommodating and nicer and knew who I was talking about, so it’s all good overall.

Anyway, I find it really refreshing to find people who had different views and opinions of the world and somewhat different way of thinking. Sometimes they’re actually better for it.


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## Senah (Oct 17, 2017)

I mean, I can only give you my perspective from the US, but here it doesn't really matter anymore especially for graduate degrees. I went back for a different undergraduate degree and finished that at 26 and my graduate degrees at 29. I hung out with people older than I was (with kids) and those younger (23). We all had fun. I teach at university now and in my undergraduate program in nursing there are men and women who are in their 30s and 40s as well as 20s and all the students go out for drinks together after class and work on projects together, and in the graduate program it is similar. One of my closes friends is 25 because we worked together and she is in school now (I am in my mid-thirties). So, I really think that no one cares anymore - it is just about who you get on with.


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## Siggy (May 25, 2009)

Old fart chiming in. I went back to school in late 30's. Had a blast. There were students of all ages and we all got along, I think because we were working towards the same goal. We had group study sessions, and hung out after class.


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## Miharu (Apr 1, 2015)

I don't care. I'm 19 and on my last couple of months before graduating in uni. I have classmates much, much, older than you are. (I'm talking white-haired elderly man and a wrinkly woman who is AT LEAST 50).

I appreciate their tenacity. 

The woman had her children relatively young, and didn't have time to finish her bachelor's degree and now that she has time, she's doing it. 

Suit yourself! I appreciate people who don't stop learning.


EDIT: 

Just thought I'd add. I'm probably the youngest in all my classes. It actually feels weirder to be 19 and graduating BA Hons + CMI in Business and Management, together with my classmates who are at least 22 or 23. 

You'll fit right in. My uncle, a journalist, did his Master's degree just a few years back, in his early 50s. Felt that he needed to compete more now that "the game has changed!"


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## shinedowness (Dec 11, 2017)

> What is your opinion on studying at such an age?


I think that limiting an age for college is prejudiced and egoistical. Some people were too busy being youthfully rebellious with drugs, alcohol, sex, adventure, raising children as teenagers (especially when those teenagers were raising teenagers from them having deadbeat parent(s)), etc. instead of selling their souls to being societal robots. So, they had to go to college later in life to "mature." By the way, some "not so robotic" rebels like the US co-founders would have done fine at a college.



> If you're in university, how would you perceive somebody older studying with you?


That they are a human being to me. Human = has strengths/weaknesses to me.



> Would it make a difference or will they be just one of the students?


They would be another human/student that is doing whatever they got to do in the world to me.


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## master of time and space (Feb 16, 2017)

here in the UK you need to be 25 years old to study as a psychotherapist so you have some life experiences. 

When I studied there were all ages of people in my group. From 25 years old to 60 years old.

I personally found it very advantageous to have older people in the group because they usually had other university degrees and a breadth of life knowledge and were only too pleased to help out the younger members. I remember one older person who had a masters degree in Philosophy and wanted to become an existential therapist, she still started at the bottom of the ladder to learn.


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## Handsome Dyke (Oct 4, 2012)

Grad school at 28 is not unusual. No one will even notice or be that much younger than you are.


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## letsrunlikecrazy (Sep 21, 2015)

I just finished my master's. There was a wide range of ages in my program, from under 20 to over 30. Some came straight from undergrad and were 22-23 but many came from the workforce and were older. Age didn't seem to affect anybody's performance or social integration by much. It's not weird at all to be getting a master's at 28.


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## Bastard (Feb 4, 2018)

martinkunev said:


> What is your opinion on studying at such an age? If you're in university, how would you perceive somebody older studying with you? Would it make a difference or will they be just one of the students?


My opinion? Go for it. You'll be amazed how much of an edge life experience gives you. 

Of course it makes a difference. When I hung out with the "normal" age students between classes it almost felt like babysitting; and I was only 7-8 years older. That being said, there were many people in their mid/late 20s and onward: I was never alone nor lonely.


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## visceral (Apr 11, 2017)

Miharu said:


> I don't care. I'm 19 and on my last couple of months before graduating in uni. I have classmates much, much, older than you are. (I'm talking white-haired elderly man and a wrinkly woman who is AT LEAST 50).
> 
> *I appreciate their tenacity. *
> 
> ...


 agree with this 100%


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## visceral (Apr 11, 2017)

Spine Crusher said:


> Grad school at 28 is not unusual. No one will even notice or be that much younger than you are.


i too was surprised to hear OP considered himself old for grad school


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## Gman1 (Mar 3, 2015)

martinkunev said:


> For various reasons out of my control I studied just up to Bachelor's degree. I have always been very curious and I keep on learning things in my free time. However a university puts you in the right environment for learning - it motivates you and can provide a well-structured approach. It also allows meeting people with things in common. There are also various advantages of having a diploma.
> 
> For these reasons I plan to get a master's degree. I'm 28 already so I guess I'll need to study with people several years younger than me.
> 
> What is your opinion on studying at such an age? If you're in university, how would you perceive somebody older studying with you? Would it make a difference or will they be just one of the students?


Age really doesn't matter. Just make sure you have a crap load of money for when you do the masters.


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## AshOrLey (May 28, 2016)

Well going for your masters is your best focus right there. 

If it's mostly to learn and make friends then, well you'll have to weigh that against the cost. Which I'm sure you're already aware of.

In my eyes, it's not worth it to go to college to simply learn, make friends, or for your reputation because you feel that because everyone else is doing it, you need to as well.

Ultimately it's a business, and they want as much money from you as they can. You want an equal exchange. 

On top of that, I think the set up of college is an awful way to learn unless you're doing hands on training. But if you're just sitting in there listening to a lecture and doing some assignments here and there, waste of money. 

I'd narrow in on the degree. Btw the class I go to consists of mostly older people so who cares! 28 isn't even old lol :tongue:


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## dark_angel (Oct 21, 2013)

WHile there are age limits for being in high school, college has no age limit as long as you meet the admissions requirement. That said, it's easier to be going to school while younger and have less responsibilities. Most of the students will be younger than you, but quite a few will be older. You'll be surprised. Try hanging out more with those people since they take their studying more seriously and will have more positive influence on you.

TBH, you're already ahead of me in education. I'm also 28 and won't get my bachelors until this coming December at the earliest. I dropped out of school for 5 years before returning a few years ago. I've been on both sides of the fence, as a traditional student straight out of high school, and then as a non traditional student over 25 y/o. I actually enjoy my 2nd time in college better bc now I'm inclined to make better choices which leads to better outcomes.

In short, I'd say go for it!


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## angelfish (Feb 17, 2011)

In my area there would be nothing unusual about a 28-year-old Master's student. I'd estimate 23-65 years old is a fairly average age range as far as I'm aware.

Personally I'd like to get my Master's after a few more years - I'll likely be in my early 30s by then.


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