<p>On the one hand, I agree with Northstarmom. On the other . . . </p>
<p>It is very hard to pay back law school loans doing public interest work. If you intend to subsidize your retirement job out of your retirement savings, that could work, but it’s not likely to be a good financial decision.</p>
<p>Law school does not teach you everything you need to know – or even half of what you need to know – to practice as a lawyer. Learning the rest takes a lot of work and a number of years. It would be very tough to do it part time, and even tougher to do it outside of a functioning organization (firm or nonprofit group).</p>
<p>Lots of public interest practice requires some significant financial resources as well, since you do not get paid currently by a client. So you can work for years on a piece of litigation, and maybe get paid nothing ever. It is tough to finance that on your own, something that also forces you to some sort of organization.</p>
<p>But in an organization you will face some degree of prejudice against a late-life amateur, and competition from hardworking youngsters. I know a lot of public interest lawyers. Most of them have been engaged in some version of this kind of work since they were in high school, and have made significant sacrifices to keep doing it. They aren’t necessarily so friendly to people who are looking to drop out of the mainstream unless they have been very engaged in the work for years before that.</p>
<p>Finally, 50 hours/week is not full-time in the legal world. (When I was in law school, there was lots of discussion of part-time law jobs. A professor returned from his Harvard Law reunion, and reported that he had asked a classmate at a Wall St. firm if they had any part-time lawyers. “Sure,” he said. “We have two Orthodox Jews; they don’t work on Saturday.”) Sometimes you don’t have to work that, or don’t have the work to fill it. Other times, you may need 80-100 hours/week. Or more time than you can give, in which case you need other people who can help you.</p>
<p>thanks for the feedback. As for me, decision for that kind of second career will not be a financially motivated one. I think by the time I will do this, I will have saved enough to live on without any further positive cash flow from a job. I would fully expect to pay for the tuition as an investment into the rest of my life as a productive, contributing citizen. If can achieve that status, that’s a satisfactory return. If I make a few bucks, that will be an icing on the cake - perhaps that money will go to grandchildren’s education fund I would like to set up.</p>
<p>The real issue will be, will I find a niche where my contribution will be valued and respected. I don’t have to be the top dog in the field, not even close. I would like to contribute to society, rather than playing bridge and spending most of my time on hobbies. That said, I don’t want it to be 60 hour/week intensity. </p>
<p>In a legal profession, will there be a room for a person with above mentioned aspirations and specs?</p>
<p>I know lawyers who are in the field you’re considering who are chosing to work part time. If, though, they wanted to be employed much more, there is plenty of work that they could be doing.</p>
<p>Me, too! I’ve remembered that column whenever I’ve contemplated doing something that takes a good chunk of time. I’m not a big fan of Ann Landers, et al, but that was a truly wise perspective.</p>
<p>It’s a good positive attitude, but good luck finding a medical school that will admit a 50 year old. Maybe an off-shore Caribbean school or something, but most, maybe all, US medicals schools target much younger appilcants. And there is no shortage of applicants.</p>
<p>Just one of several similar posts on the National Society of Nontraditional Premed and Medical Students forum:</p>
<p>" I started medical school at 57 and finished my residency at 65 and am now 4 months into my own private practice and loving it. Those of us who have been on the planet for a while have much to offer patients in the way of understanding and compassion that our younger associates lack. You will probably live to be 85 anyway, why not fulfill your dreams along the way? Good luck."</p>
<p>Count me among the modified parade rainers. Sounds like the OP is going through a midlife crisis of a sort that used to be limited to me. At around her age, they would look around and say “Is this all there is?” As primary breadwinners, they would be expected to suck it up and deal after a short time, and take pride in the fact that they are doing what is necessary to support their families. Now, of course, we have the myth that work is supposed to be “fulfilling” and/or “fun.” Tell that to a steelworker.</p>
<p>So IMHO the overriding question that the OP must ask is, given the situation of my family, can I afford to leave my job (subquestions include what financial sacrifices am I willing to make, and to have other family members make). In asking this question, I would operate under the assumption that the American economy of the late 20th and early 21st century was an anomaly, and that, in the intermediate and long term, things are only going to get a little better (and may in fact get worse). At the OP’s age, she definitely needs to focus on retirement issues in making this calculation.</p>
<p>If and only if she is able to answer “yes” to the first question, then she can figure out what she wants to do and how she is going to get there. If the financial situation can be worked out, there are always lots of cool volunteer opportunities out there. If she needs to make a substantial income, the problem is a lot more complicated and the odds are against her.</p>
<p>maybe revisit how the op started this thread (op…op??..tap tap tap…you still here, op?):</p>
<p>“I don’t know what I want to do–anything other than what I did before sounds appealing (I am burned out). Is it too late for me? Could I really DO this? How would I start? Which institutions cater to old (not even gonna say “older”) folks like me? And how to find money to pay for tuition? I have kids to put through college. Am I dreaming? Did you make a midlife career change, and how did you accomplish it? I need role models and inspiration!!!”</p>
<p>amazing this, considering the questions most parents of teenagers have in effort to help them prepare and apply for college. the op asks about how to finance her college costs but apparently hasn’t figured this out for her kids. yet virtually every responder here has been so supportive with stories of successful career retreading at a later age. so what? what about the priority for this parent, in fact for this parent forum? </p>
<p>makes me appreciate my wife even more, that she realized it was in the best interests of our children to wait until our last was accepted to college (his first choice ivy) before starting grad school this fall. i was merely the full-time bread winner (as burned out as the op in all likelihood). believe me, if i had also been responsible for keeping up with the details of their college prep/apps, the results would not have been as successful.</p>
<p>OP here. My question brought lots of adamant opinions! I didn’t expect to touch a nerve with a few posters, who made some assumptions, so maybe some more disclosure is in order. My life didn’t go quite as expected in the past decade. I gradually pulled back from a consulting business during the sandwich years to take care of family and self; I buried parents, survived scary diagnoses myself, took care of high needs in kids, etc. It would be difficult to break back into my former field, and I honestly couldn’t handle the pressure, the hours, etc. I still have the smarts, I think, but not the stamina. For a few reasons, I can’t spend that much time in front of a computer anymore. I supported my kids’ talents (and was very blessed) to the extent that they already are or will probably continue to be low-cost for college, thanks to merit scholarships. With some lifestyle changes, maybe I could afford some retooling, but nothing major like med school or law school. I am looking to be of use, and know my last kid’s departure will leave an empty hole in my life and my heart that I need to fill with some kind of gratifying work, intellectual stimulation and social contact, but on a flexible, part-time basis. I kept up with volunteering all the way through, but it doesn’t give me the creative opportunities and intellectual stimulation I crave. Also, I should help spouse with retirement contributions, since it looks like I may live that long after all, and it would be nice to be able to help kids financially as needed…I don’t need to make a high income; my needs are simple. Any suggestions about careers friendly to older people would be appreciated–guess I won’t be looking to work for Abercrombie & Fitch…and thanks for the encouragement and well-intentioned reality checks from many of you.</p>
<p>I think the first question is what would excite you. I think a new career is daunting and energy-demanding. Excitement and a real commitment is helpful. The adrenalin rush of joy lifts us over hurdles.</p>
<p>Once you figure out what you really want, then you can figure out how to make it happen.</p>
<p>Most of the people I know that have switched careers in their 50’s went to work for non-profits. Before I went back to school, I’d mine all the volunteer contacts I had to see what’s out there within my skill set. Non-profits seem to always need fund-raisers, trainers, grant-writers and administrators.</p>
<p>Why not explore some options while at a low cost community college? When I went back to school I started out exploring the interests/passions of my youth and after a few classes fell into a second passion that had always simmered in the background when I was growing up. It was the <em>second</em> major that was a right fit for me as an older returning student. Had I been inflexible or convinced myself I had to stick with the first major I had in mind, I believe I would have not been very happy today. </p>
<p>How much flexibility you have at this age to explore majors may be tempered by finances and any obligations you <em>choose</em> to continue with your adult-aged children. But if you aren’t in a hurry, you probably can find that time to try a few different things before settling on a particular college/career path. I’m of the parenting philosophy that parents need to weigh their own needs as well when deciding how much financial support to extend to adult-aged children (18+). There’s nothing wrong with saying “Mom (and Dad if he’s in the picture) are moving to the state of XYZ – community colleges and state colleges are inexpensive – Mom is going back to school. If you want to join us on this adventure, great, if not, we are able to help only with this set amount for your college path.” Etc. </p>
<p>I believe there is a way to be supportive of children AND expect them to contribute VIGOROUSLY to their own college education (what’s wrong with them working fulltime for 2 years before going to college and saving up? joining the military for 4 years? Or going 2 years to community college, then work 2 years and then transferring to a 4 year college? Most these kids will live to be 80+ years old, and yet as a society we don’t expect them to actually put some skin in the game wrt paying more than maybe the summer job’s worth toward their own college expenses).</p>
<p>So - get creative. Shake up the expectations. Make new deals. Consider what wasn’t considered before. Have more playful “what if we tried X…” conversations. Get out of the cookie cutter life-planning rut. Be compassionate to those around you who are afraid of change and risk, weigh risks with a moderate hand, stop playing 100% safe with life plans. Make sure your husband is on board, but frankly, trust that your children are resilient and can shift and change with the needs of the ENTIRE family - including Mom’s needs.</p>
<p>Yes, in the non-profit/volunteer world, there are untold, unlimited options once you figure out what you have to offer it’s generally not as hard as you might think to link you with an org that can work with your skill set & give you a start on a possible job/career track.</p>
<p>Many universities have counseling offices set up to help the older, returning student. You can get career testing, sometimes for free. At my local CC, you can take a semester class dedicated to helping people figure out what they want to do. Also, if there is a field of study the OP is interested in, she can contact a university and ask for a pre-admissions interview with a particular department. That may help her find answers regarding specific careers.</p>
<p>My mom was in her 50’s when she went for a masters in Public Administration. There was a real mix of ages and background in her classes and she loved it.</p>
<p>Scroll down to the age tables and you’ll see that, for most years for those actually matriculating (i.e. getting in), the 99th percentile is hit at about age 34, 35, or 36 - meaning that less than 1% of those getting in are older than about 35. And it never gets over 36 (although the 99th percentile of those applying sometimes is greater than 40).</p>
<p>As I said, good luck finding a medical school that will admit a 50 year old.</p>
<p>^^You know I hate coming across as the perpetual wet blanket on this thread, but telling a 50 year old to keep dreaming the dream and s/he’ll make it into medical school is like telling a kid to forget about those academics and keep working on that jump shot and he’ll star for the Lakers someday. Maybe he actually will (Hey, it worked for Kobe!), but the odds are so long that it’s not realistic, practical advice.</p>
<p>We solemnly warn the kids on cc not to pin all their hopes on getting into HYPSM, to build their list from the bottom up, to love their safety. But when someone middle-aged asks we say Go for it! The sky is the limit! We need to set up a Chances forum for the parents contemplating career changes.</p>