SAHM/grandmothers getting a PhD over 45?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why don’t you mind your own business & stop judging? You make all women look BAD!!
Just enjoy people for what they are and try to have some pleasant, maybe even intellectual conversations instead of getting all judgy about people choices ok?

Thank you!

Like, OP, why do you care?

These are women who are fulfilling dreams and living their best lives. They are not sitting around feeling old, useless and as if their lives are over. I applaud people who do what they hell they want when they want instead of working to fit into someone else's box.

Congratulations to you! You took the populated, more traveled road. These women bravely took the road less traveled.

While you were busting your ass at 34 working and fitting neatly into society's box, they were enjoying their families, lives and whatever made them happy. Now, they have the energy to pursue that doctorate because they're not burned out and aching to retire.

And you really don't know if those women are in debt or how their education is being funded. There's TONS of money for doctoral students.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why don’t you mind your own business & stop judging? You make all women look BAD!!
Just enjoy people for what they are and try to have some pleasant, maybe even intellectual conversations instead of getting all judgy about people choices ok?

Thank you!

Like, OP, why do you care?

These are women who are fulfilling dreams and living their best lives. They are not sitting around feeling old, useless and as if their lives are over. I applaud people who do what they hell they want when they want instead of working to fit into someone else's box.

Congratulations to you! You took the populated, more traveled road. These women bravely took the road less traveled.

While you were busting your ass at 34 working and fitting neatly into society's box, they were enjoying their families, lives and whatever made them happy. Now, they have the energy to pursue that doctorate because they're not burned out and aching to retire.

And you really don't know if those women are in debt or how their education is being funded. There's TONS of money for doctoral students.

+1. Awesome response.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes, OP, all 50 year old women are washed-up grandmothers who can't compete with a young genius like you! And they should all just invest their money in something like Lularoe. They couldn't possibly have intellectual interests.

Did one of those women beat you for a promotion at work?

+1. So tired of the American idea that women over a certain should just fall into the background.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, OP, all 50 year old women are washed-up grandmothers who can't compete with a young genius like you! And they should all just invest their money in something like Lularoe. They couldn't possibly have intellectual interests.

Did one of those women beat you for a promotion at work?

+1. So tired of the American idea that women over a certain should just fall into the background.

^^^certain age

[Anonymous]

It's more about a dream job or career change OP. And, most women or men who go back at a later age usually aren't struggling financially or have tons of financial aid or they wouldn't be there in the first place.

I know a former SAHM who received her PhD in History at age 45 and then taught college classes for the next 20 years full time. Finding a full time history position would be harder now, but she needed the PhD to do so.

[Anonymous]

Also, OP, you clearly have ZERO idea how much crap you have to deal with as a small business owner if you want to be successful.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:And, most women or men who go back at a later age usually aren't struggling financially or have tons of financial aid or they wouldn't be there in the first place.

Very true...especially if they could afford to be a SAHM in this area for several years.

[Anonymous]

Thank you OP,

I am 42 and I am going back to school. I can't wait!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thank you OP,

I am 42 and I am going back to school. I can't wait!!

Congrats! What are you going back for? I'm 40 and considering the same!

[Anonymous]

My MIL was a career woman, then a SAHM, then at 50 got her PhD in Psychology and now works as a professor at public university. She is an excellent professor and her students love her, and she really enjoys this new phase in her life.

Hopefully she's teaching the next generations not to be such insecure twits.

[Anonymous]

Why not!? Why would you care? I changed careers and graduated w a second masters degree at 45, adopted my son at 46. What’s your story?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I work with a few women who were SAHMs/ grandmothers who earned a doctorate over the age of 40/45.

I was 34 when I finished my doctorate. I am also a woman. I received stipends and graduate research positions and had published articles and presentations. I had a full time job as a defense contractor. My employer paid for my tuition. I was able to complete my dissertation research as part of my job.

I would never have paid so much money for an online degree as a doctorate, which I see mostly women paying, for a job that pays around $32 an hour. Why would a 50-year-old put themselves in debt like that? Why not invest that money in something more lucrative like a small business?

I am 61 and am enrolled in a MSIS (Cybersecurity) program at George Mason. I have no argument with the acquisition of a PhD at any age. I do, however, know that online programs, generally, are worthless. Much of the value of a graduate degree is the intellectual challenge created in a classroom setting.

[Anonymous]

I'm 47 and worked part-time at a government agency until last year. My youngest child is going into high school and I hope to go back to school for my PhD in the near future. We can afford it and it's been a long-held goal of mine. Why do I need to justify it?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm 47 and worked part-time at a government agency until last year. My youngest child is going into high school and I hope to go back to school for my PhD in the near future. We can afford it and it's been a long-held goal of mine. Why do I need to justify it?

The only person to whom you need to justify anything is the person looking back at you in the mirror.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My MIL was a career woman, then a SAHM, then at 50 got her PhD in Psychology and now works as a professor at public university. She is an excellent professor and her students love her, and she really enjoys this new phase in her life.

Hopefully she's teaching the next generations not to be such insecure twits.

+1000