HN Explorer

Ask HN: Almost 32, should I go back to University?

11 points by tsingy ↗ HN
Hi, I’ll be 32 years old in March 2023. I’m from a top 10 from the bottom country. I have a master's degree in business administration from France. Worked for a few years before burning out, so I went home with my fiancé. Now I'm studying programming full time while chilling on the beach. The thing is I love this ** so much, I wish I had discovered it earlier. Here is the thing, I'm confident in my ability to learn on my own, but my chance to get a job is pretty low from here, one still needs to eat. So I am wondering if I should go back to University? (Mathematics) Why math you may ask, well It's one of the only degrees from my country that is recognised internationally. So I can do a bachelor's degree here and emigrate for my master's. I want to study here to keep my COL low in order to not burn my savings. Is it too late? Are there any companies out there that would sponsor something like that, where they pay for your degree and you go work for them after?

18 comments

[ 0.29 ms ] story [ 51.2 ms ] thread
b2bhandshake
Yes. Never too late to pursue higher education
Shinmon
It's never too late to go to university. There are certainly people that start later than 32.

Anyway, I you goal is to program for your job you might want to look into business intelligence, data analytics for business, etc. It's basically a soft transition from your current professional background and would likely allow you to make money while learning more about coding and data analysis. Then I would try to get training from the company to get better in data analytics, data engineering, DevOps, software engineering, ...

I think this a challenging but realistic way where you can leverage your expertise, learn new stuff and still make money without taking a crazy pay cut.

Slightly related..in Germany there are so called "Duales Studium" which is basically studying during the semester and working for the sponsoring company during the breaks. You get paid but will be expected to work for the sponsoring company for a couple of years. Pretty sure you would need to know German tho.

tsingy
I studied German in high school and it still gives me nightmares haha I think adding a language to learn on top would be too much for my sanity but I'll look into the rest, thanks.
brudgers
I think the place to start is to talk to faculty at the university you are thinking about, because that is where the gate is and those are the gatekeepers.

If you were in the US, I would tell you it is never too late.

But second (and third and fourth and..) chance education is mostly limited to the US educational system. Attitudes, customs, and policies tend to be less open in other countries.

Good luck.

tsingy
I already did, and I know I can. My questions are more about if it's too late? Is it worth it? Should I go for it? And so on. For now, comments are reassuring so I'm leaning towards doing it. Thanks.
reckitralph
Yes. You'll be doing something in 4 years anyways, might as well have a degree. I finished my most recent at 37 :)
tsingy
That's inspiring, thanks.
kjs3
I'm taking classes in mid-50s. Never too late, and regardless of the anti-college faction on HN, I think it's worthwhile. Mathematics in particular will be useful in many places you might want to go. As a hiring manager, I see someone doing this as a positive; I value folks who seek to improve themselves.

Your plan (CS local for CoL, Masters elsewhere) seems very sound. I don't know any companies subsidizing something like this unfortunately. However, when it comes Masters time, depending on where you go in the world there will likely be financial aid options of various types and quantities.

cableshaft
I went back to college at 28. It was a bit odd for the first couple of weeks, after that it felt normal. Graduated two years later.

In the US tuition has gotten ridiculously expensive, so I would hesitate to recommend it if you're in the US, but I'm guessing it's much more affordable where you're at, so yeah, go for it.

If it weren't so expensive to go back, I might consider going back again, honestly. I've been tempted to take a night class or two at a community college for the sake of being in that environment somewhat again, and pick up a few more skills.

Online doesn't seem to work for me, I buy access to the class but don't follow through.

trynewideas
> Are there any companies out there that would sponsor something like that, where they pay for your degree and you go work for them after?

US tech companies don't do work-study scholarships that I've heard of; a few startups and some mid-size and larger ones might take on a paid intern, but that's typically for a limited engagement and not guaranteed to result in a job with them after you graduate (though it helps plenty, especially if you're good).

If you already have a master's degree and work history, even if it's not a prestigious institution, the more important thing is demonstrating some skills and an ability to learn new ones quickly.

Raed667
I work with people who started coding in their 40s, it is never too late.
renaissance_tea
Coding is everywhere. Lean into your business skills and get a business analytics job. I feel with a good portfolio and story with a lot of studying, that would be a good path.
wojciii
You can study anywhere in the EU. Why limit yourself to France.

Would a Scandinavian country work? The courses would be in English anyway. Everyone speaks English (I assume in other Scandinavian countries than the one that I live in - DK)

And also why math and not CS?

Are you interested in software development or just hacking stuff together?

tsingy
> You can study anywhere in the EU. Why limit yourself to France.

I'm not in France anymore, I can come back depending on opportunity, but for now I'm in my home country where the cost of living is low so I don't burn my savings.

> Would a Scandinavian country work? The courses would be in English anyway. Everyone speaks English (I assume in other Scandinavian countries than the one that I live in - DK)

Oh YES, that would be amazing, I would love to if possible. Even better if there are some programs where companies can finance studies.

> And also why math and not CS?

Because out of all degrees in my country Math is among the few ones that are recognized by developed countries. That would let me go somewhere more developed for my masters. I would do CS if I go abroad though, and later go into Fintech.

>Are you interested in software development or just hacking stuff together?

I am interested in Software development and after playing with stable diffusion, machine learning.

Can we chat? I have some questions If you don't mind, now that I now you are in DK.

culopatin
I’m moving to Europe from the US and I’m looking at degrees. A year of studying is less than 2 classes in the US. It’s so cheap I would probably always be enrolled in something, I don’t see why not.
tsingy
I had a friend in university that was from the US. Her parents learned on a previous holiday that the cost of one year of study in the US was 5 times more that an entire master degree in France. So she did everything here.
akeck
Definitely. I did an Applied Math undergrad degree one class at a time at night (US) from late 20s to late 30s. It was fun, hard, and gratifying. Also, I had zero student debt when I was done, which was really convenient.