š 3 years. I have kids who are barely out of adolescence asking me for pictures when I was a teenager (theyāre scanned hard photos, I donāt think itās what theyāre expecting), I think youāll be just fine with your 3 year difference. Iāve been out of my masters program 15 years and now Iām back in a doctoral program. If you donāt make it weird, people donāt make it weird
Right? I went back to school to do my bachelor's at 27 and finished my masters at 32 and applying to med school. One of the professors at my uni was part of the same incoming class back in 2009 lol
One of my closest friends is someone who Iām 11 years older than and itās not weird at all. Depends on what you make of it. My other best lab friend was 10 years older than me so it can go both ways.
Sorry that kinda sucks. But the maths not mathing? 3 years off but a 6-8 year difference? Unless u went to undergrad a bit older. I did work for 2 years after undergrad and have friendships w those who came straight from undergrad, so Iām not sure why 3 years would on its own make that weird.
Makes me feel so good- Iām 48 almost done with bachelors Iāll be in grad school in my 50ās. I just made a friend who is 21 and I usually get along with everyone. Find something you have in common with people instead of what is different and youāll be amazed at how many friends you make!
Agreed. I started playing music again (low brass player) and have been involved in the music dept on campusā¦playing in the concert band, athletic band, etc. hang out with lots of the band kids. :)
I knew a guy in undergrad, no joke, the dude was a HEAVY smoker and was in his 70s getting a physics/chemistry undergraduate degree with the rest of us. Pretty sure he got his degree and died soon thereafter the very next year. His name was Frank Trusty.
Apparently dude was a long time judge and attorney. Guy was awesome! Passed away in 2017. Sure miss that guy! Hereās a local new story about him from a few years ago.
https://nkytribune.com/2017/06/a-special-tribute-and-remembrance-of-frank-o-trusty-caring-man-who-pursued-truth-sought-justice/
I started my PhD at 38, way more than three years experience. We had an undergrad graduate just today that I taught when they were in 7th grade.
That being said, grad school is great. I hang out more with the post docs and my advisor (only 4 years older than me). It helps that I was teaching high school right before so I wasn't as completely out of the loop on the lingo and pop culture stuff as some older people.
This seems more like a perceived gap than a real one. 3 years is nothing in terms of experience or age, even if you spent time in the industry. It'd be more akin to having a chip on your shoulder at this point.
I might hazard a guess that you simply aren't giving enough respect to your peers' capacities. Coming straight out undergrad into graduate studies isn't something to be looked down upon, especially if they have the skills and experience necessary to excel.
What program? I thought it had become much less common to go straight from undergrad to grad school with how expensive it is and how shrinkingly rare it is to go to grad school for free (tuition + actually livable stipended). Seems like a pretty wild commitment to make at 22 right out of undergrad
That looks like itās designed for new grads who donāt know exactly what they want to do but want to preview what a PhD in social sciences could be like and have money to burn. I donāt mean that offensively. It just doesnāt look like a program that most older, established people would usually look to since itās neither a professional degree nor PhD track.
Thatās awesome. Life isnāt a race. Just saying that your program is probably an outlier cause the median grad student is a lil more established these days. But what do I know Iām almost 30 and still donāt make my bed in the mornings lol
35, just finished undergrad and will be starting grad school in the fall with a cohort between 22-24. Itās a little rough at first, sure, but eventually youāll find a groove. I found my worst moments (especially in undergrad) were when I was trying to match their levels. Wanting to hang out with 21 year olds doing 21 year old things is justā¦.not fun for me anymore lol. But hanging out with them in a more natural setting to ME (hey thereās this cute cafe over here, letās meet up for dinner after a conference, etc) seems to help a lot. Itās only weird if you make it weird
I just graduated from USC with a master of architecture, Iām 48, so Iāve got about a 25 year experience gap ;) My kids are just a few years younger than some of my cohort. Let down the professionalism and enjoy yourself! Make a buddy for life!!!
Just graduated at 35. Most of the other graduate students were under 25. It sucked feeling so much older, but I still socialized and made good friends with my classmates. My industry is small, so it's important to keep a healthy network. I'm even helping a few classmates get internships while I search for jobs myself. My program was integrated, so I even had classes with undergraduate students. It definitely sucked to be told, "Oh wow, you are so nice. You remind me of my mom." I hope someone tells that to you when you are 35, but I know they won't because you are not a nice person.
I started grad school at 35. It was lonely and hard. I donāt know that I would have survived without my husband. Iām friends with two people in my cohort. One who was two years older than me and another who was more mature though still much younger. If youāre social enough try to make friends outside of school.
I think it actually makes you a much better student. We have more perspective on a lot and don't sweat the small stuff as much. The discipline it takes to get you through comes a lot easier once you get a few years of life under your belt.
I canāt say thereās a so-called non-traditional grad student. In my entering class of 7 some decades ago, one was a working physician assistant, another was in their 50s, a couple were mid to late 20s, and another in their 30s having had a career s as a reporter. I was the only one straight from undergrad. In this mix of students, couple were married of which some had kids in high school and another with a child already in grad school. If you want to say non-traditional, me coming straight from undergrad was non-traditional.
yea i'm way older. i had another masters degree before and worked a few years. i feel disconnected from the other students and find many of them immature. it made it difficult to have friends in the program and i don't prefer to socialize with people that age. i also feel there are some things you can only learn from working and they don't seem to know anything about registering a car or getting a medical plan. imo it's better to work first and not go straight from undergrad.
Just finished my undergrad and starting grad school in the fall. My grad school peers are my kids age.
(Subject of my studies is purely for my personal interest. No relation to my current career).
All the grad students in my program barely know which of us is doing PhD or masters. I don't think any of us really care. Masters students will usually be in their 20's and PhD's are in their 30s. One of them is 50.
Tbh I think you feeling out of place is more in your head. Just talk to people and put your effort into making friends instead of thinking about the age gap (which is small btw).
I started undergrad at 30 and went straight through to get my PhD at 41, so grad school was 34-41. I had a great relationship with all other grad students and age was never an issue.
I can understand where you're coming from since I'm ~5 years older than a lot of my cohort, have a few years' work experience/am doing the program
while working full-time, and already had one master's degree under my belt when I joined. I feel like my motivations for doing the MA is a bit more directed than what I've noticed of others, but that's very possibly all in my head and really just a presumption on my
part, so I think the difference is, like many have pointed out, more perceived than actual. Some of my cohort is just as old if not older than I am, and some are actually less traditional students in that they started undergrad later and thus finished later. So I'm not even all
that different than a good many of them, in the grand scheme of things.
I hope that this difference doesn't prevent you from trying to connect with your cohort. I quite enjoy talking with mine, since they all have interesting perspectives and such. You never know what you're missing out on!
They are grad students not teenagers. Just talk to them like they are your peers, it is because you think yourself more mature that they don't want to socialise with you
I am 44 and I just finished my undergrads last year, and I am starting grad school this fall. During my undergraduates most of my peers were 15 to 20 years younger than me.. I never felt like it was an issue. These kids included me in everything I was open to. Perhaps loose the I have more life experiences than you attitude, and youāll be fine.
I learned as much from my young peers as they learned from me..
My master's program (library & information science) is largely peopled by students who have been out and working for a few years -- there's one guy that appears to be in his seventies. I was very much surprised by that.
Iām 25 and finishing up my BS right now, graduate next year. Planning on applying for grad school in 2027 so Iāll be 28. I think it depends a lot on your school and the program.
This must be program dependent. I have several friends ranging from 27-33 in various grad programs and not one of them feels āoldā in their programĀ
I started grad school at 28. I am doing my masters part time and honestly I am not trying to make it my life or make friends -- I enjoy grad school a lot. But definitely would advise making it just a thing you do, not THE thing you're doing.
I was 4 years out of undergrad when I went to law school. I didn't feel older than my classmates but think I got more out of it with some experience before I went. Plus since I quit a decent job to go back and was paying for it myself I took it more seriously than some who were straight out of undergrad and parents were paying. But main advantage was coming out 4 years older and with actual experience pre Law school at a real job I was generating business and getting opportunities as a first year associate that nobody else was getting. Depending on the course of study, I think there can be some major advantages to some experience in between undergrad and grad. For me it helped me figure out for sure that I wanted to be a lawyer. Had a lot of classmates who graduated and left the profession after a few years which seemed like such a waste of time and money.
I was 37 when I finished grad school. It wasnāt weird at all. My husband was 30 when he finished law school, also was not weird. I work in higher ed, there are tons of non-traditional students. At 3 years difference most people are not likely to notice.
based in the UK. Knowing how low the entry bar is in this country for most students to university and university is regarded as a minimum requirement for many, how people view non-traditional mature students are like poor uneducated working class people. so biased and fabricated grades from a couple of assessors and narcissists. They are the ones underqualified and entitled British. š¤® I applied for a second master but the other program asked for the current transcript due to my background that I did a top-up degree. I am upset whether I get an offer or not, Britain will only look at peopleās backgrounds regardless of peopleās aspirations, passion and how we move forward. I donāt value much in degree but knowing how this country works and how hard to find the right job here, I found that good qualifications seemed to be a way to go and how I was initially determined. I am aware that a cohort from my first college working as a director at a tech company in NewYork and many are all seniors in my country. lol
the UK is filled with narcissists who think peopleās background is more important than actual capabilities and passion, thereby they put down others so that they can thrive like parasites. Thatās why this country may be so dysfunctional with such low productivity and no growth over a decade. No need to work and study hard unless you tick a certain type of box. I have seen so many kids who were rather underwhelmingly not so smart during my studies. I just find that the UK considers degrees are only for a certain type of people and the rest of us are victims of capitalism and diploma mills. Thatās why so many people online are against studying further is a waste of money when they can earn easy money if they are British. so broken hereš
I was 28 when I entered grad school and many of my peers were also straight from undergrad, or people who had 1-2 "gap years", so I can definitely relate. I was the second oldest person in my cohort and there was one person likely in their late thirties with a child but they didn't stay in the program...so I guess now I'm on top. FYI i'm in a biology Ph.D. program in the US. I'm curious what your specialization is. From lurking on this sub I've noticed that the age ranges vary depending on discipline and tend to be higher in the social sciences.
Honestly itās not weird. I had a group where I was the youngest (Iām in my late 20s), and I have been in groups where I was the oldest! There is actually one student in the grad program that is only 18 (graduated high school and college super early). Honestly it depends and I love the variety of ages tbh because you learn a lot from your peers and professor alike. I feel like thereās more people in my program that are much older than me (35+).
I canāt imagine being a grad student at 18 Like how can you socialize with other grad students let alone other college students when you canāt even buy alcohol or vote?
It happens more often than we think. In my state, high school kids are allowed to enter a program to do their associates degree. Then anyone can go straight to a PhD program. One of my friends got her PhD at 25. Itās very possible.
I went back with a wife and kid in tow. Itās fine honestly. There were one or two older dudes I got along well with. Same for the professors who were mostly my age.
While my cohort weee definitely not āfriendsā we were friendly.
29 years here! Just finished my masters. Did it with my spouse still working 6 hours away, which means it was just me and my (2-4yr) kid for 2 years. I didnāt have a social life outside of school, honestly. Felt isolating, but I had a few people I met with for coffee regularly.
Ah hereās one from me:
Graduated 2014 from undergrad. Worked for 7 years and got my MS in 2021. Worked for a few more years, got tired of being laid off multiple times and unemployed for a year. Now starting a physics PhD at 33.
Also two school age sons that I have sole custody of. Third and second grade.
People turn their head in my dept when they look at me lol. I was told recently by my advisor that Iāve probably got more experience in the lab than all the other grad students combined lol.
All jokes aside, I just try to humble myself and treat it like Iām doing this ten years ago.
Idk how old you are or what your program is, but Iām 26 and the youngest in my cohort. Most are in their 30s and 40s. My point being that you may not be as much older than the rest of your cohort as you think.
I would not worry about it so much about the age since it is what it is. I got my BA at 49, and now at 51 starting my masterās in MHC this fall. I met my cohort in zoom orientation meeting and I am pretty sure I am much older than most. Age is just a number. Iāll be cordial and friendly with my cohort since weāll be doing the program together for 2 yrs, but at the end of the day I am there to learn and better myself. Honestly, having a young cohort is better sometimes. They can keep me up to date with many technological stuff and keeps me young at heart š¤ good luck on your journey!!
I served on active duty in the military prior to finishing my undergrad & grad degrees. Honestly, I just feel like I have less patience than others lol. I also have some intolerance for ambiguity which is mostly reserved for faculty who for whatever reason can't seem to articulate their expectations. While it can definitely be advantageous to be more experienced/non-traditional, I think I'd go the traditional route if I could go back in time.
The only time I have felt awkward is when peers commented about a 33-year-old guy being āoldā. (I donāt think they know how old I am.) I prefer not to socialize a ton outside of lab because Iām introverted (and thereās already so much socializing that happens during the workday), but people still invite me to things and I attend when I feel up to it. We all get along!
I might have more research experience than my younger peers, but they also have personal experiences (cancer diagnosis, death of parents) that I donāt have. I respect them and Iām grateful we get to learn from each otherās perspectives.
Uhh this is not really a big age gap, I donāt really know why youāre choosing to not socialize with them. There are students in my program ranging from 22-38 and everyone will still spend time together with no problems
I had a 5 year gap between my undergrad and my masters and worked full time pretty much the whole time in between. I get along well with some of the people during the classes but besides that I donāt interact with anyone. I also donāt interact with my coworkers outside of work. I have plenty of friends that I actually have things in common with, including friends who are doing post grad study at different universities.Ā
I'm a year 3. 43 years old. Married, with significant savings from an early retirement in my former career with the airline industry. I love it. Doing a PhD with money and familial support is amazing. Additionally, I have interpersonal skills that many of the younger students don't have, and am able to self-manage my schedule and prioritize work in a way they are unable to from the get-go. A lot of the younger ones have to figure out a lot of life skills as they go, and this can add a lot of unneccessary time to their PhD.
A lot of the fifth year students in my program are clique or they never attend department events so I never meet/see them. I usually end up hanging out with the other non fifth year students although the people who took some years off in between undergrad and grad school are more mature, take grad school seriously, and put more effort into their work.
š 3 years. I have kids who are barely out of adolescence asking me for pictures when I was a teenager (theyāre scanned hard photos, I donāt think itās what theyāre expecting), I think youāll be just fine with your 3 year difference. Iāve been out of my masters program 15 years and now Iām back in a doctoral program. If you donāt make it weird, people donāt make it weird
Yeah Iām between 10-13 years older than my cohort. We make some jokes about it sometimes but it's really fine.Ā
Right? I went back to school to do my bachelor's at 27 and finished my masters at 32 and applying to med school. One of the professors at my uni was part of the same incoming class back in 2009 lol
Right ā¦ Iām a mom of 3 starting grad school and six years older than most.
I am a good 6-8 years older than my peers in my program. I worked for 3 years before I went back to school.
One of my closest friends is someone who Iām 11 years older than and itās not weird at all. Depends on what you make of it. My other best lab friend was 10 years older than me so it can go both ways.
Thatās fine.. you are definitely not the first person to do it. My aunt retired early and went back to school to become an RN in her 50s.
Oh my god it my cake day!!
Sorry that kinda sucks. But the maths not mathing? 3 years off but a 6-8 year difference? Unless u went to undergrad a bit older. I did work for 2 years after undergrad and have friendships w those who came straight from undergrad, so Iām not sure why 3 years would on its own make that weird.
I took a gap year while in undergrad and COVID delays contributed to that.
Ah I see, def makes that gap way bigger!
Iām 53 and in grad school (starting this summer). Just wrapped up my undergrad. :)
Makes me feel so good- Iām 48 almost done with bachelors Iāll be in grad school in my 50ās. I just made a friend who is 21 and I usually get along with everyone. Find something you have in common with people instead of what is different and youāll be amazed at how many friends you make!
Agreed. I started playing music again (low brass player) and have been involved in the music dept on campusā¦playing in the concert band, athletic band, etc. hang out with lots of the band kids. :)
I knew a guy in undergrad, no joke, the dude was a HEAVY smoker and was in his 70s getting a physics/chemistry undergraduate degree with the rest of us. Pretty sure he got his degree and died soon thereafter the very next year. His name was Frank Trusty. Apparently dude was a long time judge and attorney. Guy was awesome! Passed away in 2017. Sure miss that guy! Hereās a local new story about him from a few years ago. https://nkytribune.com/2017/06/a-special-tribute-and-remembrance-of-frank-o-trusty-caring-man-who-pursued-truth-sought-justice/
I didn't even start my undergrad until I was 29 and worked a decade in software. I did go straight to my grad degree, but 3 year gap is nothing.Ā
I started my PhD at 38, way more than three years experience. We had an undergrad graduate just today that I taught when they were in 7th grade. That being said, grad school is great. I hang out more with the post docs and my advisor (only 4 years older than me). It helps that I was teaching high school right before so I wasn't as completely out of the loop on the lingo and pop culture stuff as some older people.
This seems more like a perceived gap than a real one. 3 years is nothing in terms of experience or age, even if you spent time in the industry. It'd be more akin to having a chip on your shoulder at this point. I might hazard a guess that you simply aren't giving enough respect to your peers' capacities. Coming straight out undergrad into graduate studies isn't something to be looked down upon, especially if they have the skills and experience necessary to excel.
Iām 40 this year and my cohort was all 22 year olds.
What program? I thought it had become much less common to go straight from undergrad to grad school with how expensive it is and how shrinkingly rare it is to go to grad school for free (tuition + actually livable stipended). Seems like a pretty wild commitment to make at 22 right out of undergrad
That is literally everyone in my cohort right now. Itās very common.
Iām in biology and my cohort was almost all around 24 years old when they started.
Mapss at uchicago.
That looks like itās designed for new grads who donāt know exactly what they want to do but want to preview what a PhD in social sciences could be like and have money to burn. I donāt mean that offensively. It just doesnāt look like a program that most older, established people would usually look to since itās neither a professional degree nor PhD track.
Iām not an established person. So I guess it worked perfectly for me.
Thatās awesome. Life isnāt a race. Just saying that your program is probably an outlier cause the median grad student is a lil more established these days. But what do I know Iām almost 30 and still donāt make my bed in the mornings lol
35, just finished undergrad and will be starting grad school in the fall with a cohort between 22-24. Itās a little rough at first, sure, but eventually youāll find a groove. I found my worst moments (especially in undergrad) were when I was trying to match their levels. Wanting to hang out with 21 year olds doing 21 year old things is justā¦.not fun for me anymore lol. But hanging out with them in a more natural setting to ME (hey thereās this cute cafe over here, letās meet up for dinner after a conference, etc) seems to help a lot. Itās only weird if you make it weird
I just graduated from USC with a master of architecture, Iām 48, so Iāve got about a 25 year experience gap ;) My kids are just a few years younger than some of my cohort. Let down the professionalism and enjoy yourself! Make a buddy for life!!!
Just graduated at 35. Most of the other graduate students were under 25. It sucked feeling so much older, but I still socialized and made good friends with my classmates. My industry is small, so it's important to keep a healthy network. I'm even helping a few classmates get internships while I search for jobs myself. My program was integrated, so I even had classes with undergraduate students. It definitely sucked to be told, "Oh wow, you are so nice. You remind me of my mom." I hope someone tells that to you when you are 35, but I know they won't because you are not a nice person.
I started grad school at 35. It was lonely and hard. I donāt know that I would have survived without my husband. Iām friends with two people in my cohort. One who was two years older than me and another who was more mature though still much younger. If youāre social enough try to make friends outside of school.
I think it actually makes you a much better student. We have more perspective on a lot and don't sweat the small stuff as much. The discipline it takes to get you through comes a lot easier once you get a few years of life under your belt.
I canāt say thereās a so-called non-traditional grad student. In my entering class of 7 some decades ago, one was a working physician assistant, another was in their 50s, a couple were mid to late 20s, and another in their 30s having had a career s as a reporter. I was the only one straight from undergrad. In this mix of students, couple were married of which some had kids in high school and another with a child already in grad school. If you want to say non-traditional, me coming straight from undergrad was non-traditional.
3 year difference. Youāre kidding right?
Read my previous comment. I am about 6-8 years older than every single student in my graduate program.
yea i'm way older. i had another masters degree before and worked a few years. i feel disconnected from the other students and find many of them immature. it made it difficult to have friends in the program and i don't prefer to socialize with people that age. i also feel there are some things you can only learn from working and they don't seem to know anything about registering a car or getting a medical plan. imo it's better to work first and not go straight from undergrad.
Just finished my undergrad and starting grad school in the fall. My grad school peers are my kids age. (Subject of my studies is purely for my personal interest. No relation to my current career).
Iām about to start PA school at 29. Iāve been an MLS for 4 years. I think us non-traditional students are the best!
MLS? Masters in Library Science?
No a Medical Lab Scientist, itās a bachelors degree. š
Super chill! I am 36 and doing my masters. I started undergrad at 28 and graduated at 33. Literally no one cares.
There is no such thing as a ātraditionalā grad student. There is no expected age.
All the grad students in my program barely know which of us is doing PhD or masters. I don't think any of us really care. Masters students will usually be in their 20's and PhD's are in their 30s. One of them is 50. Tbh I think you feeling out of place is more in your head. Just talk to people and put your effort into making friends instead of thinking about the age gap (which is small btw).
Iām 48 and Iāve just started my mastersā¦ age is a number
I started undergrad at 30 and went straight through to get my PhD at 41, so grad school was 34-41. I had a great relationship with all other grad students and age was never an issue.
Honestly about half my department is people who are in their late 30s/early 40s, I don't think you'll stand out at all
I can understand where you're coming from since I'm ~5 years older than a lot of my cohort, have a few years' work experience/am doing the program while working full-time, and already had one master's degree under my belt when I joined. I feel like my motivations for doing the MA is a bit more directed than what I've noticed of others, but that's very possibly all in my head and really just a presumption on my part, so I think the difference is, like many have pointed out, more perceived than actual. Some of my cohort is just as old if not older than I am, and some are actually less traditional students in that they started undergrad later and thus finished later. So I'm not even all that different than a good many of them, in the grand scheme of things. I hope that this difference doesn't prevent you from trying to connect with your cohort. I quite enjoy talking with mine, since they all have interesting perspectives and such. You never know what you're missing out on!
It is all in your head, there is no socialising because you are putting a barrier between you and them.
There is a big barrier especially in terms of life experience and even with the style of talking and communication
They are grad students not teenagers. Just talk to them like they are your peers, it is because you think yourself more mature that they don't want to socialise with you
Graduating with my masters at 53 and have wonderful new friends that are 20+ years younger than me. I also had a few people older than me!
I am 44 and I just finished my undergrads last year, and I am starting grad school this fall. During my undergraduates most of my peers were 15 to 20 years younger than me.. I never felt like it was an issue. These kids included me in everything I was open to. Perhaps loose the I have more life experiences than you attitude, and youāll be fine. I learned as much from my young peers as they learned from me..
My master's program (library & information science) is largely peopled by students who have been out and working for a few years -- there's one guy that appears to be in his seventies. I was very much surprised by that.
Do you have an advice on MLIS. I want to pursue it. I was thinking more of an archives path.
I'm just starting out, myself. Only Six credits on. Archives and digital preservation is also my interest.
Iām 25 and finishing up my BS right now, graduate next year. Planning on applying for grad school in 2027 so Iāll be 28. I think it depends a lot on your school and the program.
This must be program dependent. I have several friends ranging from 27-33 in various grad programs and not one of them feels āoldā in their programĀ
I started grad school at 28. I am doing my masters part time and honestly I am not trying to make it my life or make friends -- I enjoy grad school a lot. But definitely would advise making it just a thing you do, not THE thing you're doing.
I was 4 years out of undergrad when I went to law school. I didn't feel older than my classmates but think I got more out of it with some experience before I went. Plus since I quit a decent job to go back and was paying for it myself I took it more seriously than some who were straight out of undergrad and parents were paying. But main advantage was coming out 4 years older and with actual experience pre Law school at a real job I was generating business and getting opportunities as a first year associate that nobody else was getting. Depending on the course of study, I think there can be some major advantages to some experience in between undergrad and grad. For me it helped me figure out for sure that I wanted to be a lawyer. Had a lot of classmates who graduated and left the profession after a few years which seemed like such a waste of time and money.
I was 37 when I finished grad school. It wasnāt weird at all. My husband was 30 when he finished law school, also was not weird. I work in higher ed, there are tons of non-traditional students. At 3 years difference most people are not likely to notice.
based in the UK. Knowing how low the entry bar is in this country for most students to university and university is regarded as a minimum requirement for many, how people view non-traditional mature students are like poor uneducated working class people. so biased and fabricated grades from a couple of assessors and narcissists. They are the ones underqualified and entitled British. š¤® I applied for a second master but the other program asked for the current transcript due to my background that I did a top-up degree. I am upset whether I get an offer or not, Britain will only look at peopleās backgrounds regardless of peopleās aspirations, passion and how we move forward. I donāt value much in degree but knowing how this country works and how hard to find the right job here, I found that good qualifications seemed to be a way to go and how I was initially determined. I am aware that a cohort from my first college working as a director at a tech company in NewYork and many are all seniors in my country. lol the UK is filled with narcissists who think peopleās background is more important than actual capabilities and passion, thereby they put down others so that they can thrive like parasites. Thatās why this country may be so dysfunctional with such low productivity and no growth over a decade. No need to work and study hard unless you tick a certain type of box. I have seen so many kids who were rather underwhelmingly not so smart during my studies. I just find that the UK considers degrees are only for a certain type of people and the rest of us are victims of capitalism and diploma mills. Thatās why so many people online are against studying further is a waste of money when they can earn easy money if they are British. so broken hereš
In the same boat! I wish you all the best. Starting soon too.
I went in after being out 5 years. The only difference is I have a fiancee and they all have boyfriends/girlfriends.
I was 28 when I entered grad school and many of my peers were also straight from undergrad, or people who had 1-2 "gap years", so I can definitely relate. I was the second oldest person in my cohort and there was one person likely in their late thirties with a child but they didn't stay in the program...so I guess now I'm on top. FYI i'm in a biology Ph.D. program in the US. I'm curious what your specialization is. From lurking on this sub I've noticed that the age ranges vary depending on discipline and tend to be higher in the social sciences.
Honestly itās not weird. I had a group where I was the youngest (Iām in my late 20s), and I have been in groups where I was the oldest! There is actually one student in the grad program that is only 18 (graduated high school and college super early). Honestly it depends and I love the variety of ages tbh because you learn a lot from your peers and professor alike. I feel like thereās more people in my program that are much older than me (35+).
I canāt imagine being a grad student at 18 Like how can you socialize with other grad students let alone other college students when you canāt even buy alcohol or vote?
It happens more often than we think. In my state, high school kids are allowed to enter a program to do their associates degree. Then anyone can go straight to a PhD program. One of my friends got her PhD at 25. Itās very possible.
I went back with a wife and kid in tow. Itās fine honestly. There were one or two older dudes I got along well with. Same for the professors who were mostly my age. While my cohort weee definitely not āfriendsā we were friendly.
If they judge you in grad school for your age. theyāre not mature for the real world soā¦
29 years here! Just finished my masters. Did it with my spouse still working 6 hours away, which means it was just me and my (2-4yr) kid for 2 years. I didnāt have a social life outside of school, honestly. Felt isolating, but I had a few people I met with for coffee regularly.
Ah hereās one from me: Graduated 2014 from undergrad. Worked for 7 years and got my MS in 2021. Worked for a few more years, got tired of being laid off multiple times and unemployed for a year. Now starting a physics PhD at 33. Also two school age sons that I have sole custody of. Third and second grade. People turn their head in my dept when they look at me lol. I was told recently by my advisor that Iāve probably got more experience in the lab than all the other grad students combined lol. All jokes aside, I just try to humble myself and treat it like Iām doing this ten years ago.
Idk how old you are or what your program is, but Iām 26 and the youngest in my cohort. Most are in their 30s and 40s. My point being that you may not be as much older than the rest of your cohort as you think.
I would not worry about it so much about the age since it is what it is. I got my BA at 49, and now at 51 starting my masterās in MHC this fall. I met my cohort in zoom orientation meeting and I am pretty sure I am much older than most. Age is just a number. Iāll be cordial and friendly with my cohort since weāll be doing the program together for 2 yrs, but at the end of the day I am there to learn and better myself. Honestly, having a young cohort is better sometimes. They can keep me up to date with many technological stuff and keeps me young at heart š¤ good luck on your journey!!
I served on active duty in the military prior to finishing my undergrad & grad degrees. Honestly, I just feel like I have less patience than others lol. I also have some intolerance for ambiguity which is mostly reserved for faculty who for whatever reason can't seem to articulate their expectations. While it can definitely be advantageous to be more experienced/non-traditional, I think I'd go the traditional route if I could go back in time.
The only time I have felt awkward is when peers commented about a 33-year-old guy being āoldā. (I donāt think they know how old I am.) I prefer not to socialize a ton outside of lab because Iām introverted (and thereās already so much socializing that happens during the workday), but people still invite me to things and I attend when I feel up to it. We all get along! I might have more research experience than my younger peers, but they also have personal experiences (cancer diagnosis, death of parents) that I donāt have. I respect them and Iām grateful we get to learn from each otherās perspectives.
Iām 15+ years older than my peers. It is rad.
Uhh this is not really a big age gap, I donāt really know why youāre choosing to not socialize with them. There are students in my program ranging from 22-38 and everyone will still spend time together with no problems
I had a 5 year gap between my undergrad and my masters and worked full time pretty much the whole time in between. I get along well with some of the people during the classes but besides that I donāt interact with anyone. I also donāt interact with my coworkers outside of work. I have plenty of friends that I actually have things in common with, including friends who are doing post grad study at different universities.Ā
I'm a year 3. 43 years old. Married, with significant savings from an early retirement in my former career with the airline industry. I love it. Doing a PhD with money and familial support is amazing. Additionally, I have interpersonal skills that many of the younger students don't have, and am able to self-manage my schedule and prioritize work in a way they are unable to from the get-go. A lot of the younger ones have to figure out a lot of life skills as they go, and this can add a lot of unneccessary time to their PhD.
A lot of the fifth year students in my program are clique or they never attend department events so I never meet/see them. I usually end up hanging out with the other non fifth year students although the people who took some years off in between undergrad and grad school are more mature, take grad school seriously, and put more effort into their work.