Going back to college in your early 40s...sounds like a terrible idea...but Im considering it.

[Muleys32]

I think Geologists in oil and gas make a great living. Lots of good hunting in areas with oil and gas.

 

[Seth]

Certainly careers in mining and oil/gas are widely available, though sometimes located in less desirable areas. I saw mining engineering in a couple of the previous posts and that might be a natural path, building on your previous engineering courses and mechanical aptitude. I’ve been in mining well over 20 years and you can make what you want if the opportunities. There’s lots of ways to get outside, reclamation and environmental opportunities could be in line with your desires. Feel free to DM if it’s something you’d like to explore further.

 

[Scott7030]

I started working on a bachelors in mechanical engineering when I was 38. It took me 5 years to complete while I was working fulltime with 2 little girls at home. It's now been just over 2 years since I graduated from college. I would encourage you to bite the bullet and go. It's opens so many doors having my degree and it was a lot more beneficial going into college with 20 years of work experience. You will be better at picking out what is important to learn and I enjoyed helping the students half my age get a different perspective on life. Good Luck!

 

[Mike Islander]

a friend of mine was a gigolo in Naples Florida, no kidding. Made quite a living as an escort with the rich and single/widowed senior ladies. He used some loophole to get around alleged prostitution charges

I used to be a giggle-o...women paid me to make them laugh.

 

[tony]

I went to school and worked full time, got a degree in nursing, and finished a bachelor's a few years ago.

You thought about trade school? GFs son went to a local technical college and got a 2-year heavy equipment degree, included a CDL and some basic Maintenace and mechanics. Got in the operator's union and is making over $40.00 hour at 21.

Of course, he's spending money like a 21-year-old.

 

[Rich M]

I lost a company during recession. Went back to school for MBA, figured would be transitioning to a diff career. Instead it bumped me up a notch and help w existing career. Was about 43 when got the degree.

You can do some kind of business degree to be a sgop manager maybe. You know the other aspects of business, be building on your strength.

Start off w community college - cheaper and easier to get into. If that degree helps, you’re ahead of game. Do get the full 4 year degree.

As for the whole financial aspect…pay what you can, borrow as little as possible.

 

[StuckInTheEast]

Just as a bit of clarification as its relevant and I left a bit out and it's been a few pages since the other part was mentioned...
I'm am the GM of the my current place of employment. We are not a tiny outfit. Near or over $2mil in sales a year and growing. No one here tells me what to do, even the owner...Im often directing him on tasks. He writes the checks and makes final capital expense and hiring decisions. Other than that I handle every other aspect of daily business including still spending way to much time with tools in my hands.
I'm not unappreciated and I'm not disgruntled in any way towards the owner. My only rub business wise is not having a legal stake in what I've helped build. Thats partly on me, but at the same time i realky dont want it. Its actually a good thing in the fact that I have nothing tying me here. Being past ready to get out and move on thats actually beneficial at this point.
I'm paid well and answer to no one...I just hate the work and quite frankly everything about the auto industry in general anymore. I've hated it for 10 years. If I can't find joy in the work being the Head MFIC , it's just not gonna happen.
It's treated me well financially, but the toll is starting show physically and mentally.
I have no dept other than a small mortgage I could pay off tomorrow...but at 2.6% my money earns more invested now than it costs me in interest on the mortgage so it makes no sense to pay it off. I could spend 2 years finishing a degree and take on no debt and we could live without hitting our savings on my wife's income, we just wouldn't save anything in that time frame...we are savers, so that's a hard pill to swallow but that conversation has been had and we are both OK with that.

I know I could lateral into the same work or into state/county/city fleet maintenance anout anywhere in the country...NO ONE wants to do this type of work anymore. You have to be able to problem solve/diagnose mechanical, electrical, hvac, hydraulic, internal combustion gas/diesel engines and driveline systems from the past 30 years to present from all mamufacturers. It requires critical thinking AND busting your back and knuckles and getting dirty all while paying close attention to detail and following precise processes... It should require a degree...or two...but for some reason it's been stigmatized into work for blue collar Joe's that don't want to pursue education. Quite frankly the education programs for Automotive are behind the times and insufficient so most people coming out of the few lightly attended trade schools are unprepared for what will be required to be successful and productive...Dont even get me going on finding quality parts to do the job anymore. Thats an issue across the spectrum.

Long of it short...the industry has just burned me out...so lateral move to same type of work I dont think is an option.

 

[MTPipeliner]

One thing that may be possible for you is to work as a mechanic in the oil and gas sector then move onto something else if you want. We have several individuals at my work who started as mechanics working on our compressors and stationary engines who then moved onto other areas such as purchasing agents, communication technicians, land agents, district management, etc.

Mechanic background paired with an engineering will likely open a lot of doors for you as well.

 

[Cedarsavage]

I went to school and worked full time, got a degree in nursing, and finished a bachelor's a few years ago.

You thought about trade school? GFs son went to a local technical college and got a 2-year heavy equipment degree, included a CDL and some basic Maintenace and mechanics. Got in the operator's union and is making over $40.00 hour at 21.

Of course, he's spending money like a 21-year-old.

This is what I do. It’s more of a younger man’s game from what I see. Could be different at other shops but the customers in my area have a lot of money and are pretty demanding for quick turnarounds. I work a fair amount of 60-80 hour weeks with some random 14-16 hour days. Works fun and moneys good if you spend it right. Probably a lot like what op is doing now. Most guys are like the 21 yo and spend all their money on the tool truck candy and beer

 

[DuckDogDr]

Genuinely wish you luck, but do not envy you at all.
You’re going to fall into one of two categories. Either you’re going to do great because you’re not worried about partying and the college life; and you know how much the real world sucks.

OR
You’ve been out of the academic grind so long and have so much going on outside of work now that you’re an adult with real priorities it’s going to be overwhelming.

We had 3 “older people” in my class
1 fell into option A and he was the top of the class
2 fell into option B and they asked him not to come back after the first round of midterms (not even kidding)
3 she was just an idiot and I as well as the rest of my class felt like they let her in the program and started popping the popcorn and taking bets .

I loved undergrad … did well, made lifelong friendships. Kept my head focused

I admittedly did not enjoy Vet School. Really struggled with the idea that people had control over my future. Still have nightmares where they refused to let me graduate.

 

[Cedarsavage]

I wouldn’t want to deter in the least so take this with a grain of salt. I worked at a university for seven years and had free education as a benefit. I took classes that were a condition of my employment (my field was slightly different than my background), and took some towards an engineering degree. After a couple towards the engineering degree I couldn’t do it because 30+ year old eyes saw through the nonsense and hoops they were making me jump through because of their own biases. Most people are better at dealing with stuff like that so it may not be an issue for you but I’ve heard a lot of older students say the same thing

 

[timekiller13]

I’m going to differ a bit here….

Unless you are FOR SURE CERTAIN that you can land a great paying job when you graduate, I think it’s a terrible idea to go back to school in your 40’s unless you get your education for free or damn near free without loans.

There are many reason for me saying this but the primary reason is most people never complete the schooling and end up in a bigger hole than where they started. Seen it more times than not.

Prove me wrong if you decide to go, and I wish you the best of luck.

This is sound advice.

Unless you live in an area that has an abundance of great paying jobs in the natural resource arena, no way I would go back to school for that.

I got a degree 20+ years ago in Environmental Science and Natural resource management. Could not find a job to save my life, unless I wanted to move 2,000+ miles from home. And even those jobs didn’t pay very well.

I went back to school at 30 and became an RN. Best decision I ever made. I can work anywhere in the US, make great money and have a lot of flexibility in my schedule.

 

[StuckInTheEast]

This is sound advice.

Unless you live in an area that has an abundance of great paying jobs in the natural resource arena, no way I would go back to school for that.

I got a degree 20+ years ago in Environmental Science and Natural resource management. Could not find a job to save my life, unless I wanted to move 2,000+ miles from home. And even those jobs didn’t pay very well.

I went back to school at 30 and became an RN. Best decision I ever made. I can work anywhere in the US, make great money and have a lot of flexibility in my schedule.

I've heard nursing mentioned alot. Not something I've ever even thought of. Not sure I'd do well caring for other people as I'm about the opposite of a 'people person'...and i can't stand being in hospitals even visiting folks for more than a hour or two.
I have some very successful friends in nursing, but I definitely don't think that would be a path I'd pursue personally.
Appreciate the input though and very glad it worked out for you!

 

[Rich M]

I didn't read all the thread so apologize if this has been covered. But, figure out the economic side of going back school. Just an an example, say you currently earn $80k per year. 2 years of school will mean you don't have $160k of income. If you can finish school and make more than you do now, how many years will it take to be at the 'break even' point? Let's say you get a job at $100k, that's 20k more than you make now, so it would take 8 years to be at the same financial point you'd be if you continued working. Most likely a Fed/State/BLM job won't pay what you make now, at least not for a while, so you'll be behind financially. I realize enjoyment in a job has some importance, but will you enjoy the job if you might have to worry about financial issues? Or, you might not have enough resources to really enjoy the area you would be living in. Also, as mentioned above, you won't get away from dealing with the public in a government job. FWIW, I went back to school at 28 to finish my doctorate and it's been worth it. I doubt I would have done it at 41. Good luck whatever you decide.

The money thing there is worth gold. I made that mistake by starting a business that paid less than i was worth to other folks.

Sometimes just changing job locations is a breath of fresh air.

 

[Rich M]

I've heard nursing mentioned alot. Not something I've ever even thought of. Not sure I'd do well caring for other people as I'm about the opposite of a 'people person'...and i can't stand being in hospitals even visiting folks for more than a hour or two.
I have some very successful friends in nursing, but I definitely don't think that would be a path I'd pursue personally.
Appreciate the input though and very glad it worked out for you!

Nursing requires a degree and time in hospital/dr office.

Buddy took classes and didnt pass test, was told he would have to take a diff course of study to get 2nd chance. He does work at hospital but under the nurses.

 

[Singlebev150]

Title pretty well sums it up.
I'll be 41 next week...and I'm more than lightly kicking around the idea of going back to college to finish out a 4 year degree in one of various natural resource related fields. Im still working on the specifics major wise.
Long of it short...my time turning wrenches and dealing with the general public in a customer facing manner will be coming to a close sooner than later for a multitude of reasons the biggest being that I simply dislike/loath every aspect of the auto/auto repair industry in general after 22 years in it. I can give specifics if anyone wants but I'm not here to b$%ch and moan about all the reasons my job makes me miserable...the fact simply is that the work hasn't brought me the slightest joy other than income for many years and I'm finally at that breaking point.

So I'm thinking hard about retooling to finish out my last 10-20 years of full time work chasing something I enjoy at least sometimes and find purpose in more than just getting POS cars down the road for a bit longer and earning a paycheck.
I'm leaning towards state, federal or oil and gas work that will get me outside and out of the same building everyday. Whether that be fish and game, BLM/Forest service or oil and gas production, etc... I need to do a bit more homework on specific paths, but all will require 1.5 to two years additional education at a minimum to get a foot in any door...and all will likeky be a staggering pay cut starting out I'm well aware. Oil and gas maybe not so much.

While I'm aware that federal employment options are a train wreck presently, I don't forsee that
to be a long term condition and hopefully be settled into a new normal by the time I'd finish my degree. Im not sold on Fed work though, honestly last option I'd likely consider even before the current chaos erupted after many discussions with my father who retires from the Corps of Engineeers in a couple months. Thats a whole other topic for another place and time...but it is still an option.

Any other late bloomers around here with input on returning to the higher education scene later in life?
Any state/federal/oil/gas guys that have any specifics on what to focus on course/major wise for a certain career path.
Any recommendations on colleges in the mountain west to consider for specific natural resources oriented degrees?
My secondary goal in this is finding a career path that gives me better potential in finding meaningful work in the mountain west.

We are moving, its just a matter of exactly when and exactly where...Im seeing schooling may play into that at least at first.
My wife is game for about anything, she knows I need a change more than I do I think. She didn't bat an eye when i threw out the random idea of moving to Larimie for a year or two and living cheap while I finish a degree at U of WY...She just started looking at realestate, elementary schools and churches in the area. Thats just one of many options currently being explored, but the point is she's on board.

Obviously I'm amassing information from many sources, but I figured it couldn't hurt to drop something here in a community of at least somewhat like minded individuals. Some of whom may very we do the type of work I may be looking for.

My next step is to get in touch with a few advisors and send transcripts of previous course work, as I have 2 associates degrees and couple years of early mechanical engineering courses under my belt, and see what kind of course schedules they can work up on a couple degree programs to help me get better grasp on timing. Perhaps see about knocking a few courses out through online programs before making a move to a specific school and dropping my paycheck for a year or two to just get it done.

If anyone has anything insightful...or just wanna tell me I'm an idiot for even thinking about it...Im all ears

I went back a little later than average and completed a wildlife/ natural resources degree (after working in construction) only to find out it is extremely difficult to get in with DNR in my state for what I wanted, and would have to likely uproot my family to another state until I had the experience or the correct job opened up near home.. I ended up getting another degree in education and now teach Natural Resource Management and Biology. For me it was totally worth it and my body is grateful for leaving construction. Life is crazy and tends to work out if you work hard and follow your heart/gut

 

[Singlebev150]

I went back a little later than average and completed a wildlife/ natural resources degree (after working in construction) only to find out it is extremely difficult to get in with DNR in my state for what I wanted, and would have to likely uproot my family to another state until I had the experience or the correct job opened up near home.. I ended up getting another degree in education and now teach Natural Resource Management and Biology. For me it was totally worth it and my body is grateful for leaving construction. Life is crazy and tends to work out if you work hard and follow your heart/gut

I don’t enjoy the student loans but life is better and I hope/ expect my body will let me enjoy my outdoor hobbies much longer

 

[NRA4LIFE]

You shouldn't have much trouble competing.

 

[thinhorn_AK]

I went back at 31 for engineering. My mom went back at 50 for nursing. If it makes some financial sense, just do it ASAP and crank through it.

My wife went back to school at 36 to be a nurse. She loves it and now does a lot of flight nurse stuff, makes bank and gets 4 days off every week. In the past 7 years she’s never had to miss work to take vacations, we’ve always been able to schedule things in a way where she works the first 3 days of a week and the last 3 days of the next week.

It’s been great for her (and me). I finally buckled down and got my masters degree at 39 which bumped my pay by ~ 25% so between me and my wife we increased our income by 150% in the course of a few years both working towards things we either love (nursing for my wife) or things that we don’t really hate (my job). It’s been great.

 

[bojangles808]

I just got quoted 2k for a 3 unit pd course at the local state university. yikes. good luck