MBA DEGREE AT AGE 42? NEED THE GOOD, BAD, AND UGLY FEEDBACK!

So I decided to finally pull the trigger and go get my Masters degree. I am 42 and have a 5 year old and figured now or never. Some people have busted my balls about it telling me it’s a waste of money and you will never recuperate the costs. Honestly, i am not going for job reasons, i really want to better myself.Well, some MBA programs cost $40,50,75 up to $120k plus. That is ridiculous unless you are already rich or just insane. My program will be under $12k at a large university (online degree). Its not one of those you see advertised on tv where it almost appears to be a commercialized education. It is the real deal, with real requirements, etc. I was accepted and start in Spring 2018. I am using the current time to search out any and all options for financial aid. I don’t want to borrow anymore than I need to. I just paid off my undergrad loans from 2002 last year.


I am asking for any advise, suggestions, experiences, from anyone who has been in my shoes, or knows someone. There are thousands of you guys here and I’m sure I could take away some information to help me with this. I welcome all feedback, good or bad. If you know of any scholarships or grants or anything. I live in NC and the college is in Missouri.


Thank you in advance !

 

I say go for it! Might as well, otherwise you may regret it later on.

 

I know man, time seems to move so fast. Jesus it doesn't seem like its been that long ago that i was with my friends at the beach partying and having a good time

 

I don't think it will hurt you, that is for sure. If you look at the amount of people who leave the military at a similar age, with the same degree, they go on to get decent jobs. I will be finishing my Bachelors at 33. I won't work on my masters in PM until I am 36. If I thought that would hurt me, I would stop at the bachelors.

If you want to better yourself, always seek out learning. Whether it is in your job or at a school. Just make sure your corporation you already work for knows you are going to attend the school. They may be interested in helping you pay for it?

 

BUMP

 

Go for it! There aren't any negatives for more education. It's all on the plus side.

 

I don't have any experience with online education, but self improvement is never a bad idea. I am a research hound. So my suggestion is to thoroughly research the institution before committing. Go for it and the best of luck to you.

 

https://youtu.be/NcoDV0dhWPA

 

It never hurts to further your education. Good luck with everything! Like someone else said, if it will benefit you at your current job look into them helping you out, they may help or pay for it all if you can move up and help them.

 

The price of education is just going up . If you are going to do don't wait jump on it now and get your masters. My gf just got hers and she's 35. she waited 4 years after she got her BA and the price tripled

Edit: she was pregnant the whole time so no excuses

 

Go for it!

We got my MBA at age 41 while the wife and I were caring for two toddlers while I was going to school. Both of us were working full-time (at the time.) We worked different shifts, so there was never a time where we needed daycare.

Going to graduate school, working full time and two kids was demanding. I wanted to quit in the middle of it, but my wife told me that if I quit, I would never get back up and restart it in the future. She was right of course. So I didn't quit and I toughed it out.

It was not an on-line degree. I felt I wouldn't have the discipline to do it online with two youngsters. Part/most of it was covered by my employer. The rest I put on student loan. I think I paid my last $17 installment in 2014. LOL.

Our MBA has opened a lot of doors for me in my line of work.
I was already in leadership positions prior to my MBA, which is why my employer partially paid my tuition and books. I progressed rapidly after my degree and have been in senior level leadership positions in the past several years.

Today, we're not rich, but we are very comfortable financially. I've always worked full time, but since my MBA, the wife has been working part time and spends her time taking care of two almost spoiled girls, going to the gym and playing tennis. She has also saved enough money to send the girls to college even if we retire today.

Note that I said that WE finished OUR MBA. Without my wife, I would never have been able to get through the MBA. I needed that support in one of the most challenging chapters of our life.

 

LOLOLOL

I had 3 classmates that worked for FedEx, UPS and DHL. They were all knuckleheads.

They're probably running the company's operations right now...








... or in jail.

 

I struggled with this when I was 26 and getting out of the Marine Corps. Best advice I got was this: MBA is only worth it if its a top tier school, like Harvard, Penn, Chicago, etc., and then only if you are under 30. I got into one good school but decided to go a different career route so it didn't matter. I didn't get an MBA.

If the goal is to simply better yourself, why do you need an MBA? Lots of no-cost ways to do that.

If you are looking for job advancement, at age 42, you probably have all the experience you need and an MBA won't help. Most people in their 40s and late 30s are hired because of what they have done, not the school. MBAs are the differentiator for young folks.

If you are trying to move jobs, switch from one field to another, etc., an MBA might be your thing. Unless its AACSB accredited, no major employer will probably care whether you have it or not.

However...if it really costs just 12K, the front end investment is low, and thus the risk for no payoff low as well, so I'd say if you have the cash, why not?? An MBA sure won't hurt.

 

My input is from real world experience, as requested by the OP.

Disagree

Disagree

Agree

Disagree - MBA helped me.

Disagree - BOTH my experience AND higher education have helped me in my career.

Example: If I had two candidates trying for an open position with both candidates having very similar experience, the candidate with the higher education would likely get the position.

Or...
The non-MBA person would not even be in the pool of possible candidates, because the position has an MBA requirement.

Disagree - 40's is the new 20-30

Disagree

Agree

 

My experience is real world. Not something I read, or dreamed up. I don't have an MBA. So my perspective is from the guy who didn't go that route. I'd personally never invest in a non-AACSB accredited school (no idea if yours is, or is not), but that's because the employers I am interested in and for whom I worked told me that. I worked in change management/strategy for one of the largest consulting firms in the world. What I heard time and time again was "don't bother with an MBA unless its the Big leagues, and don't bother after 30, maybe 34." But that was my experience at a big consulting firm. So it's obviously different for different industries, sectors, etc.

But again, no way it can hurt, and 12K isn't 120K...and you can easily recoup that cost in a few short years with one or two pay bumps. Or buy a new Tacoma.

This is a great first world problem to have, so you are fortunate regardless of whatever outcome!

Good luck.

 

My god, is she a Frilled shark??

 

LMAO.
I had to google Frilled Shark. Never heard of it until now.

 

Stuff people bullshit themselves about for $1000 Alex.

 

What about those people who do it at age 50? 60 even? I agree, if you pay over $100k thats insane, $12k is not the end of the world