When finishing an undergraduate program, it can sometimes feel like that is the only time one can go into graduate school. But, for many students, heading right back into school after 12-16 straight years of schooling isn’t the right option. In fact, as of 2021, the average American graduate student was 33-years-old which is a statistic that has remained pretty stable for the last several decades. Beyond that average age, however, are folks who decide to go to graduate school later in their lives and careers.
Choosing to go back to school is a big commitment, even in a two-year full-time program like the MA-WRD at DePaul. More and more people are deciding to take up the mantle of studenthood again. We took the opportunity to chat with some of the graduate WRD students who decided to come back to school later in life to find out what informed their decisions and how they may have been more prepared for the rigor.
What inspired you to go to graduate school?
Kirsten Peachey: I am getting closer to “retirement” age and am starting to think about what I want to do after I leave my current career. I have always been interested in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) and was excited to find the DePaul Writing, Rhetoric, and Discourse program which allows me to get certified in TESOL while also expanding my capacity in professional writing.
Dan Murray: I am in my early 60s and retirement (either by my choice or the company’s) is imminent. I always wanted to be a teacher and completing the WRD graduate program will allow me to realize that dream. Specifically, I would like to teach writing in the community college setting. I felt, and continue to feel, the need to further my formal education. I want to expand my horizons and hope to help others do that as a college writing instructor.
Also, I feel as though I have almost run through my energies and passions needed to successfully compete (and enjoy) corporate America. I know there is so much more I want to do, some many more people to [meet,] learn from, and hopefully, help through their life journeys.
Has anything surprised you about being in the program?
Kirsten: I wasn’t sure what to expect, but have been so pleased to find how closely the program aligns with my current background and work. It’s a new field of study, but I have been surprised at how much I can connect what I’m learning in WRD with my work in ministry and community engagement.
Dan: I realize this is a graduate program, but I am continually amazed by the sheer brilliance of the faculty and my peers. Some days I suffer from imposter syndrome [and] force myself to ask the hard question, “do I really belong here?” On occasion I easily convince myself I don’t belong but I keep coming back.
It’s great to see and experience so much thought leadership in practice. At times idealism overflows and feeds a sense of hope for a better tomorrow. My angst fuels the passion to learn, grow and give back.
I also realized how I have settled into a comfortable zone as my career progressed and that includes how I have come to view the world. The social justice aspect of the program has helped me see new perspectives on life, especially for those that are oppressed, underrepresented, or underserved. I am beginning to understand what white privilege is and how I represent it.
Additionally, as challenging as all my classes have been (just beginning term 6 of 12) each class invigorates me to go further, expand my knowledge base and re-examine how I can spend the next chapter of my life giving back to those beginning their adult learning journey, especially adults who are returning to the college experience after a few or many years away.
What advantages do you have in the program from your work and life experience outside academia?
Kirsten: I’d say my life experience and background give me a unique perspective and lots of practical ideas about how I can apply what I’m learning. It also prepares me to see connections across different areas of thought and practice. Finally, I can be a bit more relaxed in how I approach the program. I am doing the program because I’m interested in it and hope it will equip me for future work, but my identity isn’t wrapped up in it in the same way it might be if I was just starting out in my education and career.
Dan: To be honest, it’s not always an advantage. After all, old people like to hang on to the comfortable and familiar. [Smiley face emoji]
My lived experience extends decades beyond most of my peers. My last class was focused on feminist rhetorics. We read about the 50-year history of feminism. I lived through all 50 years. I remember Gloria Steinem being the break-out champion of the feminist movement. I am [a] bit young to truly recall the assassinations of JFK and Malcolm X but do remember the national sorrow and turmoil associated with the assassinations of MLK and RFK. I read the headlines and articles about the race riots in Chicago, New York, and LA as current events. I remember the torment the US culture went through during the Vietnam War and experienced the reality of war when one of my friend’s brothers was killed in action – he was only 17 years old. I remember financial struggles associated with rampant and extended inflation in the 70s, [and] the duality of globalization in the 80s and 90s. I was a young man at the onset of the AIDS epidemic and an older man when the LBGTQ community was recognized by Barack Obama. I know life before PCs, social media, and multimedia video games. The list goes on and on. I lived through the countless evolutions of much of the modern-day battle for social justice.
I have seen the US and global political shift over the last 40 years. I have lived through, witnessed, and observed the world evolve into its current time and space–some changes are beneficial and awe-inspiring. Other changes are regressive, restrictive, and regrettable. When I study scholarly work I am always checking the academic perspective against the pragmatic experience. [Those] perspectives give me a lot more to muddle through as I attempt to ingest and incorporate the precepts and practices of social justice into my person and my world.
What advice do you have for anyone else considering going back to school?
Kirsten: Dive in! I have found it refreshing to be a learner, to encounter a new field of study, and to try out new skills. And it’s lovely to be in conversation with younger people who are emerging as leaders in their own thinking and professional lives. Have fun with it and make it work for you and your own purposes!
Dan: My advice – GO BACK TO SCHOOL!
Do your homework. Find a school and program that appeals to your natural curiosity, something that fuels that underlying passion you have put on hold in order to live daily life…Make sure you can articulate why you want to go back to school and what you will gain…Start with a web search, make a few calls, visit the campus, speak to an instructor within the program, ask for and speak with student references, attend an open house or two (even if it’s virtual), ask questions, and complete a comparative analysis if you’re comparing two or more programs.
Finally, understand your time commitment–every week as you complete your studies and the long-term commitment. Most graduate programs are 18-24 months full-time and could easily run [for] four to five years if you’re completing the program part-time. Know that it’s worth the time and commitment!