I need some advice.?I just turned 40 years old and I want to go back to college to get my bachelor's degree.

Question

I have approx. 75 hours of college credits.
What would be a good major. I have mostly worked in sales and medical offices however due to the fact that I have rheumatoid arthritis I have some physical limitations as far as working with my hands too long or standing all day.

Answer 1

What courses are your college credits for? Let's start with that.

You've worked in medical offices - are you interested in health professions or clinical sciences? How about sales - maybe management, marketing, human resources? If you want to go in a completely different direction from your previous jobs, what are you interested in/what do you read about or do for fun? Psychology? Architecture? Law? Engineering? Math? Criminology?

You are to be commended for making the decision to get a better education and give yourself another qualification. I think at this point, your choice of major depends on what you're interested in and what you think your next step will be.

Answer 2

With the 75 credits you have now: what are they in? Also, what do you like to do? If the majority of your credits is in a certain field I would advise you to finish that field. Otherwise, you will have to start a degree all over again.
I say do a little research on what your interests are and what you are good at. There are alot of jobs that require very little standing or physical activities.
It is very hard to say what you should major in. You havent give much information and I dont know you. This is your decision alone.
Just because you're 40 has nothing to do with your abilities in school. I have people in my classes that is older and they are earning their degree just like me.
Defintely speak to an academic advisor at the college in your area and he/she should point you in the right direction based on what you have taken already and what your interests are. That is the best way to start out.

Answer 3

First, congratulations on your decision to finish your education. I'm 35 and working on my last few semesters of my degree. I know how difficult it can be as a "non-traditional" student.
First of all, you should check with your school and find out how many of the core classes you already have. I would take the core classes you need and take some other classes that interest you. If you find one you like, talk to some of the other students in your class, as they may be majoring in that field.
Also, you will want to speak to your advisor about this. I have had some really crummy ones, so if you get one who you think isn't interested in helping you make the right decisions, request another one PRONTO. My last advisor cost me a LOT of time by not giving me correct information. It will also benefit you to get familiar with your course requirements as well so that you can be aware if your advisor is leading you in the wrong direction.
I hope this was helpful and I wish you the best. If you have any more questions you can email me at [e-mail] and I'll be happy to help you if I can.

Answer 4

I was in the same situation at your age. I was in the medical profession at time but wanted to pursue a bachelor's of science degree in Human Nutrition and Food Science. I worked full time and went to school parttime and finally graduated. My degree has done nothing for me as far as job prospects or getting me a higher income but I enjoyed the journey anyway.

Going back to school at 40 is a wonderful experience. It makes you feel young and vibrant and the university atmosphere was a lot of fun. I loved the challenge and it made me forget about my life that was not so good at the time. A great place to be for self-discovery.

I wish I could say that it opened doors for me career wise and that I am making a difference in the world and living high on the hog to boot but I cannot. I have deducted ( from scientific training in college LOL) that college falls short of preparing people for the real working world of today. It's a shame really that so much money is spent and so little gained as far as career preparation. If you want to go to college, go because of the reasons I stated above, don't go because you want to make money and advance in a career. You could become a pharmaceutical sales representative with a BS degree and they make tons of money. Go for it!

Answer 5

Congratulations! A bachelor's degree will certainly help you in finding desk jobs, regardless of your major. I don't know exactly what kind of work you've done in medical offices, but if you're looking to do something related to your sales career, you might consider business. If you're looking for something completely different, then take a broad range of courses with applications in multiple areas and see what appeals. You might also want to talk to an academic adviser about how the credits you already have might best be applied to requirements for various majors.

Answer 6

I did exactly what you're thinking of when I was 40 -- darn fine decision! Wish I had done it earlier.

I even went to full-time as a day student and had a great time. It is so much easier to learn this stuff when you have experiences that put it all into perspective.

It would seem that our friend above doesn't understand the need for self-actualization and the satisfaction of finishing the degree. Oh well, she'll catch on one day. ☺

Check the college for a degree completion program often called interdisciplinary studies. That will leave you the most flexibility. It's for your own satisfaction at this point - study anything you want to...

Answer 7

A good major is something you are interested in and are passionate about. There is no way that anyone here can answer that question for you. Look at you life, and assess the things you do for fun. See if there is a major that corresponds to that activity.

Answer 8

Good for you! What do you want to do? You can still change careers, you know, and market your transferable skills.

For example, if you major in business/ marketing, your sales experience is applicable. If you major in communications, the same is true.

Colleges have career counselors who will help you for free- I would advise you to sit down with one and have a talk.

Answer 9

GOD AIN'T GONNA LOOK AT U ND ASK U IF U HAVE A BACHELOR DEGREE..UR 40 JUST LIVE LIFE ND CHILL MAN