Too late to study?

**Stav** · 11-01-2005, 04:15 PM

Hi all as some of you know I am going to law school. I am 36 years old and run a brilliant car installation business. The sacrifice I have to make is 4-6 years study.The study involves around 7 hours reading a night.I am at the crossroads of my life and it would be good to go through the whole thing. But I wonder if it is worth it? The hours I have put in are incredible.About 60 hours on a assignment alone. If I put this much effort into business I will not have to worry about money in 4 - 6 years. Between looking after the family, running the business and the course ..It gets quite hectic.
Anyone out there a lawywer ?. How do you guys cope and is it really worth it ??
?

NAK302 · 11-01-2005, 04:22 PM

what will be the outcome of the study? self satisfaction, financial gain, opportunities elsewhere? that's probably what you need to ask yourself.
i'm probably the last person to answer here. i hated school, study etc. i dropped out of my trade but still earn over $100k per year. self satisfaction comes from my XBGT.

11-01-2005, 04:28 PM

im workin full time while just starting a Bachelor of IT through distance ed. I hope its not as hard as you say it is, otherwise I wont be able to do it!

What do you mean 7 hours a night? Is that what you need to pass??

IMO, I would do it, becuase you will regret it later on, but if its coming between family or work, then you might have to dump it...

rag top · 11-01-2005, 04:36 PM

What does your family think? Are they supportive and in it for the long haul?

GTP 320 · 11-01-2005, 04:50 PM

If you run a successfull car installation business, and all's going well,why bother doing a Law course unless you really want to seek other challenges .
Cheers John

Sourbastard · 11-01-2005, 05:06 PM

7 hours is a lot of time per night, id rather spend that with my family, work to live, not live to work. I dont think you can easily budget your time between the three demands of work, study and family, and with a sucessful business, why would you want to. I'd be more inclined to keep at what you have built in the business, expand if you can, invest if you can, and look for challenges in what you do already.

A career change at 36 isnt impossible, but it isnt easy.

Fairlane · 11-01-2005, 05:35 PM

God I hope it's worthwhile. I just about to sign the next five years of my life away. I'm just about to start a five year Law/Arts degree.

I suppose from your point being in your thirities it is a tricky decision. You could enquire about do the course part-time. Instead of the standard four years full time a law degree can be done over eight years.

IF the businees is going well and it isn't boring you to tears, I think it may be a good idea to stick with it.

**Stav** · 11-01-2005, 05:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GTP 320

If you run a successfull car installation business, and all's going well,why bother doing a Law course unless you really want to seek other challenges .
Cheers John

Hey John ....I invented an idea which went Australia wide in every Telstra car. I as a private contracor doing what I am doing now.The potential for that was millions.I did not know where I stood legally or the full extent of the law.I was going to patent my idea but it was going to cost me 10,000 dollars with no real guarantees. A simple addition or change in design would have seen me waste the money.Telstra fleet duped me and kicked me out and made it go Australia wide. Last year I got hit by 2 semi trailers and yep I still havent fully recovered...again I needed a lawyer.When you buy a house again you need one.Just the money you can save is big.The other side of my attraction to law is that I feel my mind is bored....I have always been interested in law ..but the biggest attraction is knowing where we stand with all the "bullshit" lawsaround. It seems that the law can very time consuming,costl and hard to understand. Look at the guy for example who got off a speed fine because cameras must have specific numbers on the photo....Thats power mate.....
Just by replying I can see that what I am trying to complete is an awesome thing.....If I had the knowledge we could even get Lamignes car re-registered with some small technicality or presumption!!

Mark^^ · 11-01-2005, 05:43 PM

I hold several University degrees (4 undergraduate and 2 post graduate, and currently doing another post graduate) and have worked full time during most of them and study has been a mixture of full or part time. I have no life so it helps fill in the hours…….LOL

Some say it means I am a university failure, cause most people only go for 1 degree and learn how to leave after that one, poor me never went to that class and so am on the revolving door of university study. LOL

In reality I have found as I get older, I am now 42 it becomes harder. As I am single and celibate I don’t have to balance the family and relationship issues others do, but I don’t think I would have ever found it very easy to combine work, study and relationship/family.

However I say that it is a good way to learn a wider view of the world, and expand your life contacts meet new people and expand your experiences. One difficulty may be doing an undergraduate degree is that most of your student peers will be school leavers and it is not always easy to find peer to peer friendships at Uni, however that is a gross generalisation. I have never found it a difficulty for me, but others I know find it challenging spend their time with that age group and being seen in the view of the course as having the same status as 18, 18 and 20 year olds.

Mark

**Stav** · 11-01-2005, 05:49 PM

What Degrees do you hold?.

Mark^^ · 11-01-2005, 06:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by useless

What Degrees do you hold?.

BSc(Hons), BAppSci (Health Ed/Nursing), B.Thol, BSW, Grad.Cert.H.S.M and part way through M.P.S

Now to explain the alphabet:

Science: Zoology; Nursing and Health Education, Theology (thats God Studies aka Religion), Social Work, Human Services Management and Masters in Policy Studies.

The Social Work, Human Services Management and Masters in Policy Studies.
are all taught as post graduate courses.

I hope thats now in english LOL

Mark

NAK302 · 11-01-2005, 07:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mark^^

BSc(Hons), BAppSci (Health Ed/Nursing), B.Thol, BSW, Grad.Cert.H.S.M and part way through M.P.S

Now to explain the alphabet:

Science: Zoology; Nursing and Health Education, Theology (thats God Studies aka Religion), Social Work, Human Services Management and Masters in Policy Studies.

The Social Work, Human Services Management and Masters in Policy Studies.
are all taught as post graduate courses.

I hope thats now in english LOL

Mark

may i be naive here.
what do you do with all these degrees?
i'm interested in knowing what types of careers can be had with all those qualifications you possess.

Mark^^ · 11-01-2005, 07:29 PM

Well up until last Friday I was managing a youth refuge and a family counselling program. As I completed each of my earlier degrees I sort of moved on, so to me they are just "my past".

With my science degree I was working in research into insects at CSIRO. Now so far out of date my quals are not relevant nor would I want to go back.

Nursing and Health education.... working in hospitals as a nurse and in the community as a community nurse.... also something I am out of date with and would NEVER go back to.

Theology...was studying to be a catholic priest....go back? rather die!

So I work really as a social worker (mostly doing counselling) moved into management area (with the Human Services Management quals) and hopefully moving into working in writing policy in the welfare areas.

I quit my job as I was sick of it after 8 1/2 years and have some other applications in now and hopefully doing something in the welfare area, that has very little to do with "clients" and "staff" , with special emphases on "STAFF" -evil creatures LOL

Mark

Smoked · 11-01-2005, 09:18 PM

I think ill just stick with my B.E.(Civil).

I had aspirations to do law and i somewhat still do, but for someone studying the type of degree i am, and being an army reservist, my time is very very limited to pursue alots of interests. That said, my army experiences are and adventure and something i find fun in its own right.

Perhaps in the future, i will get an L.L.B., but for the moment, the earning potential of a Engineer is pretty high anyways.

Now, as for your age, my mum got her VCE (HSC) only in 99, after having been sucessful as a non-qualified credit consultant for 25 or so years. She has since started studying a L.L.B. as a matter of interest and in an effort to help out SIngle mothers with children. Unfortunately, unlike your case, she does have to balance a job, family and study. Im grown up and look after myself, she is a retired (on disability pension) and so only really has the study to concentrate on.

Anyway, enough babble, if you believe strongly enough that you wish to study and obtain this degree, then stick with it, nothing is unachieveable and if you stick to your guns, nothing will stop you.

RSgerry · 11-01-2005, 09:32 PM

i guess the question isnt so much whether it is too late to study, it is more whether you value the change in career more than what you currently do. if you are going to be financially secure in a few years, why not do it then? good luck whichever way you go.

loxxr6 · 11-01-2005, 10:39 PM

Go for it.

I too am looking at taking on a new career by hitting the study soon. It'll be close to ten long years in various call centres in various degrees of management and I'm getting jack of it. Its time to get some paperwork behind me or risk being stuck in bottom end work forever.

Its too hard to earn decent money without qualifications at Uni/Tafe.

RED_EL_XR8 · 11-01-2005, 11:43 PM

Do what your heart tells you too. Its never too late to change, and sometimes only change makes you happy with what you were doing first.
We dont get long on this planet dont waste any of your stay on regrets.

:

MotherNatureVer2 · 11-01-2005, 11:49 PM

useless .... my uncle studied for most of his working career ....... he has 4 children & worked full time as well.

They now live a very very comfortable life....... I would say it was worth every hour you studied ;)

**Stav** · 12-01-2005, 12:27 AM

Gee thanks guys..thanks for the encouragement.It is 11 pm and Im still doing this assignment.At the end of the day you got to do what you have got to do..and I think Iam on the right track...Iwould like a better life for my family and to be able to help many others...

**Captain Stubing** · 12-01-2005, 12:50 AM

Hey, useless... I'm a couple of years in front of you, been in the same job for 20 years this month (but it''s varied), and I've put off the study for too many years. Now I see mates I started with earning much more than me, getting more towards Superannuation payments etc. I bit the bullet and started doing the law/management study I needed to get promoted, and only have 4 months left before I qualify. It's hard when you've got a family, but my dad told me a while ago, you owe it to your family to go as far as you can. He didn't chase promotions, and when he retired, he found he had to go back to work. He got a no stress job as a toll collector, but he has to do shiftwork on a 24hr rotating basis, which really knocks him around. You've got to look at your business, see if you can expand it to get subordinates to do the work for you, while increasing your customer base, and weigh that up against how you might go in law. Since you've started... why not see it through? I've got a colleague who pulled out 1 year short of finishing his study to be a doctor, after 10 years he has taken a wage cut to finish his degree.

**Stav** · 12-01-2005, 01:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by swanny

Hey, useless... I'm a couple of years in front of you, been in the same job for 20 years this month (but it''s varied), and I've put off the study for too many years. Now I see mates I started with earning much more than me, getting more towards Superannuation payments etc. I bit the bullet and started doing the law/management study I needed to get promoted, and only have 4 months left before I qualify. It's hard when you've got a family, but my dad told me a while ago, you owe it to your family to go as far as you can. He didn't chase promotions, and when he retired, he found he had to go back to work. He got a no stress job as a toll collector, but he has to do shiftwork on a 24hr rotating basis, which really knocks him around. You've got to look at your business, see if you can expand it to get subordinates to do the work for you, while increasing your customer base, and weigh that up against how you might go in law. Since you've started... why not see it through? I've got a colleague who pulled out 1 year short of finishing his study to be a doctor, after 10 years he has taken a wage cut to finish his degree.

Hey ..you know what you are right...Im still trying to do this statutory interpretation assignment and its a pain.I just used interpretation act (NSW)1987 and the latin maxims to define the definition and find out if this woman is guilty in 2 sections of a NSW ACT.Then its asked me to advise her.Being new at this ...2 months into it ,I am wondering if I should advise her what the scenario would be if the judge overruled my analysis???Well thats whatI am gonna try to do any way.Lastly Ill just go through and finish the final question and discuss all statutory issues involved...

Angry Beaver · 12-01-2005, 08:32 AM

useless dont give up because of the workload. At times it would be hard but to give would be to look back and regret especially since it sounds like you really want to give it a go.

GreenMachine · 12-01-2005, 10:13 AM

Yeah, they tell you to do 12 hrs per week per subject, but it's crap. I'm just about to finish my law degree, never having failed a subject. Remember this:

1. 3's get degrees. If you get anything more than a pass conceded or a pass, you've put in too much effort.
2. Cultivate a friendship with a semi-nerdy female who already works in a firm. They are always the best sources of notes.
3. Last year's notes (as mentioned above) are your bestest friend. Last semester I passed three subjects with just last year's exam notes scored from a girly swot friend.
4. Altogether too much time is spent reading cases. The headnote and a textbook summary is more than enough 99% of the time.

Add me to your MSN, if you have it - radio_birdman27@hotmail.com . Moer than happy to help - it's always tough when you start. More than happy to help you out.