
Ask HN: Did anyone here start a PhD in their late 30s or later? - FreeRadical
I am thinking of changing my career from finance to computer science, I already have a masters in science and programming experience over 10 years. I would like to do a PhD in AI&#x2F;robotics. Has anyone here gone back into study later in life? How did it work out and what happened? Any regrets?
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CyberFonic
I was 51 when I started my PhD in software engineering. Some thought it was a
sort of mid-life crisis. Over the decades of working in various areas of IT I
had a burning desire to research a specific area that held an enduring
interest for me.

I need to correct your use of the word "study". Doing a PhD is about extending
an existing body of knowledge in a small but significant way. So you need to
already have a Masters level of knowledge in your field and to be reasonably
up to date in the field. Once you start your research you survey your field,
aka literature review. Then you formulate how you are going to contribute and
get stuck into experiment after failed experiment.

I was most fortunate to have advisors from several other leading universities
around the world, people who were widely cited in my field. My principal
advisor was helpful in navigating the bureaucracy, getting funding for
conferences and motivating me to write and present several papers at
conferences in my field.

Doing a PhD is an emotional roller coaster ride. I suggest that you Google
extensively to read about other people's experiences. Be warned, you will find
a lot of humanities PhDs experiences. Ignore them. Science and engineering
PhDs are very different so focus on those. I can recommend reading
phdcomics.com - lighthearted, and very accurate. Writing the dissertation can
be challenging. Graduating feels like crossing the finish line after running a
marathon -- total exhilaration and you forget the character building
challenges that you faced up to in order to get there.

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FreeRadical
Thank you for your detailed response. I am 37 now and plan to ‘get up to
speed’ through private study then start a PhD when I am 40. Did you remain in
academia after your PhD?

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cottonseed
Think about how private study is going to translate to your application. Talk
to professors to see what you'll need to get admitted. I had roughly the same
plan, but luckily had dropped out of my undergrad so I was able to go back and
do a 2yr undergrad right before applying to grad school.

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cottonseed
After 15 years of software engineering, I started a math PhD at 36. Consider
the opportunity cost, those can be productive years. When considering
programs, see how the other students like it. Your experience is likely to be
similar. I did a postdoc afterwards, but didn't stay in academia. It might
have been overkill, but the credentials have unlocked some opportunities.

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f_allwein
I started mine (Information Systems/ social science) when I was 38. Haven't
really regretted it since. I think if anything it is beneficial to have some
real life experience to put your theoretical knowledge in context. Also, at my
university (London School of Economics) it turned out there were quite a few
mature (30+ year old) PhD students.

I guess it comes down to what yo really want to do with your life. Are you
reasonably sure you want to work in academia/ research? Then go for it.
Otherwise, maybe not. Do go and visit some seminars/ workshops etc. for PhDs
to get an impression of whether the lifestyle appeals to you.

