I ask for serious advice about this matter

[mackthefork]

I'm coming upto 30 soon, and I have been thinking about the decisions I made earlier in my life, I have no paper qualifications of any merit, a couple of C's, D's and E's at GCSE level thats all, I did nothing when I was at school, and I mean nothing. I have a decently paid job for the area I live in, and I almost own my house, it has a very small mortgage on it.

Anyway to the point of this thing, I'm seriously considering quitting my job and selling my house, in order to go to university to study a math degree. People might think I can't do it, because I'm not smart enough or too lazy. The fact is I am very smart, I was just an idiot for not working hard first time around, I can admit that.

I have no children and am not in a current long term relationship, so I have no ties at all. I suppose no one will have done this, but I'd like any advice I can get, its all a little scary to be honest.

I'm not lost or hopeless or anything, I could easily continue to live what Sklansky refers to as 'a life of quiet desperation', but I'd rather not.

Regards Mack

[diebitter]

Go for it. There's not many worthy of more respect than someone who decides to further themselves later in life than most others (IMHO) , and usually no-one better motivated.

And there's all those young birds to meet too!

Hiya markthefork,

Quite an interesting problem you are pondering there! It really moved me to answer you.

imho, do whatever you have enthusiasm for. If it is math... go and do it. If it is something else, go and do it, especially if you can afford it, so early in life... real luxury to many! Thirty, still gives a very long life earning capability. Think about being burden with spending most , or at least a very significant part of your this life-time, doing something you don't like vs something you truly enjoy.


Seems EV+ to me.

Good luck dude, I am on your team for change if it is bettering the prospects [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]


Enjoy


MidGe

--
"Our human race is affected with a chronic underestimation of the possibility of the future straying from the course initially envisioned" - Nassim Nicholas Taleb

[Net Warrior]

Can you take a 6 mo leave of absence from your job? If so, do it, borrow against the equity in your house to pay expenses for 6 months and enroll in college. If you're going out of town maybe you could rent out your house for 6 months. See if you can runs As and Bs in school. If so, stay with it. You can always get a student loan and work part time while completing school. You'll be older than most of your fellow students so you have to see how that effects your social life. After 6 months, then decide if quitting your job and selling your house to pay expenses is best.

Sounds like quite an adventure. Good luck.

[NDHand]

Unless you want to be stuck living a life of "quiet desperation" go for it!

[steamboatin]

I thought that was Pink Floyd.

[ QUOTE ]
Hanging on in quiet desperation is the English way, the time has come this song is over, I'd thought I'd had something more to say.

[/ QUOTE ]

Actually this song helped motivate me to quit my factory job and go sell real estate.

[ QUOTE ]
And then one day you find, ten years have gone behind, none one told you when to run, you missed the starting gun.

[/ QUOTE ]

I had been working in a factory for about nine years and for some reason, that line really had a huge impact on me. I was in a similar situation, Late 20's unmarried, no girlfriend, had some rental property etc.

RUN, do not walk, do not hesitate, go directly to school or whatever it is that you want. When I left the factory, a few of my coworkers wanted to know what would happen if I couldn't make it selling real estate and I asked them this question; "How hard will it be to find another dead end job?"

[mosdef]

This sounds like a no-brainer.

Option A: Go for a better life with absolutely no chance of things actually being worse than they currently are.

Option B: Stick with your current situation, even though you're not really all that happy.

Come on, man. Trying and falling short isn't really failure. Not trying at all is failure.

[diebitter]

[quote Trying and falling short isn't really failure. Not trying at all is failure.

[/ QUOTE ]

vnh.

Made me think of a few quotes that might decide it for you.

Things alter for the worse spontaneously, if they be not altered for the better designedly. - Francis Bacon

You must be the change you wish to see in the world - Gandhi

Without change, something sleeps inside us, and seldom awakens - from Dune

The Sleeper must awaken!

[meow_meow]

Do it.
I quit grad school first time around, then screwed around for 4 years in dead end jobs. Now I'm back getting my phd (crosses fingers) despite the fact that I'm married and have a new baby.
Poker pays the bills.

[jb9]

Is it necessary to quit your job and sell your house right from the start?

Since school didn't work out so well for you the first time, why not just take one or two classes and make sure it's the right thing for you now?

If yes, then quit the job, sell the house, go full time, and get your degree.

If no, then you still have the job and home to provide a stable base from which to continue searching for something better.

In poker terms: Don't go all in preflop. Limp in and see the flop. Then you'll have more information and can make a better decision about whether to go all in or to fold and wait for better cards.