PHd or master
4 months ago
I’m 38 years old and I decided to go back to university and have a master and if possible a phd in order to give a better life to my family.
How to have a PhD
It made me
surprised? 
"A real chance to follow and defend your own ideas, without knowing if the work will pay off--completely and disconcertingly different than any schooling you've had before."
How I did it: I got lots of support of all kinds. Only after the halfway mark did I get impatient to be done, and then I had to find the joy in pulling together all the work I had been doing.
As far as the mechanics, take the GRE and GRE subject test (if needed). Have enough time to get recommendation letters. I made sure my grades were good enough to get into a school that provided research fellowships. I applied and interviewed. I tried not to get too sidetracked, although I did take a leave and get real work experience after the first year. I learned to keep myself motivated, because no one else was keeping tabs on me. I read and discussed the literature. When one avenue of research did not work, I leveraged other interests to start a new one, in collaboration with others nearby.
Lessons & tips: Pick a very supportive mentor. Be upfront about your (self-)doubts, but try to focus only on answering the burning question of your thesis.
