38-YR OLD IN LAW SCHOOL: DO I SOUND LIKE A BIG FUKING IDIOT?

[lawschoolmama]

I just turned 40 and am in my 3rd year.  It depends where you go to school.  I am friends with 22 year olds, but don't try to be them.  I don't party with them, and I kid them about what they put on their Myspace accounts.  They can learn a lot from you, and vice versa.  My technology knowledge has increased dramatically.

Just be yourself and don't try to go back to your 20's.  I wouldn't want to go there even if they paid me!!

[Santa Baby]

I'm starting law school in a week or two and I feel a bit nervous about it -- I am 38 years old and most of my classmates will be 22, straight out of college. Do you think the 16 year age difference will be an issue? (I'll be a full-time student)

Leo

If you'd be going PArt time it'd be absolutely no problem, the typical student is close to 30. One thing is for sure -- it is wiser to go full time.

[defile]

On the one hand being older is better in that you're taken more seriously by the professors and later on when you begin practicing. But on the other hand, being much older than the overwhelming majority of the students creates a situation where you feel socially like a fish without water. It's a catch 22.

[txlawstu]

Depends on where you are going to school.  My school has a little older age average than the typical school.  There are no issues with age differences that I have seen.  It's actually kind of nice when the profs use our working knowledge to prove a point or teach a lesson to the class.  Just as they said above, don't try to use your working knowledge as a way to snub class mates or garner brownie points from the prof and you'll be fine.  Also, don't let your outside working/life knowledge let you get too confident in a subject you might know already.  You are likely going to approach it at a different angle in law school.  And if not, you don't pay enough attention to the prof to learn his/her style for the exam.  Try to pretend you don't know much about the topic and learn it new.

I was talking to an attorney during my externship and she said her first school was miserable for her as an older student.  She transferred and things were great.  So, it depends on your school and how you handle it.  Your not an idiot at all.  A lot of us waited until we were in our thirties to go to school.

[jsh26]

I'm starting law school in a week or two and I feel a bit nervous about it -- I am 38 years old and most of my classmates will be 22, straight out of college. Do you think the 16 year age difference will be an issue? (I'll be a full-time student)

Leo

If you'd be going PArt time it'd be absolutely no problem, the typical student is close to 30. One thing is for sure -- it is wiser to go full time.

Conceivably better if one's situation allows? Sure. Wiser? Not if it's impossible.

[SASS]

I had a few classmates that where in there 30's and I enjoyed having them because they tended to take school more seriously without being hyper competitive (pretty sure that was the maturity factor). You'll be fine.

[Sell Out]

One of the coolest people in my year is about your age.  No one in my class really pays attention to how old a person is, so no worries.  We even have a guy in the 3L class that is in his 70's, has an MD, and just wanted to go get his law degree.  Everyone loves him.  Just enjoy the experience... law school is a strange trip.

[robelguapo]

Hope not...in the same boat. I'm 32 and starting in the fall.

If the classes are more or less like the LSAT test demographic when I took it, it should be fine.

[RobWreck]

Well, if you're a big F*****ng idiot, then at least you have company. I just finished my 1LE year (First year, evenings) and I turn 37 next Friday. I wasn't the oldest person in my PT section by a long shot, and it seemed like about 1/4 of us where in the 30+ group. Not sure what it's like FT during the day...
Good Luck,
Rob

[wrhssaxensemble]

I am probably just going end up repeating most of what was already said here but you should be fine. There is an older lady at my school (50's) and she seems to be doing fine. She seems nice too but she makes a few mistakes. Too often she either interjects her own life stories or asks too many needless questions that would never in a million years be on an exam. I know it is important to learn but I don't think the second week of contracts is the time to be asking for indepth information about suretyships because the text made some random reference to it. If you are really interested, look it up in your own time instead of asking the professor to get away from the subject matter, or just wait til it is covered because it is likely to be covered at some point in your law school career. I know that she asks such questions all the time bugs a bunch of students.

Honestly, for you, I wouldn't worry too much. Most of my class is in their 30's, and even more of the night section is. I know if you are day or night session but you are hardly going to be alone in your age group. Heck, there is a 60 something guy who is older than some of the professors who is going to the night classes just so he can learn it. Doubt he will have a lot of time to practice but hey, whatever works for him.


Again, just don't interject your life stories too much, don't ask needless questions that will bog down the professor's time, don't look down on the other students (and believe me that is harder than you think given how some (and yes I will even admit this even though I am one of the younger people in my school age wise) of the students are very immature), and a general word of advice for all incoming 1Ls, don't buy into the stupid drama that some of the insecure students create for everyone else. Case in point, I used to study with a girl who was just a friend and neither of us had any interest in each other. She began sending me weird messages on facebook and stuff though that I took as just being friendly but my gf took as her flirting. I told her that I didn't feel comfortable with her sending me those messages and she said she would stop but then she started back up again. Ultimately I had to not study with the girl anymore because I just couldn't take her acting this way. Lost my study group this way and she is outgoing and friends with half the students at the school including 2L/3L/4Ls whereas I am more quiet and reserved. She turned a bunch of her "friends" against me and they now snicker and make comments when I walk by. In the end, I did the right thing by telling her to get lost but just take this story as a word of warning to not buy into the drama of law school and not trust another student too much.