Switching careers?

I went back to school at 38 and it allowed me to switch careers at 41. In my case, I managed to make more money with the career change. However, I realized that the extra money was a gamble and I was willing to live with the extra debt even if the new job didn't offset the cost.

Here was how I looked at it: People will go into debt to buy a sports car or a boat or a vacation home to make them happy. In reality, they get to spend a couple weeks a year enjoying these purchases if they are lucky. So your taking out a loan to make you happy 50 weeks out of the year because you will be happier at your new job.

Getting a new or advanced degree won't always help you change careers: it really depends on the degree, field of study, the school, your career goals, & what job opportunities are available in your area! For example, why do you want to go into anthropology? (If you're just interested in learning more about it, there are free and affordable online anthropology courses available on Udemy.com and ocw.mit.edu .) What kinds of jobs interest you that require a college or graduate degree in anthropology? (If you're not sure, then go on LinkedIn.com, search for people who have anthropology degrees and see what kind of jobs they are doing.) Before you make the time and financial investment to go back to school, answering these questions for yourself will help you confirm that an anthropology degree will actually help you get a job you like.