DogMa

I usually have at least one litter box per cat. If you are going to be gone for a long period of time you may even want to have an extra box, so they don't have to choose between a dirty litter box and your bed. And the auto feeder is a great idea.

Baby gates are great so they can see and smell each other but will prevent the dog and maybe the cat from getting too close.

I will say as the owner of cats (and dogs) that my solution to having a cat that can drive you crazy is to adopt him/her a friend. This comes from personal experience and working in the vet field. I will never have just one cat (or just one dog) if it is at all possible. I find that they play with each other during the day and are usually tired at night. But I usually have a houseful anyway and realize that not every one can take in more than one. Try to play with her as much as you can closer to bedtime and that might help. Congrats though!

Undergrad was also odd as an older student with the instructors. Most of them were great but I had a couple that seemed to find perfectly legitimate questions as a challenge to what they were saying. It almost never was but I think because I was a bit more confident than most of the younger students (confident because unlike my first college experience I had actually done the homework ) the instructor took it as something more than just a question. This was usually with a younger instructor though. You have to walk a fine line sometimes as an older student between being a good student and what others may see as a suck up. I haven't had any problems with this in grad school though since I am not usually the oldest student. And because I keep my age quiet if I am the oldest. It helps to have hair dye and a face that people say (I don't think so) looks 20 years younger.

I had some made up at Moo. Reasonable prices. You can add your own design if you want.

I am 51 and my husband is 49 and we made the decision early in our marriage that we would only have dogs and cats. Thankfully both of us have at least one sibling with kids so we don't get the guilt trip from the parents. Early in our marriage people thought we were crazy, selfish (?) or just hated kids. I was never that comfortable around kids as a young adult and also didn't babysit when I was a teen. Of course we got the "you don't know what you are missing" at first and get the "well who is going to take care of you when you get older" now that we are middle aged. Oh and I had a tubal ligation when I was 37. He was going to have a vasectomy but I ended up needing surgery to correct a side effect from depo provera used as birth control.

Congrats on the BA! I dress fairly casually for my regular classes but of course wear business clothing (dress code) for internship work. My classes have been once a week for 2+ hours and I want to be comfortable if I am sitting for that long. I have multiple degrees and include all but significantly pare down the non-applicable degree to just 1 or 2 lines. Congrats on getting the interviews and proving the advisor wrong. We are living longer and so are able to have multiple careers but a little hair dye (and creative resume writing) will also help. Congrats on the degree. Nice to have someone closer to my age here. I also have been working on how to handle the age questions if asked. Luckily my field (Gerontology) is a bit more accepting - but they should be. You seem to have a great attitude so that will go a long way. Good luck in your program.

A few things from a former vet tech. Getting a younger cat is fine but under 2-3 months and you may need to feed more often (more time involved). But if you get a kitten you will need to have multiple sets of booster vaccines - with an adult cat it is only once a year and may have already been done (less $) If you decide to get a cat/kitten get one from a shelter (spayed or neutered usually - at least initial vaccines done - felv/fiv tested) Getting two is a really good idea because they keep each other company and having one can lead to boredom and possible behavioral issues (but certainly not always). Even if you keep a cat indoors they will need vaccines and probably flea medication (warmer months) because even if they don't go outside, you do. Fleas can come in on your shoes, clothing, etc. Finally remember that once you get a pet you are obligated to provide reasonable care and they are a lifetime (their lifetime) obligation. Only get one if you really want to make the commitment.

Ageism is one of the reasons I chose the program that I did. I have been told that I don't look my age and can shave about 10+ years. Still I plan on dropping dates off my resume and focusing only on my MA and the last 10 years. And of course relying on hair dye to help.

I was hoping this thread would still be going. At my mandatory orientation everyone thought I was a parent. And asked me about my grad student child. I do have one person older than me in my program but I think most people assume that I'm in my 30s. As for those worried about the biological clock. When my husband went back to vet school there were a number of women who got married, pregnant, had young children and made it work. And vet school is not only intensive intellectually but physically as well.

My MA is in an interdisciplinary program. I agree with poopfever () and think that many employers are unsure of how a potential employee with that kind of background would fit into their company. They are used to the traditional programs that turn out graduates that have had a reliable course load - tailored to something like business or biology. It is up to the student though to show how an interdisciplinary background can work in a certain position.

Congrats NavyMom (and anyone else that go into a program)! You 40-somethings are also cute (boy am I old)

What I have always heard (and what I did on mine) is that you need to tell them how their program fits into what you want to do career-wise. You need to show that you know about their program (has it won any awards, is it ranked nationally, etc.). Write it in an outline form first. Try doing some free writing - where you just write anything that comes to mind down - just to get the creative juices flowing. And show yourself in the writing don't be afraid to let them see who you are.

I think I am the oldest here at 51. As far as relating to students younger than you, it is true that it is not always easy. However, once you are in grad school the focus is on academics not the social aspects of college and that helps. Once you are in it can get busy, I am in my second year and concentrating on my master's applied project. Good luck to you all.