Advice on Returning to School?

[Learning]

Does anyone have any advice on returning to school after a pretty long hiatus? Would appreciate any input from the social perspective to financial aid to academic advising...etc.

[Hoorurly]

Don't have any advice for you, but I'm returning to school after many years myself so it will be interesting to hear what others have to say.

[Solaris]

Mark me down in the "returning to school" column. For me, it's been about 3.5 years though, not too bad.

Making some sort of routine or ability to do homework again was difficult before (I returned to school after a two year break once before). School is mainly about discipline and structure.

Financial aid and such largely depend on your location. I'm in the US, where are you? Actually, most advice/experience I have will only be applicable in the US, so I'll hold off until you let us know which country you are from.

[1OFMANY]

I am returning to school myself after a long time I am 35 and live in the US. Going to major in business for lack of any interest in anything else. I wish I were 18 again I would major in Engineering. I don't have time for 10 years of school though :(

[Santana28]

been thinking about it. of course, i'm going on 9 years out.

i can tell you one thing though - not going at 18 (even though it wasnt an option for me then) would have been the best decision i ever made. my priorities and world viewpoint and career interests have changed so many times since then, it would have been a huge horrid waste of money. like i'm sure it is for most people.

[Learning]

Thanks guys, it's at least a comfort to know I won't be the only one. Are you guys feeling anxious about it at all? How do you think your INTJ-isms will help and/or be a challenge?

Just learning more about my personality has helped me a great deal to not feel so anxious about it. "Knowing is half the battle..."!

I can relate to just about everything you guys said. I'm in my early 30's, in the U.S., going back after 9yrs., "get" myself better now than before, and feel time is of the essence.

[1OFMANY]

I was rather disappointed at the lack of "challenge" per se. I went to college for the first time in 1999 when I was 28 or so. Got a degree in Fire science cause I was going into the fire service. It was a hell of alot easier than i thought it would be. On 9-11 ( the day after) I joined active duty infantry and been in the army ever since. Now I am out ( except some reserve time left) and I am not worried in the least bit. I do hate working full time going to school full time and having a family full time...kind of gets busy to say the least, but Ill manage. You won't have a problem at all bro, unless you fall in love at school or something crazy like that lol.

[Hoorurly]

only 9 years? for me it's been over 30!!! I've taken a class here and there at the community college but I've mostly been working and raising a family so I never had the time to go back to school. My kids are grown and I'm not working now, so I just feel like I need the challenge. I don't know if I'll ever really do anything with the degree, but I am determined to get it. I'm not anxious at all. When I went for the English & Math placement test, I felt right at home. I passed the English with flying colors. Need to take a remedial algebra class though. My classes start this coming Monday.

[Learning]

I'm not anxious at all. When I went for the English & Math placement test, I felt right at home. I passed the English with flying colors. Need to take a remedial algebra class though. My classes start this coming Monday.


So, how long after being out are placement tests required?

[Hoorurly]

In TN if you are under 21 you have to take the ACT test and if your score is below a certain level, then you have to take the assessment tests. If you are over 21 you have to take the assessment tests unless your ACT test is less than 3 years old. In my case there wasn't even a question. I would imagine most states have a similar requirement because I had checked into going back to school when I was living in Florida and they required assessment tests as well, I just don't remember the criteria.

[1OFMANY]

So, how long after being out are placement tests required?


I have to retake mine and its only been 3 years since i took them last :(

[Solaris]

So we're mainly a bunch of late 20s and early 30s looking to better ourselves by getting the foolish piece of paper we need to dominate the worl...I mean get the jobs we know we deserve.

There's plenty of non-traditional programs at colleges now, to ease adults back into things. (that's what we're called..."non-traditional" -- not really shocking, I should think we're all used to that by now). There are scholarship websites like Fastweb. Make sure to fill out your FAFSA forms. Check with workplaces, and see if they will foot the bill (some do as long as you do well, probably not a problem for us).

Do find a good advisor, or contact on campus. Otherwise, you can lose out on a lot of useful services.

Well, there's something to start with anyway.

[Zilal]

I'm a 30-year-old sophomore now... I took about a 9-year hiatus though I did take some classes during that time.

I started off going part-time just to ease back into things. I found I'm much more disciplined and, oddly, smarter than I was at 19, which is great. On the other hand, I'm at a state university and it's sort of a drag having almost everything oriented toward "traditional" students... that is, young folks who live on campus and don't have to support themselves. And it's harder to connect with the other students. (Thankfully, it's easier to connect with the professors.)

Definitely do your financial aid forms as soon as possible, look into whether your job will pay for anything, scour every resource you can for scholarships, from the school's website and advisors to the internet in general.

In general there hasn't been that much different from the first time I went to school, I'm just better at it now.

[kimba]

I am returning to school myself after a long time I am 35 and live in the US. Going to major in business for lack of any interest in anything else. I wish I were 18 again I would major in Engineering. I don't have time for 10 years of school though :(

Don't have time for 10 years of school? Where are you going? You will be 45 with out without a degree in engineering. Which do YOU want to be? Do some journaling. If anything at all were possible - if you got that engineering degree - what would your life look like at your 45th birthday? Retirement isn't going to be an option for many - so figure you will have a good 25-30 years of work as an engineer. Or get the business degree in 4 years and work in a field you don't really care about for 31-36 years.

If you want to get school done faster - take advantage of summer session classes, and winter session, and those spring break classes - - - 3 credits in one week - fantastic. If it's what you're interested in, it will fly.

Good luck whatever you do.

[Learning]

I have to retake mine and its only been 3 years since i took them last :(

Do you feel better prepared now, too, that you're older? Which ones did you have to take?





Learning added to this post, 6 minutes and 56 seconds later...

So we're mainly a bunch of late 20s and early 30s looking to better ourselves by getting the foolish piece of paper we need to dominate the worl...I mean get the jobs we know we deserve.

There's plenty of non-traditional programs at colleges now, to ease adults back into things. (that's what we're called..."non-traditional" -- not really shocking, I should think we're all used to that by now). There are scholarship websites like Fastweb. Make sure to fill out your FAFSA forms. Check with workplaces, and see if they will foot the bill (some do as long as you do well, probably not a problem for us).

Do find a good advisor, or contact on campus. Otherwise, you can lose out on a lot of useful services.

Well, there's something to start with anyway.


(Pinky & the Brain) Thank you Solaris, that is solid practical advice. What have you seen for "non-traditional" students?






Learning added to this post, 6 minutes and 5 seconds later...

I'm a 30-year-old sophomore now... I took about a 9-year hiatus though I did take some classes during that time.

I started off going part-time just to ease back into things. I found I'm much more disciplined and, oddly, smarter than I was at 19, which is great. On the other hand, I'm at a state university and it's sort of a drag having almost everything oriented toward "traditional" students... that is, young folks who live on campus and don't have to support themselves. And it's harder to connect with the other students. (Thankfully, it's easier to connect with the professors.)

Definitely do your financial aid forms as soon as possible, look into whether your job will pay for anything, scour every resource you can for scholarships, from the school's website and advisors to the internet in general.

In general there hasn't been that much different from the first time I went to school, I'm just better at it now.

That is really cool...I'm hoping this time will be better for me, too. I read about some research that says our brain (the decision-making part from what I understood) doesn't fully develop until we're 25. So maybe we're better off in some ways for having waited.

[AgentofGaming]

Do find a good advisor, or contact on campus. Otherwise, you can lose out on a lot of useful services.


Definitely can lose out there. I have to pay $1000 in campus fees for things I don't use. However the engineering curriculum is so fast paced I'd rather just go home by the end of the day after hours of labs to recoup the last shreds of my life before sleep.

That being said, don't let the homework build, catchup is not fun (like running after a bus; some bus drivers don't stop).

[Solaris]

Non-traditional programs vary from school to school, of course, but some have a sort of club that resembles something like a support group. Others have dorms for non-traditional students even. Some have staff dedicated to helping adult learners get through all the stuff (forms, learning to study, computers for those who hate them, internships, scholarships, etc). Check out the sitemap for the school(s) you might attend and see if you can turn anything up. If you can't, contact somebody in the department you want if possible.

[Learning]

Definitely can lose out there. I have to pay $1000 in campus fees for things I don't use. However the engineering curriculum is so fast paced I'd rather just go home by the end of the day after hours of labs to recoup the last shreds of my life before sleep.

That being said, don't let the homework build, catchup is not fun (like running after a bus; some bus drivers don't stop).

Yikes. Do you agree that our minds are more developed now making the work a bit easier? I'm hoping that's the case, but I do wonder how my energy level will fare now in my 30's. Thanks for the homework tip/reminder,too. Do you have any tips for improving energy & concentration besides getting good rest?

[Solaris]

Yikes. Do you agree that our minds are more developed now making the work a bit easier? I'm hoping that's the case, but I do wonder how my energy level will fare now in my 30's. Thanks for the homework tip/reminder,too. Do you have any tips for improving energy & concentration besides getting good rest?

...

Buy textbooks online (it's cheaper usually).

As for energy/concentration: know yourself. Know when you are most mentally alert and able to concentrate. Try to make a place in your schedule for doing your schoolwork during that time. Know your learning style, and try to accomodate that as well, choose professors that match it when possible.

[AgentofGaming]

Yikes. Do you agree that our minds are more developed now making the work a bit easier? I'm hoping that's the case, but I do wonder how my energy level will fare now in my 30's. Thanks for the homework tip/reminder,too. Do you have any tips for improving energy & concentration besides getting good rest?

...
Well I'm not the one to give advise being a chronic procrastinator, but... it does pile up and become painful.
I think the being older helps but only for me, I'm less progressive than my peers, they have jobs, driver's licenses, go on dates, do adult stuff; I just goto school and go home (I don't do anything adultlike).

I heard from one of the people who went on a university program internship panel. "They said you goto work and come home at 6,7,8 and it's done watch some TV and sleep. When you go back to school you come home, it's not that simple: problem sets and others you probably won't sleep to do them. It's a big change and you'll have to switch your mindset back to hard school work."


Buy textbooks online (it's cheaper usually).

As for energy/concentration: know yourself. Know when you are most mentally alert and able to concentrate. Try to make a place in your schedule for doing your schoolwork during that time. Know your learning style, and try to accomodate that as well, choose professors that match it when possible.

You can choose your professors? or do you mean courses? or are you a graduate student? because I can't (unless I skip and attend someone else's lecture but that causes timetable conflicts)

[Solaris]

You can choose your professors? or do you mean courses? or are you a graduate student? because I can't (unless I skip and attend someone else's lecture but that causes timetable conflicts)

Depending on the course and the college, you can sometimes choose a professor who matches your personality a bit better. For the more specialized classes, it's not always as easy. Plus, online learning...you hardly have to interact with a professor at all.

[curious1]

Free books are everywhere. Scour resources for them. Don't buy books from the university bookstore. Not necessary in this day and age to get ripped off. Also, to save money, consider the resell of your own books. It will add up to at least 2 semesters of return money in the long run. To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. for possible scholarships. Are you considering distance learning? I am but wonder how employers will take an online degree. From a traditional university, I see this as a loophole as the degree will be from the university regardless of online or at university courses. Financial aid should really come through for you since you are over 25. I am 25 now and planning on restarting my degree at a new university. Oh, some bad news for you. If you think old credits will still be possible for use towards your degree, think again. After x amount of years out, they all delete. Neat, that you are starting into a new career at an older age. For inspiration, Phillip Johnson, one of the greatest arhictects ever was 49 when he went to university. Good luck.

Also, To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. is one of the best resources IMO, for information and other resources.

[ghmn]

There are a lot of options out there for us returning, adult students.

If you're not sure if you're ready to sit in a classroom again, try a couple online courses. See how well you can balance those with family, job, and other adult stuff.

There are also certifications for just about any profession. Try some of those first if you're not sure you want to commit the time for a degree yet.

[PortInStorm]

I'm 31, and I'm in my fourth year of a psyc honours degree in Canada, planning on going to PhD. So I completely relate to the fear that it'll take too long, but like someone else mentioned, what else are you planning on doing? Either you can spend that time doing a dead-end job/one you don't love, or you can work towards a better one. Even if you spent one year working in the new career, the fulfillment of the new field/learning/stretching yourself is worth it. (Of course, if you need that time to start a family, or pay off major debt, or your spouse hates the idea, that's another question). But I HATE when people imply I'll be ready to retire when I get out (max, I'll be 41, and I'll have at least 24 years ahead of me if I live that long) or say "Professional student" just because they're too scared or too tied down to try something new, and do they know how hard I work my ass off in school? I even had someone say to me after I empathized about going back to work after Christmas, "Well SOMEONE's got to work". It's all because they have a set idea of how everyone's life should go, and we're violating that, so we're wasting time, in their mind.
- give yourself lots of time to complete stuff. I know my energy level is way lower than when I was in college (the two year degree after high school vs. university, your "college"), and you basically have to resign yourself to constant low-level working, I found. If you're not doing homework or familywork, you should be.
- agree with your partner, if you have one, that priority will be for school right now. And let the other stuff (hobbies, money, moving to a better house, cleaning) be done only if you have time. Because of this, my husband never bugs me about a dirty house, allows me to spend whatever I need to for school stuff while being frugal about it, etc.
- but be sure to get a lower grade, if need be, to maintain a good relationship with the spouse. It's really easy for them to get lost in it all. Or don't worry about grades if you're not thinking of graduate work (I was, and in a very competitive field).
- don't let people scare you with stories about how a PhD person they knew ended up at McDonald's etc. You are buying/working towards HOPE, not a guarantee of a job. You will have to look like before the degree, but this time you'll be better qualified, is all. (Unless you've spent all kinds of money you never had on the degree, then think twice).
- true about trying to take courses taught by profs that are in sync with your style. My third year was hellish because of two profs that were so "P", they barely had their heads on straight (IMO).
- ask advice of any prof you see in the dept, counsellors, and take it. Check and recheck that you've met the requirements year by year. Plan all four years if you can, to make sure you have the pre-requisites etc.
- work in the field as early as possible (volunteer if you have to), to make sure you like it, and keep your plans of what to do with the degree flexible.
- please, ask for help if you're feeling overwhelmed and stressed, and I personally love St. John's Wort and Omega 3 (high EPA 53% to DHA ratio ex. Jamieson's Omega-E "Calm") to help me stay on keel and somewhat relaxed. As I take things too seriously.

Good luck, some people might not like your choice, but who cares? I LOVE it, love it. And even if I don't get a superb job, I'll never be sorry. I got a lot of confidence and friends out of the deal, not to mention the knowledge and contacts

[Learning]

Buy textbooks online (it's cheaper usually).

As for energy/concentration: know yourself. Know when you are most mentally alert and able to concentrate. Try to make a place in your schedule for doing your schoolwork during that time. Know your learning style, and try to accomodate that as well, choose professors that match it when possible.
That's great advice:idea:, thank you (specifically the knowing when my energy level is best). I'm still figuring out my learning style though. Any suggestions how I can do that?

...

Are you considering distance learning?
Financial aid should really come through for you since you are over 25. I am 25 now and planning on restarting my degree at a new university. Oh, some bad news for you. If you think old credits will still be possible for use towards your degree, think again. After x amount of years out, they all delete. Neat, that you are starting into a new career at an older age. For inspiration, Phillip Johnson, one of the greatest arhictects ever was 49 when he went to university. Good luck.

That's some great news (about financial aid). Online courses are also not out of the question, and from what I read so far may end up being a better starting point. I'm confident about my decision to go back, but I'm also really anxious about the whole thing. I'll definitely have to look into those credit hours expiring:confused:.

(Ouch! with the "older age" stuff :laugh:!) No really, the encouragement is very much appreciated. Thanks for the Phillip Johnson example, that'll definitely be something I'll try to commit to memory :nice:. Best of luck to you, too btw.

...

[Solaris]

Well, as an NT, you've probably been learning on your own ever since you left school. Think about how you've best synthesized new information, new skills, and what makes abstract information stick best. The way I learn new information and the way I learn new skills are not exactly the same. Depending in the content, and my level of interest, it might vary even more.

Understand that distance learning requires more effort on your part, but gives you more independence and freedom in exchange. Depending on you, this can be good or bad. It can make the return to school seem even more difficult. If you are able to be disciplined, then it might not be so bad.

Take some time to analyze these aspects about yourself. Heck, make a list and then read it over to notice patterns. Then decide.

[Merle]

Hello all... I'm in my final year of college right now...studying English Language and Literature. When I left school I went to Art College and absolutely hated it... so I left and worked for a few years. When I re-applied to do English I was 22 so I counted as a 'mature' student.
Coming back to university is the best thing I've ever done!- My uni is divided into colleges - basically where you eat, sleep, socialise... it helps that my college is mature students only- I'm not sure that I would have found it as enjoyable having to live with a bunch of 18 year olds - I mean, the age-gap isn't a lot, but it feels significant, especially in terms of socialising.
I think one of the advantages of being older is a more pragmatic approach to study - I am able to just get things done in a way that I wasn't when I was younger i.e. if I didn't enjoy something I just wouldn't do it... nowadays I can see that there are certain hoops to be jumped through and just get on with it. But still I think choosing a subject you really enjoy is still very important.
I don't know much about financial aid in the U.S.... only stuff about grad programmes for international students that I've been looking at- sorry.

[Learning]

Understand that distance learning requires more effort on your part, but gives you more independence and freedom in exchange. Depending on you, this can be good or bad. It can make the return to school seem even more difficult. If you are able to be disciplined, then it might not be so bad.

Take some time to analyze these aspects about yourself. Heck, make a list and then read it over to notice patterns. Then decide.
Thanks for breaking it down. What distance learning would require is very hlepful since I'm not very familiar with it. I'll definitely make that list.

Does anyone have a rough avg. on how long before a university will delete credits?

[lancelot]

You will probably be happier if you finish you degree. I am going back too.

[med2006]

I am an Instructional Designer meaning that I design classroom, computer-based and online courses and materials, although most of my work has been focused on designing training that is offered by employers not colleges and universities. I am in the process of making the transition into designing distance education courses for colleges and universities.

While in grad school I studied the various approaches that online instruction can take and I can assure you that distance ed classes are just as demanding of your time as traditional courses delivered in a brick and mortar classroom. In some ways they are more difficult to make up for the fact that you are not in a classroom listening to lectures and taking notes.

The upside is that you are not required to sit in a classroom at specific time. But the way that courses are designed there are a certain number of hours (think “credit hours”) that the students are required to study. Online courses are in many ways more challenging than traditional brick and mortar classes. If the instructor takes a constructivist approach to teaching you will have to assume a lot of responsibility for your own learning with the professor assuming the role of coach and facilitator rather than lecturer. This approach is a lot more work for both student and instructor since the assessment methods are different. There are online discussions that may be asynchronous (like the discussion on this forum) but with a deadline for all comments to be posted by or synchronous, think online chat room. This means additional reading and writing for both student and professor.
But I think that this aspect of distance education would be very attractive to INTJs.

Some distance education courses have students work in project teams. This can be a real pain in the rear if one or more of your team members are not performing or submitting their project work on time. I think that this would be extremely frustrating for INTJs.

As far as school credits expiring, I don’t think thee expire per se. The only way that I can see a course credit expiring is if you took a class in a specific computer language that is COMPLETELY obsolete today. I think the real issue regarding credits is the fact that schools place a cap on the number of credits that they will accept from another school. I think the cap is around 30 credits (about 10 classes) in most cases for undergrad. I don’t know the policy for grad schools. This can be a real set back if you only have 15 credits (one semester of hard core full-time study) to go before graduating.

The upshot is that some schools (particularly those that cater to non-traditional students) will give credit for “real world” experience.

The final two things to consider regarding distance education programs are:

1.) Is the school accredited? Or is it a diploma mill? Not all distance education programs are accredited in every state in the U.S. To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
2.) How will potential employers view a degree from an online university? Some employers may look down on a degree from Phoenix or Strayer University.
3.) One way around this would be to enroll in an online program that is connected to a brick and mortar university. More and more state colleges and even some ivy league schools offer online courses. MIT even makes their online courses available to the general public. Unfortunately, you cannot earn credit for these courses but you can read the lecture notes or watch an MIT professor lecture on everything for Aeronautics to Writing and Humanistic Studies To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
I hope this helps. If you have any questions feel free to send me a message through

[Learning]

Med2006: Thank you for your professional advice! I did look into my credit hours & they have not expired as you said. I am still gathering information to decide whether online classes or traditional classes would work best for me. Thank you for your perspective there. I was a bit concerned about how to find a reputable online program. When I asked university officials they didn't really seem to know. If I do start out with online courses, it would only be transitional so I can feel better prepared for the traditional classroom. The problem there is more transferring. It's just a hassle & from what I understand credits can be lost that way.

[pavman]

I've been toying with going to law school, but I already make decent money (not uber-lawyer money, but more than say... avg just out of school work for the state lawyer money).

Trying to figure out if the 3 years of no salary will be worth it plus the high cost of law school (last I checked, about $150K at a decent school, more at upper-crust schools). I think it will be worth it if I go for IP and practice that for about 10 years or so. Then I'd probably move to public sector.

Although, mergers and acquisitions might be fun too, that or securities/commodities law.

I mean, the money isn't that big of a deal to me, but I would like to keep moving up in pay, rather than taking a pay cut (who wouldn't). I know an MBA + a CFA can net about $250K a year, but I think a law degree might be more beneficial than an MBA (ideally both would be nice, but a JDMBA is a lot to learn in 3 years).

I always tell myself if I really wanted to make easy money, I would have become a doctor or a dentist. But then, I know some lawyers that charge $600 / hour (hope they're good!)

[Santana28]

is it even possible to go back to school full time and support yourself (food, roof over your head, etc) without working full time at the same time?

i keep trying to wrap my head around the details and everything keeps telling me that there is no way to do it without basically going into MASSIVE debt.

argh, this sucks.

[Learning]

The debt part does suck. I don't have any solutions for you there. Speaking for myself, though, the consequences of not going to school are worse.

[coffeeloverfreak]

Not really any way of doing it without debt, unless you're independently wealthy or something. But then, you have to consider it as an investment, and figure out what the expected return (financial or otherwise) would be.

At the graduate level, of course, there are fellowships, teaching or research assistant positions, research grants, and other sources of funds available. All worth looking into. Not to mention scholarships, if you're eligible.

[Solaris]

is it even possible to go back to school full time and support yourself (food, roof over your head, etc) without working full time at the same time?

i keep trying to wrap my head around the details and everything keeps telling me that there is no way to do it without basically going into MASSIVE debt.

argh, this sucks.

Scholarships and financial aid if you made fairly little the previous year. There are an increasing number of scholarships for older students, check around for them.

[Santana28]

Scholarships and financial aid if you made fairly little the previous year. There are an increasing number of scholarships for older students, check around for them.

see, thats the problem. i made a decent amount of income last year (including the husband). by the time i get around to looking into things i will be divorced and barely keeping a roof over my head. i swear to god nothing aggrivates me more than trying to fill out a FAFSA report. or how about all of the times financial aid questionnaires asked about my parent's income even though they refused to pay a dime and even made me pay for my own food at the time? argh.

[pavman]

see, thats the problem. i made a decent amount of income last year (including the husband). by the time i get around to looking into things i will be divorced and barely keeping a roof over my head. i swear to god nothing aggrivates me more than trying to fill out a FAFSA report. or how about all of the times financial aid questionnaires asked about my parent's income even though they refused to pay a dime and even made me pay for my own food at the time? argh.

I agree, and understand. I came from a pretty piss poor background, and was awarded a scholarship because my father was in the military, was dead, and the university I went to happened to have a scholarship covering tuition for that sort of thing, otherwise I would have come out with massive debt.

I had to borrow money from my mother's inheritance (her idea, not mine) to pay for room and board, for the most part. She's generous like that...and to think, she still insists I don't buy her breakfast on Sunday mornings...even if I make almost 3x what she makes! They never made me pay it back, but its been extremely helpful in the fact that I never had debt when I got out of college.

A friend of mine has connections with an accounting lawyer, and he's very vocal about how those who come out of school with massive debt will never be wealthy because of it.

If I tapped out a good chunk of my savings and assets, I could pay for most of law school. But the problem is... then I would only have a 401k, and no income those 3 years, which means I *have* to make up for it by going into the private sector and getting a decent paying job to recover the lost gains I could have made had I stayed employed, etc. To top it off, most law schools have a rule about working while attending...they don't let you.

I'm single, which adds to the overhead of being able to do this all on my own. The benefit is...there won't be a divorce if I choose to do this, and there are no kids that will miss their daddy. The downside is, it will take me that much longer to find me a nice woman and settle down with her, not to mention society's view of lawyers, and no one to help support me while I do it.

I mean, I could take the money invested in law school, sink it into the futures market, and probably triple it in 3 years....ugh.

[Solaris]

I agree, and understand. I came from a pretty piss poor background, and was awarded a scholarship because my father was in the military, was dead, and the university I went to happened to have a scholarship covering tuition for that sort of thing, otherwise I would have come out with massive debt.

I had to borrow money from my mother's inheritance (her idea, not mine) to pay for room and board, for the most part. She's generous like that...and to think, she still insists I don't buy her breakfast on Sunday mornings...even if I make almost 3x what she makes! They never made me pay it back, but its been extremely helpful in the fact that I never had debt when I got out of college.

A friend of mine has connections with an accounting lawyer, and he's very vocal about how those who come out of school with massive debt will never be wealthy because of it.

If I tapped out a good chunk of my savings and assets, I could pay for most of law school. But the problem is... then I would only have a 401k, and no income those 3 years, which means I *have* to make up for it by going into the private sector and getting a decent paying job to recover the lost gains I could have made had I stayed employed, etc. To top it off, most law schools have a rule about working while attending...they don't let you.

I'm single, which adds to the overhead of being able to do this all on my own. The benefit is...there won't be a divorce if I choose to do this, and there are no kids that will miss their daddy. The downside is, it will take me that much longer to find me a nice woman and settle down with her, not to mention society's view of lawyers, and no one to help support me while I do it.

I mean, I could take the money invested in law school, sink it into the futures market, and probably triple it in 3 years....ugh.

Kinda makes you want to just go smash your head against the wall doesn't it?

As decisive as I typically am, big decisions like this sometimes take me forever. Damn future implications, I have to analyze them all, them categorize them, then decide. I get annoyed with the delay in taking action and become impatient, and only feel better once I can finally start doing something.

[E148]

So far I have not seen anybody go as far I as I have in this area.

I got the equivalent of an AS degree in Electronics when I was 21 almost 22. It was a tech school. I took a few classes, in my mid-20s, at the Community College. But then stopped because I figured that I would be 40 before I got the bachelors degree. None of my tech school counted, so I had to start over again. I turned 30, got married. She asked why don't you go back to school, so I did. 2 and half years later I had an AS Mathematics. I had the equivalent of 123 semester hours, 4.1 years of college. That was almost 20 years ago. I have felt over- qualified for every job that I have held since then.

Then I transferred to a 4-year college and had to go 4 years there and 75 more hours.
That was in Dec 1996 just days before my 40th birthday. So I was right it did take me until the age of 40 to get the Bach in Computer Information Science. I thought then that I would be able to get a software job almost anywhere in the world, but 11+ years later I have not been able a software job at all.

About 3.5 years later I get an MS Computer Information Systems completely online from an accredited school.

This has actually hurt me more than helped. Most software jobs (System Analyst, Director of IT, CIO, CTO, for examples) only require a Bachelor's degree and 5-15 years of specific experience, even though my Master's degree was supposed to qualify me for the higher jobs.

I did get a Test Engineer job about 5 months after I got a Master's. It did require a Bach degree, only. This was for hardware and not software. But 1.5 years later I get laid off (for the first time in 24 years), about 6 years ago. I have had a very hard time getting any job ever since. By the way, my first job (1.25 years later) was working at Target on the sales floor, basically cleaning up after people. High school students were doing that job and I had a Master's degree and about a quarter of a century experience in technology. So, be careful. While you may not be working at McDonald's you might end up at Target.

A professor told me that MICROSOFT, IBM, or any major company would never hire me, when I had started working on a Bachelor's degree (or about 33 years old). So, far he has been right.

I did not take the SAT, ACT, or GRE/GMAT when I went to graduate school.
I was told that if you were out of school for say 10 years then you would have to take the test for English and Math-- but I never took these either.

Also, I heard of losing credits after 10 years of being out of school.

Yes I still have another 15 years left until retirement but if it is going be like the last 11 years I would have been better off not going back to college at all.

It is not better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.

I am speaking from experience here.

Age discrimination is rampant in the US, especially when it comes to technology. I will give you some examples.

1) Back in the 90s people were being laid off because they had turned 40.

2) Bill Gates, of Microsoft fame, once said that he would not turn over control of Microsoft to someone his own age, maybe someone 17.

3) A local Austin weekend morning TV show was interviewing a Director of IT. He was probably in his mid-20s. He said that IT was for the young and that is the way it had to be.
4) A TV new magazine interviewed HR people, while disguising their voice and appearance so that they would not be recognized, said that they were told not to consider anyone over 39 years old.
So, yes go ahead and get your degree but also be aware you may not be allowed to use it, in employment.

Yes about a month ago I got laid off again for the 3rd time in the past 6 years.

[Deni1265]

I opted for military service right after high school, even though I had the grades for college. I couldn't stand the thought of wasting money jumping from major to major because even then, the only thing I knew for sure was that I had no idea what I wanted to end up doing. And I thought formal classrooms were a waste of time. I thought that about high school, as well, and spent as much time as possible in the library reading and studying on my own.

Now my husband's health is failing. He wants me to go to school for a degree so I can get a job that won't leave us all penniless. No surprise to me, I STILL have no idea what I want to major in, and I STILL feel that formal classrooms are a waste of time. Add to that, our daughter is currently enrolled in the local junior college, and the entire staff is confirming my initial thought that some idiots work/teach there.

I seem to be interested in everything. Interest in a particular topic waxes and wanes, but never truly settles on anything concrete. My husband says to decide what makes me happy. Reading books and working on that novel I started 20 years ago makes me happy, but how do I incorporate those into a degree? How do I get passed the idea that there will be dumb people teaching me and in charge of giving me a degree?

[coffeeloverfreak]

Deni, sounds like you're not after the degree, you're after the career. The degree is just the path to the career. So don't worry so much about what to major in. Instead, think about what sort of work you would like to do when you're done, and then look into what it will take in terms of education to get you there.

[fuzein]

I would love to go back to college or grad school, but I do not know what field to pursue. So many choices and not really any true passion. Hopefully i'll figure something out soon before I go nuts.

[chasintrail]

If your situation allows, look into going to work at the university you want to attend. Most schools have fee courtesy for employees. It can pay for some or all of your tuition and you may get a break on campus fees.

Most schools have evening and weekend class schedules in addition to distance learning options. The down side to this is that the schedule of these classes is smaller, thus harder to get the classes you need. If you work at the school, they may be more open to you working around your class schedule.

Take advantage of your student discount for software. I'm still kicking myself for no buying everything I could while my ID was still valid.

To me the worst part of being an "adult" student (upper 30s) was having to sit in the freshman classes. Ugh, it felt like being back in high school sometimes.

[Mogura]

Hi all,

On the subject of financial aid... I am thinking of going back to college to obtain a 2nd bachelor's degree. How does that work in applying for financial aid? Would I be eligible despite the fact that I already have a bachelor's degree?