completing or continuing one's education

May 22 20:21 UTC 2002

I didn't want to put this in Mark's item, but thought it might be a 
worthwhile separate discussion.  How many others here have thoughts or 
intentions to go back to school after being out for a while?

How many have actually done it?  Where did you go -- community college, 
business college such as the University of Phoenix, U-M or another 
university?  Has anyone done it on-line?

How many are like me, went to college but didn't finish a degree, and 
would like to do so or intend to do so?

How many have wanted to, or tried to, start work toward a graduate 
degree?

Did anyone go back to school to change occupations?

This item is for discussing that kind of stuff.

response 2 of 21:

May 22 20:53 UTC 2002

John, you might take a different perspective:  What major does most of my
degree work fit in?  This is akin to the question "What hoops do I have to
jump through to get a degree, and how can I minimize the number?"

You might find that a "general studies" degree from UM would suit you fine.
Or your credits might already fill most of the requirements for a psychology
or technology degree at EMU.  

When I was finishing my undergraduate degree at the grand age of 32, I walked
into the counselor's office and said "How can I graduate at the end of this
term?"

He said, "Yadda, yadda, yadda"

I said, "You didn't hear what I said.  I intend to graduate in December.  What
do we have to agree to today to make that happen?"  

When he saw I was serious, we worked out a plan that counted some courses as
required courses because we interpreted the intent of the the requirement,
not the letter of the requirement.  

I carried 18 credit hours that term and worked 50 hours a week as a department
manager at my company.  I had no other life.  But I did have a degree four
months later.  

You probably aren't as intent on finishing in one semester.  But you might
be able to.  I got the counselor to agree that it was merely hoops we were
looking at, and to sign off on my graduation requirements slip.  That's really
all it took: his signature at the bottom of a form.  

And all it took to get him to sign was to negotiate terms with him.  What
worked in my favor was that I was older and intent on graduating.  I was
not some 22 year old whining about having to follow the rules.

response 4 of 21:

May 22 22:16 UTC 2002

Way to go, John, I think this could be a great thing.  My transcript from my
first stint in grad school was bad too, but they gave me a second chance -
I bet one of the colleges around here would give you one, too.

I sure admire Colleen's approach to things.

response 6 of 21:

May 23 01:59 UTC 2002

I went back almost 3 years ago.  Got my Associates last June at age 49.5. 
One of my instructors, who happens to be the computer department head, keeps
telling me to transfer to EMU or UM and get a Bachelors and he will hire me
to teach at WCC.  STeve and I are seriously talking about it.

response 8 of 21:

May 23 03:20 UTC 2002

I am 41 years old, and took my last class at Michigan Tech about 15 
years ago.

Colleges now are a lot different than they were then.  Tech was a place 
where the professors were against you for your first couple of years.  
I had one calculus class where the professor told us at the start that 
1/3 would get As, but half would fail the class.  I was not studious, 
and was among the half who failed.

My GPA was right around a 2.0.  I had senior standing when I left, in 
the technical communications department.  I've been told that U-M is 
really pretty accommodating to non-traditional students such as 
myself.  I'd find it impressive to get a degree from U-M, and they 
certainly have a lot more interesting curriculum to offer than Cleary 
College.   What do you do, make an appointment with someone in 
admissions, explain your circumstances, and see what they say?

re #2: I don't have the freedom to take 18 credits at a time, nor the 
inclination.  I'd be happy enough to take a class or two per semester 
for a year or two.

There's something to be said for getting the quickest degree possible, 
since a degree really is my basic goal.  I wouldn't object at all to 
enjoying what I study, though.  I don't want to change careers, I'm 
happy in what I do.  I don't expect a degree to change my life in any 
significant way.  That's not what a degree is about for me.  I hate 
giving up on anything important, and have felt like I was a quitter for 
leaving school without finishing.

re #3: I shouldn't need financial aid, anyway.  My employer will likely 
pay for as many classes as I can take per year.

re #4: I admire Colleen's approach, too, but could never pull it off 
myself.

Your example got me thinking about it again.

re #5: That's the kind of story I want to hear more of!

response 10 of 21:

May 23 05:57 UTC 2002

I have been considering going back to school for many years.  I would 
like to finish my undergrad degree as soon as I figure out what I want to 
get it in.  

response 12 of 21:

May 23 13:31 UTC 2002

Yes, I think I'll do that once I get the transcript.

response 14 of 21:

May 23 18:08 UTC 2002

I went back to school 4 years ago. I was a junior at LSSU but with semi 
bad grades. Only 38 of my credits transferred to EMU. Since then, I 
have been taking 1 or 2 classes a semester. I have taken a few 
semesters off here and there too. I am a senior now. If I were like 
cmmgee, I could finish by next spring. I dont want to do that. I have 
signed up for 2 classes next fall and I will probably take one class 
next winter. After that I will need to take 3 more Econ classes, 1 more 
Psychology class and a science class. I *might* do that all in one 
semester but probably not. I will probably graduate in spring 2004 but 
I wont be upset if it turns out to be december of 2004. 

I sometimes wish I had done college at this pace in the first place. I 
stay sane this way. I dont really like school, it turns out. *shrug*

response 16 of 21:

May 25 01:45 UTC 2002

I've always been kind of sorry I didn't get at least a master's degree. 
I think my engineering career would have gone a lot differently than it 
did if I'd had an advanced degree. I might actually still be an 
engineer, for one thing. I know it's not too late, but...

On the other hand, since I had less invested in engineering, I didn't 
feel so bad about getting out of it when I did.

response 18 of 21:

May 26 02:47 UTC 2002

I didn't know WCC offered degrees.

I got my transcript today.  I haven't dared look through it yet; it's 
abysmal and I don't much want to dredge through it over the holiday 
weekend.  It'll be soon enough to do that on Tuesday.

response 20 of 21:

May 26 15:17 UTC 2002

I have one Associates and two certificates and am half way to a third,
planning to get at least a fourth.  The fourth gives me another Associates.

I intend to take those classes even if I do transfer (#3 and #4 are Cisco
certification from WCC which actually prepare you to take the CCNA and CCNP
certification tests from Cisco).

I would halfway like to take Cisco's CCIE test.  Three days of intense testing
$3500 with an 80% failure rate.  What an achivement if I managed to be one of
the 20%. This is one of the points of thought and talk that we are going
through.  What do I  want to be when I grow up.

This is one of the points of thought and talk that we are going through.  What
do I  want to be when I grow up.