Starting College or Going Back

[Unklescott]

Good for you Star.

[Google]

 

[schmoo2]

I am going to the open house tomorrow at our local state college - but getting online classes doesn't look promising. My neighbor/friend is actually a professor there in marketing. I'll see what I can find out tomorrow, and she is going to have one of the accounting professors contact me. I'll see what I can do online and evenings, I guess. The on-line places cost a LOT, and sometimes the degree isn't as respected.

I'm going to take my time making a decision.

[queenb]

Well, I will be jobless after December 4th, so i will be going back to school too. I am trying to get into a veterinary technician (nurse for animals) program. Unfortunately, there are only two schools even sort of close to me that offer the classes; one is hard to get into because it's sort of close to the University of GA, and lots of the veterinary students there use this school to get what they can due to the higher price at UGA--the other school is in Alabama, so I'd have to pay as an out of state student. If all else fails there is an online program I can take.
schmoo2, I also wonder if the degree would be as respected from an online school, but they do require 2 semesters with time spent at an actual vet's office... and as for expense, I was surprised also, but the 'regular schools cost a whole lot too.
I'm going Wednesday to check out the "hard to get into" school; I suspect the 'tour' thing I'm going to isn't really what I need, but at least while I'm over there I can find out who I need to talk to to see what part of my prior credits might count.
Stargazer... for you!
MRD-- What's giving you all the problems? I'd like to avoid it, if possible. Really--bear down, you can do it!

[schmoo2]

I woke up this morning with a gameplan. My Assoc in accounting is from 30+ years ago, my assoc in Computer Science was from the local excellent community college - well respected and pretty much all transferable credits. I'm going to go back and get a current associate degree there first. It is closer, much less expensive, and has a great mix of online, evening, and remote classes scheduled at my local high school. It is an opportunity to ease back in, learn what I really need to learn again - and should get me far enough in the time frame that I can get work in a couple/few years. Who knows, by that timie I may get something that will cover furthering the education.

I did it before in the last decade, and it is doable again without a major hit on my work and life as it is now.
I feel much better. I don't know why I didn't think of this before. I had both my kids start this way. I already put in the new application this morning, and can start classes in January. Whew.

*still going to the open house this morning at the 4 year college, but now with a game plan in hand.

[Cornholio]

Hi Schmoo! How did the open house go? Sounds like you have a good game plan!

[schmoo2]

Open house was terrific. Their business school is completely remodeled and top of the line. They will work with me on transfer credits and working out taking some classes at the community college along with their night classes. I think I'm on the move now.

[Stargazer]

Thanks guys!

Queenbee and schmoo, the best advice I can give as a "non-traditional" student is to go meet with an advisor as soon as possible. Make sure to schedule an actual appointment so they won't rush you (in other words, don't just do a drop-in appointment because they are usually only about five minutes). Bring a notebook with every question you have so you don't forget them. Advisors can either answer your questions or point you to the person who can.

Also, you should both ask about credit for prior learning, such as with the CLEP test. With it, if you know a lot about a subject through life experience, you can sometimes test out of related classes. Its usually about $100 for a test, but that's much cheaper than paying for a class that you don't need. Its an option for a lot of people to get some credits out of the way for less money.

[Ellen]

CLEP is great! I tested out of my entire freshman year and saved a bundle of money (even for back then, since I worked/paid my own way through college): 15 CLEP credits (a full-time semester +3 credits), and 12 credits for testing out of the first four semesters of German (not CLEP, but through the regular foreign language testing/placement policy at my university).

[myrosiedog]

Queenb, I have one prof who has the worst rep on campus and now I know why. I like her, but her classes are a LOT of work. Just for her class alone, I have had 9 papers and 3 exams. She does not give "A's" as final grades at all and told us that upfront. I am working my tail off and my grades are all over the board in her class. I've been in to talk to her several times because out of 7 classes now, I've always been consistant in my grades, but am not consitant in her class. We started with 16 students and 11 of them have dropped and she's proud of that. It's a LOT of work for 3 lousy credits. This is a class that freshmen can take, so I think that she will scare a lot of people out of wanting to take history. The other history profs are tough, but fair and don't overload us with too much work.
AND the class was misrepsented and even the other students say their advisors thought it was a different course than it's turned out to be. It's called The US and World Wars, but she says she's not teaching military history, so we have been doing the social,cultural and political history and not any of the history of the World Wars which sucks as that is why most of us took the class.
She's just the bain of my existence at the moment. But the semester is winding down and I hope I never have to have her again.
But I am learning from her and that's the point. It's just that her class keeps me so busy. My other classes are busy too, but not that busy. I have 2 papers and 3 books to read for my other history class and that seems to be in keeping with most of the other history classes. 9 papers in one semester for ONE class is way too much in my opinion.
But the rest of my classes are going well and I"m keeping A's in all of them.

[doxie]

Originally Posted by queenb

Well, I will be jobless after December 4th, so i will be going back to school too. I am trying to get into a veterinary technician (nurse for animals) program. Unfortunately, there are only two schools even sort of close to me that offer the classes; one is hard to get into because it's sort of close to the University of GA, and lots of the veterinary students there use this school to get what they can due to the higher price at UGA--the other school is in Alabama, so I'd have to pay as an out of state student. If all else fails there is an online program I can take.
schmoo2, I also wonder if the degree would be as respected from an online school, but they do require 2 semesters with time spent at an actual vet's office... and as for expense, I was surprised also, but the 'regular schools cost a whole lot too.
I'm going Wednesday to check out the "hard to get into" school; I suspect the 'tour' thing I'm going to isn't really what I need, but at least while I'm over there I can find out who I need to talk to to see what part of my prior credits might count.
Stargazer... for you!
MRD-- What's giving you all the problems? I'd like to avoid it, if possible. Really--bear down, you can do it!

I'm so sorry to hear about your job. I know you'll make a wonderful vet tech though Where is the school in AL? If there is anything we can do to help out, let us know!