Parents going back to college

surfcity · December 2017

Nope...Ive learned far more during self study, youtube, and google than any class. (Labs excluded)

Is that what you would advise a HS student? that Google and YouTube can replace formal education?

Apples and oranges to me. Kudos to everyone back in the classroom! I would love to join you - when I see the course catalog for D's school I am very jealous! My job is very satisfying now and fulfills some of the need I think education would. But I would go back in a heartbeat!

VeryHappy · December 2017

This thread is making me seriously consider trying Spanish. I tried it about two years ago and was too darn busy to keep up.

HImom · December 2017

I downloaded the iPhone app for Spanish on Duolingo (free) and am renewing my acquaintance with the language which I took in HS & college. It's easy and you can do it at your own pace. It has helped me, tho I'm still NOT fluent.

veruca · December 2017

I wound up dropping one class but I made As in the other two. I have really enjoyed being back at school -It was a good distraction from my empty nest.
I would like to mention this to anyone young or old going back to Vo-tech- check and see what the average GPA is for what ever program you are interested in. I assumed vo-tech would not be competitive, but it is. At least for the allied health programs and I think some of the other programs as well. I learned that the program I am interested in has 150 applicants for 20 slots and I understand most of the Allied health (radiology tech, sonography, OT assistant etc...) are similar.

FallGirl · December 2017

@HImom - I am a Duolingo dropout (Spanish), but S has a friend who has become fluent in Portuguese that way.

HImom · December 2017

There’s Rosetta Stone and other programs as well. Our neighbor taught himself so well on some old programs that he could conduct business in Mandarin! He has my greatest respect as that’s not something my kids could do even by taking classes for several years. Their pronunciation and tones were good but they just found it very difficult.

JHS · December 2017

My mother started a PhD program when she was in her early 50s. Her youngest child was still in college. She had been a high school teacher for almost 30 years at that point. She had gotten an MA in English Lit on a part-time basis while I was in college. Then she had been a finalist in a process to appoint a new Head of School at the private school where she taught, and the board ultimately chose the other candidate who was pretty much her opposite in every respect. She lasted one semester under his regime before handing in her resignation. After some negotiating around, she started a PhD program in Philosophy of Education.

It took her almost 10 years to finish, in part because she designed a course that became a huge hit at her university, and all of a sudden she had a full-time job again teaching 500 students per semester and supervising an army of TAs. Finally, though, the administration told her she couldn't keep doing that if she didn't finish her degree. She made a colossal push, and got it done a few months shy of her 62nd birthday. I was so proud of her!

She continued to run her course for another 11 years, until Parkinson's Disease forced her to turn it over to a successor.

oldmom4896 · December 2017

I started school the same day in August that my daughter started her senior year classes in college. She loves that I went back to school.

Now I have to figure out how to go to her graduation in May!

Lizardly · January 2018

Somehow I missed this thread. I am playing with the idea of going back to school to get a masters, in the meantime taking courses to get ready, like how to do research type courses.

I am attending a large, local public U that has a diverse student body. There are kids just out of high school and old folks like me. Lots of vets and retired military looking for a career change at this school. A good number of students who are putting themselves through school and so are not on the four year plan. The most intimating part has been the tech. The young students have no problem with it while I have to call my kids for help. But I am better organized and not tempted by parties. I also struggle with how much to reveal about myself and my background. I do feel very different from the other students: older, better educated, better off. I have been THE oldest person in my classes despite the presence of retired military. I am older than the professors. The age part doesn't bother me per se, but the stuff that comes with it, like having seen more of the world, I feel like I have to be discrete about.(An example: chit chatting with fellow students on a group project we were talking about what we were doing over a long weekend. They were going to various parties. I was flying to Hawaii. I didn't mention that.) I am trying to fit in!

I have done well so far and am having a blast.Why didn't I start taking classes years ago? I am worried about this coming semester and possible parent health problems causing me to have to drop a class.

BunsenBurner · January 2018

Lizardly - that is about how I felt when I was going through my program. The tech did not scare me, but some other issues did. For example, I don't type as fast as the youngsters, but there was no way in hell I would handwrite my exams. I managed to type 6-7 pages in the time the fastest of them cobbled up 13! But the profs apparently liked brevity and quality over quantity, so my exams were consistently in the top pile.

Go for the degree - you will not regret it.

oldmom4896 · January 2018

@Lizardly, I am glad you're here! I am studying for an MSW at the grand old age of 69. My daughter is graduating from college far, far away on May 11; my semester ends a week later. Yikes! But it's good. I Most (not all) of my fellow students are around a year older than my daughter, but that's ok. My professors are a lot younger than me, but that's ok too. Everyone has been very, very welcoming.

My fieldwork is mentoring high school students at a NYC public school for students who are over-age and under-credited and I find that it comes pretty for me, since it's not so long ago that my daughter was in high school.

The technology was pretty overwhelming for me, but I am pretty sure my second semester will be easier than my first because I have it down (more or less!) now. I did really well and my daughter is thrilled for me. One semester down, three to go!

Lizardly · January 2018

BB, in class exams with typing--- I am not ready for that! So far I have had papers and handwritten in class exams. I did ask about typing since my handwriting is terrible and the prof said it was allowed, but since no one else was doing it I didn't either.

I allow extra time for technology issues. How can the kids read those small screens? I have to bring my laptop.

Everyone has been welcoming here as well. That makes me feel good.

GTalum · January 2018

Why didn't I start taking classes years ago?

Exactly what I am wondering! But, I guess I just didn't previously get the "leading." 4 semesters to go to get my doctorate, but I have to stop procrastinating and start my research project! Hopefully I will be done May of 2019.

sylvan8798 · January 2018

We're allowed to take one course/semester tuition waived as part of our employee benefits, so I have been taking French courses for the past 5 semesters. I taught myself enough French using online materials and books from Amazon that I was permitted into the Junior level courses. I just finished my 5th course, a senior level French literature course which was a LOT of work. I already have a Master's in math and a PhD in Physics, so this is just a hobby and will probably not lead to another degree, since I hardly need any more.

HImom · January 2018

@sylvan8798--sounds like a vacation in France or Tahiti may be in your future & a LOT of fun!

compmom · March 2018

Inspiring to read, especially old mom since I am an old mom too

I have found out I can take classes for free and for credit at a state U that is a bit of a hike but worth it. Once my caretaking duties are over I plan on following your example!

TomSrOfBoston · March 2018

Four years ago my wife and I received master's degrees from Boston University, in different fields, It was through their adult part time Metropolitan College. Our degrees were in areas that interested us. For me it was Urban Affairs, for my wife Gastronomy. Our kids are grown and graduated college more than a decade ago. Going to class with people ranging from 22-70 was a great experience for both of us. They were on campus programs.

GTalum · March 2018

So far, going to school is the best thing I have done and I love it. High points is working on my clinical project which is going very well and the response from patients, staff, and administrators has been great. Low point is my Biostatistics class. I took my first exam in 30 years!

@sylvan8798 What online education did you do? I've done a bit with Spanish and thinking about picking it up again.

sylvan8798 · March 2018

^The most helpful thing was a series of videos from Annenberg Learner. They have a Spanish series ("Destinos") as well. There is a textbook and workbooks that I got from Amazon to go with the French series, but I'm not sure what there is for the Spanish.

http://learner.org/resources/series75.html

oldmom4896 · March 2018

I have no regrets going back to school for my MSW, but I must say that this second semester seems to be much more manageable than last, when everything I had to learn about being a 21st century graduate student was overwhelming. In the end, I did well last semester but the anxiety was very difficult.

At fieldwork in a NYC high school for struggling students, a guidance counselor told me last week that I was the only grownup in the group of social workers and students working there, My off-site social work supervisor agreed. I can see that having raised a kid to age 22 has given me a lot of perspective that many of the 20-something students (and some of the MSW-level social workers!) just don't have.

Parents going back to college

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