Adult returning to school -- Need some help planning...

CC_Admin · January 19, 2007, 10:38am

Alright, screw it then, I just won’t go back. If going to school for 4 years is going to be such a bad decision, then I won’t do it and keep my IT job and invest the money. If employers don’t realize that amount of work, time, sacrifice, and commitment it takes to head back to school at an older age and complete 4 years, then I’m just not going to do it. It just doesn’t seem to be worth it from what everyone is saying here.

Thanks for the replies, but I was finished with this discussion the moment emeraldkity4 decided to post info my myspace site here. That is below the belt if you ask me.

Good day.

Dew`

latetoschool · January 19, 2007, 10:56am

dew, if I may, it’s not that (as an employer) I don’t appreciate and highly value the commitment - I do, and I think all employers do. And I think it is very, very much “worth it”. I do urge you to go back to school, and get that degree - it WILL open doors, as I also will not consider anyone who does not have a four year degree.

My point is that I expect to see both current work experience and a degree on a resume. I don’t care if the work experience is at a local deli or some minimum wage position - I want to see it. 
One reason is that work experience helps young people gain experience in teamwork, building relationships, interacting with subordinates, superiors, peers, vendors, suppliers, clients, etc. in a professional environment. My expectation is that a candidate’s education gives them the formal learning foundation, but equally importantly, their work experience provides the informal educational foundation that is so critical to functioning in my organization. I don’t want to have to teach someone how to interact with the accountant, the support staff, the techies, etc. - I expect them to come on board already having something of a clue.

If it matters, I also like to see sports participation, and at least one other EC. If your resume comes across my desk with a 4.0 in a tough major and nothing else, it’s not going to get a second glance. But if I see a 3.0 with the other stuff - and it’s current vs. four years old - you’ll be called for an interview asap.

emeraldkity4 · January 19, 2007, 11:00am

Your post is so ridiculous that I’m not even going to reply to it.
oh… ok

Actually my brother is on his 2nd marriage- ( he has two older kids in college), with a 9 year old-
He is doing quite well, after getting his EE degree, he retired from military, and worked designing something for Bayer- re their resources for diabetics, but just last year moved back to the Seattle area and is working for Boeing on the 787.
( His nephew also received an engineering degree- in aeronautics from Co - Boulder and is working for Boeing as well, incidentally he was in CO during their big storm trying to recruit people to come to “sunny Seattle” )

Sorry about the terminology Dew- but I didn’t realize semantics were so important to someone who describes themselves as working towards their masters degree but haven’t yet received a bachelors nor are apparently currently enrolled.
However many schools do offer a BA in engineering as well as other scientific and mathematical fields.

JCampbell · January 19, 2007, 12:37pm

You don’t seem to really want it if this is the case

You have it much easier than the VAST MAJORITY of adult students. Even though my EFC is $0, I will still be working at least part time while going to school full time. I know this and accept it, hell I even welcome it. I’ll even have anywhere from $20,000 to $40,000 in loans to pay off after I graduate.

I’m not going back to school to just take classes and have “the expierence.” In fact, I will be home every weekend and break with my family. To me going to school will be like a job. I’m going there for an education and nothing else. This is training for a future, for a better career.

And it’s not easy. Just going through the selection and application process has been frustrating and very difficult. We don’t have a guadance Counseler and we’re not traditional students. The responsibility and determination factor is on us. It is up to us to show that we have the drive to do this.

To give up just because you don’t want to work to pay $5,000/year (which relates to working something like 10-15 hours per week at a student job) is pretty sad in my opinion. If you don’t want to work, go to a cheaper school (such as in state) or wait a few more years until you’ve saved enough.

Either way for an adult going back to school, it involves a sacrifice. If you’re unwilling to work part time to make up for the TINY bit of money you’ll need I don’t even know if you’ll make it through 4 years of full-time work.

Suck it up and take a part time job or private loan. even a $20,000 loan payable after graduation is good.

Other than that get off the defeatist attitude and take every challenge as a chance to prove yourself.

emeraldkity4 · January 19, 2007, 1:18pm

Thanks for the replies, but I was finished with this discussion the moment emeraldkity4 decided to post info my myspace site here. That is below the belt if you ask me.

actually I think reminding people that public information * is public information* is pretty appropriate given that this site is designed to aid others in sharing information.
I would reiterate, that you have a narrow perspective.
You somehow have picked up the notion that mid 20s is on your way to geezerhood ( again your words) and that soon you will be “too old” to even contemplate attending school or changing careers.
Um no.
My brother is in his 40s. late 40s if I figure right & he just moved out to Seattle last year to begin at Boeing.
You are never too old to finish or begin your education & in fact older students are often welcomed in colleges.
My daughter, just by taking one year off from high school, gained wider opportunities from her experiences that year, to be admitted to a school that looking at her numbers, would have been a big reach.
Now you might say well she still isn’t even 25 & this is true, but my point is that experience doesn’t make you “too old”, it gives you a wider perspective to be able to take advantage of the opportunities that present, which makes for a better college student
If you really want to finish your degree- and are willing to work to make it happen- whether you decide to change fields or not, then there is no reason not to go for it- however old you are.
But life throws us all kinds of obstacles & the only difference is that some of us jump over them.

Its commendable that you were able to get a computer engineering position without a degree- although living in the Seattle area, I know that the computer industry isn’t continually scouting overseas for workers because they want Sanjay to make Biranyi at the next potluck.

Dont let yourself get overwhelmed by new problems that you didn’t plan on- there are lots of ways for you to make your goals happen, but open yourself up to new ideas- and accept that you might have to make compromises-

If you already had two years from the community college- only two more years will get you a BA ( or BS) and that is plenty to have your pick of many good jobs
Make your employer pay for your MS.
THis will be more attractive to them anyway- as if you have a grad degree you are going to cost them more initially & since you are changing fields, you will be an unproven quantity.
Go in with a 4 year degree, and they will pay you to go to school.
Saves you time & money :)

GS_Banding · January 19, 2007, 1:30pm

Don’t stay in IT, it is a career of servitude. Trust me. Go get your degree. Employers, whether they recruit on campus or not, will be fawning over you.

With that said, you can modify your fafsa (even mid-year) once you quit your job and your financial aid package will be modified accordingly. It is very important to not have those savings under your name, as long as you do, your EFC will be sky-high. Do it now, before you file taxes.

The fact that you have a high income will hurt your financial aid, but only for your first year. (I’d recommend to take 24 credits your first year to minimize the unsub loans you’ll have to take in the first year)

Lastly, apply early. Financial aid money is given on a first-come first-serve basis.

I’m doing the same. In my late 20’s with an easy job that pays well. But, I’m starting a project to get BS/MS/MBA degrees. It’ll be expensive and I’ll have to make some sacrifices. But in the end, it will be very rewarding and I’ll have the rest of my life to enjoy the fruits of my current sacrifices.

You only have one life, make sure you live it fully. Good luck.

CC_Admin · January 19, 2007, 1:31pm

Well, I’m sorry I even posted my questions here and will refrain in the future from posting here in this “financial aid” forum again. If I had known that I’d receive a bunch of replies quoting info from my myspace site with the intent of attacking my character and people calling me a “defeatist”, I wouldn’t of even bothered in the first place.

And for the record, I have no problems with working at all. The fact that I have saved 60 THOUSAND DOLLARS should give you an indication of my work ethic. My posts were mainly to show you my reasoning WHY I think working a part time job is bad if you don’t need to. Though without fail, you people would rather ignore my reasoning and drag me through the mud about not working like I’ve been unemployed for years and years along with character attacks. Christ, I hope you people aren’t as harsh with the prospective youth that post here as you could end up driving some of them away from college.

Anyway, I’m done with this thread and done with asking questions here. Just let it die and go tell someone else how “defeatist” they are.

Admin, please delete this account, I have no use for it anymore. thanks/.

Dew`

JCampbell · January 20, 2007, 2:06am

No, it’s defeatist because after saving up all that money, you are mad that you’re not given any more.

The fact remains that you have $60,000 more than most adult students!

I’m 27… you are not the only adult student.

Find a way, don’t just complain. I’m sorry but I’ve spent MONTHS searching, calling, emailing, bugging, pestering, pushing, and digging just to find the money to afford college IN THE FIRST PLACE.

And to have someone complain that they don’t want to work to cover a TINY sum of $5,000 per year who has no dependents and no obligations is just sickening.

And the fact that you’ve decided to leave because someone found your myspace in which your intentions are to essentially try to live a college kid life is just as bad.

I’m sorry, but when your main desire is to go have frat parties and get drunk on weekends (by your implication) I can’t hold ANY sympathy for you, especially when you pretty have more than even the most needful of students.

bye.

latetoschool · January 20, 2007, 7:13am

Dew, or anyone else considering not working during college, I was merely trying to articulate the realities in today’s hiring environment.

I am in the process of hiring for three positions, and I want four year degrees on all of them. I have tons of resumes - more people than I have time or desire to interview. I have NO problem finding candidates with consistent work experience during college and gpas of > 3.0, in average to tough majors. Actually, the resumes where the candidate has NOT worked during college are very, very few and far between.

The goldmine are the 20% or so who have consistent work experience, documented community involvement AND an EC such as a sport. In fact, we’re preparing an offer including relocation for a candidate who will graduate from a top 20 liberal arts college this May. She’s been employed with the same company for all four years of college, and has been promoted twice over four years. GPA? 2.9, in philosophy. We ignored resumes from 4.0s for this position.

Therefore, if you do not work at all during college, how do you think your resume will appear to prospective employers once you graduate?

I can tell you how it would strike me - I’d glance at it and say “hmmm, what’s wrong with this person - very anemic resume here - I don’t see any depth or flexibility or outside interests - nope, don’t think we need to waste any time on this candidate - next please…”. - that is of course if it even made it to my desk at all. Chances are great it would be discarded at the point of entry - by my admin support. Wouldn’t impress me either if you made a 4.0…in fact, that might work against you if twinned with zero work experience during college - I would likely assume that you might be too rigid and perfectionist to deal with the imperfections and rapidly changing priorities of an entrepreneurial organization.

Looks like, based on your responses to other’s posts, my assumptions would be right on target…

mildred · January 20, 2007, 1:56pm

That is what gives adult students a bad name on occasion. This fellow is setting a very bad example for some (obviously not all) adult students.

It is sickening. Gosh, I came up in CPS. To make a long story short, I was declared an adult at the age of 18 for sad reasons. It is hard, sometimes, to pull off earning 5k during the course of two semesters or what have you…but it can be done.

And, as latetoschool has pointed out, as long as you are just plainly earning that extra money through working hard then you will be alright. It really is not hard to work for what you truly need in life as long as you are determined and manage your time well. If you manage your time well: you can manage your money well, study super hard, join a club or two, and do a smidgen of volunteer work relating to your major. Dude, you can still have time for friends and even for going to one little end of semester party or something also.

But, if you are grown (or have been legally declared as being grown kinda early) you cannot re live what youth you had over just because you were able to sock away some money and stuff. Most every grown person I meet at University is studying extra hard for either work related reasons or because they were finally able to find the time to learn something which they just kinda like always wanted to learn.

One of my “older” pals at my University is a bank teller and her husband is one of the managers of a grocery store, she said that as soon as her husband was promoted to manager and passed his 90 day evaluation, she told him that it was now her time to study Philosophy and so they got on the ball and that is what the gal does now in addition to working as a teller.

She is being proactive, positive, and realistic at having a little second chance at her youth, for she is doing something she could not financially pull off doing when she was a younger gal. Now, that is cool and that is a cool adult student. And, no…this gal does not party and all of that like a “rock star”, but she is darned neat to study with and a great window shopping/brunch partner and stuff.

I think that maybe Drew is not fully there yet with regards to being proactive and productive at University. But, maybe he can be?

Adult returning to school -- Need some help planning...

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