Not Sure.

Transfer Students
1

<p>I am 28 years old. I have decided to go back to school. I want to get a bachelors degree in Fermentation Science from Oregon State University. My goal is to work in a winery or a brewery. My big dream is to own my own micro-brewery.</p>

<p>I need some advice. I just came to the sad realization that I’ll be in school for 6 years. The bachelors is 180 credit hours.</p>

<p>Is it wrong for me to feel upset? I feel sad. I feel like I should have made better decisions earlier in life. Should I go through with college?</p>

<p>I feel like my ego is getting in the way and saying it’s not worth it. I could really use some encouragement right now. Any inspiring stories? Any similar situations?</p>

<p>I would greatly appreciate any information anyone may have. Thanks for your time.</p>

2

<p>If it’s what you really love, go for it.</p>

3

<p>If you don’t mind me asking, what sort of work are you in now?</p>

<p>Since it is a passion of yours, pursue it to the best of your ability.</p>

4

<p>Before I tell you what kind of work I’m in now, let me share some more of my story:</p>

<p>I went to school from 2006-2007 At the Conservatory of Recording Arts & Sciences. It is an Audio engineering school in Arizona. When you graduate you get a diploma. after graduation I went to intern for an R&B celebrity in chicago. It was rough. LONG LONG hours and I barely got time in the recording studio. I quit.</p>

<p>I wasted a lot of time in my life. I realized that the music industry is a TOUGH business to get into. I realized that I didnt want to work 30 hour long shifts with barely any sleep.</p>

<p>After quitting my internship I was lost. I needed to find a job and I didnt know what to do with my life.</p>

<p>I started asking myself what am I good at? One thing I have always loved is guitar. I have been playing for about 17 years. The only thing is music school doesnt really appeal to me. College offers music performance degrees but they are usually in jazz or classical guitar. Jazz sounds good but is super difficult. Classical would be great but I am 28 years old…NOT 9 or 10! Also, Music performance doesnt sound like a stable career.</p>

<p>So I looked other places in music. I could get a degree in music theory. But what can you do with that? teach. Teaching doesnt really appeal to me.</p>

<p>The more and more I looked at a career and music the more I saw that it would not work. I need money. I need stability. I need a plan.</p>

<p>So I continued to search. what else am I passionate about? then it hit me: BEER! no really, I have homebrewed beer a couple times and am really interested in the craft beer scene.</p>

<p>So I started looking more into it. I could get a degree in food science. Science is a stable career. I could work in a brewery or winery and if that doesnt pan out… I’m not out of luck. I can do many things with a food science degree. It also pays well.</p>

<p>i’d like to also add that I have a girlfriend of 7 years. We want to get married and start a family. I’m not getting any younger and music just seems to unstable. </p>

<p>Right now I work at a grocery store…Part time. I make $8.45 an hour. It is depressing. It has helped wake me up and realize i have to do SOMETHING. Science seems like a career where I can find a job. Is science my “dream life?” not exactly, but it does interest me and I really enjoy the science behind brewing beer and making wine.</p>

<p>As I said before. I’m not getting any younger.</p>

<p>I can share more but I feel as if I am ranting too much. Feel free to ask me any questions.</p>

5

<p>not sure if you’re up to moving across the country, but cornell has a viticulture major. there is also a uc (davis? irvine?) that has that major, so maybe that one would be closer. those i think can be done in 4 years. if you were to come to cornell, you could double major in food science (not exactly what you wanted, but related) and we have cool classes like how to make beers and stuff. just a suggestion; i know it’s a rough decision.</p>

6

<p>ironicallyunsure,</p>

<p>thanks for the info. I would have to move across country to attend Oregon State. I currently live in Chicago.</p>

<p>I guess on a more positive note I’ve always wanted to see Oregon.</p>

<p>I wonder if it means anything that my sister had a dream about me moving to oregon awhile ago before I even considered or thought about this major. She said she had a dream where i moved to oregon and I was really happy. Don’t know if i believe in dreams like that but how WEIRD!</p>

7

<p>Lol the dream part is pretty weird.
Anyhow, I have many friends who are/ were in similar situations. I could not stress how important it was for them to go to college and get a job. You may be 28, but youre not 38, its not too late to go back to school especially considering the opportunities you will have once you get out. It’s definitely going to be tough, but all of your hard work will pay off.
I don’t know too much about the specific major or programs, but you should go back and get a degree. Good luck.</p>

8

<p>Are you sure it would be 6 years? Oregon State operates on a trimester system. So as long as you take 15 credits you’ll be done in 4 years.</p>

9

<p>By all means go for it then man. If you enjoy doing it and the pay is well, then do what you have to do to get into the business.</p>

10

<p>Contramundum09,</p>

<p>You just made my night! Thank you so VERY much! I didn’t even think of the trimester system.</p>

11

<p>You may want to move to your target state and work there a full year to establish residency - it’ll be much cheaper as an instate resident.</p>

<p>Since getting your degree will take 4 - 6 or more years, you need to get busy with how to make more than just $9 an hour to live off of in the meantime.</p>

12

<p>Annikasorrensen,</p>

<p>Good idea but I want to take as many classes as I can here in Chicago at a community college first. I’m still looking for a better job but if I can do so in the fall I would like to not work and go to Community college full time. Is this a bad idea?</p>