I'm Going Back To School

[Singularity]

You know, I'm ashamed to admit it, but I never finished my undergrad degree. I've been 11 credits away from being a senior for the past 13 years. Since leaving school I've gone on to make good money, do some stuff I've always wanted to do, and otherwise have a not totally miserable time. But in case you haven't noticed, things are changing. We're in a nasty recession right now, there's a general scarcity of jobs, and this is about the worst time in the world to not be employed in a real job. The self employment thing is going, but not as well as I'd hoped. Frankly, it will make a good supplemental income, but it just isn't a replacement for an actual job at this point and I'm not willing to go into some crap service industry job just to make ends meet. Besides, have you ever achieved your goals only to realize that it wasn't what it was cracked up to be? Time to set some new goals.

So I just spent the last two hours on the phone with the university, then I went online and filled out the application for enrollment and financial aid. Based on what they said on the phone, neither one of these should be a problem. I will now have the challenge of trying to finish up a year and a half worth of credits in two years - shouldn't be a big problem. The larger issue, though, is that I'm not sure that I want to stick with my major. I was pursuing an English degree, but if I have time to do so, I either want to go with an English minor and then do a major in administration, PR, or journalism. If I can't do that, I might instead get a minor in one of those areas and finish English.

Does anyone know or happen to remember how much time you have to spend on a major? Like I said, I have two years to work with or I lose financial aid.

[Name Lips]

I think the exact requirements will change depending on your college/program.

I have an English degree, but it turns out I don't like any of the jobs you can get with it. So now I'm going back for my programming certificate. :)

[doc]

Who are you going to take to the prom ?

Way to go man

[FeatsofClay]

I am, personally, 162 hours toward a 128 hour degree and am not finished. :)


It largely tends to depend on how long you have been gone. When I looked at going back to my first undergrad the degree requirements had changed. I had 122 hours there and it would have taken a minimum 2 1/2 years to finish my degree.

Another colege locally told me I could finish in 9 months. :)

[Lady Fury]

Who are you going to take to the prom ?

Way to go man

It better be me. I never got to go to prom.

[doc]

If you're going to be in taffada take pics !

[Cat of Ulthar]

No clue how long a major takes, but way to go! Good luck.

[Harry]

Good luck, I know how you feel. 6 years of college, missing a few language courses and some core classes or I'd have a degree too.

[Pigs in Space]

It better be me. I never got to go to prom.

Me either.

(I'm actually still not quite sure what the point of one is, or what "homecoming" is either. I mean, who is coming home, and why do high school kids care?).

[Teve]

I'm leaving the real world to go back to school, so I feel your pain in a different kind of way. Back to student loan hell and all that. To top it off I'm moving 4000 miles from my best friend and "pie" (long story) and It's a long a scary road to change your life's path. Good LUCK to you!!!

[Ergeheilalt]

School for old farts such as yourself isn't so awkward in the school of engineering. There are a lot of engineers who come back to freshen up on some of our support courses and older folks were skilled workers trying to get the degree.

You'll be in good company.

[Atropine Mama]

Congrats, man. It's a fucking fantastic thing you're doing. I, too, never finished my degree and hope to someday do what you're doing. Go baby go!

[Singularity]

So financial aid is in and the news is good. I reapplied, but I was deficient the last semester I went to school. The reason is that I had to work too many hours to keep up with studies, which left me with some pretty crappy grades. I just submitted my application for reinstatement, and since that was my first time being deficient, odds are good that I will be accepted. I had to provide a written statement about why it happened and how things will be different this time around. I've known a number of people who have had to do this and it usually isn't a problem. I should have a definite answer within two weeks. Wish me luck.

[Atropine Mama]

Sweet! Good luck and lots of good vibes coming your way!

[Critter]

So financial aid is in and the news is good. I reapplied, but I was deficient the last semester I went to school. The reason is that I had to work too many hours to keep up with studies, which left me with some pretty crappy grades. I just submitted my application for reinstatement, and since that was my first time being deficient, odds are good that I will be accepted. I had to provide a written statement about why it happened and how things will be different this time around. I've known a number of people who have had to do this and it usually isn't a problem. I should have a definite answer within two weeks. Wish me luck.

Good luck with that! I've always hated dealing with the financial aid system. If you ask me, I always seem to get screwed on it. My Dad makes OK money, but he's married to a woman who makes awesome money, so I normally put down my Mom. She makes a living, nothing too fancy, but it's just over the limit that apparently she can pay for my school with minimal aid and whatnot. So I have to end up getting a crap load of loans. Of course, what pisses me off is they never seem to account for the fact that my Mom lives right in West Palm, and making $32k a year there doesn't mean you're at all rolling in the cash...

[Dawnstar]

Congrats on going back to school. I want to do this myself sometime soon.

How long ago did you stop going? I will cross my fingers for you that you are able to get your finacial aid.

As for how long a major takes. I think it is probably about 2 years of classes that are geared towards that major. Not sure how long it would really take you to get it all done.

[Name Lips]

Good luck with that! I've always hated dealing with the financial aid system. If you ask me, I always seem to get screwed on it. My Dad makes OK money, but he's married to a woman who makes awesome money, so I normally put down my Mom. She makes a living, nothing too fancy, but it's just over the limit that apparently she can pay for my school with minimal aid and whatnot. So I have to end up getting a crap load of loans. Of course, what pisses me off is they never seem to account for the fact that my Mom lives right in West Palm, and making $32k a year there doesn't mean you're at all rolling in the cash...

Emerald and I got legally married several months before our actual wedding so I wouldn't have to claim my dad's income on the financial aid forms. Why do they assume your parents will be helping with the cost?

[Critter]

Why do they assume your parents will be helping with the cost?

Yeah, it's kind of annoying, but then again, I guess when you're 18-22 more often than not your parents are normally chipping in in some fashion. I'm turning 24 here in a few months and I'm hoping I'm getting close to the age (whatever it is) to where I can avoid that entirely next time around.

[Xavier Lang]

Why do they assume your parents will be helping with the cost?

Because the cost and difficulty associated with determining whose parents are actually helping and whose aren't is too great since they want to restrict free money and low interest loans to those most in need. It sucks sometimes, trust me.

[Singularity]

It was mainly due to expected parental help that wasn't there that caused me to not finish the first time. It is pretty difficult to work 30 hours or more per week and try to devote time to school. That won't be happening this time.

[cyphersmith]

Yeah, it's kind of annoying, but then again, I guess when you're 18-22 more often than not your parents are normally chipping in in some fashion. I'm turning 24 here in a few months and I'm hoping I'm getting close to the age (whatever it is) to where I can avoid that entirely next time around.

Turns out you're in luck, sorta. The age is 24, but you have to be at least 24 on January 1. It's a pain in the ass.

[Critter]

Turns out you're in luck, sorta. The age is 24, but you have to be at least 24 on January 1. It's a pain in the ass.

Yeah, I knew I was getting close. I was hoping to get back in school some this year. Looks like I might have to wait a bit longer then...

[doc]

Least you don't have to live in the dorm

[Ergeheilalt]

Least you don't have to live in the dorm

Seriously in my freshman and sophomore years I lived in the dorms with the following:
(Fall/Winter - Freshman)

Nebraskan Wrestler and 3-am guitarist
Gay Asian who never, ever held his liquor after a night of drinking

(Spring - Freshman)

Mama's boy Stanley who weighed like a ton and smelled of unwashed feet cause he was afraid to use the showers
Frat boy who watched porn all day long and never made it to the toilet to spew - invariably stopped in front of our door

(Fall - Sophomore)

Cool guy senior Computer Science major - dug the news and video games. Got along famously.

(Winter/Spring - Sophomore)

Roommate who dug furry porn, vagina binding, and had night terrors.

Seriously - the stories I could tell.

[Cat of Ulthar]

Seriously - the stories I could tell.

*Grabs a beer, sits down next to Ergeheilalt*

Tell!

[Lady Fury]

Vagina binding? I don't think I'm familiar with that practices.

~runs off to google it. :tongue:

[Singularity]

Arise, dead thread!

Just some new news to share. I have been granted reinstatement! Yes, that means I'm on academic probation, which I find amusing since the circumstances that caused this situation are 13 years old. Regardless, I'm going to go balls out and will not waste this opportunity.

I've also had some other cool and promising new developments today, but those involve things that are covered by NDAs, so let's just say that this black hole has had a five star day today!

[Xavier Lang]

Arise, dead thread!

Just some new news to share. I have been granted reinstatement! Yes, that means I'm on academic probation, which I find amusing since the circumstances that caused this situation are 13 years old. Regardless, I'm going to go balls out and will not waste this opportunity.

I've also had some other cool and promising new developments today, but those involve things that are covered by NDAs, so let's just say that this black hole has had a five star day today!

Glad to hear that. Good luck!

[Name Lips]

Awesome!

..but you can't even tell us who you're working for? That's a hardcore NDA!

[Singularity]

Awesome!

..but you can't even tell us who you're working for? That's a hardcore NDA!

It's more of a brand new opportunity that has presented itself.... and no, sorry.

[Singularity]

I met with my advisor yesterday. The emphasis of my English major is changing to rhetoric, which amuses me to no end, given the amount of time I spend generating rhetoric for fun right here. He feels that because of my real world experience, it makes sense for me to take the introduction to rhetoric and the capstone class for rhetoric at the same time, so apparently you don't have to have the basic stuff to understand the complex stuff. I'll also be taking Gen Ed 101, which is the only major general requirements that I need to get out of the way. I also need to somehow take 2 science credits. Apparently there are one credit science courses, so I'll probably go for those next semester.

It's looking like I can get everything I need in three semesters. When I'm done with that, I'll have the option of going to grad school if my grades are high enough, or going into the real world and becoming an editor. When I asked him if the bad grades I had before I quit school would count against me, and he said that they review people on a case by case basis, and they generally tend to look at the more recent work rather than the cumulative GPA, so it might be a possibility if I can get good grades for the next three semesters. If I go that route, I'll probably just end up teaching at a university, which would be cool. Join the ranks of the academically ellite and corrupt/develop the minds of the next generation of writers.

Still waiting for the final word on my financial aid though. That's the one thing that could derail the entire thing. Generally speaking, they don't deny you if it's your first appeal. They just want assurances that you aren't going to waste the grants and loans spent on you, which is why they make you do fun things, like take time management courses, meet regularly with your advisors, etc.

[Limper]

What are you going to do with a Rhetoric degree?

[Singularity]

What are you going to do with a Rhetoric degree?

It's still an English degree, but it's for professional writers and editors.

[FeatsofClay]

My first day as a coll. Prof is less than a month away. I am a little freaked about it, but it should be cool. :)

Good luck runnin the education juggernaut gauntlet.

[Utrecht]

Singularity - a bit late to the party here - but congrats on getting back in.

[Singularity]

Singularity - a bit late to the party here - but congrats on getting back in.

Thanks man. I just got word a couple days ago that the financial aid has been approved and I'm in. Three semesters and I'll have a very valuable piece of paper I didn't have before.

[Limper]

Thanks man. I just got word a couple days ago that the financial aid has been approved and I'm in. Three semesters and I'll have a very valuable piece of paper I didn't have before.

Whats the projected damage? Will it pay for itself?

[Singularity]

Whats the projected damage? Will it pay for itself?

We're already so far in the hole with school loans that it won't make an appreciable difference. Having the degree will probably make an appreciable difference in our ability to pay them, however.

[Limper]

We're already so far in the hole with school loans that it won't make an appreciable difference. Having the degree will probably make an appreciable difference in our ability to pay them, however.

Then good luck and enjoy!