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What do you wish you knew before you started? - 10/5/2008 2:23:08 PM
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vicbhe
Posts: 57
Joined: 4/24/2005
From: Arkansas
Status: offline
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Those of you who are in school or completed school. I am 42 and going to start school. While I do now know exactly what I am going to study I do know the general area I am most talented and passionate about. That is computer technology. Either side of computers and electronics I am a natural at, be it the hardware side of things, or the computer software side. I have no interest in the medical field except maybe being a bio med technician.
So to give an idea of what Im looking for:
1) What did you learn about financial aid, scholarships, grants, etc that you wished you knew ahead of time?
2) What did you learn about getting your 'career direction' that you wished you knew ahead of time?
3) What do you wish you knew about chosing a college that would have influenced your decision? Meaning their reputation among employers, overall cost, actual hands on, overall value of the education itself. Or what kind of research do you wish you had done prior to chosing a scool? would be another way to ask my question.
4) What do you wish you knew about online classes vs on campus?
5) Wildcard..... I'm sure there is something not asked that someone would love to share that would help me or anyone else reading this post..... share it please!
What I want to avoid being 42 is spening a few years of my life and realizing that the education Im getting is worthless. That has happened to several people I know of, or someone I know has a friend or relative who experienced it. Worthless meaning it does not help get a good paying job (due to the school really not teaching you anything and the employers know it) or the credits are not transferable to another school.
_____________________________
“You cannot improve your righteousness by tearing down the righteousness of others”. W.O. Vaught
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RE: What do you wish you knew before you started? - 10/16/2008 10:52:24 AM
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marywho
Posts: 4
Joined: 1/2/2007
Status: offline
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In answer to a couple of your questions:
1.) If you are planning to go to another city or town or state, if at all possible, go visit for at least a few days and tour not just the school but the city. I went through some serious culture shock just moving from Cleveland to Canton. The two cities are only an hour away from each other, but I declare unto you, it was as if I had moved from Cleveland Oh to Canton, Mississippi!
2.) If you are going to do what I did and go to your community college (less expensive) to take as many general education courses as possible then transfer to a four year school, be sure the classes WILL transfer to the four year school. Find out if the community college has an agreement with the four year school you have chosen and will accept those credits. Also, do not count out earlier college classes taken, I dont care how long ago you took them.
3.) If you are going to go to a four year school straight out, find out if they offer CLEP testing for any general ed courses. CLEP stands for College Life Experience something or other. Testing out of certain general courses will save money, time and brain cells. :-)
4.) Most importantly, utilize the schools career guidance center and dont be shy about asking questions. Pray that the school pairs you with a knowledgeable academic advisor and get to know your academic advisor. I thank God everyday for mine. She has truly been a blessing.
5.) Lastly, as for the school's reputation, get on their website and investigate. Schools love to brag about awards received, the articles their professors have written, awards they have received, etc. If you can, talk to the administratrive person in the department your major will be from. The admissions office may even recommend a faculty member or member(s) you can talk to. Most faculty love talking to prospective students. Also, do a search of the local newspapers for articles about the school.
Oh yes...one more thing...financial aid...as more 40 & 50+ folks are returning to school, more money not usually offered to us now is being offered. Do not be shy about talking about your financial situation with the financial aid folks. I never thought I would qualify for an academic scholarship because of my age (53), but God is faithful. Part of my school loan was replaced with a grant and a partial merit scholarship from the school becasue of my GPA.
So again, ask questions, read the college catalog (it should be online) and ask more questions.
Hope this helps.
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RE: What do you wish you knew before you started? - 10/16/2008 7:41:39 PM
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NotDoneYet
Posts: 288
Joined: 12/11/2007
From: Virginia
Status: offline
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quote:
ORIGINAL: vicbhe
Those of you who are in school or completed school. I am 42 and going to start school. While I do now know exactly what I am going to study I do know the general area I am most talented and passionate about. That is computer technology. Either side of computers and electronics I am a natural at, be it the hardware side of things, or the computer software side. I have no interest in the medical field except maybe being a bio med technician.
So to give an idea of what Im looking for:
1) What did you learn about financial aid, scholarships, grants, etc that you wished you knew ahead of time?
2) What did you learn about getting your 'career direction' that you wished you knew ahead of time?
3) What do you wish you knew about chosing a college that would have influenced your decision? Meaning their reputation among employers, overall cost, actual hands on, overall value of the education itself. Or what kind of research do you wish you had done prior to chosing a scool? would be another way to ask my question.
4) What do you wish you knew about online classes vs on campus?
5) Wildcard..... I'm sure there is something not asked that someone would love to share that would help me or anyone else reading this post..... share it please!
What I want to avoid being 42 is spening a few years of my life and realizing that the education Im getting is worthless. That has happened to several people I know of, or someone I know has a friend or relative who experienced it. Worthless meaning it does not help get a good paying job (due to the school really not teaching you anything and the employers know it) or the credits are not transferable to another school.
I went back to school at 35. I was on the "pay as you go" plan until I could apply for financial aid. I got lucky and got into a work/study program and got all my tuition paid for, along with a guaranteed job at graduation! I just had to buy books and gas...and the salary I made during my working semesters more than covered that.
I second the idea of looking into the local community college. They're usually MUCH cheaper, tuition wise than the 4 year schools, and the classes WILL transfer.
I wish I'd done the engineering tech program instead of the drafting and design...it would have been MUCH easier to finish a mechanical engineering degree...(our community college has a 2+2 agreement with some of the 4 year schools)...
Most of all, look for employability...how many of their graduates get picked up at job fairs before graduation???
I'm a ship designer...I LOVE it and have worked in the field since I graduated in 2001. I make pretty good money, guaranteed overtime (all I care to work) and it's a thrill to see our aircraft carriers profiled on the Discovery, History and Military channels!
Good Luck...it's an adventure, hard, exhausting, stressful, but SO worth it!
NDY
_____________________________
Remember, normal is just a setting on the dryer!
Ranting and raving: diaryofaravingmom.blogspot.com
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RE: What do you wish you knew before you started? - 10/17/2008 5:45:17 PM
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vicbhe
Posts: 57
Joined: 4/24/2005
From: Arkansas
Status: offline
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At this time I have decided on a 2yr associate degree. The community college I am going to does have 2+2 agreements with some colleges. However my associate will not transfer to anywhere, only the basic credits will. I am getting a degree in something to do with computers. The 4yr degree's were more programming than what I want to do. I may go back after I get my degree and get a 4 year, just right now I need to fast track and have something that will get me a job.
As far as how many are hired after graduation, all the schools I talked to said they had the best placement rate, no one would show me any documentation. So I take it I will be on my own which is fine, I just need the knowledge and the paper that says I know something.
_____________________________
“You cannot improve your righteousness by tearing down the righteousness of others”. W.O. Vaught
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RE: What do you wish you knew before you started? - 10/28/2008 12:55:09 PM
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RJR_fan
Posts: 708
Joined: 4/12/2005
From: RTP, in sunny NC USA
Status: offline
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quote:
2) What did you learn about getting your 'career direction' that you wished you knew ahead of time?
I will be blunt. I wish I had known that Jesus was not, as expected, returning to earth in 1975. Operating as I was under a truncated time horizon, I kept going after the quick fix, the instant pay-off, and avoided courses of action that took sustained exertion. Today, for example, there are any number of "brain dump / boot camp" approaches to getting instant A+ or Cisco or MicroSoft certification. These are costly, and of declining value as industry skepticism increases.
When I was 20, I found it difficult to think more than a week or two ahead. (maybe it's just the way my brain is wired). At 57, I am "ABD" -- all but dissertation -- and am closing in on a doctorate that will, I pray, amplify my influence for the Kingdom over the course of the next 30-some years.
Poor people are not short on money. Think of those folks buying expensive cuts of meat with food stamps. They are "present-oriented," so locked into the moment that they can't think ahead. People who are not-poor sacrifice present convenience for long-term gain.
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The future has never been shaped by majorities but rather by dedicated minorities. And free men do not wait for the future; they create it. RJR
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RE: What do you wish you knew before you started? - 10/30/2008 10:56:33 PM
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iluvatar
Posts: 1931
Joined: 4/12/2005
Status: offline
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quote:
ORIGINAL: NotDoneYet
I second the idea of looking into the local community college. They're usually MUCH cheaper, tuition wise than the 4 year schools, and the classes WILL transfer.
I wish I hadn't bought into the mindset that community colleges are just as good as anything else. Some are obviously better than others, but beyond the level of instruction, there's a lot to be said for being surrounded with a student body that's driven, motivated, and able to push you and challenge you as well as having departments that support advanced projects and programs for their students. A significant percentage of CC students are there because they don't know (or care about) what they want to do or because they couldn't hack it at a more demanding school. Obviously, this is not the case for every student, but there are enough which fit that description to affect the overall experience.
Funding for special projects and equipment is often an issue, too.
No, the classes won't necessarily transfer, particularly the classes specific to the degree you're pursuing. The first two years are foundational to your progression through the rest of college and 4 year schools construct their curricula so that the early classes prepare you for the later ones. Unless you really look into it, there's no guarantee that the classes at a CC - even if they do transfer - will be adequate.
quote:
ORIGINAL: vicbhe
At this time I have decided on a 2yr associate degree. The community college I am going to does have 2+2 agreements with some colleges. However my associate will not transfer to anywhere, only the basic credits will. I am getting a degree in something to do with computers. The 4yr degree's were more programming than what I want to do. I may go back after I get my degree and get a 4 year, just right now I need to fast track and have something that will get me a job.
As far as how many are hired after graduation, all the schools I talked to said they had the best placement rate, no one would show me any documentation. So I take it I will be on my own which is fine, I just need the knowledge and the paper that says I know something.
I'd reconsider not getting a 4 year degree. A 2 year degree isn't really going to get you much in the way of "computer jobs." It might qualify you for some basic tech support work, but not much beyond that. What do you plan on doing?
-Dan.
_____________________________
Well, I've been to one world fair, a picnic, and a rodeo, and that's the stupidest thing I ever heard come over a set of earphones.
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RE: What do you wish you knew before you started? - 10/31/2008 4:01:48 PM
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HighPlainsDrifter
Posts: 1293
Joined: 9/22/2005
From: The Great Sioux Empire
Status: offline
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quote:
I'd reconsider not getting a 4 year degree. A 2 year degree isn't really going to get you much in the way of "computer jobs." It might qualify you for some basic tech support work, but not much beyond that. What do you plan on doing?
I don't even have a 2 year degree in Computers, but took a job working in hands-on tech support, worked hard on self-study and certified in new technology as it appeared, and am now the SysAdmin over 750 servers and over 15,000 users for a Fortune 200 firm, and have installed Servers, Routers and SAN technology in 37 states. The degree is a good thing, don't get me wrong, but it's not everything. I hire experience, not education.
_____________________________
Molon Labe
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