Help me *want* to go back to school

[treehugger]

Thank you very much to everyone for your thoughtful replies. Y'all have given me lots to think about. I will reply more in depth later. Gotta finish my work so I can walk my dogs before it gets dark!

Regards,
Kara

[Fawn]

I have to agree with the above posters who say that going to college as an adult is far different than going as a teenager (18-19 year old.) Life experiences help you understand what is being presented, motivation is far different that for a youngster. You can do this if you want to.

I drifted in and out of college between the ages of 18-21. As a single mom at age 25, I was motivated to get my degree. It wasn't easy, but it was worth the effort. I had not had a math class for 8 years when I took Chemistry...and I made it through with some help.

[frugalone]

Kara: I could have written your post! I went through so much that you went through: Not thinking I was smart enough, issues with math (still have them!), being an older student.

The good news, I graduated summa cum laude at age 37 with a BA in English. Yes, it was hard, but it can be done! PM me if you want to talk further--I would be happy to give you some input/advice/encouragement.

I had a lot of help from family and friends. Also, two things that were indispensable: A study guide (I can find it and send you the title) and a scheduling calendar!

Best of luck to you!

[razz]

I wanted to finish my degree in my 40's and fell in love with school. It was a wonderful adventure almost like travelling to new worlds in cultural studies (I immigrated to Canada), environmental law about the Great Lakes (I live near the Great Lakes).
Life was richer and fuller and it has made me hungry for more learning.
Imagine this adventure as a long trip overseas and realize that you will need time and effort to make the trip. Lucky you to have the possibility ahead of you!

[Mrs. Hermit]

I returned to school at 51. I am in an on-line graduate program, while 4 of my children are in brick & mortar colleges. (So, yeah, there are 5 of us in school in the family currently). All the community colleges we have dealt with have offered seminars/advice sessions for adults coming to college (or back to college). The admissions reps were very good about explaining the options for taking classes, paying for classes, and getting credit for "life experience" which is something I would recommend you look into. Some colleges give as much as 15 hours class credit for work experience--that really knocks down how many classes you have to take. Talk to an admissions rep at the college you are interested in, and see what they can offer you. Schools now offer a lot more help and tutoring than they used to, especially in math and science.

The on-line school I work with doesn't require a that I logon at a certain time. It requires that I post to basically discussion forums that engage the professor and the other students in the class. I have required readings that I complete on my own. Papers, assignments and tests I email to the school. It is a very different process than the traditional classroom, requires very little interpersonal interaction, and isn't for everyone. One of my sons abhorred his on-line classes. I still prefer traditional classes, but my concentration is not offered by any traditional colleges in reasonable driving distance. So, I make it work.

I would encourage you to try going back to school. Neither you nor the college experience are the same as they used to be. Go for it.

[catherine]

Congrats to all the previous posters who went back to school after the traditional age. And congrats to tree hugger for pushing through the issues that may be holding her back.

What comes to mind as I read your post is

• You have the desire to go back to school
• You have the capabilities (by your own admission--you were confident in your intellect until one dumb class derailed you.)
• You just don't know what to expect or where to start

How about talking to a student advisor? Just take one small bite at a time. Don't listen to your mother! (sorry, treehugger's mom) How old will you be in 5 years if you don't go to school? The same age you'll be if you DO.

My BIL, who frankly is almost functionally disabled because of the excessive amount of "mothering" he had (he lived with my MIL for years and years until she died) has decided to go to school, at 49, to get an associates degree to be an X-Ray technician. (He finally realizes that in order to live, you have to earn a living as opposed to living off your mother). He is a worrier, he has a lot of angst, he feels completely inadequate and unprepared to take the requisite biology and chemistry classes, but he's doing it. If he can do it, you can certainly do it.

You are in a great field--you have a responsibility to society to see this through!! We want your contribution to the environment, so do it for us!!

[treehugger]

Continued thanks for the helpful responses, encouragement, and stories of your own successful experiences with returning to school after some sort of break.

Also, math terrifies a lot of people. Most colleges offer assessment and place you accordingly. There is plenty of tutoring and also workshops on dealing with school anxiety. I have heard good things about the Khan Academy videos.

I have also heard a lot of good things lately about Khan Academy, including from my DH. I will definitely be looking into it. The advice my DH gave me (in addition to looking into Kahn Academy) is to take a "bonehead" math class first, no matter where the assessment places me. Just to get my feet wet and get back in the groove.

Perhaps it is worth chilling out over it for another term or two. Aren't you relatively new to this job? See if some aspects of it emerge as really engaging. But the main reason I say this is so that you can take time to carefully choose your institution of study.

Good advice, definitely, but what I didn’t mention was that I don’t have to choose a program of study, or even the institution I want to graduate from, right now. There is a community college 10 minutes away from us that I will get started at. I have so many general ed classes to get through before I can even think about transferring to a university (where I will then have to pick a major), that I do have the luxury of time, so to speak. So, I’m not committing to a program or anything right now. I just need to get started and work my way through.

That said, all the advice about seeing an advisor/counsellor is spot on. I do need to do that early next month so that I can get help mapping out a rough plan. I sincerely doubt that there is much on my transcripts that will “count” now, but of course I will find out for sure.

Also, I have been at this company 4.5 years, in my current position for just over 2. I am a treehugger at heart (surprise, surprise), so am drawn to all things environmental. I just don’t know what specific major to aim for, especially since I know it won’t be in the engineering field. But, like I said, I have become more interested in the health and safety parts of my field and am definitely curious to investigate what degrees there are related to H&S. The work I do day-to-day for our biggest client (giant oil & gas corp. - *not* BP) is helping them ensure that they comply with all of the tens of thousands of federal, state, local, and even international environmental and health and safety regulations that they are subject to. It’s all about preventing bad things from happening, and it is very important and never boring.

Also, two things that were indispensable: A study guide (I can find it and send you the title) and a scheduling calendar! Best of luck to you!

I would love to know the name of that study guide. I feel like I never learned how to study, so I need help in that area. Thanks!

All the community colleges we have dealt with have offered seminars/advice sessions for adults coming to college (or back to college). The admissions reps were very good about explaining the options for taking classes, paying for classes, and getting credit for "life experience" which is something I would recommend you look into. Some colleges give as much as 15 hours class credit for work experience--that really knocks down how many classes you have to take. Talk to an admissions rep at the college you are interested in, and see what they can offer you. Schools now offer a lot more help and tutoring than they used to, especially in math and science.

The on-line school I work with doesn't require a that I logon at a certain time. It requires that I post to basically discussion forums that engage the professor and the other students in the class. I have required readings that I complete on my own. Papers, assignments and tests I email to the school. It is a very different process than the traditional classroom, requires very little interpersonal interaction, and isn't for everyone. One of my sons abhorred his on-line classes. I still prefer traditional classes, but my concentration is not offered by any traditional colleges in reasonable driving distance. So, I make it work.

Thanks very much for the detailed advice about the kinds of help that might be available at my community college. I wouldn’t even have thought about work experience credit or seminars/advice sessions for adults coming to college.

Re. online classes. Currently, I am not interested in those, although I know that I might need to take some at some point any way. I know lots of people who have done on-line only master’s programs, and other who have taken some online classes, and, based on their experiences, I don’t think they are a good fit for my personality. I think I would get a lot more out of a real classroom and real teacher interaction. My DH is currently in school getting his Bachelor’s in Accounting (3 more semesters, woohoo!) and he has had to take some online classes when an in-person isn’t offered, and he really does not care for the format, for lots of reasons.

Don't listen to your mother! (sorry, treehugger's mom)

Don’t worry, I have made almost a career out of not listening to my mother. It’s not an accident that I moved out of the house at 18 and have been supporting myself ever since.

I actually think I have become pretty good about asking for advice and support when I need it and being able to sift through it all and keep what works for me and let the rest go. And I know who *not* to ask for either (advice or support), i.e., my mother. I really really really appreciate having this forum to turn to for practical advice and suggestions.

Thanks, y’all!

Kara

[bunnys]

All the reasons you listed for not doing it are typical cop-out, defensive excuses that many people (myself included) have used to avoid going to school. They are probably mostly illegitimate excuses. Seriously, if one of your main reasons is that you're afraid of college algebra (the only math usually required for a BA degree,) you're really scraping the bottom of the barrel of excuses. That is such a non issue and so easy to work around and push through, it's absurd.

When they think up excuses to not go back to college, most people are actually trying to defend against their fear that they can't do it.

FYI--(if you are at least average or slightly below average in intelligence) getting a college degree is not about intelligence. It is about discipline and perseverance. So if you're making excuses for not going back, be honest with yourself. If you don't really want to go, you won't be able to muster the discipline or perseverance so don't bother trying.

You should only go back to college if you can't stand not being in school any longer. Otherwise your will won't be in place and you'll drop/fail out and who needs to be reminded they're a quitter.

No one can talk you into going back. But if you do want to go back you should do it sooner rather than later. Because it will continue to eat at you. If you don't want to go back, let it go. You don't have anything to prove to anybody.

PS--your age is also irrelevant. So don't go there.

[treehugger]

All the reasons you listed for not doing it are typical cop-out, defensive excuses that many people (myself included) have used to avoid going to school. They are probably mostly illegitimate excuses. Seriously, if one of your main reasons is that you're afraid of college algebra (the only math usually required for a BA degree,) you're really scraping the bottom of the barrel of excuses. That is such a non issue and so easy to work around and push through, it's absurd.

When they think up excuses to not go back to college, most people are actually trying to defend against their fear that they can't do it.

FYI--(if you are at least average or slightly below average in intelligence) getting a college degree is not about intelligence. It is about discipline and perseverance. So if you're making excuses for not going back, be honest with yourself. If you don't really want to go, you won't be able to muster the discipline or perseverance so don't bother trying.

You should only go back to college if you can't stand not being in school any longer. Otherwise your will won't be in place and you'll drop/fail out and who needs to be reminded they're a quitter.

No one can talk you into going back. But if you do want to go back you should do it sooner rather than later. Because it will continue to eat at you. If you don't want to go back, let it go. You don't have anything to prove to anybody.

PS--your age is also irrelevant. So don't go there.

Thank you for the superduper awesome pep talk! Seriously though, I have received some really great advice from the other posters here, and I am beginning to be on the verge of not dreading signing up for that first class.

Kara

[treehugger]

OK, I have taken 2 concrete steps on my journey: 1) I submitted the online application as a returning student at the local community college; and 2) I found the tuition reimbursement form in our employee handbook. I don't think there is anything else to do in that regard until I pay for classes and I have something to submit, but I will check with HR now, to be sure.

Kara