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Going back to school at 30 years old
Jean
Heartbroken papa bearGatineau, QuébecRegistered User regular
Heartbroken papa bearGatineau, QuébecRegistered User regular
This is something I've been considering lately altough I haven't made my decision yet. The reason this has been on my mind is than I am dissastified with my current employement and I feel like my lack of college degree is holding me back from improving my situation in life.
I'm currently a security guard. I like the actual job but the pay kind of sucks to be honest and the irregular work hours are starting to take a toll on me. I could do the same job for almost twice the pay by moving back to northern Alberta but that would imply moving away from my familly and being all lonely again. This is something I wish to avoid. I'm much happier home than I was over they're.
I did go to university for one year back in '03-'04 after completing 2 years of CÉGEPbut it was a failure. Back then I didn't had the neccesary work ethic and maturity to suceed. I'm fairly confident than I do have that maturity now.
However, I'm afraid of being quite rusty after not going to school for nearly a decade. Also 3 years is a big commitement that shouldn't be made lightly.
Toughts / advice?
I'm currently a security guard. I like the actual job but the pay kind of sucks to be honest and the irregular work hours are starting to take a toll on me. I could do the same job for almost twice the pay by moving back to northern Alberta but that would imply moving away from my familly and being all lonely again. This is something I wish to avoid. I'm much happier home than I was over they're.
I did go to university for one year back in '03-'04 after completing 2 years of CÉGEPbut it was a failure. Back then I didn't had the neccesary work ethic and maturity to suceed. I'm fairly confident than I do have that maturity now.
However, I'm afraid of being quite rusty after not going to school for nearly a decade. Also 3 years is a big commitement that shouldn't be made lightly.
Toughts / advice?
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I'm going for computer science, so I retook calculus 1, and it was both worthwhile and necessary.
--LeVar Burton
I second the advice to try community college first. It's cheaper and the class sizes are usually smaller than the 4-year schools, which translates to more one-on-one time with your professors if you need it. You might need to take some classes you'd previously passed before, but you'll almost certainly have to take a placement test before you enroll, so the school and you will know what level your math and reading/writing skills are at and where to start you at.
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Its hard work, but as long as you're prepared for that and can prioritise your time effectively, go for it. Whilst doing the diploma I had 2 children aged 10 and 12, plus 2 foster children aged 5 and 6, and worked in a paid job 2 1/2 days a week, as well as a bunch of voluntary stuff I did. Whilst doing the Masters my children were 19 (and at Uni herself) and 17 (doing "A" Levels), and we had 3 sets of foster children at the weekends (aged 4&6, 7 &9 and 2&4). Couldn't have done it without LPD's support and encouragement.
TL;DR: do it if you think you're committed enough/have enough support!!!
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"The power of the weirdness compels me."
You just have to want it.
Also don't be afraid to take the minimum hours at a time. I funded my education completely with financial aid, and going only 12 hours a semester (at least until my 3rd year, where I took 14-15 to wrap up two degrees at once).
Basically what I did was get a two-year technical degree, so that I'd have something with which to try to jump into the work force, and a "transfer" degree (which was a legit degree, just a degree in Liberal Arts), so that I'd have most of my lower level stuff when I was ready to go for a 4-year. It took 3 years to complete both degrees, and it was definitely worth it.
Also, in addition to maturity and worth ethic, you also have the internet at your disposal. If you feel like you're not quite getting what you need from your professor, the text, and whatever tools or notes you already have, you can basically google just about any course and get some great extra help. I took Chem I back in '99, and when I was gearing up to take Chem II a full dozen years later, it was pointed out to me that you can find youtube videos for many courses that are basically videos of lectures by professors at Ivy League schools (big deal in the US). Very, very helpful.
I think all I could say is just have a very hard think about it before you go, and choose something that will benefit you finding a job afterwards that will pay you better/open doors. Often people go to uni at 18 to study something because that what they did at college/high school, and enjoy it, but it must be both. But you're an adult, and know that not everything is roses and rainbows.
As others are said you'll find it easy, things are much easier with a few years behind you and an understanding of how the real world works.
But fuck you — no, fuck y'all, that's as blunt as it gets"
- Kendrick Lamar, "The Blacker the Berry"
Second, while taking some courses at a community college could be a very good idea, if you do plan on transferring to a four-year school make sure that those credits transfer over. If you're testing the waters, you might want to take a single course at your four-year school of choice to see if its right for you.
Third, while you might be rusty at certain things, focus and good study skills will trump just about anything, and if not, you can take some remedial/intro level courses to catch you up to speed.
But yeah, for better or worse, you can go back to school in your 30s and succeed at it. I went back to school at 39, a full two decades after I dropped out as a lazy-ass B-average student, and three years later I'm now graduating with honors.
I did need it for both, but few do.
Let 'em eat fucking pineapples!
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And I think you should do it. I went back to school at 25, took a 2 year program at a local college in southern ontario. Best decision I ever made. Just make sure you pick a field you will enjoy working in and commit to it.
I worry how much my awful performance 10 years ago will impact my chances of being admitted....
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I'd guess it totally depends on what program you want to take at what school.
Like; a trade or something similar at a college? Should have zero issues
Engineering at a really good university? Yeah, you're going to have difficulties and have to do a lot of explaining
I have 3 daughters (one of them is 1) and I'm lazy as shit.
My motivation, however, is that if I make D's in, or fail, my classes, the gov doesn't pay for them (or my housing). Still, I'm surprised I haven't been the perfect straight C student.
It's hard sometimes, but the school is my job so if you can cut out a block of three years and just do school, I think it's a manageable, and maybe you'll find an enjoyable, thing.
Also, a lot of schools are sensitive to older students, as they know you're not the person you were 10 years ago.
Don't worry.
Apply.
The worst they can do is say no.
I graduated undergrad with a 2.1 GPA 6 years after that I was accepted to a grad school. My essay was basically "Yeah. Im done being a fuckup. admat pls"
Some colleges are better than others at the "adult learner" situation, as mine called it, and some are more understanding than others. The ones that were worse about it generally had a segregated 'adult' section of schooling, that had mostly night and weekend classes and very job-specific degree titles you wouldn't see in a traditional undergrad path. For instance, you'd find a degree in something like "legal administration", or "medical middle management" or whatever.
My college was great for adult learners, though. There were some classes that were tailored specifically for people in the adult learner program, but we were also welcome to take any traditional undergrad class we wanted to. I did stick out in one or two classes I took, but for the most part every class had at least one or two other adults in it and it was no big deal.
Like schuss mentioned, colleges like mine are very understanding of lackluster performance in the past. They know people grow over time, and that a 30+ year old coming back to college has very different motivation and determination than at 18.
Another thing to look into for your situation are schools that do a "prior learning assessment." This varies from school to school, and I don't know if it differs in Canada, but the idea is that your brain hasn't just been unplugged from the world these past 10 years. Whether you've been in the military, been at home caring for a sick loved one, or been a security guard for 10 years, you've still been learning, and that can count for college credits.
Again, it varies, but the way it worked at my college was that I had to find a course at an accredited college or university that matched some knowledge I think I learned outside of school. I would then take the syllabus for that course and then write a gigantic well-documented paper showing how in real life I gained the knowledge that course offers. The prior learning assessment was a lot of work, and it shouldn't be thought of as "easy credits" by any stretch, but it is still a great way to get a lot more credits in a short amount of time for a lot less money.
For me, I was plenty smart my first time through college and my failure was entirely due to my poor work ethic, maturity, and perspective. It sounds like you have a very similar situation, and so I highly highly encourage you to go for it. I feel very proud to have finally finished, and the degree also gave my career a boost.
So, in a nutshell, I say you should go for it. Yes, you may be a little rusty on a few things, but you should be able to handle it with a little extra work.
My situation was a bit different - 9 years ago I dropped out of college with about 70 credit hours under my belt, but as an education major. I went back at 30, and did Information Technology at UMUC. It was an online program, and a ton of work. Unfortunately, education credits don't stack up well with an IT major, so there were a few setbacks when I started. But i'm so glad I did it!
I graduated at 33, and it was awesome. I think you'll find yourself much more capable and mature at an older age to get the work done, and to learn. It's very much worth it - no matter what method of schooling you choose.
I'll have to book an appointment with a councillor to ask questions on some specific points. For the record, I am looking at a Bussiness degree
Couldn't had said it better myself! It was also my first time living away from home and I really did bite more than I was able to chew back then.
All universities are not created equal tough, is they're a reliable way of knowing which universities have the better reputation with employers as far as bussiness degrees go? Assuming I am accepted at more than one school, of course.
Some advice I have after myself being a mature student:
1. Make sure you have a good idea what you want to do. Don't go to school just because you think that's how you'll get a better job, the success rate is pretty low and the first people out the door are the ones that were there because they didn't really know what they wanted to do and thought signing up automatically resulted in a degree and a high paying job without having to show up or do any work on their degree.
2. Have a backup plan. I actually switched majors even though for close to a decade I was really sure about what I wanted to do. Turns out I found the major to be pretty boring, not something I was well suited for and the career aspects were horrible. Thankfully I was already taking some classes for another major so I could switch over without losing too much time. Most degrees require some electives, make sure you use these to experience other possible career interests instead of just blowing them on whatever looks easy or fun.
3. Look into student clubs. I went to university in my late 20s and I wasn't really social until my last two years and that was only because I joined and helped run a student group for my major. Aside from giving me something for my resume and giving me networking opportunities with employers it also made me some friends with other people running the group and students that attended our events. Your university will likely have various clubs based on field of study, personal interests or possibly even one for other mature students (if not they may have a mentorship program instead).
Reputation for schools offering business degrees isn't something I know to well, I graduated from a very new and small university. On the plus side that resulted in me being able to be on the executive of a student group that all the top firms contributed money too and held events with, worked as a teaching assistant during and after graduation and have more references from profs than I need (one actually setup some interviews for me). On the negative side I have been to events where people didn't recognize the name of my school so that probably hurt a bit when I was applying for jobs.
Any of the Toronto universities and Queens tend to have pretty good reputations overall and Waterloo is the best school in Canada if you're interested in Accounting. I'll note though that I don't think U of T's commerce program is subject to the provincial rate increase limits so it's crazy expensive. Unfortunately even though I'm in Ottawa now I know nothing of the reputation of Quebec schools which is probably where you should go as they are crazy cheap compared to Ontario if you're already a resident of Quebec. Macleans at least rates school's reputations but I'm not sure if they break it down by major. You could potentially look at the school's placement rates or possibly even the rankings of their MBA programs as schools with good MBA programs should probably have a decent business undergrad program.
One other thing to consider is what you want to do with business because in Ontario at least just having a business degree is fairly worthless, as almost everyone specializes in an area of business. Some schools require this decision right away but mine had a standard first two years with specialization starting in the third and I think that's the norm. I'll note though that very few students that entered the university wanting to be accountants ended up graduating with that major so you may have to be a bit fluid with a specialization choice.
In Québec the first semester is the same for every specialisation then you choose a more specific path (management, accounting, marketing, etc) It's that way for every university I've checked so far, anyways.
Would be cheaper for me to go study in Saguenay or Abitibi than study next door in Ottawa. Crazy, eh?
Having said that, it's entirely fine if you've already got experience under your belt in some area and just need the degree to go further in that career. I just think you should keep your eyes open for anything that actually catches your interests (and you're good at it), because going in with a rigid goal can allow you to miss opportunities.
For example, when I originally majored in Communications when I first went to school. It was MY CAREER and that was my major from Day One. It ended pretty terribly, and now that I've given myself a chance to see what I really like, I've done significantly better with my second go at college.
Rorus, Quebec university costs are similar to community college fees in the rest of Canada so unless he has serious concerns about his ability university offers a much more varied course selection and will save him time and aggravation. Granted a business degree tends to have few electives but business itself is very broad and you technically get to see what other degrees are like but with a business slant. Love finance or economics you might like math, love HR or marketing you might like psychology or sociology, love accounting you might like history (weirdly the things I disliked about history were the things I liked when I saw them again in accounting).
Me : Hi, I would like to go back to school but they're is a few questions I would like to ask first.
Lady working for university : Go ahead.
Me : I did go to university before , several years ago in Québec City. I screwed up back then. I was worried than it would hurt my chances of being admitted here.
Lady : That was in Québec City, did you ever took classes in this university? Do you have a cégep diploma?
Me : I never took classes here and I do have a cégep diploma. I was just worried my poor performance in QC City would impact my chances.
Lady : We won't even know about the classes you took in QC City, they won't appear on your file
Me : So I didn't even had to tell you guys about that?
Lady : *flashes me a big grin* Indeed
Online applications for autumn 2014 open tomorrow. I'm gonna file one up first thing tomorrow morning
Thank you again to everyone for your encouragement and advices. I think this thread may be closed now.
I might as well take advantage of the fact than the mods forgot to close this thread to ask a few more question regarding how to balance work and studies.
I'll be studying full time, I have 17 hours of classtime on my schedule. For every hour spent in class, you have to read/study/write papers for 2 hours, right?
Would it be reasonable to work 2x12 hours shift on the weekend on top of working on my degree? It's security so it's not extremly hard work but it's still work. I'm more worried about a lack of sleep than anything else TBH.
Also, some classes will end up requiring very little outside class time while other classes will feel like you are doing them as a full time job. Especially any lab science classes. I'd venture 2 hours a day extra work was barely scratching the surface to get me through chemistry and physics classes.
I don't know if you're talking about "credit hours" like we use down here in the US but two hours is low from the suggestions I got. I think the suggestions were more like double that, but I had a bunch of math/science courses. Of course....I don't think I gave it anywhere near that much time, but it'd be better to set expectations high and go downward if you can than the other way around.
Pick a time, make it your study time, act like you'll be fired if you aren't there. With friends, family and life it is easy to let school work be the thing that slides, don't do this. Tell your friends/family/whatever that at 5 pm until 9 pm each day (for example) you are studying and they should act just like you're at work and can't be disturbed. Then be a jerk about it and act like you're at work.
I think I would suggest going a semester without the side work if you can. If you find that you have Saturday and Sunday completely free and don't need them for school (or social time so you don't go crazy) then pick up the work. I realize that may not be financially comfortable though.
Congrats on the 2nd job, cause that is what school is going to be. If you can keep a job you can go to school. You just need to see it as a job and you'll figure it out. This is a callous analysis. I mean, if you're passionate about what you're studying it'll be no problem. Likely it's going to be a slog at times, but your mentality is going to be totally different from a recent highschooler who hasn't had to do real world things like pay bills/rent and not get fired from a job.
Do not overextend yourself. 17 hours plus a fulltime job seems a pretty big workload. I'd probably drop a course or 2 to give flexibility, but not sure what you can handle. Set yourself up for success even if it means taking an extra semester or 2.