Post-Secondary Education: You can do it!

[Althena]

There was a discussion I saw on a Discord with a few people here talking about it never being to late to go back to school.

As someone always labeled as gifted in High School with a 3.8 GPA and a great education, though I have my reasons (I will go into them in a later post) I always wanted to go college but I never have. I figured this would be a good place for all us smarties to talk about our plans, advise and commiserate on what brought us here.

[Random Encounter]

My workplace offers a solid tuition reimbursement program via Guild. I think the only thing keeping me from jumping in is just the apprehension of whether or not I still got what it takes.

[Skunkworks]

My workplace offers a solid tuition reimbursement program via Guild. I think the only thing keeping me from jumping in is just the apprehension of whether or not I still got what it takes.

You’re an incredibly talented and intelligent person. I think you got what it takes! Do it!

[Althena]

I agree with Skunkworks! Actually, for the first time in my life I am working for a company that doesn't offer tuition reimbursement (still a newish company). Doesn't make me want to go back any less. That's what's stopping me right now.

When I was in the hospital in 2023, I came face to face with mortality. I realized that we only get one shot in this life. There's (probably) no afterlife, no reincarnation. This is it. When I got out, I tried to make all of the mistakes I had made right. Let people know how I felt, do things I had always wanted to do. I have more potential than what I am living. Some of it has worked out, some not so much.

I really need to go back to school. It's in the five-year plan.

[Sarah Valentine]

I may believe in an afterlife, but as long as I'm here I want to help as much as I'm able. For a while I thought all that amounted to was scraping and scrubbing dishes at a homeless shelter until my body broke down. It was a miserable existence where I'd ask God every day why I woke up again instead of mercifully passing in my sleep.

I got in touch with a therapist who, it turns out, had also struggled with childhood trauma, depression, anxiety, and homelessness. After talking with me a few times he told me that he truly believed I had the right stuff to excel in college. Thanks to his encouragement I started to believe in myself again, to believe that not only could I help people at a higher level but also enjoy a better life than I'd ever had before.

I'm in my sophomore year now. I've made the Dean's list twice, and the Chancellor's list once. I still have anxiety and I still get depressed, but I'm far better equipped to handle it. And even when I can't handle it, I have my mentor to turn to, among others in my support network. It's not the end of the world and I don't have to give in to doubt. I'm going to become a therapist eventually, and if I can manage to save just one life the way that therapist saved mine, it will all be worth it.

[Random Encounter]

I want to give you both a heart and a glory for that post, but since I must choose...

[Sarah Valentine]

The need for a heart+glory is why I wish we had Delin as a reaction. In this essay, I will....

[Selbaek]

I got my associate's degree in information technology from ITT Tech 11 years ago and got my foot in the door with a company I still work for to this day. My work ethic and ability to learn on the spot impressed the right people which got me into the position I am in today.

I would love to further my education, but I will never go back to school for it. This is mostly because ITT Tech A) wasn't accredited, so nothing I do there can transfer to other schools, and B) went under after being found guilty of abusing government policy and filing for bankruptcy. In the IT field, in my observation, college degrees don't really mean much of anything compared to certifications and experience. But they certainly can help to get your foot in the door, if nothing else.

[Althena]

The need for a heart+glory is why I wish we had Delin as a reaction. In this essay, I will....

Heart and Glory really does describe that man.

[Skunkworks]

Have you guys chosen program (or schools or whatever) and majors?

[Sarah Valentine]

Sure! I'm after a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, then a Master's in counseling. I attend Indiana University Kokomo.

[Kustom]

I decided to go back to school a few years ago to actually slap a degree to my name. The best I had done prior was a hodgepodge assortment of courses I had taken not long after high school. Due to changing my major a few times back then and enjoying things that weren't school a bit TOO much my transcript was pretty awful and I kinda wrote a higher education off, permanently.

I eventually got into a field like Selbaeks, where mine is led by experience and certifications. Added nod to the fact that a fair bit of work ethic goes a lonngggg way.

Fast forward.. my employer, like RE's, offered up a tuition program that covered like $3000 a year for fulltime employees. Easy right? I'd say no because it's still a massive lifestyle change and a step out of the comfort zone for someone in their mid 30s... who has 2 small kids.

One day(and I dont remember why) I just said fuck it and just went and talked to one of the counselors at the nearby community college. I already knew I wanted an electronics degree that related to my field. The counselor was able to pull some of my older passable courses off my transcript and piecemeal a track for my goal.

With about 25% of the required coursework already done I was looking at roughly 2.5-3 years of taking about 3 classes a semester. This would create a course load that would align with my family, work, etc and would also be reasonably covered by my allotment from the tuition program at work.

WHATS FUNNY about the whole going back to school as an adult (actually fully developed brain adult not 18yo), is that even though your life can be very hectic at times, the focus and drive are there. We tend to take these things much more seriously as adults. I even took some rough shit for an AS degree including some electrical engineering course and did really well, finished with a 3.6 GPA even with quite a bit of 2.0s from my 20s.

Blah blah blah right? I guess TLDR is if you even have the smallest itch to go back to school.. just go talk to a counselor and they'll easily map something out that'll cater to where you are in life. I'd wager half the students they help are working adults.


Some tips if anyone wants them.

- Utilize online courses but also do not underestimate the value of classroom learning. For example I took a mechanical drive systems class in person because the hands on learning for that is so important. A good example of remote learning was a customer service and an intro to computer software class I took. There was no reason to commute for that and the software class worked really well with the VMware schools are using today.

- Run a light load. Take 2-3 classes a semester, tops. Take it slow at first and pump it up a little more later, depending on how its going or what the classes are.

- If you are doing mostly in person, which is great, block them up on one day. I would try to cluster all my classes into one day a week the best I could. You'll probably end up with some gaps between classes but its a good thing because it'll keep you locked in. Stay there and work on school stuff, etc. It'll also be a LOT easier to schedule around life and work.

- Prepare for school books to be outrageous. Most nowadays will let you "rent" an online format for a period of time for MUCH MUCH less than a physical copy. I did this for most of my classes and it always worked out great, especially if you have a two monitor setup ( if you dont please get a two monitor setup). IF you are required to or PREFER a physical copy, ask if you can use an older edition. Most professors were 100% okay with this and often suggested it. Community college professors understand this shit. Good budgeting with books will go a very long way and leave more money for actual courses.

Good luck.

[Sarah Valentine]

One nice thing IU is doing is "IU eTexts" where textbooks are included in tuition costs. For those paying their own way this doesn't make much difference in cost, only in ease of access. But for people like me who need student loans to get by, it's a godsend. It takes textbook costs out of the tuition part of my student loan instead of eating into my disbursed funds. It lets me keep hundreds more per semester for my own use.

WHATS FUNNY about the whole going back to school as an adult (actually fully developed brain adult not 18yo), is that even though your life can be very hectic at times, the focus and drive are there. We tend to take these things much more seriously as adults. I even took some rough shit for an AS degree including some electrical engineering course and did really well, finished with a 3.6 GPA even with quite a bit of 2.0s from my 20s

I cannot stress enough how much better I am at focusing, studying, and researching answers, than I ever was in my youth. I'm not as mentally flexible as I used to be but in cognitive terms I'm light years ahead of teenage Sarah!