Going back to school... - DPChallenge Forums

Tamron SP 24-70mm f/2.8 Di VC USD Canon Mount

12/07/2012 06:27:05 AM · #1

after the accident with Dallas, I took some time off from school since everything became so hectic.
now... since I have some free time on my hands, especially with all my kids in school (at least for a portion of the day)... I figured now would be a good time to start back up.

so of all goes well with re-entry, I'll be working towards finishing my bachelor's degree in Psychology and Early Childhood Education.
I can't remember how much longer I have until I'm complete, thinking 8-10months. :)

ETA: class would begin Jan 1.

Message edited by author 2012-12-07 06:28:05.

Mike

Canon EOS-5D Mark II

12/07/2012 06:32:30 AM · #2

good luck to you, im trying to finish by the time i'm 40. i wish i could just take a year off and get it done.

Skip

Canon EOS-1D X

Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS USM

12/07/2012 09:11:23 AM · #3

good luck to both of you (and anyone else making the sacrifice to become better educated). hang in there, stick with it, and you'll get it done.

my sister took 10 years to get her degree, working both part-time and full-time while taking as many classes as she could handle. the degree wasn't the payoff, as she already had a job, but the richness of the experience of pushing herself, handling the challenges not just of class requirements but also scheduling, learning to work with others, learning to learn from others, and above all, learning how to learn, all contributed to making it worthwhile. she also pretty much paid as she went, keeping her student loan debt fairly low.

20 years later, she's a very active, contributing member of her community, raising 3 daughters, and able to make time for herself. i think she's able to do a lot of what she does in part due to the things she learned while working on her degree, as opposed to simply what she learned in class.

Mike

Canon EOS-5D Mark II

Tamron SP 24-70mm f/2.8 Di VC USD Canon Mount

12/07/2012 10:01:47 AM · #4

work is paying for me, I've been at my firm recently 12 years, i have no plan to to leave and cant for a very long time unless i plan to pay it all back.

i started in 2005.

the biggest hurdle i face isn't workload, its getting to class. i am starting to run into issues with classes right in the middle of the day and i told one professor yesterday i plan to take her class next semester but i wont be showing up half the time.

I cant, i have to work full time and there is no other way to do it. Luckily she seems open to the idea and is aware I'm not doing becuase I'm lazy.

Tamron SP 24-70mm f/2.8 Di VC USD Canon Mount

12/07/2012 10:12:35 AM · #5

I wish I had someone to pay for it for me!

We are taking out student loans... right now, I'm about 34k in debt! OUCH!

But... there are some careers I have been looking into where they will pay back a portion of my loan. Seriously considering them.

And benefits would be good. I'm looking into becoming a substance abuse counselor within USAJobs. So, I would a civilian government employee... and have the ability for us to travel (in the future).

Also, all my schooling is online, so I have the flexibility and convenience of making my own schedule, more or less.
It just costs a hell of a lot more to do that!

Mike

Canon EOS-5D Mark II

12/07/2012 11:04:56 AM · #6

consider it an investment in your future. you are $34K in debt and i assume not working now, so you are used to having an additional income, that first and second year be dedicated and put it ALL towards the loans and pay them off right away.

12/07/2012 11:16:49 AM · #7

Originally posted by mike_311:

That's most definitely the plan.

I'm going to have to continue on getting my Master's before I'll be considered for most jobs I'm interested in anyways... so there's another HUGE investment.

But, in the end, it'll be worth it.

I'm hoping that next year, once all the kids are in school full time, I can pick up some part time work to start paying back the loans. Which would help out considerably in the future.

12/07/2012 11:53:57 AM · #8

I went back to school at age 27 for a second bachelor's degree in engineering...I had no significant obligations then (family, mortgage, etc.) so I was able focus enough to get through the mechanical engineering program in 3 years with good grades.

I worked for about a year and then started grad school, taking one class at a time at night(paid for by my employer) while working full time during the day. Some semesters, work or family stuff was so hectic that I didn't take any classes. I hadn't taken a grad class in 2 or 3 years when the auto industry took a dump (2009) and my employer was offering buyouts. I took an offer and used the money to live on while going back to school for a year to finish up classes and do my thesis. I got a job offer the Monday after graduation for ~20% more than I had been making. All told, my M.S. degree took 11 years, but I'd definitely say it was worth it.

Since my kids are getting a bit older, I'm thinking about going back for a 2nd Master's degree, this time in electrical engineering since so much of my work and interests now are in instrumentation, robotics and control. After that, assuming that I can come up with a good area of research, a cross disciplinary PhD is not out of the question...but that's all a lot of work and I'd probably wind up writing my dissertation about the time my kids will have graduating from college.

In any event, kudos to you for sticking with it.

12/07/2012 11:59:00 AM · #9

Originally posted by Denielle:

Originally posted by mike_311:
consider it an investment in your future. you are $34K in debt and i assume not working now, so you are used to having an additional income, that first and second year be dedicated and put it ALL towards the loans and pay them off right away.

That's most definitely the plan.

I'm going to have to continue on getting my Master's before I'll be considered for most jobs I'm interested in anyways... so there's another HUGE investment.

But, in the end, it'll be worth it.

I'm hoping that next year, once all the kids are in school full time, I can pick up some part time work to start paying back the loans. Which would help out considerably in the future.

If you're getting Federal student loans, I'm not sure you can start repayment before graduation... in any case, I don't think you pay interest on the loans while you're in school so you'd be better off saving that money until you enter repayment (6 mo after graduation).

12/07/2012 12:03:53 PM · #10

Originally posted by Spork99:

Originally posted by Denielle:

Originally posted by mike_311:
consider it an investment in your future. you are $34K in debt and i assume not working now, so you are used to having an additional income, that first and second year be dedicated and put it ALL towards the loans and pay them off right away.

That's most definitely the plan.

I'm going to have to continue on getting my Master's before I'll be considered for most jobs I'm interested in anyways... so there's another HUGE investment.

But, in the end, it'll be worth it.

I'm hoping that next year, once all the kids are in school full time, I can pick up some part time work to start paying back the loans. Which would help out considerably in the future.

If you're getting Federal student loans, I'm not sure you can start repayment before graduation... in any case, I don't think you pay interest on the loans while you're in school so you'd be better off saving that money until you enter repayment (6 mo after graduation).

I was getting subsidized and unsubsidized loans. and they said I can start repayment anytime. that it would be better to pay the interest account so that I can get it down... but either way, I'll have a TON to pay back!
eventually I would like my PhD in Clinical Psychology. So that's another few years after my masters, and a ton more money.

12/07/2012 01:21:14 PM · #11

Originally posted by Denielle:

Originally posted by Spork99:

Originally posted by Denielle:

Originally posted by mike_311:
consider it an investment in your future. you are $34K in debt and i assume not working now, so you are used to having an additional income, that first and second year be dedicated and put it ALL towards the loans and pay them off right away.

That's most definitely the plan.

I'm going to have to continue on getting my Master's before I'll be considered for most jobs I'm interested in anyways... so there's another HUGE investment.

But, in the end, it'll be worth it.

I'm hoping that next year, once all the kids are in school full time, I can pick up some part time work to start paying back the loans. Which would help out considerably in the future.

If you're getting Federal student loans, I'm not sure you can start repayment before graduation... in any case, I don't think you pay interest on the loans while you're in school so you'd be better off saving that money until you enter repayment (6 mo after graduation).

I was getting subsidized and unsubsidized loans. and they said I can start repayment anytime. that it would be better to pay the interest account so that I can get it down... but either way, I'll have a TON to pay back!
eventually I would like my PhD in Clinical Psychology. So that's another few years after my masters, and a ton more money.

I'll recommend that once you get your bachelors degree, find a job with an organization that will pay for grad school. You talked about working for the US gov't and I'm pretty sure a lot of them offer educational reimbursement. I only paid for grad school while I was out of work and even then, I was able to find grants that covered a good part of it.

A PhD is a whole 'nother kettle of fish.

12/07/2012 02:00:33 PM · #12

I film be looking within the next month or so regarding places that would hire me and pay for grad school once I complete.

it'll be perfect timing as well...
the kids will all be full time in school at the end of August and I will be finished mid-september. :)

As for the PhD... a buddy of ours advised me that certain civilian government jobs will reimburse part, if not all, of a PhD, especially high demand jobs like clinical psychology if I contract for a certain amount of years.