I am seriously wanting to go back to school. I graduated high school almost 15 years ago. Now I find myself in dire need of education if I am going to ever get a serious career. Since I work full time and have a family I need to go the DL route. Is there any chance of me getting into a reputable institution? I have no college credits to transfer, will I be able to get into a bachelor program? Is there any chance of completing something in less than 4 years? The quicker the better for me and my family. Any suggestions on schools or where to turn, or any help at all, would be greatly appreciated. Thank you. matt
CONGRATULATIONS! "Even the grandest of journeys begins with but one humble step!" First navigate to http://bain4weeks.com/ and explore, take your time, a few days at least explore the whole site, read, and take time to digest. Use the links there and take the time to decide what it is that you really want to do with your degree, Then, come back here and start posting your questions. GOOD LUCK! "Chase your dream until it catches you!"
Dear Matt- You have two first stops. Go to Lawrie Miller's incomparable web-guide http://bain4weeks.com/ and start reading. Next, get Princeton Review's CLEP guide (and then a copy of the Official CLEP test manual - you'll need the sample exams therein, as Lawrie explains - or else go to most any public library and copy what you need). You can quickly earn a two year degree, if that helps you. Given some combination of your interests and experience, Lawrie's guide ought to direct you in one of three or so directions. But if an AA or AS doesn't help you, if may take longer. But Lawrie may well inspire you to plunge in and try FAST anyway. If it works, fine; it not, come back here for directions and further advice! MANY many have trod where you are - and mand have gone all the way to meet their dreams. Good luck! --Orson
Time to revisit Dear Abby's splendid line (I paraphrase). Someone wrote her a letter similar to yours, saying, in effect, "I'm 31 years old. If I do this degree, I'll be 35 when I'm done." She replied, "And how old will you be in four years if you don't do it? John Bear Bears' Guide to Earning Degrees by Distance Learning
Good to see John - that's "Dr. Bear" to you, brother - drop in and gently remind everyone of how to get an overall view of the lay of the land: the total look-see at distance learning opportunities to be had throughout the land! He wrote THE book. It's vailable at your local bookstore, Matt - he's been a continuing inspiration (and authoritative source) to practically all of us on this board. --Orson
Yes that's one of my favorites too. I remember it in the context of a woman wanting to go to medical school at thirty something. She was very concerned about how old she'd be by the time she finished her residency etc.
I embraced that very concept 110% when I finally made the committed plunge into my doctoral program. When I internalized that thought, it became a bit less daunting to consider I could actually complete a program. Not a lot less daunting, but apparently enough to get me through..
Congratulations on taking the plunge, Matt! There's lots of support out there for you. Here are some other resources to check in addition to the fine ones already offered (and it's definitely worth the time to do the research before you plunk down your hard-earned cash): About.com's Distance Learning site: http://distancelearn.about.com/ Articles on PBSCampus: http://www.pbs.org/campus/006_News/006-00.html - Esp. 'More Questions you should ask...' Testing out of common undergrad subjects is a good way to save time, money and to get a feel for the kind of work that you'll be expected to do. Study guides (available at the site and in bookstores) make it almost TOO easy: The CLEP website is at http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/clep/about.html Write back and let us know how you're doing. Candice Virtualadvising.com
