Starting college at 40

Discussion in 'Introductions' started by Scott Eason, May 28, 2020.

Loading...
  1. Scott Eason

    Scott Eason New Member

    Ok I lied a little IM 38!

    My name is Scott and I am thinking of going back to school to get a BA in History and then to try for Law School I know that I have a long road ahead of me, but I was looking to see if there is a faster way to obtain a BA in History then sitting through 4 years of college since we are in the internet age now. Any help would be appreciated.
     
    Mac Juli and newsongs like this.
  2. nomaduser

    nomaduser Active Member

    I recommend trying out study.com
    They give you ACE college credits per course.

    And Excel exams give you college credits too!
    https://www.excelsior.edu/exams/uexcel/

    Then you can transfer those credits to a much better, well-ranked university which accepts transfer credits.
    https://asuonline.asu.edu/online-degree-programs/undergraduate/bachelor-arts-history/

    After you get the most amount of credits for transfer from the exams, you can finish some of these online history bachelor program in two years.
     
    Mac Juli likes this.
  3. Mac Juli

    Mac Juli Well-Known Member

    Hello!


    Have a look here (copied this from the profile of AsianStew; I hope this is ok!):


    DegreeInfo & DegreeForum's Community-Supported Wiki
    https://degreeforum.miraheze.org/wiki/Degree_Forum_Wiki
    The Basic Approach - Online Education Guide
    https://degreeforum.miraheze.org/wiki/The_Basic_Approach

    Sources of Credit - Straighterline.com, Study.com, and Alternatives
    https://degreeforum.miraheze.org/wiki/Sources_of_Credit
    FREE Sources of Credit
    https://degreeforum.miraheze.org/wiki/Free_Sources_of_Credit


    Best regards,
    Mac Juli
     
  4. Rich Douglas

    Rich Douglas Well-Known Member

    I assume you want it cheap and easy, too?

    The "internet age" has nothing to do with anything. While there are ways to earn credit nontraditionally, none of them are necessarily easy, nor fast. Then there's the challenge of putting them together in a degree program.

    Why history? If your goal is law school, why not earn the most expedient degree that qualifies you?

    Go to these sites to learn more:

    www. excelsior.edu
    www. tesc.edu
    www. charteroak.edu
     
  5. Acolyte

    Acolyte Active Member

    A Bachelor's Degree is a long journey - but the time will pass anyway. I finished my B.A. when I was 35 - Money for college was always the issue - so I never made a serious attempt when I was younger. Finally, I had a job where they provided tuition reimbursement and I started taking business classes one at a time from my local community college. Many years later I did some volunteer work and that had an educational scholarship attached to it - that allowed me the opportunity to go to American University in D.C. - which I would have NEVER been able to afford - and my short time there still makes up the bulk of what I had to borrow to get through! Yes I ran up a decent amount of debt with my patchwork of academic pursuits, but by using community colleges and scholarships and things, it kept my costs under control (relatively) - my current employer provided tuition reimbursement for about 40% of my M.S. - The thing about the Bachelor's is that there are so many core classes and requirements that it became very difficult to remain focused on why I was actually in school - especially when you are taking that third French course or that Physics part II course and your head is about to explode.

    I agree with the others here, if your goal is Law School, pick an expedient path because it is far too easy to burn out and lose interest/motivation on such a journey. I just wanted to encourage you that it is quite possible - but be wary of the burnout. It nearly de-railed me several times. Best of luck on this endeavor!
     
  6. nomaduser

    nomaduser Active Member

    I encourage you to check out online Bachelor's and Master's degrees from U.K. universities.
    They much cheaper than US online degrees!

    I see many of top U.K. school online degrees are around 10k GBP.
     
    Mac Juli likes this.
  7. Rich Douglas

    Rich Douglas Well-Known Member

    I bristle at comments like "I want it fast" or "I want it easy." It makes me feel the poster isn't taking the matter seriously. But....

    I did an AA in 8 weeks. I did a bachelor's in business in 18 months. From scratch. Both of them while working full-time (in the military, no less). So it can be done quickly, especially if you (unlike me) have transferable credits to start with. (I was only 20 when I graduated with my bachelor's degree; I hadn't time to accumulate any prior credits--or creditable experience.)

    So it can be done quickly. But it isn't normally quick, and it's never easy.
     
  8. Scott Eason

    Scott Eason New Member

    Well, History excites me! I love it. If you looked at my report card all the way up you would see my score for history were always 97 to 100. Even now I get lost in HIstory (real history). IM afraid that if I went another route that I wouldn't like it, and I would lose interest.

    I can put them together as far as a degree program goes. This is easy for me to understand.

    To answer your second question about expedience its because I have read that Law Schools also take into consideration these days how challenging your degree was/is. How true this is I have no idea, but even if that were not the case I would still choose history.

    I'm not sure why you would say that the internet age has nothing to do with it. If this was the case a lot of people how earned degrees online, and all the info that is out there would not be reachable!
     
  9. Scott Eason

    Scott Eason New Member

    Quick and easy was probably a poor choice of words. In my line of work they have just become words that I use with my employees, and I have used them so much that I use them in places I shouldn't. I know that a degree would be hard work, but I am just confident that what I need to do isn't as hard for me as other people. I blew through the 9th and 10th grade, while still in 8th grade. (I'm no genius, but I am gifted in the area of comprehension on top of that I have a fantastic memory. I always tell people its not that I am smart its just I retain info.

    I also wanted to congratulate you on your accomplishments that is very impressive!
     
  10. AsianStew

    AsianStew Moderator Staff Member

    In addition to the info in my signature links such as the Basic Approach, you might want to read the Beginner's Guide on here and the sister site. There are degree plans attached and you can view them at the end of the guide. Heck to start off, get all your General Education/Free Elective courses done first and quickly with Sophia.org then work on the AOS with Study.com, I usually recommend the Sophia.org/StraighterLine/Study.com combo for the degree, but sometimes other providers such as Coopersmith/Davar and Onlinedegree.com or Saylor.org get thrown into that mix...
     
    Mac Juli likes this.
  11. Scott Eason

    Scott Eason New Member

    Well, this is inspirational. I have picked History so I won't get burned out! Its the only subject I have remained passionate about. While most others are on Netflix watching movies I am reading about Napoleon, or watching a Documentary on Egypt, or talking with people about the true past of America (regardless of what is in the books). I have owned 4 businesses since I was 28, and that is not to boast, but only to point out that I am very aware of burnout, and how it can derail you. The problem I have is envisioning being in school at 40. I can't imagine anything past 41 honestly because I still do not know what I want to do with my life. Perhaps I never make it to LS, and maybe I become a history teacher, or get lucky and get my own TV show! It's the possibilities that excites me. The learning, and the prerequisite classes you speak of not so much, but I do know it has to be done. Anyway, thank you for your reply. I am truly grateful to read a small, but very enlightening part of your personal accomplishments.
     
  12. Scott Eason

    Scott Eason New Member

    One question now that you guys have made me think. In your opinion what is a more expedient degree plan? I know that there are law schools that are less prestigious that will take anything, but I do not know what other degree paths would be more expedient.
     
  13. Mac Juli

    Mac Juli Well-Known Member

  14. Rich Douglas

    Rich Douglas Well-Known Member

    40 years ago. Not really important anymore; just an example.
     
  15. Rich Douglas

    Rich Douglas Well-Known Member

    You speak of this as if it is a transaction. Well, earning a college degree is not, nor is being accepted to law school. These processes are filled with nuance and unique experiences.

    If you want to know what kind of degree will help you get into law school, I suggest you ask....wait for it....an admissions official at a law school you might be interested in attending.
     
  16. chrisjm18

    chrisjm18 Well-Known Member

    I don't think one's undergraduate major is significant for admissions to many J.D. programs. Even schools that offer pre-law programs will state no preference for any specific major. Temple University for instance provides evidence of this.

    FAQ - Does Temple require any specific undergraduate major(s)?

    No. There is no required course of study during your undergraduate years... It is more important that you take classes that are challenging and that interest you. It is also important for you to do well and get good grades. Some students find classes in logic, philosophy, writing, and history helpful. Each year, however, we accept students with a wide variety of backgrounds from liberal arts to engineering to physics to criminal justice – and this is just to name a few.

    Harvard Law School, ranked among the top 3 law schools, supported this argument.

    FAQ - What is the best "pre-law" curriculum? How does one prepare for law school?

    Harvard Law School considers applications from all undergraduate majors. There are no fixed requirements with respect to the content of pre-legal education. The nature of a candidate’s college work, as well as the quality of academic performance, are reviewed in the selection process. However, in preparing for law school, a broad college education is usually preferable to one that is narrowly specialized. The Admissions Committee looks for a showing of thorough learning in a field of your choice, such as history, economics, government, philosophy, mathematics, science, literature or the classics (and many others), rather than a concentration in courses given primarily as vocational training.

    On a different note, I was surprised by the following assertion from Penn Law (Carey).

    FAQ - My undergraduate degree was conferred by an online institution. Am I eligible to apply?

    Yes, as long as the institution is accredited by a regional or national accrediting body. Furthermore, we do not rank undergraduate institutions as a part of our review process.

    I think this is more theoretical than practical, considering that an online education typically won't allow you to be involved in clubs, community activities, and leadership positions. Those are factors that some law schools consider when evaluating applications. Furthermore, can online faculty provide strong recommendation letters? In my experience, I received recommendation letters from online faculty members for both school and employment. However, some do not provide recommendation letters for online students.

    On the topic of nationally accredited degrees, I know someone who earned their bachelor's at Ashworth and is now a law student at Widener (not that Widener is a top law school).
     
    Mac Juli and Rich Douglas like this.
  17. Scott Eason

    Scott Eason New Member

    I'm sorry, but are you bitter about life? Do you have something against people who want to get somewhere? We get it school is hard, but maybe it was hard for you and your upset cause its not hard for other people? I am not really sure what your issue is, but it would be better if you found other threads to comment on as you are no help here. You seem more like a troll., and you have no useful information.
     
  18. Scott Eason

    Scott Eason New Member

    Thank you so much I am going to start with this info immediately.
     
    chrisjm18 likes this.
  19. Rich Douglas

    Rich Douglas Well-Known Member

    Right. 12,000 posts and nothing to say. You found me out.

    If you're bothered because someone reacted critically to a post, your professors and classmates are just going to love you.

    I've given you the best advice possible: go seek advice from someone who can give you a definitive answer, a law school admissions official.

    Now please, stop attacking me and read the forum, which really would be good netiquette. You'll find lots of great information, almost all of it not from me! Then you will be much better equipped to ask informed questions that can lead to interesting and useful insights. Good luck to you.
     
  20. Scott Eason

    Scott Eason New Member

    Great have a good life!
     

Share This Page