DL Study for personal interests vs career

I'm curious to know how many people here are currently using or intend on using distance learning for study of subjects not in line with career interests.

I'm wondering if there is utility in paying for a distance learning program for studies outside of career.

I have an intense interest in mathematics, but I'm very bad at it. Someday I would like to pursue the subject. I could just as well buy some books and learn that way. I also have a great interest in psychology. That is my undergrad degree. I took the GRE for Psych and managed to get lots of credits for it at Excelsior many years ago.

I would love to follow up on that interest, too, someday.

Back to you folks...again, are any of you studying stuff that just plain is of interest to you without any mind toward career leverage?

 

I know what your saying, I am pretty bad at math myself. Sometimes your career interest and personal interest go hand in hand. You can use a math degree for all kinds of professions (I guess unless your an english teacher or something). So, what you want to do in college might apply to your career even if it isn't the same subject.

Best Regards,
Bill

 

===

I am one.

 

Studying for myself also

In my position I have absolutely NO need for another accredited degree. I merely study and prepare studies for my firm in order to advance it's efforts in certain areas.

Case in point, I am now involved in a rather lengthy study on Differentiation of financial services firms and the penetration of the hispanic markets.

I am a partner, it is a well regarded, old line firm, one of the largest in the west and the senior partner went to Stanford and the London School of Economics. He said that he DOES NOT care about accreditation. He said that the completed study is what's important.

For that reason I might go the unaccredied route, save a few thousand dollars and earn a DBA. Go ahead, attack me if you will but I am still going to refuse to pay for an accredited degree that I don't need.

Rafael

BS Western state University, Fullerton, CA
JD " " ( ABA )
MBA Pepperdine, Malibu, CA
MS Kansas State University, KS ( 2003 )

 

For the love of the degree

I haven't pursued any degree for pure enjoyment at this point in my life - but I am seriously thinking about attempting the Psych GRE to attain a 2nd bachelor's from Excelsior.

I am hoping when I am successful with this that it will encourage my wife to do the same thing and complete a degree via distance education.

Regards,
Steven King

 

Re: For the love of the degree

You could always take an intro English Compostion course and edit 500 pages out of each of your books. Ooooh - that's the other guy.

 

ALL of my studies are for personal interest.

Tony

 

Thanks for the replies so far.

I thought there would be more. There are quite a few people here with so many degrees; I never woulda thought their careers required them!

Perhaps these folks are educators?

 

My degrees have been pursued because they added to my career. However, they have had the added advantage of providing joy to me. Each of the degrees I pursued added to the quality of my life both for the experience and for the information. I have often thoguht about a degree in history or geography just because I would enjoy it. Unfortunately I have not had the time to try those options yet.

 

Yes, lack of time prevents us from maximizing the time we have on this earth (ironically).

I would think that school is almost a "hobby" for some here, while simultaneously career enhancing.

My list so far, as I dream, not necessarily in this order:

JD
BA & MA in statistics/math
MA Psychology
MS Finance/Economics

In a funky way, each of these is really related.

 

And for me...this is the rub. I am trying to mix a love of pastoral ministry and healthcare together into a great career post-military.

Military chaplaincy after a Master of Divinity capped off with a PhD in Educational Leadership from Touro? Sounds reasonable - will pave the pathway to parachurch ministry, pastoral ministry, or educational interests I have currently.

Once those objectives are met - I would like to be a certified counselor as I have always had an interest in counseling anyway. I have resolved that I will probably pursue some type of education for the rest of my life.

Keep on keeping on...
Steven King

 

If you're half as bad at math as I am (which is still pretty bad), just buying some books isn't going to cut it. I really needed the structure of a classroom and close faculty support to get through undergrad Algebra and graduate Statistics.

Algebra was the only general education subject where I didn't even consider trying to CLEP or DANTES my way out of doing.


Bruce

 

I was the same way with math and psychology. I went to Michigan State (How 'bout them Spartans, btw?) from 1968-1972, originally as a math education major, later using their Honors College to tailor a degree that was sort of a cross between math and psychology with an eye toward working as a school psychologist.

For the first ten years or so my MSU transcript listed me as a psychology major and, after I got my second degree in operations management through Regents, I tried to talk them into letting me finish a third BS in mathematics. They talked me out of it, suggesting I look at a master's program instead. As it turns out, the last couple transcripts I've requested from MSU list me as a math major anyway.

I got about two-thirds of the way through a master's program in computer science at De Paul before work took me away from Chicago. Now I'm thinking that, were I to try again, it would be in math. I've never had a problem with discrete math material that is most relevant to computer science (combinatorics, graph theory, automaton theory, stuff like that there), but never felt I got a handle on calculus, linear algebra and the rest of "continuous" math.

Lately all that stuff seems to get pushed farther down on the "to do" list, though.

Regards.
TommyK

 

<<I'm curious to know how many people here are currently using or intend on using distance learning for study of subjects not in line with career interests>>

One more.

 

Re: Re: DL Study for personal interests vs career

Yeah. I made it through Calc I and II with C's, and I dropped out of Calc III after I figured out engineering wasn't my strong suit. Physics was painful too.

Can a person's mind mature to the point where it learns better? I swear that stuff that was a Rubic's Cube for me back in the 80's is now almost common sensical. Okay, some of my learning ability improved but not all. I still can't fathom string theory.

My writing is many times better than it was back then. I am exceptionally confident in my writing. I score very high on essay exams and verbal tests, while in my late teens and early 20's, I was a terrible communicator.

I am still inspired by the film "Phenomena". I keep thinking that maybe somehow I got a growth in my brain that connected the right neurons. Of course, this is new brain power relative to where I used to be, NOT relative to some of the brilliant minds I've had the pleasure of acquaintance!

 

Re: Re: Re: DL Study for personal interests vs career

I'm not sure that it's the mind itself that matures, just the person. I don't have whatever it takes to be great in math, and I never managed higher than a "C" in any math class in high school. When I took undergrad Algebra and graduate Statistics, I think it was my vastly improved motivation and study habits that carried me through.

Unlike high school, I payed intense attention during class, took copious notes, and would devote at least 1 hour a day for intense study (even though class met 1X a week). While I still didn't set the world on fire, I managed a "B+" in Algebra and a "B" in Stats, and I was thrilled with both grades.


Bruce

 

Re: Re: Re: Re: DL Study for personal interests vs career

Could someone with average math ability get a PhD in Math or Stats, you think?

I ask because in IT, math gurus are somehow put on a pedestal. I often think of the guy from "A Beautiful Mind" or "Goodwill Hunting" when I think of math PhDs.

I would love to be the one to make a new theory about stock market trends that actually works. I just don't want to become weird like that guy in the film "Pi", though ;o

Or determine primes in my head, like the chick in the film "Cube".

Or find something new for "The Book", like Erdos.

I don't know anyone with a doctorate level degree, so I would have no idea what it takes to get one.

I wish I was a genius. Yes, that's it. That would make me happy.

.
.
.
.
ok, maybe not.

Perhaps I could settle for being a math historian. In my spare time. While pursuing my distance JD while preparing to be a guru in finance. Scattered minds never get anywhere. I'm just so curious about everything.

 

In a word, no. I majored in math at Berkeley and did some graduate work there. To get into most PhD programs, you have to be very good in math. Most of all, you have to be very motivated. If you're not very good in math, the motivation won't be there (it seems to me). Getting a PhD is a way of life. You have to eat, drink, sleep, and think math every spare moment. Most don't have the kind of internal make-up to live that way. I didn't.

Nevertheless, you can always plug away at math classes and see if the spark ignites. It sounds to me, though, that you're more enamored with the idea of mathematics (and the people in mathematics), rather than actually doing math (forgive the amateur psychotherapy).

Finally, graduate math programs tend to be very competitive, and sometimes not very friendly. The book A Beautiful Mind does a very good job of describing the ruthless nature of top math departments. Interestingly, this aspect was completely ignored (or nearly so) in the movie.

I'm not trying to be discouraging, just realistic. If you wonder what the lifestyle might be like and you happen to live near a major university with a graduate math department, you might want to wander over and hang out in the math lounge. Take a look around and see if that's the kind of environment you'd like to live in for 6-8 years. If so, go for it.

Tom57

 

Thank you for the dose of reality. I need that at times.

Cheers!

 

Hi wannaJD,

I am also a non-career learner. After dropping out of college in 1984 I continued to study several subjects on my own. In some ways I think I learned more, because I only read books I was excited about. But, I chose to use distance learning to complete my degree because: (1) I felt that the structure of courses would result in a more complete knowledge of my subject areas, and (2) I was tired of seeing former classmates of mine walking around with degrees in subjects of which I had more knowledge, yet no piece of paper to confirm my ability.

So I guess my motivation is love of knowledge, and ego.