I guess I'm back.

Discussion in 'General Distance Learning Discussions' started by EllisZ, Jul 16, 2003.

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  1. EllisZ

    EllisZ Member

    Hi all,

    The date of my last post was 07-13-2002 06:13 AM. It was a year to the day that I signed back on here. It wasn't planned or anything it just worked out that way.

    I'm not sure if anyone here remembers me or not, but I had been around for quite a while prior to that date.

    I've been lurking for a few days and checking out the landscape. I see that a few things have changed:
    - DegreeInfo.com appears to be gone.
    - MIGS has gasped it's last breath.
    - Rich has finished his Ph.D. (I guess it's Dr. Rich now! ... can I just call you doc?)
    - Australia finally found a way to evict Greenwich from Norfolk Island. ( The California move may actually do them some good if they shed some baggage and revive themselves. )
    - California Coast has dropped their Ph.D. level programs. I'll admit, this surprises me and I wonder how much this will benefit them if they aren't going for a full blown accreditation.
    - It seems that Libera has become the new loophole of choice. Fortunately Liberia and it's current political situation screams "Look out!" to everyone who's head isn't in the sand. ( This may also be a precursor to changing the way that the world evaluates GAAP credentials. At least MIGS appeared legit for a very short period of time, Liberia and it's schools never have had the appearance of anything other than government bribery. )
    - Oh yeah, we've had a war too.

    I do see some positive changes as well:
    - There are now many more legitimate, RA options than there were a year ago in nearly all fields. There is even a growth in the DL sector for terminal degrees. (Yippie!)
    - (Shameless plug) My own alma-matter has moved from a non-DL player in 2000 to a major player today. (American Intercontinental U) I still know nothing about the DL programs there as I was a traditional student, but I look forward to hearing from folks here about it.
    - I'm sensing a greater acceptability for DL than I did a few short years ago, both in academia and in the corporate setting. (In the interest of brevity, I'll discuss this at some other point.)

    Then there are the things that remain the same:
    - Some of the same faces are still hanging out here. (Thankfully!)
    - The MIGS forum is still here. (I guess it's kind of like a museum. )
    - The volcano on Montserrat still continues to consume 2/3 of the island. :)

    And for those keeping score, here is what's new with me:
    - I had already went through a marathon session of finishing my undergrad (Regents/NY/DL) and my Masters (AIU/Traditional). I used those credentials to finally gain a job as an Adjuct Professor. It's working out great! It pays fairly well. I've been using the added income to pay down my debt. (For those that remember: I had spent $50k on my Masters alone!)
    - I've decided that I'd like to teach full time, but I'll hold off on that desire until I get the debt load down. I've actually been offered such an opportunity but I ultimately decided to wait on this part of my dream. (Teaching full time pays about 1/3 of what my Software Engineering job pays. Ironically I earn almost as much as an Adjuct during the terms that I teach multiple classes.) <-- I don't sleep much any more.

    - I have yet to enroll in a doctorate program, although I've decided that I am going to deviate slightly from my technology background and pursue a degree in Education. (Either a Ph.D. or an Ed.D).
    - My big hold up now is the cost. I'm simply not going to accumulate another $40k - $50k in student debt. As a result, I am looking at some legitimate international schools.
    - I did visit the Asian Institute of Technology in Bangkok a few weeks ago. It is a very nice and very LARGE school. They offer a non-residential program that will cost me about $12k-$14k. (Much better!) There *is* a residency component and I'll have to find out how long that is. If it's only 3 months I might be able to swing it with a leave of absence. I'm still open to pretty much all other options. (Suggestions are ALWAYS welcome.)
    - There is also the time factor: Right now I'm working 50-60 hours a week at my "day job", another 15-17 hours at the University, plus trying to manage a business that I own. I'll have to cut back a bit before I begin a doctorate program ... but heck ... if there is a desire then there is always a way! (Who needs sleep?) <GRIN>

    (Sorry that this was long ... that's what happens when you wait a year to post a message.)

    I missed this place. I'm glad that I decided to check it out again and I'm glad to be back.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jul 16, 2003
  2. Ike

    Ike New Member

    Yes I remember you. I think that many others in this forum still remember you. You left because one wacko took the occasional brawl on this board to an ugly dimension and contacted your employer. It’s very bad that it happed. Welcome back.
     
  3. Rich Douglas

    Rich Douglas Well-Known Member

    Welcome back, Ellis.

    In Ellis' marathon recounting of the last year's developments, I believe he meant that "Distancedegree.net" was gone, not "Degreeinfo.com" (this board).

    Again, welcome back!
     
  4. EllisZ

    EllisZ Member

    Rich,

    Thank you for the correction. That is what I meant. (I'll try and edit the original post).

    Ike ... thanks.

    BTW: I was surprised that my ID still worked after all this time. I'm guessing whoever was resonsible (Bruce?) decided that I might come back afterall. (I guess someone knows me better than I know myself.)


    Take care,
    Ellis
     

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