Opinions, please.

Terry, finish the current courses with PFC and AJU and have Excelsior College evaluate your credit hours again to get an exact picture where you stand since any opinions regarding credit distribution w.r.t. degree requirements might be incorrect despite our best intentions or interpretations.

The 6 credits in Social Science/History and 3 credits in Natural Science/Math can be wrapped up by testing out. The area of depth is where you want to know exactly where you stand because the wrong credit hours here can delay your graduation.

During the evaluation take the family on a vacation for a few days and relax. I have to wonder when you find time to sleep. You do not want to burn-out after all the time and effort you have put into providing a good home, life, and future inspiration for your family. I hope you are taking it easy this weekend and enjoying whatever warm weather there is at this time of year.

 

Excellent advice Sentinel!

Abner

 

TCord, personally I recommend you stay with AJU until finishing your BA or BS. You said it's a good 1 1/2 yrs more. Well for your family, I think you should probably put yourself first. I also think you should consider dropping as many other responsibilities from your life as possible, and for your main job you might try to keep your work hours to a minimum. As for the courses at AJU, actually they are self-paced except for the final date at the end of the course (about 4 months). I'm doing courses with AJU and for now, I'm staying with it.

 

Terry I think you're doing the right thing. By the way, never put yourself first before your family... if you want to keep having a family that is.

Personally I'm going to school FOR my family. Were I going to school just for me I'd be doing a doctorate at Harrison Middleton right now.

Stick with the plan, be self disciplined and don't slack on the testing. You've got to set yourself a schedule and push through it. It's easy to get distracted when you don't have deadlines placed upon you, at least for me it can be.

 

Well, make no mistake, I am definitely doing it for my family. My wife is unable to work, so all of the earning power falls on me. For me, a degree isn't just a piece of paper or a goal I have set for myself. I see it as a tool to help me move up and increase my earning power. In the future, my wife's medical needs will only increase, and that is going to cost more money. I work to be able to afford the medications that literally keep her alive. It was also the reason that I worked two jobs a couple of years ago. I worked every day for a year straight. It didn't leave much time for studying, that's for sure.

I know a degree doesn't guarantee anything, but it is definitely something I will need if I am going to go after the kinds of jobs that pay the kind of salary I will need in the future.

 

Hang in there Terry, you will get it done! I am cheering for you. You are a noble man.

God bless you!

Abner

 

Terry,

I admire your dedication to your family. Have you every given any consideration to becoming a nurse? I'm not sure if your wife's disability necessitates home nursing care, but if it does, you could save significant money by getting your LPN or RN and using that knowledge to provide some of her medical care. Just a thought. Of course, you have to work as well, but perhaps if you enjoyed nursing that could be a new career choice for you.

Anyway, best of luck to you. I think you're making the right move by going with Excelsior. I just finished my associates with them and the experience was very positive.

Best,

 

Congratulations in your future addition to your family. The first five years are the hardest, then the teen years.

I read your blog.

 

Hey, thanks Vini. I'm glad you like the blog. Yeah I'm nervous as a cat. I've even contemplated joining the military just so I can come back and take over when the kiddo is 6

...kidding of course...

I am starting to think ahead, and behind. I'm looking at all the things I had growing up that my kid might not so I'm going to try and fix that. Chief among them is the great outdoors, as a kid we were always going between one of two ranches and lived next to the woods. Hopefully I can teach my kid about nature as well. I'm going to keep them from learning about the television and video games for as long as possible.

Oh and Terry, you da' man!

 

I would ask are you working so hard to begin with but you havean ill wife and a family so there is the reason. In your case a degree may take time I would say think if you need an advanced degree or perhaps a marketable applied diploma program. For example avery capable automotive mechanic can earn more and have more employability than say a person in business, college is not necessary. If you need more money look at what fields have staying power and you can meet with modest education to make a certain likely level of income.

Nursing was metnioned and is an excellent paying career with many options including Nurse Practitioner, and with the emerging health care reforms it will offer you likely a fine career.

I'm assuming you can't afford to waste money so every dollar must have a fair return for the investment.

 

Ha! Well, I don't think I have the temperament or the patience to be a nurse. I work in marketing an PR, after making a career change from journalism about three years ago. I currently earn more than I ever did as a reporter, but I know I am really just beginning my second career, and I managed to make the switch without a degree. If I am to get anywhere in my new profession, I will definitely need to earn the BA and then later an MBA or MA in Public Relations.

Congrats on the pending new arrival, friendorfoe! I have two myself, and managed to get the oldest through high school and out on his own. He is currently working and has no interest in higher education, but I keep trying to talk him into it!

 

Thanks Terry, and no worries on that school thing, I think I was 24 before I decided to go back to college and even then it was only for an AS. Wow, that seems like a lifetime ago.