K27

Seeing as how I am 44 and was just passed over for a more educated person to fill a management position, I have enrolled in night school part time.
This will be a 2 1/2 year undertaking.
I am a little daunted by the task ahead as I have not been to school for over 25 years. I was wondering if anyone one else has gone through the same type of thing.
I am however, determined not to get passsed over again.
any encouragement would be appreciated.
Thanks
Lance

PorscheG96

I think you're going back to school for the wrong reason...

Not that I'm discouraging you, but are you going back to school in order to learn things that you'd appreciate knowing...or just to get a piece of paper saying you managed to get a C- or better in a series of classes? All I'm getting from your post is that you'd like to improve your resume [which should include much more than school by this stage in your life]. If you're gonna go back to school, set some bigger goals for yourself!! You're cheating yourself by going back to school so you can get out and start again with another company that MAY select another individual with more experience on his resume just like they have now [note *experience* and not *education*]. You can take some business management classes, but when you're finished start a business of your own! And while you're at it...learn everything you can about $. Then you won't be at the mercy of other people in the company. You'll be cookin' and racing 993 Twin Turbos around.

GOBOGIE

I'm right there with you. I have an A.S. degree and have had it for about 6 years. I am in a surpervisory/management position, but was passed over last summer for a promotion that would have doubled my salary. I was basically given the additional job responsibilities but without the raise. I missed out as a direct result of not have a M.S. in my field.

To make a long story short, I started last January and have gone fulltime since then (ave. ~ 13 cr/hr). I took both summer semesters at 2 local universities and am taking 13 credit hours currently. I work fulltime and manage a very busy department.

I will finished 2 years (for my undergraduate degree)in 1 1/2 years while still working full time and having some form of marriage with my wife. Oh and by the way, she has the same A.S. degree as I do and is going to school with me (for the same M.S. degree) and she works fulltime too and has taken the exact same classes/load. Suprisingly our grades have been exceptional?!?

Yes we are crazy but we're making it. All of this is in no way to blow our horn, but to tell you that you can do it. We never in the world thought we could be in an opportunity to do it but we are and we're making a go of it.

Don't give up!!! And yes everybody tells us we are crazy, but oh well we're in good company!

Oh, we sold our TV the moment we decided to go back to school. It's been brutal, but I highly recommend doing a TV-ectomy as it is the biggest time waster of the 20th Century in my opinion...

Again, Don't give UP!!!!!!!!!!!!!

K27

I am going back to take a certificate course that is directly related to what I do and since I do it all day anyway I am sure there will be a certain amount of enjoyment. But I cannot really think of a better reason than what I am currently facing, I have a young family and need to do better, bottom line.
I certainly don't want to be in the same position ten years from now.
maybe some day, funds permitting I will look to breaking free of an employer but not right now, the risk is too high, having kids and all.
Thanks for the hope that it can be done Cory, I hope it works out for you.

Billy W

I am doing the same thing. I found a local college that you can go at night and get a BBA in 4 years. So in 6 weeks I will be done with school (atleast until I go for a MBA).

But I will say it is sooo much easier now that I am older. I went some on and off when I first got out of high school and quit going when I had a GPA of 1.7. Now 13 years later I will graduate with honors. So do not worry you can do it.

iloveporsches

I'm not, but my father is. He's a higher-up accountant for Motorola, and they're footing the bill for him to go through graduate school at DeKalb University. He goes one night a week, and spends the other 6 studying. And when that's done he plans on getting a law degree so he can be a tax lawyer...I don't see how he does it, taxes are SOOOO boring.

Anyway, good luck with school! Education is a life long process (bet that sounds weird coming from a 17 year old!)

toneloc427

I'm 21 and just graduated two weeks ago with an Associate's in Mechanical Engineering from a small Tech school. I attended a major university for a year before transfering to the Tech, due to financial and personal/emotional issues. At both institutes I was fortunate to encounter several "non-traditional" students, such as yourself. A few of them were quiet and uncomfortable most of the time, but most were outgoing, expressing the confidence to ask questions and share experiences that comes only with age and time. You will be able to bring to the classroom a completely different perspective than what most of your classmates will have-don't be afraid to share your real-world experiences, both good and bad. You can be a true asset to a lot of younger students, and I encourage you to become as involved as possible.

Best of luck,
Tony

UDPride

I need to chime in.

I dont think theres anything wrong with going to school just to get it on your resume. Lets face it, for 99% of us with a 4-yr degree, its just a piece of paper that says we know how to listen in class, manage time, and study fairly hard. But it does mean we'll earn 60% more on average than someone who never went. The point is, you do it because its just prudent to, not necessarily because you hope to learn something and save the world.

I dont remember 1/100th of what I learned in college. Most of it was theory and applying deductive reasoning, not XYZ. I had to grow up more than anything in college and manage time, juggle full time job and full time school, massive loans etc etc. Thats what I learned. Far more important than whatever they taught me in class.

I think what Im getting at is for most people education at most levels is indeed a wage thing. People with masters tend to make more than bachelors and it doesnt mean they know one iota more. They just put in more time. And I dont think thats a shameful reason to pay someone more -- even if its only for that reason if everything else is equal. If you can get your foot in more doors and increase your earning potential, I say theres no better reason. If you learn things and take something away from it in the process, even better. I dont think college is, for most professions, an exercise in bestowing knowledge. I think HS teaches us how to study, and college teaches us how to learn. After that, its up to us to actually learn something. Eight out of 10 people dont end up working in their college discpline anyway.

Go for it big guy!! Give em hell!!

K27

I think your absolutely correct, it maybe says more about the person than it does about what he knows.
We all know it's hard to beat real world experience but proving that you can learn and understand as well as taking the initiative speaks volumes.
Thanks again for the advice, class starts tomorrow <img border="0" title="" alt="[Eek!]" src="eek.gif" />