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A Guide for Adults Going to College

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Re: A Guide for Adults Going to College

#151

Post by knicholes »

CalRobert wrote: post #132
two2two wrote: post #63

I'm a returning student about to complete my degree at the end of this year. I went to an art school for a few years out of high school and ended up in customer service positions with some great companies. I didn't want to continue in customer service, so I decided to go back to school. Started with two years at community college, and now finishing up my last two at university. Some insights I picked up along the way…

Thank you!!! I spent way too long getting a useless degree in physics at Cal Poly SLO. They wouldn't let you switch majors (because every 17 year old knows what they want to do with their life) but it turns out changing schools is tough when your grades show you've hated your major the last 2 years. The best thing I EVER did was sign up for classes at Santa Monica College after getting my Bachelor's. They're fantasti…

How did you and your wife take German from the same professor at the same time? Was he broadcasting his lesson, were you and your wife in the same location as the teacher, was the teacher able to duplicate himself, or is "at the same time" more of a "during the same semester" and not literally at the exact same time?

Re: A Guide for Adults Going to College

#152

Post by morpheuskafka »

two2two wrote: post #63

I'm a returning student about to complete my degree at the end of this year. I went to an art school for a few years out of high school and ended up in customer service positions with some great companies. I didn't want to continue in customer service, so I decided to go back to school. Started with two years at community college, and now finishing up my last two at university. Some insights I picked up along the way…

> - as an adult, it sucks to work in groups with young students

Wondering if you would share any details on this and/or suggestions for traditional age students working with adults?

Re: A Guide for Adults Going to College

#153

Post by chrisseaton »

throwaway427 wrote: post #59
chrisseaton wrote: post #7

I went back to university as an adult with a mortgage, wife, daughter on the way, and I did an internship. Nobody seemed to particularly notice or care that I was older and I'm not sure it changed anything.

How old were you when you did it?

26, so not a lot older in years, but at a very different point in my life - settled with wife, mortgage etc, which makes a big difference I think.

Re: A Guide for Adults Going to College

#154

Post by chrisseaton »

ProAm wrote: post #147
chrisseaton wrote: post #7

I went back to university as an adult with a mortgage, wife, daughter on the way, and I did an internship. Nobody seemed to particularly notice or care that I was older and I'm not sure it changed anything.

What did you go back for degree wise?

PhD computer science.

Re: A Guide for Adults Going to College

#155

Post by thebooktocome »

leetcrew wrote: post #82
qubex wrote: post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don’t mean to be contentious here, but the reason for which student debt cannot be discharged by bankruptcy is pretty sound: it’s because education (theoretically) adds warning power to an individual and cannot be liquidated. (I’m not a lawyer and am not an American either.)

more to the point: it's an unsecured (ie, there's no collateral to take in the event of default) loan with a very low interest rate issued to a group of people who have little to no credit history.

I wonder why the degree itself is not used as collateral. Certainly institutions are permitted to vacate them under all sorts of circumstances.

Of course, some people take on student loans and fail to graduate.

Re: A Guide for Adults Going to College

#156

Post by andyv »

When I was a graduate teaching assistant at a 4-year university, the re-entry students never failed to impress me. They were the most determined students I had. They weren't afraid to confront me when I made a mistake, and I made a few.

Re: A Guide for Adults Going to College

#157

Post by nostrademons »

telchar wrote: post #100
lordnacho wrote: post #90

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> The fact that it’s a 4-year slog is one of the factors that make university degree holders earn premium in the labor marketplace Aren't you on holiday for a lot of those 4 years? I went to uni for 4 years, and it was 3 terms of 8 weeks each, per year. In other words, 96 weeks. Throw in the occasional rest week and it should really fit in two years.

What part of the world is that? In the US it's typical to have 2 16-18 week semesters per year, usually with a job or internship for 10-12 weeks in the summer.

One of my college classmates (at a very expensive U.S. liberal arts college) used to quip "The more you pay, the less you stay." We had two 13-14 week semesters per year (1-week break in each, Thanksgiving in the fall and mid-semester break in the Spring), with a 6-week optional January term between and 14 weeks for summer. Sticker price was $45K when I went there and is now $70k.

Re: A Guide for Adults Going to College

#158

Post by telchar »

leetcrew wrote: post #134
telchar wrote: post #111

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The debt I've seen my peers saddled with has typically been 6-10%, issued mostly in the recession/post-recession years of low interest rates. It seems like exceedingly high interest to me when mortgages and car loans are half as much.

mortgages and auto loans are secured with assets. the lender can take back the car or house if you default, greatly limiting the risk of lending. a better comparison for an unsecured loan would be a credit card. please let me know if you find a credit card with anything near a 10% interest rate. afaik, the best rates are around 14% and only go to people with very good credit.

I think student debt is the safest of all. It can't be discharged in bankruptcy anymore. Further, it's typically guaranteed by the government on top of that. Credit cards are a poor comparison I think.

Re: A Guide for Adults Going to College

#159

Post by SketchySeaBeast »

dx87 wrote: post #77
dsajames wrote: post #73

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't know where you went to school, but I did some CC and completed a BS. It was the opposite for me. CC treated people like hs kids, at uni, I did all the research I could desire. Classes were way harder, the subject matter infinitely more in depth, etc.

My wife had the same experience teaching at a CC. The school accepted anybody who applied, and they pressured professors to pass everyone regardless of their grades because they just wanted the tuition money. She stopped teaching there after 1 semester because she said it felt like being a babysitter and salesperson instead of a teacher.

Going to a CC I got the feeling that any professors who weren't fresh out of their own education who taught there were those who'd lost their passion and were happy to just totter along until retirement.

Re: A Guide for Adults Going to College

#160

Post by [deleted] »

knicholes wrote: post #151
CalRobert wrote: post #132

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Thank you!!! I spent way too long getting a useless degree in physics at Cal Poly SLO. They wouldn't let you switch majors (because every 17 year old knows what they want to do with their life) but it turns out changing schools is tough when your grades show you've hated your major the last 2 years. The best thing I EVER did was sign up for classes at Santa Monica College after getting my Bachelor's. They're fantasti…

How did you and your wife take German from the same professor at the same time? Was he broadcasting his lesson, were you and your wife in the same location as the teacher, was the teacher able to duplicate himself, or is "at the same time" more of a "during the same semester" and not literally at the exact same time?

[deleted]
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