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University?!
9 years ago
Oh man. So, I've always wanted a particular lifestyle for myself. I want to be able to afford to raise a family, buy a home, yatta yatta. While I know art could get me there eventually, I've realized that I really need to not only put myself in an environment where I'm around other people, but I need to pursue something related to health/fitness otherwise I know I'm going to regret it later.
Going back to school is always something that has been appealing to me. I've looked at all of the 1-2 year college programs in my area and unfortunately all the ones that look remotely appealing don't really give me anything in the way of qualifications, or at least not the qualifications that I wanted. University has just been totally something out of my league, so I never really considered it because of the price and the fact a bachelor's takes FOUR YEARS. I went to university for one year in 2013 (dropped out because it was hella expensive and I didn't like the program) and I've hardly put a dent in my student loan and I have zero to show for it, so I've been extremely intimidated ever since.
That being said, right now, not finishing university is my biggest regret. Every time I think about it I get a knot in my stomach because it's something I wish I pursued when I was just out of high school. I'm 22 years old now and most everyone from my senior year are graduating this summer. I feel like I'm so behind. I won't be finished until I'm 26 which is really scary for me. Not only that, but since my boyfriend and I have been together, I've only ever worked from home so I've been able to work around his schedule very easily. I know committing to university for 4 years plus fitting in any commissions I can to help pay for it would be really hard on the both of us and something that we're not used to, but I think each of us gaining some independence would be a good thing. I couldn't afford university before because of my family's income at the time (even though they didn't assist me at all, I still couldn't get the full amount for my loan), but now that I would be considered an independent as I live on my own, I think I would be able to get enough to support myself.
I really love the idea of working for a health and fitness magazine or company of some sort, so I've been heavily considering a Business degree with a minor in Exercise Science. I figure that with that degree I'd be able to apply it to either another company or if I wanted to grow my own business, which gives me the kind of flexibility that the college programs didn't.
I'm both excited and terrified at the prospect of starting all over. I literally haven't been able to sleep for days since I've talked to my boyfriend about it. GAH.
ANYWAY YEAH just had to talk it out because ahhhhh so anxious!!
Going back to school is always something that has been appealing to me. I've looked at all of the 1-2 year college programs in my area and unfortunately all the ones that look remotely appealing don't really give me anything in the way of qualifications, or at least not the qualifications that I wanted. University has just been totally something out of my league, so I never really considered it because of the price and the fact a bachelor's takes FOUR YEARS. I went to university for one year in 2013 (dropped out because it was hella expensive and I didn't like the program) and I've hardly put a dent in my student loan and I have zero to show for it, so I've been extremely intimidated ever since.
That being said, right now, not finishing university is my biggest regret. Every time I think about it I get a knot in my stomach because it's something I wish I pursued when I was just out of high school. I'm 22 years old now and most everyone from my senior year are graduating this summer. I feel like I'm so behind. I won't be finished until I'm 26 which is really scary for me. Not only that, but since my boyfriend and I have been together, I've only ever worked from home so I've been able to work around his schedule very easily. I know committing to university for 4 years plus fitting in any commissions I can to help pay for it would be really hard on the both of us and something that we're not used to, but I think each of us gaining some independence would be a good thing. I couldn't afford university before because of my family's income at the time (even though they didn't assist me at all, I still couldn't get the full amount for my loan), but now that I would be considered an independent as I live on my own, I think I would be able to get enough to support myself.
I really love the idea of working for a health and fitness magazine or company of some sort, so I've been heavily considering a Business degree with a minor in Exercise Science. I figure that with that degree I'd be able to apply it to either another company or if I wanted to grow my own business, which gives me the kind of flexibility that the college programs didn't.
I'm both excited and terrified at the prospect of starting all over. I literally haven't been able to sleep for days since I've talked to my boyfriend about it. GAH.
ANYWAY YEAH just had to talk it out because ahhhhh so anxious!!
I work full time overnights and go to school full time (taking 16.5 credits this semester), and plan on getting at least a master's degree. School isn't easy at this level, if it's a program that's rewarding, and will require determination, passion, and a healthy dose of masochistic insanity, but your age has nothing to do with it. If you're willing to put in the work, you can certainly accomplish much on this front.
Good luck with your program, my goodness! I'm sure all of that work will pay off for you.
I would also say that as an artist you are already a business owner. That should also give you a leg up in whatever you choose to do, especially a business degree.
Good luck.
That said, university is not a vocational program, it's there for learning. If you don't have the luxury of learning for the sake of learning, you stand a really good chance of just digging yourself into a whole pile of debt while not advancing your career one bit. It only really pays off for a handful of career choices (mostly STEM stuff) and even then it's a bit of a gamble.
The best way to do it, if you do commit to it, is to get a bunch of general credits at an inexpensive local college and then finish up your degree some place with a good brand name in your chosen field, preferably going into that second phase with a solid GPA and a bunch of scholarships under your belt (and taking care that your credits will transfer). Going to a Canadian school is also significantly cheaper than most american schools too. I'm assuming a north american experience here, in Europe things are completely different.
Also I wouldn't count on magazines existing as a thing once you graduate.
I know I'm more than likely not going to graduate with prospects knocking at my door, but it's like I could either take a gamble and get an education (which would not only give me some qualifications but introduce me to people who could sway me in the right direction) or I could hold back and continue doing what I'm doing without ever truly knowing. So I'm definitely prepared for the risk and ready to work for opportunities.
That's not a bad idea! I actually might have a couple of the electives already taken care of, where I went to university for a year already. So I'll definitely look into that. I wouldn't even know what kinds of college credits I would need though, I'm pretty clueless about how I would go about that, but I definitely like the sounds of saving some money.
Hahah I can't argue with that! Maybe an internet based venture would be better. :P Guess I'll have to see where it takes me, if that's the route I choose!
Another thing you need to consider is how expensive it will be and how are you going to deal with the debt you'll carry around for years, as much as it sucks, perhaps you could try to get a scholarship or something? I am pretty sure you would be able to to get one, considering you strike me as someone who is VERY passionate about it, as you are to art!
That said, if you do end up going to college, I KNOW you would do fantastic, it's something that, for as far as I have known you, you've been interested in, and I'm sure you would really enjoy it despite all the money and time you would use to get to where you want.
Best of luck on this decision, I know you'll do great, regardless of what you decide to do!
From what I can tell, it's going to cost around 28k. I'm sure it'll end up being more expensive for one reason or another, but to me it seems pretty reasonable. I mean I paid around 15k for 1 year at an expensive university (granted I lived on campus and had a meal plan there, but yeah). I absolutely hate the idea of building on my already existing debt but like I said, it's like a gamble, and hopefully I can double my investment within a couple years of graduating if I work really hard. :P I've looked into the scholarships and unfortunately the cut off date for application was on March 1st x___x so THAT sucks because I had like a 98% average in highschool but for some reason I've never thought to apply for scholarships until it was too late. I'm not sure if I would still be eligible for scholarships based on my highschool average in second year or not..? I'm very unfamiliar with the whole process.
Thank you very much ;w; I think I would do really well too that I have a specific goal in mind. I know it would be so much work but I think it would really make me grow as a person. I appreciate your input!!
Thank you so much! Keep a look out for journal openings, I'd love to work with you. :)
As a note, don't forget that almost half of college is making those connections, the other half is learning stuff. My sister is also in college and a couple years ahead of me, and she gets a ton of emails about internships and the like. We also both recently did an internship as a government facility (Paid one :o). I also know a dude who sped through college in 4 years, while married, and doing a military thing on the weekends that paid for his college. He applied for a thing at Lockheed Martin out of college, and recently went back because the military was paying for it. Admittedly he has almost no life outside of school. That's also my conclusion as a result of my experiences during this first year...the classes are hella pointless. I believe someone above mentioned getting credits to transfer over, wish I'd done that, or looked a little more into what classes I could skip.
In short, you -can- graduate right out of college and into a job - although this may differ between the fields, I'm in engineering.
Also, online classes are becoming more of a thing, though make sure they don't sneak extra fees in there. I've a friend online, they wanted to charge him 25$ to take an online test. I took my math class online last semester, and it was pretty cool. No commute (I live 30min from campus, decided living at home was cheaper. Also, parents are great cooks \o/). Plus the material was...well, I didn't have to go through a professor to get it all, and a professor's quality may vary. It miiiiight also be cheaper., but I can't recall. Online classes are more likely to have online textbooks, which are cheaper, but also might have an online program you need to buy.
Hopefully some of this helped ^^; Again, best of luck.
That sounds really sweet! I mean, save for the lack of social life, but I think it would be worth it for sure. Four years of whole-assing it as opposed to like 6 years or whatever of half-assing :P
Online classes would be great but a part of the reason I want to go to university is to meet people, so I would definitely want to milk every opportunity out of that.
Thank you for the suggestions!
What I can say, though, is that in my courses there are two or three people who are 40+ years old, and that if they can do it, you certainly can too.
The difference you perceive is mainly because we live in a society that wants results, fast and without hesitation.
That is NOT how university should be approached. You should study what you love because you love it, with the time your mind needs to absorb the data.
Not everyone can read an entire book and then remember anything from it at first glance, or solve complex mathematics with ease when needed. If you can, that sure comes in handy, but is not the only way.
Most of human beings are simple people, with lives and hobbies and personal problems. This means they won't be delivering those fast, perfect results society wants.
Well, screw that society.
Your mind is yours, and if you feel thirsty, then go for it.
...
I know this may sound a bit unfair when talking from Italy. I mean, here the access to university is free (you pay taxes only to be able to do exams, otherwise any course is public)... Nevertheless, you should totally do it. Not only because a degree makes life a lot easier when searching for a job, but mostly because you'll live a life in which you satisfied your search for knowledge, and if there is a reason to life, surely one is to gather knowledge.
I think that's exactly why I need to do it. Whether or not I get a job out of it, I'm definitely someone who thirsts for knowledge. Hell, it might be cheaper for me to move to Italy and go to school there if that's the case! Haha. :P
The problem is that in that case you are not allowed to work when studying. I still don't get the whole logic behind, people from the north are strange.
Another good thing I like is that many places also record some lessons and publish them online. The Italian Nuclear Physics Institute (INFN) publishes lessons on quantum physics (which I found really helpful when approaching their work), and admits anyone who subscribes to their mailing list to new meetings.
Heck, the best thing ever is the "science talks" they did last year (and soon again): scientists from every subject gather to a pub, and then they all have a beer together while one of them explains to the others something of interest. Soon everyone gets to share his knowledge and we all have a lot of fun.
The point is always the same: instruction should be easily accessible for anyone anytime and for free.
Still, if you want to be recognized for it, then you need to pay, and in that case you are able to perform and get the degree.
I still find it fun while I have free time to follow other courses, even if I don't get any paper that says I did.
How does it work near you? What happens if they catch you in a class you aren't part of?
but keep ur nose up!
gonna watch u from now on