Returning to college - Original Pony Car

**BlownFiveLiter** · 08-17-2011, 09:44 PM

Anyone here go back to college as an adult? I'm looking at doing it, yet again this fall for the fourth time since 1999. Eventually, I might even finish a degree!

Right now I'm looking at becoming a CPA, but I gotta get my AAS first. If I bust my ass, I can probably be done with the AAS after fall 2012. This semester I'm only taking 7 credit hours (Accounting 101 and Business Law 101) because I waited too long, to register for classes and those were what I could get right now. I'll be so happy to get out of healthcare!

**SVTnSD** · 08-17-2011, 11:41 PM

I retired from the military and went to college full time for the last three years and graduated last March with a bachelors in Business Administration, my minor is accounting.

Stick with it.. Nobody can take your degree away from you.

Likely you know this, but not many really think about it. Most human resource professionals hiring for a company will ask to see your grades. Dedicate your self to graduating with honors. Your resume and bank account will love it.

Take your time with Accounting I, it has all the basic stuff you'll use in all of your future accounting classes. Watch out for "Cost Accounting" ! It was a difficult course.

Business Law was fun..

**BlownFiveLiter** · 08-18-2011, 09:13 AM

Congratulations on your bachelor's degree! It isn't easy when we have other responsibilities and still go to class. I was working nights and taking morning classes the last time and by the end of the semester, I was so burned out that I nearly got myself fired from work because of my attitude. I really hope to have better luck this time, since I'm no longer working nights.

Good call on the grades, by the way. I honestly never considered that they'd want to see them. I have a low 3.x GPA currently, so bringing that up shouldn't be too hard if I stay with B's and above for the next year, or two. A couple A's and it'd come up no problem. I don't know about graduating with honors, but I try. I'll just go ahead and admit that my study habits suck and while I do ok in class, I've never liked it, so sticking with it is difficult for me. If I plan to have any sort of future, I guess I have to do it though!

**aar0s** · 08-18-2011, 12:45 PM

I started right after HS but quit so i could go play house with my ex wife, after we split up I started going back taking one or two classes a semester until I finished my associates in applied science (fire science) with honors. to bad that Illinois is so deeply in bed with the insurance companies that you cant be hired after 35 for a full time spot, same way with the state police as far as i know. so i have a 2 year degree that i really cant do anything with. been thinking about going back for a bachelors deg, not sure what in though, so i can sub teach at the school where my wife works.

**BlownFiveLiter** · 08-18-2011, 03:36 PM

Are you a firefighter/paramedic? If so, you could find a paramedic -> RN bridge program (should only be a year, maybe 15 months tops). Then your degree wouldn't be for nothing. Of course if we were smart, we'd get out of IL while we still can!

**aar0s** · 08-18-2011, 05:33 PM

nope just your average FF3/haz mat ops/ instructor 1/ strategy and tactics 1&2/ fire prevention principals/ management 1&2/ ten years in the service run of the mill paid on call firefighter. no way in hell im doing ems, cant stand to listen to the whiny drunks at 10-50's as it is.
I would love to take Fire investigation 1 and 2 and start working for the OSFM, but im not a political butt hump so thats not going to happen.

**BlownFiveLiter** · 08-20-2011, 07:38 PM

Went and picked up my books this morning. I guess I'm really going back now. Freaking $400 something for 2 classes' books. WTF.

For your FF degree and experience, do any departments do like a lot of PD's do, where they extend the age limit 1 year for each year of experience? I've never seen them specify that it had to be full-time, just that you needed experience. Could be worth a shot?

**aar0s** · 08-20-2011, 09:57 PM

If the town is "home rule" then they can hire who ever they want. one local town hired a guy, chief of police's buddy i think, that was like 42 or so.

Buddy of mine went back and is taking a bunch of auto body tech classes, wouldn't mind doing that. What are you going back for?

Man I would love to leave this armpit of a state, taxes are way to high, state police force is always out looking for easy revenue (i.e. seat belt tickets on city side streets rather than busting speeders on the highway) no real jobs other than coal mines. yeh F this place. I tried to get my wife to move and she wouldn't do it, loves the school she teaches at.

**BlownFiveLiter** · 08-20-2011, 10:31 PM

I'm going for accounting. I miss having a normal job with 9-5 hours and weekends and holidays off. I worked on cars for a living once. It lasted maybe 2 months before I hated it. It's fun as a hobby, but when it became work, it sucked.

**BlownFiveLiter** · 08-23-2011, 12:00 PM

First day went well! Nice class size, so you can have a decent amount of interaction, and unlike high school and my last few attempts at college, I'm sitting at the front of the class now. Might actually learn something!

**aar0s** · 08-23-2011, 12:21 PM

I got to where i liked sitting in the front of the class, f' the people behind me, dont care what they think about the old guy in the front that asks alot of questions and interacts with the instructor, Im there to learn and better my position, not to goof off and just get by.
Reminds me of this 30 min. tirade I went on in an english class one time. it was a teleclass where there was another class watching on a monitor in a town about 30 miles away. I just went off on this shitfull story that she had us read that took place in Paducah, Ky about an hour or so from where i live. The story made everyone from this area look like dead beat red necks who's only goal in life was to get stoned.

**BlownFiveLiter** · 12-08-2011, 06:48 PM

In 3 hours, I will have officially survived this semester.

I still have finals to take, but I'm not at all worried about those. My classes end officially end tonight though. Put a half-assed effort into them and got two B's. Works for me!

Edit: I stand corrected. Just got home from Business Law. With the quiz tonight, I put myself at a 90.5% and an A.

The best part is, I don't have to take the final because of that!

**aar0s** · 12-09-2011, 04:04 PM

I did some of my ex's into to law homework, did fairly well at it. little late for me to try that road now though.

Congrats on the first semester! the hardest part is getting started back!

**BlownFiveLiter** · 12-09-2011, 10:32 PM

Nah, you could always do the online route. Get a plain Jane BA and then take the GRE and do an online law degree.

**aar0s** · 12-10-2011, 12:18 PM

Ive taken online classes before, never again. Teh only thing i got from it was the knowledge that i dont want to take another online class

**BlownFiveLiter** · 12-10-2011, 01:07 PM

I've never done one, but for some reason a computer information sciences class I took back in 1999 is no longer valid, so I have to retake it. It's a total blow-off class, so I'm thinking I might do it online and get it over with. It's a basic overview of the PC and MS Office. I've been using PC's since like 1992, and building PC's since like 1998, so the hardware part will be nothing. I've been using Office since 1998, so that will also be nothing. All in all, it's going to be an easy A and make my GPA look that much better.

**BlownFiveLiter** · 12-12-2011, 04:44 PM

Registered for my Spring 2012 classes. Accounting 102, Business 101, and Computer Information Sciences 122 (online blowoff class). Only 11 credit hours, but that's enough with full-time employment. Hopefully I can get through them with relative ease, like I did this semester.

**aar0s** · 12-12-2011, 05:09 PM

Ya know, it seemed to me that college (at least the second go-around) was easier than HS. Im sure you'll do fine and when you get done you can do my taxes pro-bono!

**BlownFiveLiter** · 12-12-2011, 09:27 PM

LOL, I have no intention of being a tax accountant. I'm not learning like 5,000 pages worth of tax code every year.

08-17-2011, 09:44 PM	#1 (permalink)
BlownFiveLiter OPC Staff Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Chicago 'burbs Posts: 587	Returning to college Anyone here go back to college as an adult? I'm looking at doing it, yet again this fall for the fourth time since 1999. Eventually, I might even finish a degree! Right now I'm looking at becoming a CPA, but I gotta get my AAS first. If I bust my ass, I can probably be done with the AAS after fall 2012. This semester I'm only taking 7 credit hours (Accounting 101 and Business Law 101) because I waited too long, to register for classes and those were what I could get right now. I'll be so happy to get out of healthcare! __________________ Matt 1995 Mustang GT Mustang's Mods Vortech V2SQ \| TFS Twisted Wedge heads \| TFS 51402000 (stage 1) cam \| Typhoon intake 70mm throttle body \| SCT BA-2400 MAF \| Siemens 60lb. injectors \| Dual 255lph fuel pumps TwEECer RT \| MAC off road X-pipe \| Flowmaster 2 chamber mufflers Cobra front brakes \| 2000 Cobra R wheels \| 96-98 export taillights

08-18-2011, 09:13 AM	#3 (permalink)
BlownFiveLiter OPC Staff Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Chicago 'burbs Posts: 587	Congratulations on your bachelor's degree! It isn't easy when we have other responsibilities and still go to class. I was working nights and taking morning classes the last time and by the end of the semester, I was so burned out that I nearly got myself fired from work because of my attitude. I really hope to have better luck this time, since I'm no longer working nights. Good call on the grades, by the way. I honestly never considered that they'd want to see them. I have a low 3.x GPA currently, so bringing that up shouldn't be too hard if I stay with B's and above for the next year, or two. A couple A's and it'd come up no problem. I don't know about graduating with honors, but I try. I'll just go ahead and admit that my study habits suck and while I do ok in class, I've never liked it, so sticking with it is difficult for me. If I plan to have any sort of future, I guess I have to do it though! __________________ Matt 1995 Mustang GT Mustang's Mods Vortech V2SQ \| TFS Twisted Wedge heads \| TFS 51402000 (stage 1) cam \| Typhoon intake 70mm throttle body \| SCT BA-2400 MAF \| Siemens 60lb. injectors \| Dual 255lph fuel pumps TwEECer RT \| MAC off road X-pipe \| Flowmaster 2 chamber mufflers Cobra front brakes \| 2000 Cobra R wheels \| 96-98 export taillights

08-18-2011, 03:36 PM	#5 (permalink)
BlownFiveLiter OPC Staff Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Chicago 'burbs Posts: 587	Are you a firefighter/paramedic? If so, you could find a paramedic -> RN bridge program (should only be a year, maybe 15 months tops). Then your degree wouldn't be for nothing. Of course if we were smart, we'd get out of IL while we still can! __________________ Matt 1995 Mustang GT Mustang's Mods Vortech V2SQ \| TFS Twisted Wedge heads \| TFS 51402000 (stage 1) cam \| Typhoon intake 70mm throttle body \| SCT BA-2400 MAF \| Siemens 60lb. injectors \| Dual 255lph fuel pumps TwEECer RT \| MAC off road X-pipe \| Flowmaster 2 chamber mufflers Cobra front brakes \| 2000 Cobra R wheels \| 96-98 export taillights

08-20-2011, 07:38 PM	#7 (permalink)
BlownFiveLiter OPC Staff Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Chicago 'burbs Posts: 587	Went and picked up my books this morning. I guess I'm really going back now. Freaking $400 something for 2 classes' books. WTF. For your FF degree and experience, do any departments do like a lot of PD's do, where they extend the age limit 1 year for each year of experience? I've never seen them specify that it had to be full-time, just that you needed experience. Could be worth a shot? __________________ Matt 1995 Mustang GT Mustang's Mods Vortech V2SQ \| TFS Twisted Wedge heads \| TFS 51402000 (stage 1) cam \| Typhoon intake 70mm throttle body \| SCT BA-2400 MAF \| Siemens 60lb. injectors \| Dual 255lph fuel pumps TwEECer RT \| MAC off road X-pipe \| Flowmaster 2 chamber mufflers Cobra front brakes \| 2000 Cobra R wheels \| 96-98 export taillights

08-20-2011, 10:31 PM	#9 (permalink)
BlownFiveLiter OPC Staff Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Chicago 'burbs Posts: 587	I'm going for accounting. I miss having a normal job with 9-5 hours and weekends and holidays off. I worked on cars for a living once. It lasted maybe 2 months before I hated it. It's fun as a hobby, but when it became work, it sucked. __________________ Matt 1995 Mustang GT Mustang's Mods Vortech V2SQ \| TFS Twisted Wedge heads \| TFS 51402000 (stage 1) cam \| Typhoon intake 70mm throttle body \| SCT BA-2400 MAF \| Siemens 60lb. injectors \| Dual 255lph fuel pumps TwEECer RT \| MAC off road X-pipe \| Flowmaster 2 chamber mufflers Cobra front brakes \| 2000 Cobra R wheels \| 96-98 export taillights

08-17-2011, 11:41 PM	#2 (permalink)
SVTnSD OPC Staff Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 114	I retired from the military and went to college full time for the last three years and graduated last March with a bachelors in Business Administration, my minor is accounting. Stick with it.. Nobody can take your degree away from you. Likely you know this, but not many really think about it. Most human resource professionals hiring for a company will ask to see your grades. Dedicate your self to graduating with honors. Your resume and bank account will love it. Take your time with Accounting I, it has all the basic stuff you'll use in all of your future accounting classes. Watch out for "Cost Accounting" ! It was a difficult course. Business Law was fun..

08-18-2011, 12:45 PM	#4 (permalink)
aar0s OPC Staff Join Date: Jul 2011 Posts: 602	I started right after HS but quit so i could go play house with my ex wife, after we split up I started going back taking one or two classes a semester until I finished my associates in applied science (fire science) with honors. to bad that Illinois is so deeply in bed with the insurance companies that you cant be hired after 35 for a full time spot, same way with the state police as far as i know. so i have a 2 year degree that i really cant do anything with. been thinking about going back for a bachelors deg, not sure what in though, so i can sub teach at the school where my wife works.

08-18-2011, 05:33 PM	#6 (permalink)
aar0s OPC Staff Join Date: Jul 2011 Posts: 602	nope just your average FF3/haz mat ops/ instructor 1/ strategy and tactics 1&2/ fire prevention principals/ management 1&2/ ten years in the service run of the mill paid on call firefighter. no way in hell im doing ems, cant stand to listen to the whiny drunks at 10-50's as it is. I would love to take Fire investigation 1 and 2 and start working for the OSFM, but im not a political butt hump so thats not going to happen.

08-20-2011, 09:57 PM	#8 (permalink)
aar0s OPC Staff Join Date: Jul 2011 Posts: 602	If the town is "home rule" then they can hire who ever they want. one local town hired a guy, chief of police's buddy i think, that was like 42 or so. Buddy of mine went back and is taking a bunch of auto body tech classes, wouldn't mind doing that. What are you going back for? Man I would love to leave this armpit of a state, taxes are way to high, state police force is always out looking for easy revenue (i.e. seat belt tickets on city side streets rather than busting speeders on the highway) no real jobs other than coal mines. yeh F this place. I tried to get my wife to move and she wouldn't do it, loves the school she teaches at.

08-23-2011, 12:00 PM	#10 (permalink)
BlownFiveLiter OPC Staff Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Chicago 'burbs Posts: 587	First day went well! Nice class size, so you can have a decent amount of interaction, and unlike high school and my last few attempts at college, I'm sitting at the front of the class now. Might actually learn something! __________________ Matt 1995 Mustang GT Mustang's Mods Vortech V2SQ \| TFS Twisted Wedge heads \| TFS 51402000 (stage 1) cam \| Typhoon intake 70mm throttle body \| SCT BA-2400 MAF \| Siemens 60lb. injectors \| Dual 255lph fuel pumps TwEECer RT \| MAC off road X-pipe \| Flowmaster 2 chamber mufflers Cobra front brakes \| 2000 Cobra R wheels \| 96-98 export taillights

08-23-2011, 12:21 PM	#11 (permalink)
aar0s OPC Staff Join Date: Jul 2011 Posts: 602	I got to where i liked sitting in the front of the class, f' the people behind me, dont care what they think about the old guy in the front that asks alot of questions and interacts with the instructor, Im there to learn and better my position, not to goof off and just get by. Reminds me of this 30 min. tirade I went on in an english class one time. it was a teleclass where there was another class watching on a monitor in a town about 30 miles away. I just went off on this shitfull story that she had us read that took place in Paducah, Ky about an hour or so from where i live. The story made everyone from this area look like dead beat red necks who's only goal in life was to get stoned.

12-08-2011, 06:48 PM	#12 (permalink)
BlownFiveLiter OPC Staff Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Chicago 'burbs Posts: 587	In 3 hours, I will have officially survived this semester. I still have finals to take, but I'm not at all worried about those. My classes end officially end tonight though. Put a half-assed effort into them and got two B's. Works for me! Edit: I stand corrected. Just got home from Business Law. With the quiz tonight, I put myself at a 90.5% and an A. The best part is, I don't have to take the final because of that! __________________ Matt 1995 Mustang GT Mustang's Mods Vortech V2SQ \| TFS Twisted Wedge heads \| TFS 51402000 (stage 1) cam \| Typhoon intake 70mm throttle body \| SCT BA-2400 MAF \| Siemens 60lb. injectors \| Dual 255lph fuel pumps TwEECer RT \| MAC off road X-pipe \| Flowmaster 2 chamber mufflers Cobra front brakes \| 2000 Cobra R wheels \| 96-98 export taillights

12-09-2011, 04:04 PM	#13 (permalink)
aar0s OPC Staff Join Date: Jul 2011 Posts: 602	I did some of my ex's into to law homework, did fairly well at it. little late for me to try that road now though. Congrats on the first semester! the hardest part is getting started back!

12-09-2011, 10:32 PM	#14 (permalink)
BlownFiveLiter OPC Staff Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Chicago 'burbs Posts: 587	Nah, you could always do the online route. Get a plain Jane BA and then take the GRE and do an online law degree. __________________ Matt 1995 Mustang GT Mustang's Mods Vortech V2SQ \| TFS Twisted Wedge heads \| TFS 51402000 (stage 1) cam \| Typhoon intake 70mm throttle body \| SCT BA-2400 MAF \| Siemens 60lb. injectors \| Dual 255lph fuel pumps TwEECer RT \| MAC off road X-pipe \| Flowmaster 2 chamber mufflers Cobra front brakes \| 2000 Cobra R wheels \| 96-98 export taillights

12-10-2011, 12:18 PM	#15 (permalink)
aar0s OPC Staff Join Date: Jul 2011 Posts: 602	Ive taken online classes before, never again. Teh only thing i got from it was the knowledge that i dont want to take another online class

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12-10-2011, 01:07 PM	#16 (permalink)
BlownFiveLiter OPC Staff Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Chicago 'burbs Posts: 587	I've never done one, but for some reason a computer information sciences class I took back in 1999 is no longer valid, so I have to retake it. It's a total blow-off class, so I'm thinking I might do it online and get it over with. It's a basic overview of the PC and MS Office. I've been using PC's since like 1992, and building PC's since like 1998, so the hardware part will be nothing. I've been using Office since 1998, so that will also be nothing. All in all, it's going to be an easy A and make my GPA look that much better. __________________ Matt 1995 Mustang GT Mustang's Mods Vortech V2SQ \| TFS Twisted Wedge heads \| TFS 51402000 (stage 1) cam \| Typhoon intake 70mm throttle body \| SCT BA-2400 MAF \| Siemens 60lb. injectors \| Dual 255lph fuel pumps TwEECer RT \| MAC off road X-pipe \| Flowmaster 2 chamber mufflers Cobra front brakes \| 2000 Cobra R wheels \| 96-98 export taillights

12-12-2011, 04:44 PM	#17 (permalink)
BlownFiveLiter OPC Staff Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Chicago 'burbs Posts: 587	Registered for my Spring 2012 classes. Accounting 102, Business 101, and Computer Information Sciences 122 (online blowoff class). Only 11 credit hours, but that's enough with full-time employment. Hopefully I can get through them with relative ease, like I did this semester. __________________ Matt 1995 Mustang GT Mustang's Mods Vortech V2SQ \| TFS Twisted Wedge heads \| TFS 51402000 (stage 1) cam \| Typhoon intake 70mm throttle body \| SCT BA-2400 MAF \| Siemens 60lb. injectors \| Dual 255lph fuel pumps TwEECer RT \| MAC off road X-pipe \| Flowmaster 2 chamber mufflers Cobra front brakes \| 2000 Cobra R wheels \| 96-98 export taillights

12-12-2011, 05:09 PM	#18 (permalink)
aar0s OPC Staff Join Date: Jul 2011 Posts: 602	Ya know, it seemed to me that college (at least the second go-around) was easier than HS. Im sure you'll do fine and when you get done you can do my taxes pro-bono!

12-12-2011, 09:27 PM	#19 (permalink)
BlownFiveLiter OPC Staff Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Chicago 'burbs Posts: 587	LOL, I have no intention of being a tax accountant. I'm not learning like 5,000 pages worth of tax code every year. __________________ Matt 1995 Mustang GT Mustang's Mods Vortech V2SQ \| TFS Twisted Wedge heads \| TFS 51402000 (stage 1) cam \| Typhoon intake 70mm throttle body \| SCT BA-2400 MAF \| Siemens 60lb. injectors \| Dual 255lph fuel pumps TwEECer RT \| MAC off road X-pipe \| Flowmaster 2 chamber mufflers Cobra front brakes \| 2000 Cobra R wheels \| 96-98 export taillights