Going back to School

[ponderingturtle]

Well I tried in the Forum Community and just received general encouragement so I will try here and see what I get.

I was with in 10 credits of getting a bachelors degree in physics and then owing to depression and such dropped out of school. I am trying to figure out what ways to best go back to school to get a bachelors done with so I can move on and say get a masters in engineering.

But with the problems I had I have a lot of anxiety about this issue, to the extent that it basically seems to paralyze me. I get so worried that I will essentially have to start over that I can't get anything done.

[Southwind17]

Well I tried in the Forum Community and just received general encouragement so I will try here and see what I get.

I was with in 10 credits of getting a bachelors degree in physics and then owing to depression and such dropped out of school. I am trying to figure out what ways to best go back to school to get a bachelors done with so I can move on and say get a masters in engineering.

But with the problems I had I have a lot of anxiety about this issue, to the extent that it basically seems to paralyze me. I get so worried that I will essentially have to start over that I can't get anything done.

No disrespect, but I can see why all you received was 'general encouragement'. What you've described is a little like going to the doctor and saying: "I feel unwell", then expecting the prescription. I think you might need to be a little more specific, but good luck anyhow. :)

[Jeff Corey]

Find out what textbooks you will need. Get copies on Amazon cheap. Read them and then register for the courses.
Ten credits is not a lot, what two lecture courses and one lecture/lab?

[drkitten]

I was with in 10 credits of getting a bachelors degree in physics and then owing to depression and such dropped out of school. I am trying to figure out what ways to best go back to school to get a bachelors done with so I can move on and say get a masters in engineering.

Well, the best way is simply to do it. Figure out what classes you need to take, register for them, and take them.


But with the problems I had I have a lot of anxiety about this issue, to the extent that it basically seems to paralyze me. I get so worried that I will essentially have to start over that I can't get anything done.

Yeah, depression has that effect. I find the best thing to do is simply to mensch my way through it, if there's something specific. It may help to break it down into very small tasks and force yourself do to.

Registration, for example, is relatively simple. Get on the phone right now and request the forms. Once they arrive, let us know....

[ponderingturtle]

Find out what textbooks you will need. Get copies on Amazon cheap. Read them and then register for the courses.
Ten credits is not a lot, what two lecture courses and one lecture/lab?

The problem is I don't live near that school and would rather not have to move to go there. I am 5 and a half hours away. So if I would need to attend classes, I might well have problems as I would need to take the semester off from my job.(getting time off to attend a local school would be less of a problem)

So then I would need to figure out if a more local school would accept my credits and how much it would take.

These are particular enough issues that I am uncertain how to approach a school to find out how much more I would need to do there to get a degree.

I also about a year ago got a letter form the school saying that I was no longer considered a student and would have to re apply to get a degree and I am not sure how much the requirements have changed.

[ponderingturtle]

Well, the best way is simply to do it. Figure out what classes you need to take, register for them, and take them.


But how do I find out the classes I need from various schools that are not a 5.5 hour drive away?


Yeah, depression has that effect. I find the best thing to do is simply to mensch my way through it, if there's something specific. It may help to break it down into very small tasks and force yourself do to.

Registration, for example, is relatively simple. Get on the phone right now and request the forms. Once they arrive, let us know....

But how do I figure out where to register? What I am really trying to figure out is I want to select a school based at least partly on how quickly I can get my bachelors out of the way. And I am not sure how to determine that in the abstract.

[drkitten]

These are particular enough issues that I am uncertain how to approach a school to find out how much more I would need to do there to get a degree.

You phone them and ask for the admissions office, please.

Schools want your tuition dollars. They want them badly enough that they have entire offices specifically devoted to finding prospective students and persuading them to attend.

Pick up the phone. NOW. Dial it. Ask for the admissions office and read your opening post aloud to them.

[drkitten]

But how do I find out the classes I need from various schools that are not a 5.5 hour drive away?

Phone them. Usually they make a point of making their phone numbers easy to find.
For example, U-Texas Arlington is 817.272.6287 and they're there until 7pm.

You're stalling. I recognize the signs. You don't want to do anything until you get all the information that there is in the world, because that way you can justify not doing anything ever.

[Wavicle]

But with the problems I had I have a lot of anxiety about this issue, to the extent that it basically seems to paralyze me. I get so worried that I will essentially have to start over that I can't get anything done.

It took me 10 years to get my act together and *really* go back to school. I was two years into a Mechanical Engineering degree before I dropped out the first time. When I finally went back, I switched to Math & Computer Science. I nearly had to start over from scratch. My best advice:

1) make a plan
2) follow plan
3) Upon getting new information, or when things change, change the plan
4) Go back to step 2

My first plan was very naive, but it got me rolling. In that respect it was utterly brilliant. Perhaps it was because my situation was desperate (dot-com bubble popped, I had a mortgage, a new baby, and no degree). My desperation eventually got me to act over the fear of being the "old" guy in class (at 28) or worrying over the maxim "the longer you wait, the harder it is to go back" that so many people had drummed into me.

In most of my classes, I wasn't the oldest one. The oldest one in most of my classes was usually the most interesting person in it. Including the 40-something-year-old guy who believed just about every conspiracy theory that's been imagined in the last 40 years.

[ponderingturtle]

It took me 10 years to get my act together and *really* go back to school. I was two years into a Mechanical Engineering degree before I dropped out the first time. When I finally went back, I switched to Math & Computer Science. I nearly had to start over from scratch. My best advice:

1) make a plan
2) follow plan
3) Upon getting new information, or when things change, change the plan
4) Go back to step 2

My first plan was very naive, but it got me rolling. In that respect it was utterly brilliant. Perhaps it was because my situation was desperate (dot-com bubble popped, I had a mortgage, a new baby, and no degree). My desperation eventually got me to act over the fear of being the "old" guy in class (at 28) or worrying over the maxim "the longer you wait, the harder it is to go back" that so many people had drummed into me.

In most of my classes, I wasn't the oldest one. The oldest one in most of my classes was usually the most interesting person in it. Including the 40-something-year-old guy who believed just about every conspiracy theory that's been imagined in the last 40 years.

Well I am 28. But I don't have morgage or family to worry about.

[ponderingturtle]

You phone them and ask for the admissions office, please.

Schools want your tuition dollars. They want them badly enough that they have entire offices specifically devoted to finding prospective students and persuading them to attend.

Pick up the phone. NOW. Dial it. Ask for the admissions office and read your opening post aloud to them.

So you would recomend the admission office even at the school I used to go to, and not the department where I still know most of the professors?

That really is very much what I was wondering about.

[Juustin]

I don't have anything too specific to add, I'm also going back to school part time (I'm a little envious of your situation - I'm 50 credits shy of an associate's degree).

I'm in the middle of arranging to take 2 years worth at a community college before transferring to a 4-year. It's been pretty simple so far, and in my experience from this, schools are willing to bend over backward as much as they can to help you attend your classes and get your credits. Contact your local college and ask what they need from you in order to transfer your credits. Or contact the college you've already attended, and ask what local college you can attend that they'll accept credits from to give you your degree.

[ponderingturtle]

I don't have anything too specific to add, I'm also going back to school part time (I'm a little envious of your situation - I'm 50 credits shy of an associate's degree).

It is hard so say. If I have to repeat 60 credits in classes to get a degree it might not be an envious situation to be in.

I'm in the middle of arranging to take 2 years worth at a community college before transferring to a 4-year. It's been pretty simple so far, and in my experience from this, schools are willing to bend over backward as much as they can to help you attend your classes and get your credits. Contact your local college and ask what they need from you in order to transfer your credits. Or contact the college you've already attended, and ask what local college you can attend that they'll accept credits from to give you your degree.

Maybe.

[drkitten]

So you would recomend the admission office even at the school I used to go to, and not the department where I still know most of the professors?

In your situation? Frankly,... yes. I'd recommend you do anything instead of nothing.

Nothing's keeping you from talking to both groups (if you want), you know. There's almost no wrong way to start. Except not to start at all.

Pick up the phone. NOW.

[Tokenconservative]

The problem is I don't live near that school and would rather not have to move to go there. I am 5 and a half hours away. So if I would need to attend classes, I might well have problems as I would need to take the semester off from my job.(getting time off to attend a local school would be less of a problem)

So then I would need to figure out if a more local school would accept my credits and how much it would take.

These are particular enough issues that I am uncertain how to approach a school to find out how much more I would need to do there to get a degree.

I also about a year ago got a letter form the school saying that I was no longer considered a student and would have to re apply to get a degree and I am not sure how much the requirements have changed.


Well, clearly you are facing some insurmoutable barriers.

You should probably just give up.

Tokie

[ImaginalDisc]

Well, clearly you are facing some insurmoutable barriers.

You should probably just give up.

Tokie

Paging Dr. Jarvik. Paging Dr. Jarvik.

Patient has no heart, requires new one ASAP.

[Tokenconservative]

Paging Dr. Jarvik. Paging Dr. Jarvik.

Patient has no heart, requires new one ASAP.

Please keep that dude away from me.

I like Dr. Kevorkian better.

This doofus needs a kick in the pants. That's what he came in here for. Mollycoddlying him is not what he needs. He is either gonna do it, or not. If he is looking for a cheering section, he should try to find one around him, not a bunch of strangers posting on the interwebby.

Why is it when Dr. Phil or Dr. Laura or even "Dr." Kitten (above) offers the same advice (in DK case, muted) that's a good thing, a darn good thing. When Tokie does so he reminds some of Vlad, impaling his enemies and dining amongst their slowly, painfully dying number?

Tokie

[ZirconBlue]

Why is it when Dr. Phil or Dr. Laura or even "Dr." Kitten (above) offers the same advice (in DK case, muted) that's a good thing, a darn good thing. When Tokie does so he reminds some of Vlad, impaling his enemies and dining amongst their slowly, painfully dying number?

Tokie


Actually, while drkitten (I don't know why you persist in putting the "Dr." in quotes) is fairly blunt, the advice is still constructive. It is useful information that can actually help ponderingturtle out. Your posts, on the other hand are critical without being helpful.

Ponderingturtle has been here a while, and some of us care about how he's doing. Despite the fact that we only know him from the internet (interwebby? seriously?), we've formed a bond with our fellow human being, and want to help. That you apparently are incapable of caring for anyone other than yourself will not deter us.

[flume]

Do you know what kinds of credits you would need to finish your original degree? It would make a difference whether they are upper level physics credits or random electives. Our community college offers some classes online, and some of them can be converted to university credits at the local university. You can even take biology online although you do have to attend a few actual lab sessions. You would have to ask what schools you could get credits from that would be accepted by your original university. Since one option you are considering is to move your credits to a new closer school, ask them if they will accept credits from a community college too, and which credits those would be, and whether online credits are an option.

I agree with everyone - you need to start phoning. If you don't know which one to start with, just call all of them. If you don't know whether to talk to admissions or your department, call them both. Get a notebook, and start to write down each place you want to call, and the phone numbers for the admissions departments, and any other departments you want to call. Having the numbers there will make it easier for you to seize a moment of energy and actually make the call. For each call you make, write down the date, the number you called, the name of the person you talked to, their information, and any suggestions of other people to call. Realize that the first few people you talk to might be students hired to answer the phones, and if so they might have limited or misleading info, so plan on talking to several people in admissions. The people in your department might be able to give you very useful suggestions, but at the same time they might be uninformed about the bureaucrat admissions details. So it will useful to talk to them all anyway. You will feel much better once you have started to compile this information.
(If you talk to office people that seem intentionally unhelpful, don't let yourself be thrown into despair by them. Just get their info and also find out who else you might talk to.)
Be as determined in this for yourself as you would be if you were trying to work this out for a depressed and beloved family member.

[flume]

continuing...

Instead of feeling helpless, tell yourself and tell the people you talk to this:

*****that you are considering several options.*****

Then ask a variety of questions relating to the different options.

Ask your original school what you would need to do to send transcripts to another school. If you talk to another school and ask about admissions, ask where you should have transcripts sent. Even if you don't do it now, you will have the information written down, and it will be less oppressive if you decide to do it later. (If you don't have a transcript, you might get one sent to you if it's not available online, just so you can refer to it. You would probably not be able to send a copy of that transcript to another school yourself though - they would need an official transcript sent by the actual school you attended, not by you.)

Ask each school when you have to apply for the spring semester or the summer semester (if there is one) or for next fall, and ask what exactly you would need to do to apply in each case.
You might also ask the local school if you could apply for the spring semester as a non-degree student. You might be able to take a class for credit starting this January even if you haven't sorted out the rest of the details of admission. Check whether this could be used as credits when you do get admitted as a degree student, either at the local school or your original school or any others in the area that you are researching.


Here's a real longshot - maybe someone here has advice about this.
In regard to your original school, if many things could be worked out to finish your degree there but the length of time you were out of school was a problem, I wonder if there might be a way to get them to bend on that issue by trying to get some medical exception based on the depression (if this is something a doctor or psychologist would verify). Does anyone know if this might be a possible approach? My guess is that it might depend on the bureaucracy at a particular institution; I'd guess that some schools would be closed to it (in way that might make it uncomfortable to talk about) but maybe in others they would work with it. This is a wild guess, and before I tried this approach I would want to know if it ever was useful at any school. I would not bring it up initially but would get all the basic information sorted out first. I would ask specifically for a person who handles disability or special issues - I don't know what the name of that position would be. Maybe someone here knows. It would be easier to ask for the right person if you had an approximate job title.


One more thing:
Some schools may have fantastic admissions and records departments. The school I am familiar with is very undependable about sending out forms or responding to requests. They don't necessarily notify people if there's some glitch in an application or form. You must keep checking to be sure they have sent the information out, or acted on the request. So my advice is, be sure to make a copy of every form etc. that you send to anyone, with the date, and always ask when you might expect some forms to be sent, and doublecheck that they have been received. (For instance, if you need transcripts sent, be sure that the other institution actually receives them.) This can be frustrating, but it has nothing to do with you or your worth as a student or person! It's just a the result of a poorly designed over-loaded system. Make yourself a calendar of when you will check that thing have been sent and whether they have arrived.
You may never run into this problem, but I've seen it happen and it is daunting for someone depressed who tends to feel intimidated by every step, to feel that the hoped-for progress has not been made. Decide ahead of time that you will be monitoring the process.

[LostAngeles]

In your situation? Frankly,... yes. I'd recommend you do anything instead of nothing.

Nothing's keeping you from talking to both groups (if you want), you know. There's almost no wrong way to start. Except not to start at all.

Pick up the phone. NOW.

The hardest thing to do in this situation is to get up and take that step. You get very, very busy worrying about it and that leaves no time to go and take care of it. I've been there and done this.

If your school and the school near you have websites, take a look at them and see what they say about your situation and classes. Make a few notes and then call their admissions office and set up a short appointment.

DrKitten is right. The schools want your money/your federal student aid money badly. Just try to take it one step at a time. Look at the websites. Look again and make some notes. Call admissions. Once you start getting on a roll, it can snowball.

If it's something you really want, just psych yourself up to do what needs to be done, regardless of what it is, and get it done.

[Normal Dude]

One of the reasons that you have been recieving general advice is that that is pretty much all you can be given by us, without knowing the ins and outs of your school. If you want specific advice, you need to call the school's academic advisor, and he/she will give you all the info you will need.

[Tokenconservative]

Actually, while drkitten (I don't know why you persist in putting the "Dr." in quotes) is fairly blunt, the advice is still constructive. It is useful information that can actually help ponderingturtle out. Your posts, on the other hand are critical without being helpful.

Ponderingturtle has been here a while, and some of us care about how he's doing. Despite the fact that we only know him from the internet (interwebby? seriously?), we've formed a bond with our fellow human being, and want to help. That you apparently are incapable of caring for anyone other than yourself will not deter us.


I am slain!

Apparently you don't care how wounding it is I find your words.

I yes, I will continue to persist in using the " "s when refering to "Dr." Kitten, for good cause.

The best advise anyone, "Dr" or not, can give a guy like this is "get up off your ass and DO something."

Tokie

[ImaginalDisc]

I am slain!

Apparently you don't care how wounding it is I find your words.

I yes, I will continue to persist in using the " "s when refering to "Dr." Kitten, for good cause.

The best advise anyone, "Dr" or not, can give a guy like this is "get up off your ass and DO something."

Tokie

Fortunately, this PE coach from Hell attitude is not how poison control hotlines operate.

"I think I drank some poison!"

"Get off your ass and do something!"

"Um, I am. I'm calling you. Can I have some constructive advise?"

"No, the best advice we can give is 'Get up off your ass and do something!'"

"But, I don't know what I can do. That's why I'm calling for advice!"

"Too bad! We have been educated on the uselessness of constructive advice by an anonymous internet poster!"

[Tokenconservative]

Fortunately, this PE coach from Hell attitude is not how poison control hotlines operate.

"I think I drank some poison!"

"Get off your ass and do something!"

"Um, I am. I'm calling you. Can I have some constructive advise?"

"No, the best advice we can give is 'Get up off your ass and do something!'"

"But, I don't know what I can do. That's why I'm calling for advice!"

"Too bad! We have been educated on the uselessness of constructive advice by an anonymous internet poster!"


Yeah, I'd be better on a suicide prevention hotline, anyway.

Caller: I'm going to end it all!
Tokie: And this is my problem...how?

[ZirconBlue]

I am slain!

You don't actually think I read your whole posts, do you? Typically, I read the first line and fill in the "blah blah blah" as I skip ahead to the next post.

[drkitten]

Actually, while drkitten (I don't know why you persist in putting the "Dr." in quotes) is fairly blunt, the advice is still constructive.

Actually, I can tell you why he insists on using scare quotes. There's a legal maxim -- if the facts are against you, argue the law. If the law is against you, argue the facts. If both the facts and the law are against you, abuse your opponent.

If he had reason to support his arguments, but no facts, he would present his reasoning. If he had facts to support his arguments, but no reason/explanation, he would present the facts. Since he demonstrably has neither, the only course of action left to him is abuse. Every time he uses the quotes, it's an explicit admission on his part that he has neither logic nor evidence on his side.... Of course, a smarter debater would recognize that he had lost, and a more honest one would at least change the subject, but his postings illustrate that we can write those off as unsupported hypotheticals

[Mashuna]

Well, clearly you are facing some insurmoutable barriers.

You should probably just give up.

Tokie



The best advise anyone, "Dr" or not, can give a guy like this is "get up off your ass and DO something."

Tokie

So why didn't you give that advice? Or was your first post an attempt at irony (always a good way to impart your words of "wisdom").

[ponderingturtle]

Do you know what kinds of credits you would need to finish your original degree?

It was upper level physics labs, and random credits. I am not sure that I would fall under the same degree structure now as I would need to reapply and I know that some changes where made to the general degree requirements.

[drkitten]

I am not sure that I would fall under the same degree structure now as I would need to reapply and I know that some changes where made to the general degree requirements.

Have you phoned anyone to ask, yet?

[ponderingturtle]

One of the reasons that you have been recieving general advice is that that is pretty much all you can be given by us, without knowing the ins and outs of your school. If you want specific advice, you need to call the school's academic advisor, and he/she will give you all the info you will need.

The problem I had with the first thread I started was it was not really advice about how to approach the problem just general encouragement. I am finding the more specific advice in this thread much more helpful.

[ponderingturtle]

Have you phoned anyone to ask, yet?

Not yet, I am trying, and had a relatively busy weekend. Hmm today might not be a good day either to contact my old school as in the fall we always had the day after Columbus day off, to make it one week of vacation per semester.

I have logged onto the schools website and am looking into their admissions process. Hopefully I can take any general classes I need at local schools and as the only upper level courses I should need are labs, work out a way to do them with out needing to live in the area. I am sure my job would be relatively accommodating for such.

And frankly posting this hear was a step forward for me as I had been planing on getting advice here first but even this caused a fair amount of anxiety.

[ponderingturtle]

In looking at the web page for the admissions department they seem to encourage inquires for information via email and not by the phone at least innitialy, so I will try to email them when I get home, as I would prefer it from a personal email account and not my work email account.

[jon]

The problem I had with the first thread I started was it was not really advice about how to approach the problem just general encouragement. I am finding the more specific advice in this thread much more helpful.

Right, specific advice - if you haven't already done it, e-mail or phone admissions at your old school to see what the options are. Also e-mail or phone one or two of your old professors, ideally ones you got on well with (academics normally like to see their students do well, and they may offer to help out etc). If you're comfortable telling them that you dropped out due to depression, that may also be useful - to make clear that you dropped out for a 'legitimate' reason, as opposed to 'I drank too much beer and didn't do any work'...

If you've got a more local college in mind, call them too and ask what the options are there.

Have you contacted anyone yet :D

[ponderingturtle]

Hmm looking at the general requirements for a degree, and the physics ones it seems that a few small changes where made.

They seem to have relabeled and added a 200 level physics course, and added an american history requirement that shouldn't be that hard to fill localy and a writing survey course.

[Normal Dude]

Hmm looking at the general requirements for a degree, and the physics ones it seems that a few small changes where made.

They seem to have relabeled and added a 200 level physics course, and added an american history requirement that shouldn't be that hard to fill localy and a writing survey course.

I'm not sure how it works for re-entry students, but in my school we are allowed to choose the catalog year we will follow for graduation requirements. Basically, any year that we were attending. Of course, this may or may not apply to you being a re-entry student. The academic advisor will have the low-down on that.

[ponderingturtle]

I'm not sure how it works for re-entry students, but in my school we are allowed to choose the catalog year we will follow for graduation requirements. Basically, any year that we were attending. Of course, this may or may not apply to you being a re-entry student. The academic advisor will have the low-down on that.

That is the thing, I got a letter last year saying that I was no longer considered a student and would need to reapply if I wanted to get a degree from there. So until then I could have graduated by the requirements when I started. Now I am not so sure.

[jon]

fair enough - so the easiest way to check this is to ask your old school? You may get a pleasant surprise, or you may have to do an extra one or two courses. Either way, you won't know till you ask (well, you could possibly read through all the regulations of your old college on this issue - asking is likely to be easier, though :) )

[Tokenconservative]

So why didn't you give that advice? Or was your first post an attempt at irony (always a good way to impart your words of "wisdom").

I post in forums like this assuming at least a minimum IQ of 80+.

I guess your reply puts truth to that old saying about making assumptions.

Tokie

[SynapticDancer]

I post in forums like this assuming at least a minimum IQ of 80+.

I guess your reply puts truth to that old saying about making assumptions.

Tokie

I think it is safe to conclude that you have absolutely nothing to offer any topic of conversation on these boards. You babble on with meaningless dribble that either insults, confuses, or both. You also have this habit of veering so far and away from the topic of a thread that it becomes impossible to follow your logic (and calling what you post logic is a stretch). What boggles me is it does not appear as if ANYONE is asking you to deposit your worthless wisdom, and yet you dole it as as if its gods gift (pun intended).

Eventually the thread devolves into whatever pointless argument YOU started over whatever NONexistent point you claimed to make. It all comes to the typical Tokenconservative finale, where you claim intellectual superiority over all those who post on JREF.

Frankly, you're a troll and should simply be ignored.

However this time you have gone too far. Dear, sweet ponderingturtle sought advice from a community that anyone would consider a valid source of information in a clear attempt to solicit concrete advice. Now, what do you do? Without any apparent prompting (except your own need to show off your poor reasoning skills and lack of basic kindness) you vomit all over the thread with illogicality and negativity.

If you do not have anything productive to add to this thread (and I would highly doubt that you have anything productive to add at all, anywhere) then do not add anything.

And ponderingturtle, you know you have my complete support in what you are doing, or whatever you choose to do. Further I am glad that many have posted really good advice. Big hugs and lots of kisses.

[Pyrts]

It was upper level physics labs, and random credits. I am not sure that I would fall under the same degree structure now as I would need to reapply and I know that some changes where made to the general degree requirements.

* Request copies of your transcripts from your old school.
* Go online and look at the degrees offered at nearby schools. See which one offers something you like AND offers the Masters' you're interested in.
* Take off work and go talk to a registrar. They've seen people like you before and can steer you to counselors and advisors. Be patient, because they're dealing with a lot of other folks with this same issue.

If it helps, I went back for a Masters' some 25 years after my last degree. I'm now in a PhD program and am nearly 60 years old. If I can do it, you can do it.

[karener]

I went back for my masters/PhD at 35 (in a totally different field than I had been working) and managed to apply to schools in the US and contact potential advisors while living abroad. Being determined and flexible helps and I agree with all the advice you've been given to talk to people - lots of people.

I made some great friends in graduate school and noone cared that I was older than them. In fact, I think that some real world experience will help you alot and probably make you a better student.

[Whack01]

Some universities have posted videos, course notes, & textbooks for entire courses online (free textbooks are rare though). It may help you relax a bit if you watch a few of the video lectures from one or two of the courses, kinda like sitting in on a course before taking it. Besides why turn down a world class education absolutely free? :D

Since I can't post a URL please google for "Massive Free Education List" and go to the first site that turns up.

On the right hand side you can find links to other sites with more courses, play around with those a bit and if you've half a brain you'll probably find something you're interested in. I haven't clicked on all of them to verify that they're free, but most of the the links under "more free courses" are very good. I was browsing these links and I noticed there seemed to be a lot of advanced physics lectures (e.g. Introduction to the Standard Model, and whatever "Quantom Chromodynamics" is. ) listed on the following site:

Google for "Web lecture archive" and go to the first website that pops up.

[LostAngeles]

Some universities have posted videos, course notes, & textbooks for entire courses online (free textbooks are rare though). It may help you relax a bit if you watch a few of the video lectures from one or two of the courses, kinda like sitting in on a course before taking it. Besides why turn down a world class education absolutely free? :D

Since I can't post a URL please google for "Massive Free Education List" and go to the first site that turns up.

On the right hand side you can find links to other sites with more courses, play around with those a bit and if you've half a brain you'll probably find something you're interested in. I haven't clicked on all of them to verify that they're free, but most of the the links under "more free courses" are very good. I was browsing these links and I noticed there seemed to be a lot of advanced physics lectures (e.g. Introduction to the Standard Model, and whatever "Quantom Chromodynamics" is. ) listed on the following site:

Google for "Web lecture archive" and go to the first website that pops up.

http://www.jimmyr.com/free_education.php

and

http://www.wlap.org/

Those look like what you're talking about and the first one has links to the MIT one too apparently.

[Whack01]

Yep that's them, thanks!

[SynapticDancer]

http://www.jimmyr.com/free_education.php

and

http://www.wlap.org/

Those look like what you're talking about and the first one has links to the MIT one too apparently.

Fantastic Links! I don't know who jimmyr is but I like him!

[ponderingturtle]

Well it might have taken a bit more than a month but I have contacted them.

[drkitten]

Well it might have taken a bit more than a month but I have contacted them.

Excellent! Did they say anything useful or interesting?

[ponderingturtle]

Excellent! Did they say anything useful or interesting?

I just sent it, so I have not heard from them yet.

[NobbyNobbs]

Why is it when Dr. Phil or Dr. Laura or even "Dr." Kitten (above) offers the same advice (in DK case, muted) that's a good thing, a darn good thing. When Tokie does so he reminds some of Vlad, impaling his enemies and dining amongst their slowly, painfully dying number?

Tokie

Well, mostly because you didn't give the same advice. Dr. Kitten says...
Well, the best way is simply to do it. Figure out what classes you need to take, register for them, and take them.

Yeah, depression has that effect. I find the best thing to do is simply to mensch my way through it, if there's something specific. It may help to break it down into very small tasks and force yourself do to.

Registration, for example, is relatively simple. Get on the phone right now and request the forms. Once they arrive, let us know....

..whereas you say....

Well, clearly you are facing some insurmoutable barriers.

You should probably just give up.

Tokie

Oh, and by the way, refering to this...

I yes, I will continue to persist in using the " "s when refering to "Dr." Kitten, for good cause.



What good cause is that? You have evidence that she is not a doctor?

If you're going to "Dr." anyone, it should be the "Dr." Phil you mentioned above, as it is known that he does not hold a doctorate.

Ok with that, Token"Conservative"?

[jon]

great, ponderingturtle. let us know what they say :)

[ponderingturtle]

Well I have heard back, it seems likely that I will need to attend school for a semester as I will need to graduate under the current requirements not the ones I was orrigionaly subject to.

[jon]

Is that good news? Six months more study to get a degree doesn't seem at all bad :D

[ponderingturtle]

Is that good news? Six months more study to get a degree doesn't seem at all bad :D

It has to do with if I would need to attend school there on a regular basis or not. It is 350 miles away from my job and so I could not practically attend even a two day a week class and still work at my current job.

As the classes that I had needed where 300 level labs I could reasonably work with the professors to say spend a 4 day weekend up there every other or every third week to do the actual lab work, and take some courses at a local community college.

This is certainly very preferable to enrolling in a local school.

So it is expected good news, just not the best possible news. Two years ago I could have completed my degree with out needing live there.

[warren sinden]

It has to do with if I would need to attend school there on a regular basis or not. It is 350 miles away from my job and so I could not practically attend even a two day a week class and still work at my current job.

As the classes that I had needed where 300 level labs I could reasonably work with the professors to say spend a 4 day weekend up there every other or every third week to do the actual lab work, and take some courses at a local community college.

This is certainly very preferable to enrolling in a local school.

So it is expected good news, just not the best possible news. Two years ago I could have completed my degree with out needing live there.

Why don't you try and do your degree through a correspondence course

[ponderingturtle]

Well provided that the Dean goes with the chair of the physics departments recommendations, and I can get the language requirement waved for me because of learning disabilities(it was waved for me in high school so this is possible). I have 10 credits I need to graduate.

Should be doable in one semester even if it involves the two courses that constitute the writing requirements.

[ponderingturtle]

Well I am bringing this up again for those who might be interested. I am now in contact with the dean(well redirrected to the accoiciate dean), but the dean mentioned that there is no established criteria to wave the foreign language requirement.

This means that having the foreign language requirement waved for me in highschool because of learning disabilities instead of helping me will have only hurt me.

[JoeEllison]

Sounds like a crappy deal all around. Too bad there's not an easier, more reasonable way of dealing with it.

The good news, I guess, is that you can probably get plenty of tutoring online?

[quixotecoyote]

Well I am bringing this up again for those who might be interested. I am now in contact with the dean(well redirrected to the accoiciate dean), but the dean mentioned that there is no established criteria to wave the foreign language requirement.

This means that having the foreign language requirement waved for me in highschool because of learning disabilities instead of helping me will have only hurt me.

Have you been working through the accommodations office? They're usually the most helpful about such things.

[ponderingturtle]

Have you been working through the accommodations office? They're usually the most helpful about such things.

I am not sure what actual department that would be.

[quixotecoyote]

I am not sure what actual department that would be.

Find a copy of your student handbook, it should say. It'll vary by organization. We have an office of disability services.

[ponderingturtle]

Find a copy of your student handbook, it should say. It'll vary by organization. We have an office of disability services.

Found that one.

[jon]

great - well worth asking them about the language requirement.

[ponderingturtle]

great - well worth asking them about the language requirement.

I found their web page. It seems to be against explicit policy.

New York State neither waives, nor allows substitutions for, the foreign language requirement for students pursuing NYS teacher certification. SUNY Geneseo supports this decision by the state and feels that it is equally important for all Geneseo students, including students who were exempted from foreign language in high school due to a disability, to develop a depth of understanding of non-English speaking peoples and their language that cannot be achieved solely through taking courses in foreign cultures.

This decision was made with due deliberation and serious consideration of the burden this may place on students, especially students with auditory or learning disabilities. We also recognize that some students with disabilities may need support in completing the requirement, and, therefore, SUNY Geneseo is willing to provide such support for students with documentation that evidences a language-based disability that may interfere with success in foreign language.

link (http://www.geneseo.edu/CMS/display.php?page=5503&dpt=doc)

This seems to effectively double the number of credits I need to take and mean that I need three courses that are sequential.

[jon]

That's a pain. So they may be able to help if additional support with the language would be useful, though?

[ponderingturtle]

That's a pain. So they may be able to help if additional support with the language would be useful, though?

Not so much. I can really only attend there one semester and need three semesters of language.

I never would have gone there in the first place if this had been policy then.

[ponderingturtle]

Well I did and now I have my BA in physics.

[jon]

Great - congratulations!

[drkitten]

Well I did and now I have my BA in physics.

Well done. Welcome to the ranks of the college-educated. Now you get to learn how bad the job market sucks for people with degrees, I'm afraid.

[shadron]

Hearty congratulations, PT.

[ZirconBlue]

Well I did and now I have my BA in physics.

Congratulations! It was pretty cool getting to watch this play out over the last year or two.

[fuelair]

Yaaaayyy!! And now, you can officially tell noobs to that situation all the advice you were given and save a lot of time for them!!!:D

[ponderingturtle]

Well done. Welcome to the ranks of the college-educated. Now you get to learn how bad the job market sucks for people with degrees, I'm afraid.

I took a leave of absence from my job, so I came back to a big raise, and a couple weeks after my raise they laid off 25% of the company. But my job there is pretty safe.

Now I need to look for grad schools.

[drkitten]

I took a leave of absence from my job, so I came back to a big raise, and a couple weeks after my raise they laid off 25% of the company. But my job there is pretty safe.

Now I need to look for grad schools.

Wrong. :D Now you want to look for grad advisors.

Pick the advisor first and the school second. That will not only maximize your chances of getting out successfully, it will also maximize your chances of getting in.

[ponderingturtle]

Wrong. :D Now you want to look for grad advisors.

Pick the advisor first and the school second. That will not only maximize your chances of getting out successfully, it will also maximize your chances of getting in.

I am just looking for a masters in engineering though.

[Modified]

I am just looking for a masters in engineering though.

What kind of engineering? Whatever it is, you need to take the GRE general test and probably a subject test. If you do well you can get in to almost any program, no matter what your undergrad grades were. Surprisingly perhaps, GRE scores are a better predictor of grad school performance than undergrad grades, at least for engineering.

[ponderingturtle]

What kind of engineering? Whatever it is, you need to take the GRE general test and probably a subject test. If you do well you can get in to almost any program, no matter what your undergrad grades were. Surprisingly perhaps, GRE scores are a better predictor of grad school performance than undergrad grades, at least for engineering.

Manufacturing/Industrial Automation.

I heard that the Engineering Subject test was pointless as it was all kinds of engineering. I did have a good score on the Physics GRE but that was lost by being more then 5 years old.

With my transcript being poor, I was thinking about seeing if I could take some classes first and then apply.

[Modified]

Manufacturing/Industrial Automation.

I heard that the Engineering Subject test was pointless as it was all kinds of engineering. I did have a good score on the Physics GRE but that was lost by being more then 5 years old.

With my transcript being poor, I was thinking about seeing if I could take some classes first and then apply.

Well, if you can get good GRE general test scores that will probably do the trick, and it will give you a choice of schools. How were your general test scores the first time around?

On a related note, I was accepted to the University of Michigan when I was twelve years old, based on SAT scores alone (I did quite well). At least, officially I was accepted. I'm not sure if they knew I was twelve, and didn't attempt to attend.

[ponderingturtle]

Well, if you can get good GRE general test scores that will probably do the trick, and it will give you a choice of schools. How were your general test scores the first time around?

On a related note, I was accepted to the University of Michigan when I was twelve years old, based on SAT scores alone (I did quite well). At least, officially I was accepted. I'm not sure if they knew I was twelve, and didn't attempt to attend.

I didn't take the general. My grades this past semester were good, but I think that the admission deadlines are past.

[Furcifer]

I am just looking for a masters in engineering though.


That's probably a good idea. I have my B.Sc. in Physics and regret not going to Grad school. There's very little market for undergrads in Physics here in Canada. After several years of working in automotive manufacturing I've finally gone back to school. Much like you, I was afraid of going back to University. I opted for a college program instead.

Good Luck in your studies, and don't stop!

[ponderingturtle]

That's probably a good idea. I have my B.Sc. in Physics and regret not going to Grad school. There's very little market for undergrads in Physics here in Canada. After several years of working in automotive manufacturing I've finally gone back to school. Much like you, I was afraid of going back to University. I opted for a college program instead.

Good Luck in your studies, and don't stop!

I am not afraid of university, I just needed to finish my BA first. The problem is that my transcript sucks, because I got real depressed and stopped going to class a couple of semesters.

It was a strange experience being at college and being happy. Even when I was getting my work done and managing I was not doing well at college.

[Furcifer]

I am not afraid of university, I just needed to finish my BA first. The problem is that my transcript sucks, because I got real depressed and stopped going to class a couple of semesters.

It was a strange experience being at college and being happy. Even when I was getting my work done and managing I was not doing well at college.

lol, I was terrified of the prospect. My transcripts suck and in order to go to grad school I'd have to up grade several difficult courses. I was looking at some of my textbooks like they were written in a foreign language The thought crossed my mind that I would be the first person to ever get stripped of a degree and sent back to First Year :)

[Chris Haynes]

Manufacturing/Industrial Automation.

....

Look for schools that offer Industrial Engineering (http://depts.washington.edu/ie/), or production based mechanical engineering programs (you can tell if they have a foundry and machine shop!).

That was recommended to me by someone who worked in the local university's Ind. Engr office. This was during "what do you want to do when you grow up" workshop by a career center. Since my hobbies include sewing, gardening and doing things to my house to make it function better she thought I would do well in Industrial Engineering (since my hobbies involve lots of problem solving).

I am actually planning to apply to the Mechanical Engineering department after I take the GRE. The reason is that I feel that I am "typecast" with my BS in aerospace engineering, and because there are professors who work with the local group designing ocean monitoring equipment (when I was seventeen I entered college as a physical oceanography student, but then switched to engineering).

I was originally thinking of applying to the Applied Math department because I like math, and statistics... but I looked at the part of their website where they show the kinds of jobs their graduates get: I don't want to become a code monkey! (note: The Applied Math department is in the same small building where I got my undergraduate aero degree. I switched from mechanical to aero because it was more mathematically rigorous --- I tend to remember stuff more if I know where it came from. The mechanical engr. classes would just give us canned formulas, where as the aero classes would go through the whole process of showing us the full mathematics. It was a better fit.)

Good luck.