Should you go back to school? The debt question and more

Going back to school... should you?

This can be a tough question, especially for nontraditional students, who are generally older than the traditional idea of students in high school or college. Also, these students can have families or job responsibilities that make going back to school a challenge.

Many workers have been laid off, and are naturally thinking about going back to high school, or attending trade school, tech school, a university, or a community college.

Going back to college - the debt equation
A writer at the Students Over 30 site suggests that it may not always be a good choice for some people to go back to school. They cite an REEF article written by Michael Robertson. In the article, according to the Students Over 30 site, Robertson cites student debt as being one drawback to going back to school (college). Working full-time, he says, can mean a huge debt, which can carry on for many years.

Scholarships and Grants
Of course, if you get a scholarship, this can really help, because scholarship or grant money does NOT have to be paid back. It is worth it to try for a scholarship or grant, even though it must be even harder to get one in the current economy. Check below for some links to apply for scholarships for free. And a scholarship may pay for just part of your real costs for going back to school if you are attending college.

Trade Schools, Tech Schools, Community Colleges
Check out your technical schools or community colleges. They can have what you need, at a cheaper cost. But make sure your credits will transfer if you think you may want to attend a college next.

Going back to high school - definitely cheaper
Going back to high school, on the other hand, can be free, depending on the program you choose. Students today can take tests and courses online, freeing up time for work and family. And having a GED will free you up for a better job or to go on with more training.

-- Betsyanne

Find out more:
Older students getting GED's and more in Lafayette , Indiana
Kentucky offers free GED classes 
Redding.com believes most students should take some kind of training after high school 
Students over 30:  Should Everyone go to College?

Forbes.com: Is College Worth the Cost?
Fastweb: Advantages of Attending Community College

Find Scholarships and Grants
Some good scholarship links from the Nontrad site

Some of my links!
The Nontrad site and blog
The Betsyanne page and blog
My Squidoo Pages and my referral link

Calling all nontraditional students 20-30: an online Casting Call

You can help other nontraditional students by being part of this project. Take America to College is teaming up with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (among others) and sponsoring this online video series. If you are between 20 and 30, just send in your video and you could win a new video camera and $500.00.

You also will be helping get the word out about how difficult it can be for college students who are also working and have other responsibilities. You can help other nontraditional students achieve their dreams. This project can help a lot of people.

Like Lizz says in the video, "how come so many of us don't cross the finish line?"

This video explains about the project with Take America to College: Lizz's story.



Just CLICK HERE to go to the web page and learn more.

Good luck!

-Betsyanne

Here are some of my links:
The Nontrad site and blog
The Betsyanne page and blog
My Squidoo Pages and referral

Considering graduate school? Some sites to explore

Here are some good resources I have found for people considering graduate school.

#1: 5 questions to ask before you go (from the Quintcareers site)
http://www.quintcareers.com/considering_graduate_school.html
This site also includes some great resource links.

#2. Considering graduate school? (from Eiu.edu: Eastern Illinois University)
http://www.eiu.edu/~speech/consid2.htm
This article actually goes into more detail about the nitty-gritty of graduate school, like what you will need to fill out in order to go.

#3. How to apply to Graduate School - from the Yale Undergraduate site
http://www.yale.edu/career/students/gradprof/gradapply.html

And here are some more links:
Tips for applying to graduate school in Biological Sciences
http://www.biosci.uga.edu/almanac/biomajor/grad_school.html

Penelope says graduate school is outdated
http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2008/06/18/seven-reasons-why-graduate-school-is-outdated/

Related Nontrad posts from the Nontrad blog:
Thinking of graduate school?
Intro to law school by Michelle Fabio
Choosing the best MBA School by Karen Schweitzer


Do you have any sites or links to add? Just add them below. 

Let me know what you think of this article by leaving a comment. Thanks!

Betsyanne

Some of my links!
The Nontrad site and blog
The Betsyanne page and blog
My Squidoo Pages and referral

Three of the very best sites for continuing education or nontraditional students to check out

Three great sites for nontraditional students, continuing education students, and everyone else...

Part of every other day (at least!) for me is a search for news and neat websites and blogs that feature information for nontraditional students.

I have found many great sites and links during my searches. Today I will share just three that I really like a lot. They have turned out to be so interesting and valuable to me. I started out just wanting information sources for my blog and website.

These three sites have provided me with a lot more than just information. They have provided me with inspiration, stories, and wisdom. They are are great examples of quality writing, humor, and intelligence. 

#1: About.com's Continuing Education pages: Deb Peterson keeps this site up to date and always has something new to check out. She has many original articles there of all kinds, plus links to other great sites. She is truely an expert about continuing education, and this website shows it.


#2: The I Never Signed Up for This... Confessions of a Cluttered Mind blog: Darryle Pollack has many surprises on this site. I first found it while looking just for nontraditional student information. Since then, I have found that Darryle is an intelligent, complicated mix of interesting opinions, great humor, and lots more.

#3: Adult College Education Information: the Sophie Maddox site: This one is so fun too. Sophie Maddox gives every new reader a FREE ebook to download that is called Get What You Want from Now On. You must sign up for her mailing list. I like this ebook. A heading on the pages says "Learn To Complain Using Simple Mind Tricks That Will Get You What You Want." How can you beat that? I must admit I have not read all her pages (yet!) but how can you beat FREE?

Nontraditionally Yours,

 

Some of my links!
The Nontrad site and blog
The Betsyanne page and blog
My Squidoo Pages and referral

Don't drop out of school, older nontraditional student!

Okay. You have already enrolled in school. Perhaps you are in your first year back or even our first semester. Somehow it is harder than you thought it would be. Just getting okay grades is an intense effort. And you are looking at more semesters, just as hard as this.

Don’t give up!

Here is some anti-dropout advice.

It is true that higher education, whether it is going back to high school, college, trade school, or graduate school, can be very difficult, especially if you have taken time out to have a family, pursue a trade, or just work to get by for many years.

You may just now, in your middle or senior years, have the time or gumption or help from a significant other to pursue a dream.

Is the dream really difficult? Is it really something you just can not do, or is it just uncomfortable and difficult? Do you fear student loan payments later on? Or did you maybe fail a class?

There are solutions to some of these problems, and other problems just take a leap of faith, OR some research. For example: do you think that there will be a job market for what you are taking? Maybe you should have a backup plan: a job you are sure you can get plus training for your dream job – both at the same time.

Failing a class is not the end of the world, either. You can always retake the class. Many schools will allow this.

The student loan fear can be real, but you do NOT have to make payments on these loans until you are out of school. If you qualify for a grant or scholarship, this can help. Also, check out the link below from a CNN article for information on how to apply for different programs to help you pay student loans if you have income problems later on.

To wrap it up, staying in school is a personal decision only YOU can make. But know that there is support for you out there, from your family and friends, to a support group they may have at school, to online support groups and sites that can help you stay motivated or help you work smarter to get more done in less time.

Learn more:

Stay or Leave? A student talks about grades at the Student Doctor Network:

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=580415

Education – the key to success in the workforce
http://www.uwec.edu/cj/projects/Working/changdoc.htm

Three nontraditional student stories from Grand Valley State University:
http://www.gvsu.edu/nontraditional/just-for-you-25.htm

How to get relief from student loans (different programs and information)
http://www.cnn.com/2008/LIVING/personal/03/05/student.loans/

Support for students going back to school:

Common Concerns of returning students (from the Sallie Mae site)
http://salliemae.com/before_college/students_plan/select_school/school_options/continuing_ed/concerns.htm

Some other support groups:

Returning to school: http://maturestudent.ning.com/

Return to college: http://returntocollege.ning.com/

The Nontrad Yahoo group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Non-trads/

Nontrads on MySpace: http://groups.myspace.com/nontradstudents

Nontrads on Facebook: http://tinyurl.com/lfq38z

Get motivated!

Motivate yourself to go back to school:
http://www.ehow.com/how_4904638_motivate-yourself-backtoschool.html

Get Motivated – and the Power Of Rewards video (from my Nontrads site):
http://www.nontradstudents.com/inspire_motivate.html

The Improving your world site says: get back in school!
http://bit.ly/5WsZPT

Please put YOUR tips for helping older students stay in school by commenting below.

Thank you!

Some of my links:

The Nontrad site and blog
The Betsyanne page and blog
My Squidoo Pages and referral

Shades of Christmas Past... then and now...

Remember when...

Christmas meant time with family that is now gone?
If you have young children, now is the time to relive that time through their eyes.

Nontraditional students may live in the same place they grew up - and still more have changed their location to a totally different climate.

How many people used to live in colder areas? I remember snowball fights and walking paths made next to the road on never-melting snow piles about this time of year. It used to be really fun to climb up and down and pretend to be an explorer in the wilderness.

How about ice skating next to a warming house? It sure was a good feeling to take those skates off after a long skating session. Or do you remember walking home after a swimming lesson with hair turned to icicles?

I am from Wisconsin, and these are some memories from my childhood.

A friend of mine grew up in Florida. For her,  the Christmas-time memories include the relaxing sound of ocean surf and decorated, lit up palm trees everywhere she looks. She is there on vacation, and loves the feeling of being there. It just feels like home, and that is a great feeling.

Please share your memories here. Are you in a new place this year? What makes it special for you?

For those students who are enrolled in college right now, I hope your exams went very well.

Whatever your holiday memories are, and where you are located, I hope you have a GREAT holiday season this year.

Some of my links!
The Nontrad site and blog
The Betsyanne page and blog
My Squidoo Pages and referral