Going back to school for older adults

“I registered for 2 classes for fall semester. Yippee!!!!”

“I don't know what my deal is, but writing papers this semester totally sucks. I have no desire to do them, and even less to say when I get started on them. Everything I type sounds like BS. I'd rather just get up in front of a class and teach, but instead I'm stuck writing a 3 page paper on the learning theory. How is that going to help me when two kids are punching each other??”

“school is freaking killing me ths semester...I seriously feel like dropping everything and going back to work....feel like a big drowning dumbie”

“twinkle, what classes are you taking? too many tough classes at once?


school is keeping me seriously busy, but i really like it. a few ups and downs, but overall i'm pretty happy where i'm at.”

“Been there done that. Be sure you MAKE yourself take a break--and longer than it takes to drink a cup of coffee. Deadlines may loom, but with a break, you'll come back refreshed and be more productive.”

“good advise CM.

mmmm think it is time for an overnighter in Harriman?”

“Hang in there folks!”

“Whoops! I just found out today that I have an additional assignment due next week....on top of a mid-term and another large paper due. Oh well. Just another hoop to jump through, I guess.

My Wednesday morning class is tough to take. The dude rambles on for three hours about absolutely nothing, and isn't providing me any help in my student teaching. Today he went on and on about how he doesn't agree with many things Wayne State makes their pre-student teachers do, but then said too darned bad, ya gotta do them anyway. Well, thanks buddy, I love to hear you moan about how crappy an education we're getting, and then doing nothing about it.



On a brighter note, I got the student teaching position I wanted, close to home and with a GREAT teacher! I can't wait for January to get here!”

“congrats smiley

one more midterm and then sleep....blessed sleep...before going back into the lab...”

“Happy to say that after doing poorly on my chemistry exam I kicked arse on my geophysics and physical anthropology exams!”

“Congrats, Twinks! Keep up the good work - the term is half over!

I had a couple mid-terms last week. I'm so glad I'm not in classes like chemistry and geophysics and stuff like that. My education classes are a pain in the arse, but much easier than the technical stuff I had in my undergrad!

Oh, and I got the student teaching position I wanted. Don't know if I posted that. I havn't received official word from the univeristy yet, but the cooperating teacher let me know she got the paperwork and she gave it the A-OK!”

“Congrats! That's terrific news!”

“Wooo-Hooooo! i had my final exam for school today. 4 wrong out of 101 96%!! It's a load off my shoulders. The test was pretty tough. The nurse in the class didn't do as well, neither did the chiropractor.
Only two and half more months and I'm done!!”

“YEA SASS!! WAY TO GO!!!




Today is my last class for the semester. I still have classroom duties Thurs. and Fri., but I'm glad to have my classes done!”

“you go girl!!”

“Thanks Amy. =)
It's awesome to have it done with. Now I just have to fulfill my requirements and pass the next technique session which we've been told will undoubtedly reduce us to tears at least once if not more often. Sometimes I wonder if instructors think this type of comment is encouraging or if they're trying to make folks stress intentionally?”

“YAY SASSY, good to hear us older folks can kick serious intellectual butt. I didn't start my undergrad till I was 36, and six years later completed my Masters..both in six years..WOOWOO”

“I just paid for my first semester of college since 1979. The long summer break is over!

Easy first semester though - Spanish 1 & C++ Programming. Calculus next semester (a short summer one - what am I thinking?).”

“Jam-on, toe........”

“Took my final in a refrigeration and basic heating cooling theory class last night. It was easy. I either did really well or horrible. I will find out wed next week.

This round of back to school is much tougher than last time. After I finished my last program I was so happy to be done it was like I turned off part of my brain, It took quite a few weeks to find the switch to turn it back on. Only 2.75 years to go...”

“tag team smart couple!!


you go sass and birch!!!”

“Some 90 year old grandma is graduating from SFA this semester...”

“Thanks everyone. It's pretty special to have a place where you can be excited that something went well and others will be excited for you too. You all are so cool.”

“Today keeps getting better, got my grade for the semester...an A yippeee for me!”

“birch - Super!!!”

“You go! Both you and Sass getting good grades! Whoohoo!


I've got 2 A's for the semester so far, and won't find out about the other two classes until after Christmas. I'm expecting A's in both, though. Keeping my graduate GPA at a 4.0! Yea!”

“good job smiley! Thanks to you and Phil”

“I just got done with a business course and accounting. Accounting is the hardest thing I've ever done (and I took calculus).

But going back to school, I've found that it is not going to help me attain my goals so I will be doing seminars for what I need.

Congrats to all who survived this semester! Woo Hoo to all!!”

“Just wrapped up the semester. Had to mail in a take home final because of the transit strike. Hopefully it gets to my professor in one piece.

Now it's just wait and see for the grades. Should have all A's though my geophysics final was unfairly difficult (this coming from someone who got the only A on the midterm and threw off the curve) and I don't think I did well at all on it. Wanted an A...had an A...but the final might have dropped me down to a B. :(

Anyway, congrats to all of you who have made it through yet another semester!”

“So, how did everyone do this semester?


I got 3 A's, one A-, and a Satisfactory. That A- ruined my perfect 4.0 GPA as a grad student! What a crock! Stupid useless philosophy class, where our assignments were "critiques" of the books we read, not any type of assessment of what we were supposed to have learned. Seriously bummed. But, a 3.97 is still a respectable GPA.”

“*tooting her own horn...a little louder this time*


Did ya hear that Smiley has a 3.97 GPA? Wow, she's smart!


;)”

“Great job smiley!!! All that hard work is paying off!”

“Thanks Birch!!”

“Cheers smiley. Aint nothing wrong with celebrating good news. Aint nothing wrong with getting good grades either.”

“CONGRATS!”

“HOLY COW DID YOU HEAR WHAT SMILEY DID??????


teehee, you go girl. I am very happy for you!!!!!!
nice to now some of us are smart. LOL”

“Hot Damn, Smiley! Congratufreakilations!!!


I just found out I got an A+ in geophysics!!!! And an A- (why?? why?? why???) in anthropology. Still awaiting the other grades....transit strike blarney.”

“Way to go, smileygirl!! Not easy to keep up that kind of average.

I got an A last semester, but only had one class. It was kind of fun, I was the only woman in the class of 15. Not a lot of women in IT. I had the best grade in the class, though, and earned respect. Funny thing... three guys in the class felt compelled to explain to me why they did not do as well as I did.

I also passed my Cisco CCNA certifcation with 974/1000.
In two weeks I will sit for a Windows certification.
And a security class this semester, prep for another certification.
There is no end! But I do love going to school, so it works.”

“You people do pretty good for old farts:)”

“psstt....I got an A+ in geophysics

hooray for me too?”

“yeah!!!!!

now you can go with me to CO to party RIGHT?????”

“HOOOORAY TWINKLE TOES!!!

And WAY TO GO Cindylu! Way to show those guys up!”

“Us ladies are rockin'!

Mapes - can you go this month? I can go now but not once school starts (starts on the 26th).

Spanish or French?”

“waytogo to you, too, Twinkle Toes. Sorry, you posted after I opened the thread, so I didn't see your A+.
Just doesn't get any better than A+ !!!”

“I finally figured out that business isn't my cup of tea. I'm not happy in my current profession. I started thinking about things I would like to do and I've wanted to go back to school for a while. I want my masters but couldn't figure out what to get it in. I have always wanted to go back and do nursing but I don't want to go back to undergrad school. SO with all of that said I started thinking about teaching. Then I found out that there is a teaching shortage in GA and they will allow individuals with a bachelors in something other than education to teach. I haven't found out all the details but you have to take courses to obtain your teaching certificate and you can take classes at night and work towards your masters. This is exactly what I'm looking for and I love working with children. I'm very excited that I've finally figured out what I want to do!”

“Go for it! You can do it!”

“Very Cool Mrs Opie! Isn't it great to finally figure out what you want to do?

I have a brother who's a principal in GA. He enjoys it very much.”

“Mrs. Opie, that sounds exactly like what has happened to me. I am doing my student teaching right now. Its awesome! I took all my classes at night (though I was still working as an engineer) and will only have to do a thesis to finish my master's degree.

In Michigan, there is no teacher shortage, however, so I'll be VERY LUCKY to get a job by next fall.

If you can, try to spend some time with kids, either by doing some volunteer work, or in a classroom if you have a teacher who is a friend. I taught a religion class at my church, and then spent a few days in a friend's classroom, and also volunteered to be an engineering mentor for an 8th grade competition. I figured out with all of that experience what age I wanted to teach, which was a big help.

If you have any other questions, give me a shout at amy5053 at yahoo.com.”

“I know it's different in all states but how do they handle the transition from a non education degree to teaching in Michigan? Were you able to start immediately taking graduate classes in education or did you have to do some undergrad work first?

I have plenty of experience working with children. I worked at a daycare all through college and loved it. I really miss working with small children and that is one of the main reasons why I want to teach. I don't know why I ever majored in business to begin with!

That's cool Sass. What part of Georgia does he live in? And yes! I've been out of college now for 3 years! It's about time that I figured out what I want to do! It feels great!”

“I don't think they still allow it, but you could teach while earning your degree if you worked in the Detroit Public Schools. Otherwise, you have to have a teaching certificate.

My undergrad degree is in engineering, and because I wanted to be certified in math and science, I didn't have much to finish up for those credits. I had to take one math and one science at undergrad prices before I started my graduate work.

The progam I'm in counts the education classes toward your masters degree. So, all my methods classes, psychology, multicultural, etc. count for my masters degree. Even student teaching counts toward my masters as well.

I think most universities that have teacher programs offer tyis type of program now. There seems to be a lot of career changers out there. I worked and took classes at night for 3 years (only taking one class at a time and taking a few semesters off) so it took me a while to get here. I know that University of Michigan offers a certification/masters program that you complete in one year. In hindsight, I wish I would have done that program. (But those circumstances probably wouldn't have let me meet my fiance!)

Look around at all the universities you can, because some will accept more of your undergrad credits than others. Essentially, shop around for the best program, and one that won't cost you an arm and a leg. One university I looked at wanted me to take all of my math and science over again. I wasn't about to pay for all that again, I had an engineering degree already!

Keep us posted on your plans! Seriously, if you have other questions, just let me know, I'm happy to help.”