Does UMPI feel rewarding? Does it feed the soul.

[trentburke14]

Hey, 

     I am a full-time 30-year-old Youtuber and after 10 years of youtube, I want to return to school. Not for necessity or a promotion at work, but for the pure love of learning. I went to a UNI. right after high school for a few years and earned 42 credits, but dropped out for some personal reasons and my youtube took off so I decided not to return. I have been spending many months looking up schools and trying to balance quality with price. I also would prefer to earn an online degree because I just don't have the time to commute and spend a lot of time at school. So Long story short I found UMPI, but I have some concerns.


     I have read stories about people taking 30+ credits in one session (8 weeks) and finishing their degrees in less than a year. To me, that sounds very hard to believe, not that it is not impossible, but rather do you learn anything? When you complete a class in UMPI do you feel that you gained skills and knowledge? Is there a sense of accomplishment and you're not just doing busy work to get a degree? Personally, I want to go to school for History or English, because I LOVE both subjects, but writing is not my strong suit. I look forward to the struggle and practice of writing in school, but I fear at UMPI I will not improve as much as I would in a more traditional school. Do any current students here have some insight on these matters? Do you feel rewarded and enriched when you finish a course?

     My other concern is about the degree itself. Do people respect the degree when applying for jobs? Also, I plan to get my Master's degree from a different school (Like Penn State World Campaus) could getting a degree from UMPI be a hindrance to my chances of getting accepted in? When I hear about people getting their Bachelor's in 6months and their Master's in 4 months it sounds kinda cheap to me. Like you check off some boxes, did some busy work, and got a piece of paper that says degree on it. I am not trying to sound rude, just that I have some concerns about the retainment of these courses and the fulfillment of achieving a degree from here. (Again im not saying this is true, I hope that its not true, because I do want to go to UMPI.)


     I am highly interested in UMPI because it's cheap, especially if you take a lot of classes. I like the idea that I can finish my degree in less than a year and get started on my Master's. And by saving money, by getting a bachelor's at UMPI, I can spend a little more on my Master's at a school with more of a reputation.

Thanks for your Time.

[rachel83az]

I can't speak to the first part of your post, but there is no reason why the degree wouldn't be respected by anyone. UMPI is a state school. The degree itself says nothing about being earned online. It says nothing about the methods of instruction. All anyone will know is that you'll have a degree from a tiny state school that maybe few people have heard about. But that's the way it is with most state schools. Most people outside of Arizona (and not on these kinds of forums) probably don't know the difference between ASU, UofA, and NAU. What's the difference in ranking between Ohio State University and Ohio University? Nobody knows. Few people care, even in academia.

Assuming your grades are good, as long as you have at least 30 graded credits, which is coincidentally the minimum number required from UMPI, you won't have problems with most grad schools either. Even that isn't a huge barrier, however, as students from this forum have previously gone on to high-ranking grad and/or law schools with fewer graded credits than you can get from UMPI.

[trentburke14]

I can't speak to the first part of your post, but there is no reason why the degree wouldn't be respected by anyone. UMPI is a state school. The degree itself says nothing about being earned online. It says nothing about the methods of instruction. All anyone will know is that you'll have a degree from a tiny state school that maybe few people have heard about. But that's the way it is with most state schools. Most people outside of Arizona (and not on these kinds of forums) probably don't know the difference between ASU, UofA, and NAU. What's the difference in ranking between Ohio State University and Ohio University? Nobody knows. Few people care, even in academia.

Assuming your grades are good, as long as you have at least 30 graded credits, which is coincidentally the minimum number required from UMPI, you won't have problems with most grad schools either. Even that isn't a huge barrier, however, as students from this forum have previously gone on to high-ranking grad and/or law schools with fewer graded credits than you can get from UMPI.

Hey, thanks for the message. In case anyone has the same concerns, I contacted the Graduate Program of UGA and ask if they would accept credits from UMPI and they said yes, there would be no issues. This school just blows my mind, because it sounds too good to be true.

[ss20ts]

Why would UGA have a problem with a degree from UMPI? UMPI is a regionally accredited state university.

[rachel83az]

It can be kind of hard to believe that there is a school out there these days that isn't solely looking to suck students dry of every penny that they can, but such schools do exist. I think that Maine has some sort of "university for everyone" initiative and UMPI's YourPace program is part of that. From what UMPI students have said, it sounds like YourPace was intended to be a relatively small and local program until it was stumbled upon by members of this forum. Only a couple of years ago, there were only something like 20-ish YourPace students enrolled. It's grown much bigger since our first members (ashkir and ss20ts) got their degrees.

[trentburke14]

Why would UGA have a problem with a degree from UMPI? UMPI is a regionally accredited state university.

I guess, I just can't believe that a school like this exists, and thought there had to be a catch. Also, I was on the phone with someone from UMPI and they told me to call and check with UGA.

---

It can be kind of hard to believe that there is a school out there these days that isn't solely looking to suck students dry of every penny that they can, but such schools do exist. I think that Maine has some sort of "university for everyone" initiative and UMPI's YourPace program is part of that. From what UMPI students have said, it sounds like YourPace was intended to be a relatively small and local program until it was stumbled upon by members of this forum. Only a couple of years ago, there were only something like 20-ish YourPace students enrolled. It's grown much bigger since our first members (ashkir and ss20ts) got their degrees.

Thats amazing

[LevelUP]

Hey, 

     I am a full-time 30-year-old Youtuber and after 10 years of youtube

We have several Youtubers on this forum, so you are in good company.

I have read stories about people taking 30+ credits in one session (8 weeks) and finishing their degrees in less than a year. To me, that sounds very hard to believe, not that it is not impossible

Welcome to the real world.

Inside the Matrix you are led to believe there is only one path to getting a college degree when in fact there are many options that are quicker and cheaper than traditional methods.

It comes down to simple mathematics that a traditional college course can be completed in an average of 100 hours, and a CLEP or other alternative courses can be completed in 20 hours or less. That's how degrees are done so quickly.

Do you learn anything? When you complete a class in UMPI do you feel that you gained skills and knowledge? Is there a sense of accomplishment and you're not just doing busy work to get a degree? Personally, I want to go to school for History or English, because I LOVE both subjects, but writing is not my strong suit. I look forward to the struggle and practice of writing in school, but I fear at UMPI I will not improve as much as I would in a more traditional school. Do any current students here have some insight on these matters? Do you feel rewarded and enriched when you finish a course?

No college, I don't care if it's Harvard has a monopoly on knowledge. You can always learn things outside of college to help your career.

That being said, college does teach things such as Theoretical Knowledge and Practical Skills.  Also, as you go through the college process, you should be developing your Thinking Skills.

I personally believe 95% of people should go to college.  In the end, I did like all the classes I did, even the ones that gave me trouble. 

My other concern is about the degree itself. Do people respect the degree when applying for jobs? Also, I plan to get my Master's degree from a different school (Like Penn State World Campaus) could getting a degree from UMPI be a hindrance to my chances of getting accepted in? When I hear about people getting their Bachelor's in 6months and their Master's in 4 months it sounds kinda cheap to me.

You state a common concern that most people have of being discriminated against based on their college choice.

After getting a degree at one of our recommended colleges, you can go on and get a master's at colleges such as Georgia Tech, University of Texas at Austin, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and other top 200 colleges.

We had one student get a degree at TESU and go on to receive a near full-ride schoolship to Northwestern University Law School.

There's a Youtuber that did both their undergrad and master's at WGU and went on to work high 6 figure jobs at places such as Microsoft.

     I am highly interested in UMPI because it's cheap, especially if you take a lot of classes. I like the idea that I can finish my degree in less than a year and get started on my Master's. And by saving money, by getting a bachelor's at UMPI, I can spend a little more on my Master's at a school with more of a reputation.

Thanks for your Time.

The process for getting a degree is generally:
1. Select a college
2. Select a major
3. Make a degree plan
4. Complete all alt credits in the degree plan
5. Enroll in college, finish up, and enjoy your degree

** Oh, and have some fun along the way.

Degree Plans
https://degreeforum.miraheze.org/wiki/Ca...gree_Plans

[rachel83az]

I guess, I just can't believe that a school like this exists, and thought there had to be a catch. Also, I was on the phone with someone from UMPI and they told me to call and check with UGA.

Would this happen to have been one of their "enrollment specialists"? Those so-called specalists aren't employees of UMPI; they're third-party contractors who are supposed to sell you on a UMPI degree. If you're looking for a downside to UMPI, that's the biggest one. They really ought to get rid of those people.

The second biggest downside to UMPI would be their science and language classes. Those are the classes that could really slow you down and make you want to quit. Fortunately, there are a number of options for transferring in both science and foreign language to UMPI.

[trentburke14]

I guess, I just can't believe that a school like this exists, and thought there had to be a catch. Also, I was on the phone with someone from UMPI and they told me to call and check with UGA.

Would this happen to have been one of their "enrollment specialists"? Those so-called specalists aren't employees of UMPI; they're third-party contractors who are supposed to sell you on a UMPI degree. If you're looking for a downside to UMPI, that's the biggest one. They really ought to get rid of those people.

The second biggest downside to UMPI would be their science and language classes. Those are the classes that could really slow you down and make you want to quit. Fortunately, there are a number of options for transferring in both science and foreign language to UMPI.

I can speak a little French, and would most likely handle that course pretty easily. Would it be possible to test out of that class and get the credits?

---

Hey, 

     I am a full-time 30-year-old Youtuber and after 10 years of youtube

We have several Youtubers on this forum, so you are in good company.

I have read stories about people taking 30+ credits in one session (8 weeks) and finishing their degrees in less than a year. To me, that sounds very hard to believe, not that it is not impossible

Welcome to the real world.

Inside the Matrix you are led to believe there is only one path to getting a college degree when in fact there are many options that are quicker and cheaper than traditional methods.

It comes down to simple mathematics that a traditional college course can be completed in an average of 100 hours, and a CLEP or other alternative courses can be completed in 20 hours or less. That's how degrees are done so quickly.

Do you learn anything? When you complete a class in UMPI do you feel that you gained skills and knowledge? Is there a sense of accomplishment and you're not just doing busy work to get a degree? Personally, I want to go to school for History or English, because I LOVE both subjects, but writing is not my strong suit. I look forward to the struggle and practice of writing in school, but I fear at UMPI I will not improve as much as I would in a more traditional school. Do any current students here have some insight on these matters? Do you feel rewarded and enriched when you finish a course?

No college, I don't care if it's Harvard has a monopoly on knowledge. You can always learn things outside of college to help your career.

That being said, college does teach things such as Theoretical Knowledge and Practical Skills.  Also, as you go through the college process, you should be developing your Thinking Skills.

I personally believe 95% of people should go to college.  In the end, I did like all the classes I did, even the ones that gave me trouble. 

My other concern is about the degree itself. Do people respect the degree when applying for jobs? Also, I plan to get my Master's degree from a different school (Like Penn State World Campaus) could getting a degree from UMPI be a hindrance to my chances of getting accepted in? When I hear about people getting their Bachelor's in 6months and their Master's in 4 months it sounds kinda cheap to me.

You state a common concern that most people have of being discriminated against based on their college choice.

After getting a degree at one of our recommended colleges, you can go on and get a master's at colleges such as Georgia Tech, University of Texas at Austin, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and other top 200 colleges.

We had one student get a degree at TESU and go on to receive a near full-ride schoolship to Northwestern University Law School.

There's a Youtuber that did both their undergrad and master's at WGU and went on to work high 6 figure jobs at places such as Microsoft.

     I am highly interested in UMPI because it's cheap, especially if you take a lot of classes. I like the idea that I can finish my degree in less than a year and get started on my Master's. And by saving money, by getting a bachelor's at UMPI, I can spend a little more on my Master's at a school with more of a reputation.

Thanks for your Time.

The process for getting a degree is generally:
1. Select a college
2. Select a major
3. Make a degree plan
4. Complete all alt credits in the degree plan
5. Enroll in college, finish up, and enjoy your degree

** Oh, and have some fun along the way.

Degree Plans
https://degreeforum.miraheze.org/wiki/Ca...gree_Plans

Thanks for the comment and the info!

[dfrecore]

     I have read stories about people taking 30+ credits in one session (8 weeks) and finishing their degrees in less than a year. To me, that sounds very hard to believe, not that it is not impossible, but rather do you learn anything? When you complete a class in UMPI do you feel that you gained skills and knowledge? Is there a sense of accomplishment and you're not just doing busy work to get a degree? Personally, I want to go to school for History or English, because I LOVE both subjects, but writing is not my strong suit. I look forward to the struggle and practice of writing in school, but I fear at UMPI I will not improve as much as I would in a more traditional school.

So, first about writing: you could probably benefit from a couple of courses in writing outside of UMPI; a local CC, or one of the cheap ones we suggest here, or any number of options.  I agree that if you're not a strong writer, becoming better before you enroll at UMPI is all upside - you literally cannot go wrong in becoming a better writer.  So, take English Comp I from TEL, or Study.com, or whatever, and take your time and get as much out of it as you can.  Then do Comp II, and if your experience at wherever you took Comp I was good, take II there; and if it wasn't good, take II somewhere else.

Second, if you rush through the courses in a history or English degree, you will probably not get a lot out of them.  That being said, you have 2 options: 1) take your time, which means taking longer to finish your degree (an extra term or even 2); or 2) find another way to get the knowledge that you'd like from other sources AFTER you graduate.  If you love English, there's nothing stopping you from joining a Great Books book club, or joining a Creative Writing group, or getting a subscription to The Great Courses and watching the content.  There's nothing stopping you from taking courses at your local CC, or an inexpensive online school.  And there's a plethora of free stuff available everywhere, including your local library.

So, decide what's more important to you; if it's getting your degree quickly and cheaply, then you can spend a year building up your knowledge while saving up to pay for a master's program.  You may even decide you don't want/need a master's degree because you're having too much fun learning all the things you WANT to learn (and not spending time on things some professor wants you to learn).