12-21-2014, 09:43 PM
(This post was last modified: 12-21-2014, 10:07 PM by Christopher.)
Hi All:
Gulp (blushes). I’m new here. First off a pleasure to meet you all. My name is Christopher. I’ve been considering going back to college for some time. University level. Well, BA/BS level that is. I have an AA in Liberal Arts & Sciences from 2003. If I was too take one or two more courses at the Community College I could also get another AA in Social and Behavior Sciences as they recentlly added that degree option. Anytime, took me time to get my AA because I worked while in junior college and took time on/off. I’m almost 35 years old now. (I feel old about going to college too especially since I work around all these 23+ year olds talking about working on their MAs fresh out of Cal State University)
I had thought about going back to the CC and getting an AA in Child Development. In my state this certifies you too teach private school Pre-School. Then I can get a BA in Child Studies through Charter Oak. A BA in any subject and passing the CBEST state exam allows you to substitute teach in California. CA is DESPERATE for substitute teachers. However the only down side is if I move to another state the requirements for teaching can change in regards to Early Childhood Education. For example in California you only need an AA to teach pre-school with two classes being student-teaching training because our public schools don’t have regulated pre-school care so they’re all private school. In Nevada you need a BA in ECE and have to go though the whole teacher credential program since it’s public school. I’m also hearing the pay is extremely low in ECE. Anyone here majored/worked in Early Childhood Educaiton or studied Child Studies at Charter Oak? Here our District sub teachers make $15.00 an hour or in Los Angeles Unified $220.00 a day. ECE I hear only makes $9.00 or so an hour. Plus, I want a decent paying job and have options to change jobs. I’m worried that if I want to take on a higher paying clerical job or maybe get into working into a hospital as a patient register (again – I did that some years back) that saying I majored in “Child Studies” might make it seem like I have no other education except studying child behavior and teaching. Liberal Studies/Arts I can see the interviewer saying "Okay, he studied in various of courses and has a solid background." Child STudies I'm thinking "He studied in Children STudies...what good is that going to do us for an Administrative Assistant posiiton." If what Im saying makes any sense. I'm just looking at all my options and I have pay to go too college I want to have a "useable" degree.
The thing is I would have to spend another whole year in C.C. to get my AS in Child Development. Whereas right now I can at most spend one semester finishing up the GE requirements for BS (higher math, sociology 101, ect) and enroll for a BA/BS or do both at the same time. If I go to Charter Oak to get the BS in Child Studies it wouldn’t match the classes require to certify to teach ECE in California as some of the required classes aren’t taught at CCSC and some taught at CCSC are useless to California: ECE California Requirements: http://www.ctc.ca.gov/credentials/leaflets/cl797.pdf -- California Substitute Teaching Requirements:
http://www.ctc.ca.gov/credentials/leaflets/cl505p.pdf
I thought about Business Administration but I’m horrible at math. I’ll be lucky to get through College Algebra (I’m about a 3.50 GPA student, but math I’m horrible in – just how it is. I still would have to take Intermediate Algebra because up into 2009 you only needed Elementary Algebra to get an AA) I’m an A student in English though. So, Business is out. I know with Business you can about write your own ticket. In fact its the math courses that discourage me a lot for even going back because who knows if I can even pass it. The Math professors at our C.C. are well well known for being dead serious with math. Its not a "well get through it." view point. Its a "You better come into College Algebra class loving math, and being prepare to already know it, no room for error on a problem or its all wrong, and maybe want to be a STEM major or else." (California is getting obsessed with STEM majors - even our high schools are pushing for students to not take liberal arts and focus on STEM degrees even in the H.S level)
I’m thinking of just completing my BA in Liberal Arts or BS in Social Sciences. I can still take the CBEST and sub teach and I’m thinking that with “Liberal Arts” or “Liberal Studies” it looks better if I want to change careers since it shows I studied various of subjects instead of just “Child Studies.” I don’t know. I guess anything with a BA looks good? I work now for a local public school district back and forth between clerical officie and instructional assistant-teachers aide. Fair pay but not great really. Going nowhere with it honestly. Im locked out of a lot of areas because it'll say "BA/BS required"
Online college is the only bet as I do work (for a local school district.) So I can’t do the traditional day classes unless they’re out night. I’m not sure which one is best though. I also don’t want to spend five years in college too. It’s okay if you’re 21 years old…but when you’re in your mid-30s and want to get your BA you want to take non-needed classes or mess up on majors. I don’t have that lenient of time as some that are say 19 years old might have to take my time or just major in various of AA degrees and see what happens or change majors over and over again.
I talked to one advisor and in regards to ECE teaching anything that works in your state may not work in another state. So I can get credential in ECE to teach in California and find out my credential or degree is useless in another state. I don’t have a desire to get fully credential to teach public school. As least with a degree in say “Business Administration” no matter where you go, you have a degree in “Business Administration”. Same for Liberal Arts, etc. But, I’ve heard in today’s job market without a specific major/concentration a BA/MA degree is usless. “Liberal Studies” or “Liberal Arts” is unemployable because it shows you really haven’t studied in one field of study (like majoring in Accounting or Business or Economics). Now, in California Liberal Studies is not in any way related to Liberal Arts or the Liberal Studies that Thomas Edison S.C. offers. Liberal Studies means taking classes such as “Edu 201: Teaching in a Diverse Society” and “EDU 303: Parent Teacher Conferencing in an Elementary School” and “EDU 400: Teaching K-6 Math in the Classroom” and “EDU 450: Student Teacher Lab.” Liberal Studies is usually designed at California Universities to fully qualify to pass the CSET and be accept into a teacher-student internship at a public school district. A teacher friend of mine said if she lost her job as a teacher (so much budget cuts) or wanted out…her degree would be usless as its only in liberal studies in teaching.
It’s hard. Most everyone I know has a BA or MA. I feel like my AA in Liberal Arts is simply a “glorfied H.S. Diploma”. Even a B.A. in Liberal Arts would mean something but Im also wondering is it job marketable. I keep hearing anything such as "General Studies, Liberal Studies, Child/Women STudies, Art/Theater Studies" is a waste. It has to be a big major like "Business, Accounting, Liberal Studies-Elementry teaching, Speech Communications." I thought about applying for the three colleges but I don’t want to spend $75.00 for all these colleges and not know for sure which one I want or what major I would take. Just be a waste of time and money on all our part. I don’t know. Any advice would be helpful. I’m sorry for such a long winded posted. Just like anyone else. Looking to finish something I realistically should of started/finished twelve years ago if I haven’t done stupid things in my life (goofed off – bad advice, etc). I’ll post the classes Ive completed at CC. Any advice would be helpful. Thanks! I included my classes from C.C. Im not sure how many would transfer in to say a BA-Libreal Arts/Studies degree at TESC or Excelsior. AHHHHH. All this confusion makes me say forget the whole thing at times haha. What general educaton requirements for any BA/BS would I have to take? I know at some point College Algebra. Im not sure what else.
Community College. X.XXC means number of credits. I have a 3.50 GPA. For privacy I won’t post my actually letter grades but they’re all in the A/B range with only two of them having Cs. Regionally accredited local community college:
Gulp (blushes). I’m new here. First off a pleasure to meet you all. My name is Christopher. I’ve been considering going back to college for some time. University level. Well, BA/BS level that is. I have an AA in Liberal Arts & Sciences from 2003. If I was too take one or two more courses at the Community College I could also get another AA in Social and Behavior Sciences as they recentlly added that degree option. Anytime, took me time to get my AA because I worked while in junior college and took time on/off. I’m almost 35 years old now. (I feel old about going to college too especially since I work around all these 23+ year olds talking about working on their MAs fresh out of Cal State University)
I had thought about going back to the CC and getting an AA in Child Development. In my state this certifies you too teach private school Pre-School. Then I can get a BA in Child Studies through Charter Oak. A BA in any subject and passing the CBEST state exam allows you to substitute teach in California. CA is DESPERATE for substitute teachers. However the only down side is if I move to another state the requirements for teaching can change in regards to Early Childhood Education. For example in California you only need an AA to teach pre-school with two classes being student-teaching training because our public schools don’t have regulated pre-school care so they’re all private school. In Nevada you need a BA in ECE and have to go though the whole teacher credential program since it’s public school. I’m also hearing the pay is extremely low in ECE. Anyone here majored/worked in Early Childhood Educaiton or studied Child Studies at Charter Oak? Here our District sub teachers make $15.00 an hour or in Los Angeles Unified $220.00 a day. ECE I hear only makes $9.00 or so an hour. Plus, I want a decent paying job and have options to change jobs. I’m worried that if I want to take on a higher paying clerical job or maybe get into working into a hospital as a patient register (again – I did that some years back) that saying I majored in “Child Studies” might make it seem like I have no other education except studying child behavior and teaching. Liberal Studies/Arts I can see the interviewer saying "Okay, he studied in various of courses and has a solid background." Child STudies I'm thinking "He studied in Children STudies...what good is that going to do us for an Administrative Assistant posiiton." If what Im saying makes any sense. I'm just looking at all my options and I have pay to go too college I want to have a "useable" degree.
The thing is I would have to spend another whole year in C.C. to get my AS in Child Development. Whereas right now I can at most spend one semester finishing up the GE requirements for BS (higher math, sociology 101, ect) and enroll for a BA/BS or do both at the same time. If I go to Charter Oak to get the BS in Child Studies it wouldn’t match the classes require to certify to teach ECE in California as some of the required classes aren’t taught at CCSC and some taught at CCSC are useless to California: ECE California Requirements: http://www.ctc.ca.gov/credentials/leaflets/cl797.pdf -- California Substitute Teaching Requirements:
http://www.ctc.ca.gov/credentials/leaflets/cl505p.pdf
I thought about Business Administration but I’m horrible at math. I’ll be lucky to get through College Algebra (I’m about a 3.50 GPA student, but math I’m horrible in – just how it is. I still would have to take Intermediate Algebra because up into 2009 you only needed Elementary Algebra to get an AA) I’m an A student in English though. So, Business is out. I know with Business you can about write your own ticket. In fact its the math courses that discourage me a lot for even going back because who knows if I can even pass it. The Math professors at our C.C. are well well known for being dead serious with math. Its not a "well get through it." view point. Its a "You better come into College Algebra class loving math, and being prepare to already know it, no room for error on a problem or its all wrong, and maybe want to be a STEM major or else." (California is getting obsessed with STEM majors - even our high schools are pushing for students to not take liberal arts and focus on STEM degrees even in the H.S level)
I’m thinking of just completing my BA in Liberal Arts or BS in Social Sciences. I can still take the CBEST and sub teach and I’m thinking that with “Liberal Arts” or “Liberal Studies” it looks better if I want to change careers since it shows I studied various of subjects instead of just “Child Studies.” I don’t know. I guess anything with a BA looks good? I work now for a local public school district back and forth between clerical officie and instructional assistant-teachers aide. Fair pay but not great really. Going nowhere with it honestly. Im locked out of a lot of areas because it'll say "BA/BS required"
Online college is the only bet as I do work (for a local school district.) So I can’t do the traditional day classes unless they’re out night. I’m not sure which one is best though. I also don’t want to spend five years in college too. It’s okay if you’re 21 years old…but when you’re in your mid-30s and want to get your BA you want to take non-needed classes or mess up on majors. I don’t have that lenient of time as some that are say 19 years old might have to take my time or just major in various of AA degrees and see what happens or change majors over and over again.
I talked to one advisor and in regards to ECE teaching anything that works in your state may not work in another state. So I can get credential in ECE to teach in California and find out my credential or degree is useless in another state. I don’t have a desire to get fully credential to teach public school. As least with a degree in say “Business Administration” no matter where you go, you have a degree in “Business Administration”. Same for Liberal Arts, etc. But, I’ve heard in today’s job market without a specific major/concentration a BA/MA degree is usless. “Liberal Studies” or “Liberal Arts” is unemployable because it shows you really haven’t studied in one field of study (like majoring in Accounting or Business or Economics). Now, in California Liberal Studies is not in any way related to Liberal Arts or the Liberal Studies that Thomas Edison S.C. offers. Liberal Studies means taking classes such as “Edu 201: Teaching in a Diverse Society” and “EDU 303: Parent Teacher Conferencing in an Elementary School” and “EDU 400: Teaching K-6 Math in the Classroom” and “EDU 450: Student Teacher Lab.” Liberal Studies is usually designed at California Universities to fully qualify to pass the CSET and be accept into a teacher-student internship at a public school district. A teacher friend of mine said if she lost her job as a teacher (so much budget cuts) or wanted out…her degree would be usless as its only in liberal studies in teaching.
It’s hard. Most everyone I know has a BA or MA. I feel like my AA in Liberal Arts is simply a “glorfied H.S. Diploma”. Even a B.A. in Liberal Arts would mean something but Im also wondering is it job marketable. I keep hearing anything such as "General Studies, Liberal Studies, Child/Women STudies, Art/Theater Studies" is a waste. It has to be a big major like "Business, Accounting, Liberal Studies-Elementry teaching, Speech Communications." I thought about applying for the three colleges but I don’t want to spend $75.00 for all these colleges and not know for sure which one I want or what major I would take. Just be a waste of time and money on all our part. I don’t know. Any advice would be helpful. I’m sorry for such a long winded posted. Just like anyone else. Looking to finish something I realistically should of started/finished twelve years ago if I haven’t done stupid things in my life (goofed off – bad advice, etc). I’ll post the classes Ive completed at CC. Any advice would be helpful. Thanks! I included my classes from C.C. Im not sure how many would transfer in to say a BA-Libreal Arts/Studies degree at TESC or Excelsior. AHHHHH. All this confusion makes me say forget the whole thing at times haha. What general educaton requirements for any BA/BS would I have to take? I know at some point College Algebra. Im not sure what else.
Community College. X.XXC means number of credits. I have a 3.50 GPA. For privacy I won’t post my actually letter grades but they’re all in the A/B range with only two of them having Cs. Regionally accredited local community college:
![[-]](https://www.degreeforum.net/mybb/images/collapse.png)
