10-12-2010, 11:20 AM
I have been an avid reader of these forums for some time with little need to post. Thatâs selfish really, and for that I apologize. The tips I have received from these forums on CLEP/DSST testing have been invaluable. I have also directed some of my schoolmates to this site for this great information.
I do see some troubling areas though that really need to be addressed within how we as students perceive education and how employers may view our investment in education. I want to share what I have learned about finding the right school and the âvalueâ of a college degree these days. I see many folks asking about some of these issues on these forums, and answers that are not always fully correct and/or complete.
Please also remember that I am in the same shoes as many of you. I went to a large university immediately after high school, screwed around, and dropped out after two years with mediocre grades. Maybe your reasons for not completing college are different from mine, but I am nothing if not honest about the reasons I left school. My professional life has been successful, but has been made somewhat harder by not having earned a degree. I have worked very hard for all that I have achieved and not having a degree cannot deprive me of my real-life experience.
Whatâs the goal?
Like so many others, I want to get a degree, and am continuing to work toward this, as a way to open up new opportunities. My sense of âif itâs too good to be trueâ¦â has been honed to a fine edge over the years, but I see folks everyday who make mistakes in this area. Degrees are not a panacea for all that ails us in our professional lives. Earning one will not open up magical doors of closed opportunities like showing a golden ticket at the gates of a fictional chocolate factory.
Degrees are, however, tools that allow us to further our professional careers and earning one should be seen as a goal that furthers our larger goals in our respective professional circles. My goals also included the need to actually learn skills and theories that I could put to use every day. The program I would join would also have to be challenging enough to not bore me into dropping out again. Finally, the last thing I wanted was for my degree to not appear as if it came from a diploma mill. It must be respected by both businesses and other institutions of higher education.
What does respect mean?
In a nutshell, our degrees, and the institutions that provide them, must be shielded from being tarnished by outside influences. How do colleges and universities combat this? They become respected for their work, and they gain accreditation. Accreditation simply means that established standards have been met and measured with regard to quality and the ability of the institution to continue to offer similar services in the future.
Not all accrediting bodies are created equally. The most important research can be done by prospective students before they enroll on a class. Thanks to the internet, accreditations from virtually any school can be researched online. But this begs another question. Iâll answer it honestly, and you can ask yourself too; how many of you knew that regional accreditation was more valuable than national accreditation when you were just beginning to research your education options? I bet the number is small, and I had no clue either I must admit. Thatâs alright though, the language is deceiving. âNationally Accreditedâ sounds more important. While national accreditation is helpful, itâs the regional accreditation through one of the six regional accrediting bodies that is important.
If you really want to know how your potential school choice may be perceived, then take a look at the company they share within their accrediting body. Have you heard of any of the schools? If so, do you know anything about them? Is there a history to the accrediting body? My advice is to know that your school is accredited through the Middle States, New England, North Central, Northwest, Southern, or Western associations. However these associations can vary quite differently from each other. Just look at their member schools, history, and standards.
Regional accreditation also helps when trying to transfer credits to finish a degree, to sit for an exam (the CPA is a great example), or to go to graduate school.
Finally, with the economy still in the dumps, employers have become much more savvy as to which institutions offer a valuable and useful education and which do not.
For profit or non-profit?
My answer to this is to ask myself where I want to stand within an educational organization. I really do want to become a part of a college/university culture and not just a revenue stream. However, I do know that the non-profits are wanting my money, and yours, just as much. I wonât get into too many details, but will ask you to look into Sen. Harkinâs latest hearings on the topic of for profit colleges and universities.
What do we want?
This is a tough question since I can really only speak for myself, but I have asked myself this question over and over. I tend to be an optimist with regard to individuals and their ability to achieve if given the appropriate tools to do so. I believe in hard work being rewarded and see it all the time at school, and I hope other share this belief. I also value professional development and the need to always be learning no matter what.
Ultimately we want that piece of paper that helps us improve our careers. Hopefully we all want to learn something along the way.
What did I do?
I elected to enroll in a small, private, non-profit university in my home state, and have since become a huge advocate for them. I am not going to name names though at this time. This university has a solid reputation, a long history with traditional education and a rock-solid adult education model. Below were some major considerations when I enrolled.
Why do I care?
Going back to school has become important for so many folks out there. I want everyone who wants it to make sure they have all the tools necessary to make an informed decision about a quality organization before they enroll and potentially make a mistake. Many programs exist that are not of the quality one would normally expect from a college setting, and no one should sacrifice quality because they are a non-traditional student.
Finally, the university where I am enrolled has changed my life. I realized that I can still have a family life and work while attending college full-time, and get good grades to boot. Others can do the same.
I am happy to talk to anyone about what I did via PM, and to help with any questions regarding the topics above.
Thank you
I do see some troubling areas though that really need to be addressed within how we as students perceive education and how employers may view our investment in education. I want to share what I have learned about finding the right school and the âvalueâ of a college degree these days. I see many folks asking about some of these issues on these forums, and answers that are not always fully correct and/or complete.
Please also remember that I am in the same shoes as many of you. I went to a large university immediately after high school, screwed around, and dropped out after two years with mediocre grades. Maybe your reasons for not completing college are different from mine, but I am nothing if not honest about the reasons I left school. My professional life has been successful, but has been made somewhat harder by not having earned a degree. I have worked very hard for all that I have achieved and not having a degree cannot deprive me of my real-life experience.
Whatâs the goal?
Like so many others, I want to get a degree, and am continuing to work toward this, as a way to open up new opportunities. My sense of âif itâs too good to be trueâ¦â has been honed to a fine edge over the years, but I see folks everyday who make mistakes in this area. Degrees are not a panacea for all that ails us in our professional lives. Earning one will not open up magical doors of closed opportunities like showing a golden ticket at the gates of a fictional chocolate factory.
Degrees are, however, tools that allow us to further our professional careers and earning one should be seen as a goal that furthers our larger goals in our respective professional circles. My goals also included the need to actually learn skills and theories that I could put to use every day. The program I would join would also have to be challenging enough to not bore me into dropping out again. Finally, the last thing I wanted was for my degree to not appear as if it came from a diploma mill. It must be respected by both businesses and other institutions of higher education.
What does respect mean?
In a nutshell, our degrees, and the institutions that provide them, must be shielded from being tarnished by outside influences. How do colleges and universities combat this? They become respected for their work, and they gain accreditation. Accreditation simply means that established standards have been met and measured with regard to quality and the ability of the institution to continue to offer similar services in the future.
Not all accrediting bodies are created equally. The most important research can be done by prospective students before they enroll on a class. Thanks to the internet, accreditations from virtually any school can be researched online. But this begs another question. Iâll answer it honestly, and you can ask yourself too; how many of you knew that regional accreditation was more valuable than national accreditation when you were just beginning to research your education options? I bet the number is small, and I had no clue either I must admit. Thatâs alright though, the language is deceiving. âNationally Accreditedâ sounds more important. While national accreditation is helpful, itâs the regional accreditation through one of the six regional accrediting bodies that is important.
If you really want to know how your potential school choice may be perceived, then take a look at the company they share within their accrediting body. Have you heard of any of the schools? If so, do you know anything about them? Is there a history to the accrediting body? My advice is to know that your school is accredited through the Middle States, New England, North Central, Northwest, Southern, or Western associations. However these associations can vary quite differently from each other. Just look at their member schools, history, and standards.
Regional accreditation also helps when trying to transfer credits to finish a degree, to sit for an exam (the CPA is a great example), or to go to graduate school.
Finally, with the economy still in the dumps, employers have become much more savvy as to which institutions offer a valuable and useful education and which do not.
For profit or non-profit?
My answer to this is to ask myself where I want to stand within an educational organization. I really do want to become a part of a college/university culture and not just a revenue stream. However, I do know that the non-profits are wanting my money, and yours, just as much. I wonât get into too many details, but will ask you to look into Sen. Harkinâs latest hearings on the topic of for profit colleges and universities.
What do we want?
This is a tough question since I can really only speak for myself, but I have asked myself this question over and over. I tend to be an optimist with regard to individuals and their ability to achieve if given the appropriate tools to do so. I believe in hard work being rewarded and see it all the time at school, and I hope other share this belief. I also value professional development and the need to always be learning no matter what.
Ultimately we want that piece of paper that helps us improve our careers. Hopefully we all want to learn something along the way.
What did I do?
I elected to enroll in a small, private, non-profit university in my home state, and have since become a huge advocate for them. I am not going to name names though at this time. This university has a solid reputation, a long history with traditional education and a rock-solid adult education model. Below were some major considerations when I enrolled.
- Transfer credits (old university & CLEP/DSST tests) applied to transcript for free (no cost per credit hour).
- Nationally and regionally accredited.
- Up to 90 credit hours allowed to transfer towards degree. This lets me test out of a lot of coursework.
- I can take classes either live (in state) or online (from anywhere).
- No cohort model. I am not stuck with a team going through a program at the speed of the slowest person.
- Books are included in the price of tuition.
- Programs offered included several that I was interested in. With graduate degrees available after I gain my BS.
- Faculty is top-notch with adjunct faculty brought in from a variety of professional backgrounds.
- Middle-of-the-road tuition costs. You do get what you pay for.
Why do I care?
Going back to school has become important for so many folks out there. I want everyone who wants it to make sure they have all the tools necessary to make an informed decision about a quality organization before they enroll and potentially make a mistake. Many programs exist that are not of the quality one would normally expect from a college setting, and no one should sacrifice quality because they are a non-traditional student.
Finally, the university where I am enrolled has changed my life. I realized that I can still have a family life and work while attending college full-time, and get good grades to boot. Others can do the same.
I am happy to talk to anyone about what I did via PM, and to help with any questions regarding the topics above.
Thank you
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