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+--- Thread: Does anyone regret it? (/Thread-Does-anyone-regret-it)
Does anyone regret it? - PonyGirl93 - 02-26-2016
I'm hesitant to even post this, but I am writing an article/blog post to submit to a former homeschoolers' blog about the risks of doing college this way for homeschoolers/young people.
I doubt anyone who has finished a degree and had enough time to regret it is hanging out here, but I was interested to see if anyone here has wished they did a traditional degree. I understand most of you do degrees for work reasons & I do believe this can be a wonderful cost- and time-efficient method for people in that situation. This is more directed at people in high school or fresh out of it doing college for the first time. However, everyone is welcome to discuss
Does anyone regret it? - kb4ns1 - 02-26-2016
I do not fit the population that you're most interested in as I was in my 30's with a career already before I decided to go back, but I can say this about regrets; I regret not doing it much sooner! I think that had I found this forum earlier and realized years ago that I could go from 17 hours of community college from back in 2001 (in Emergency Medical Tech) to a regionally-accredited Bachelor's in less than a year with hard work, determination, and focus, I would have done it long ago!
Getting back to the focus of your OP, I can't imagine too many youngsters regretting getting their degree way faster and much cheaper than a traditional B&M school!
Does anyone regret it? - dfrecore - 02-26-2016
I homeschool my kids (middle schoolers), and we have discussed this (they see me doing it). But, both of them have decided that they at least want to go to CC, if not a 4-yr college. My daughter wants to be a nurse, so we've kind of planned out her AA with a few CLEP tests at the local CC (here, you don't even need a 2-year degree to be a nurse, but she agrees that she might as well get that AA since she would be about 75% of the way with the requirements). My son is very interested in being in the military (family tradition on both sides), but would like to do ROTC. He's interested in taking some CC courses through high school though.
I personally would not recommend that they do their schooling this way straight out of high school. And since neither of them is interested in that, it's not a problem. But they also know there are some simple ways to get through faster, and are definitely willing to look at that. It's kind of the best of both worlds.
Does anyone regret it? - passit1 - 02-26-2016
kb4ns1 Wrote:i regret not doing it much sooner!
ditto that !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Does anyone regret it? - Leherself - 02-26-2016
No, I don't regret it. I honeschooled through high school and took my first college classes when I was seventeen. I quickly figured out a few things. One, I couldn't afford to keep going to school and I wasn't interested in going into debt. Two, I had no idea what I really wanted to study or what I wanted to do for a living. And three, I wasn't ready for college from an adulthood/responsibility perspective (academically, it was manageable, but I wasn't emotionally mature enough at 17 to self-manage and motivate).
So I went directly into working. Then I joined the military. Ultimately this has worked out well for me - I'm ten years into a government career when many of my age mates are still looking for entry level employment, and I bought my first home at 26 because I wasn't having to fight down student loan beasties and I had a solid income.
As I see it, there are a few different pieces to the "college experience." The first is educational - that can be done in a variety of ways. You don't have to attend college to read books and write papers. And especially at the lower division, I don't think there's necessarily more value in taking a survey course in a room of 150 other students, and getting graded on three tests and a paper, than there is in just skipping the hassle and taking a CLEP exam on your own. I've taken enough college classes to know that for every genius professor who really pushes your horizons outward, you take half a dozen classes with TAs that are just going through the motions - at least at most state or public schools.
The second aspect of college is the credential - and as far as I'm concerned there's nothing inherently more valuable about a state school diploma vs. say a TESU one. Ivy's are a different issue, but most colleges are not Ivy's.
Third is college-as-a-broadening experience, a place where young people are out on their own for the first time, exposed to a wider variety of people than they grew up with, etc. Especially for young students I think this is probably the most important part of college, but I think it's important to realize that even for a typical college student the best broadening experiences happen outside the classroom. Jobs, internships, foreign travel, etc. are all valuable and if anything they are even more accessible to non-students than they are to students. Broadening experiences and emotional maturity are the reasons that I wouldn't hire, say, and 18-year-old with a Bachelors - but then, I wouldn't be impressed by a 22-year-old with a bachelors if they didn't have any other work or life experience to draw from. If I was advising a young person who was planjing to test out of college, then this is where I'd want them to put in some extra effort to make themselves more marketable, and also give themselves the opportunity to grow as people. Do things that make them uncomfortable - take risks, make mistakes, have adventures - don't just stay in your parents house and work at the corner store to save money.
The number one complaint I hear about young people in the workforce is a variation on, "well, this is the first time they've ever been away from home and they aren't handling it well." In the military that's usually a fresh out of highschool 18 year old and we make it work. In my partner's career that's usually a college graduate (sometimes even someone with a Masters degree) and things generally don't work out well at all - in part because he's a civilian and they don't have the same leverage with their employees as the military does with its recruits. I remember being mind boggled after having a conversation with a 28-year-old man who told me this was the first time in his life he'd had a full time job - he'd spent the past decade going to school, most using loans, and the only jobs he'd had were part time work-study type things.
Don't be that guy. Get out more.
Does anyone regret it? - PonyGirl93 - 02-26-2016
kb4ns1 Wrote:I do not fit the population that you're most interested in as I was in my 30's with a career already before I decided to go back, but I can say this about regrets; I regret not doing it much sooner!
...
I can't imagine too many youngsters regretting getting their degree way faster and much cheaper than a traditional B&M school!
I thought this too, what's the downside, right? Turns out there are a few. I don't want to get into it, but the biggest one being what you just said; you were successful with this because you already had a career.
dfrecore Wrote:I homeschool my kids (middle schoolers), and we have discussed this (they see me doing it). But, both of them have decided that they at least want to go to CC, if not a 4-yr college. My daughter wants to be a nurse, so we've kind of planned out her AA with a few CLEP tests at the local CC (here, you don't even need a 2-year degree to be a nurse, but she agrees that she might as well get that AA since she would be about 75% of the way with the requirements). My son is very interested in being in the military (family tradition on both sides), but would like to do ROTC. He's interested in taking some CC courses through high school though.
I personally would not recommend that they do their schooling this way straight out of high school. And since neither of them is interested in that, it's not a problem. But they also know there are some simple ways to get through faster, and are definitely willing to look at that. It's kind of the best of both worlds.
That's a very fair & levelheaded way to approach it, I admire you!
passit1 Wrote:ditto that !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
If I had started any earlier it would have been as a middle-schooler, so... that's not on my list.
Leherself Wrote:Don't be that guy. Get out more.
You had a really insightful post, thanks! Not sure if you're addressing me or in general, but I've been working about 50 hrs/wk for about four years now. I'm hardly sitting on my ass waiting for opportunity to fall in my lap.
Does anyone regret it? - Leherself - 02-26-2016
PonyGirl93 Wrote:You had a really insightful post, thanks! Not sure if you're addressing me or in general, but I've been working about 50 hrs/wk for about four years now. I'm hardly sitting on my ass waiting for opportunity to fall in my lap.
Definitely not directed at you or anyone else in particular! Sorry, lol, I can get a little unclear - especially when I'm writing on my iphone.
Does anyone regret it? - Carnation - 02-27-2016
As a homeschool parent, yes we are having our children go this route.
Probably not for an entire degree but definitely for AA.
One reason is that dh and I didn't complete our degree because we were frustrated that we weren't learning anything new in the general education courses... so we quit.
Our children also hate repetition so we will avoid that altogether and have our kids test after completing their high school courses.
Another reason is that our oldest tested into college level courses at 6-1/2 yo.
We had a letter that would have allowed us to register him in any college of our choice at 7yo.
We are not in any hurry to send him to college, instead letting him be a kid by playing with Legos, going camping with the scouts, and playing sports.
At 10yo he has started to test out of college classes and by 14yo he will be more mature and ready to sit in a classroom.
Testing out isn't the best option for everyone, nor is everyone able to handle it.
For some though, it is the best available option.
Does anyone regret it? - topdog98 - 02-27-2016
Thankfully, no regrets for me. Although maybe I am a little young for regrets.
I'm 17 with no debt. I have had my degree for almost a year. I am blessed with a real job in my field (instead of bagging groceries or flipping burgers like most my age). I am currently taking graduate courses (paid for by scholarship, so far).
So by the time I could have graduated with loads of debt, instead, Lord willing, I will have a graduate degree and five years of experience with money in the bank. I feel very blessed and thankful for the opportunity.
I hope this helps. All the best to you!
Does anyone regret it? - clep3705 - 02-27-2016
Attending and living on a college campus is to a large extent a socialization process that is good for many, if not most, students. Some students would be better off skipping this altogether. Temple Grandin would probably tell people with Asperger's to forgo the college socialization process as much as possible and focus on getting the academic work done as efficiently as possible.
I've seen people thrive in the college environment. The social aspects and adult responsibilities make some students bloom. Others I've seen need to be free of the distractions of campus life and attending class.