I've been thinking about going back ever since my youngest started kindergarten, but the timing wasn't right and money was a hurdle. This fall I finally made the leap, applied, arranged for official transcripts, talked with a counselor, completed orientation and now I just have to take the math and English assessments in a few weeks before I can register for classes.
I have a permasmile on face. My husband came with me to hand in a transcript and we walked around campus. He seems genuinely happy for me. It's a beautiful campus surrounded by rolling hills and vineyards and I love the energy of all the students milling around. Of course, I will be much older than most of them, but I don't care.
The counselor, when scanning over a copy of my transcript, made a few comments about what classes looked like they might transfer and then she zeroed in on Book of Mormon and other religion classes and she carefully said, "I don't think those will transfer." I just smiled and said I doubted they would. I almost wanted to tell her not to transfer any of my science classes either and explain that I memorized scriptures for geology and read articles slamming evolution for biology.
I am looking forward to attending college classes without the worldview of Mormonism distorting everything.
For my major I will be taking calculus, statistics and economics. I'm nervous as math is my weakest link, but I am ready to be challenged. I don't want to be afraid of math anymore. I want to understand it.
Thanks for letting me gush here and I would appreciate any advice. It's been a while since I was student.
That sounds great. Yeah evolution was taught, but then slammed in my BYUI biology class. They went with the improbability of us being created argument.
I took a math course last year after 20 plus years since my last math course. I was nervous as I too thought I was weak in math but I got an A+! Now I really like math. It's so much better when you *want* to learn it instead of it being a chore you must do to escape high school. ;-)
Adults going back to college is pretty common (at least in my neck of the woods). Though I was the oldest student in the class, I didn't feel out of place at all. I suspect you'll love it.
I love your philosophy of wanting to understand math instead of being afraid of it! Once I got to take math on my own terms, it was much more enjoyable and I did really well!
Although word problems and I are still not friends.
I majored in geology at YBU and took a number of biology courses. I never memorized scriptures in those classes, nor was evolution ever slammed. Things have changed, I guess.
Oh, and good for you and good luck in your new endeavor!
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/07/2013 02:18PM by fossilman.
Pick up tons of Microsoft skills too if you are not already advanced. This is important in the job market. There isn't a day that goes by when I don't use Excel or PowerPoint or Word for data of some sort. If you have opportunities at school to strengthen your computer skills along with a degree do it.
I'm excited for you. You will probably be a good student because you WANT to learn.
For me, one of the purposes of life is to follow a quest to learn.
YAY!!! You'll love school so much more as an adult learner! I finished my BS and now almost done with my MBA! Congrats and ENJOY IT! Even when you hate it, LOVE it and ENJOY it! Take as many on campus courses as you can, they are so fun and make school memorable! I loved it and so will you! Good luck.
I didn't go to college until I was 40. I had to take algebra and chemistry, both of which i'd NEVER had. Math was not my thing. In fact in hindsight I would say that I had severe math anxiety and even PTSD when It came to math.
I was fortunate to have some great teachers. I did what ever I had to do to do well in those classes. I studied hard, and did group studies with people from my class. I got straight A's all the way through. If I can do it, anyone can.
Have fun, study hard, and you'll be just fine. I know it takes a lot of courage to get yourself off to college when you have so many other things going on. I had three pre-teens at the time. It was great that I could help them with their math homework.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/07/2013 03:45PM by madalice.
You go girl. You will enjoy it so much more now that you know how lucky you are to be able to go, you have more of a goal and the maturity to look at it in a whole different light. You'll even wonder why you were so afraid of math. You'll look at all the people who you know you are smarter than, who made it through calculus, and realize that if they could, you can.
I finally went back and got my degree when my youngest was in high school. I'll be 60 in a couple of years and I just barely got my student loan paid off. But it was the best thing I ever did. Yes, I'm lucky that it made a big difference in my earning capacity. College doesn't always do that these days, but I had a lot of experience to combine with it. More than that, however, it made a huge difference in my self esteem and self confidence. "I am woman hear me roar..."
Good luck. Start ticking off those classes and before you know it you'll have fewer left to take than you have already taken. Once you're on the downhill side it really goes fast.
If you need help on some of the calculus please check out Khan Academy, if you haven't heard of it, it is a free online academy that has courses on all types of math and most sciences. Mr Khan is an amazing teacher. The address is www.khanacademy.org
Copngratulations and all the VERY best in your studies. I entered studies later in life too. After my divorce at age 40 I applied and was accepted. Since then I have done more degrees and now work as a tutor at the university. It was the making of me!! Have fun and learn all you want to, it is a wonderful time!
I really want to go back also! I keep putting it off and I become nervous when I think about it. I picture in my mind no one taking me seriously and all the kids looking at me as a Chevy Chase character in "Community".
Great job! I just went back to school this year and tried I change my thinking about math. I always thought- I'm a girl so I'm bad at math. I also thought since I'm good at English, I must be bad at math. I totally dove in to the deep end and I'm doing VERY well. It's so fun and so rewarding! I just have to do homework/study which is something I've rarely done. It's teaching me as much about time management and the importance of practice with new concepts. Also, as odd as it seems, taking cre of my baby and working and full-time school isn't really all that hard. If you have a good support system, everything has it's time slot. 7am-3pm baby time, 3-8 school/work, 8-9 spouse time, 9-11 study/relax. Good luck! It's very empowering!
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/08/2013 12:54PM by roombazumba.