|
Bacchus
Lurker



Registered: 10/10/06
Posts: 914
Loc: ::1
|
Re: College in your 30's [Re: DieCommie] 1
#22959798 - 02/29/16 08:01 PM (7 years, 10 months ago) |
|
|
Quote:
DieCommie said: How do you use chemistry and math in real life?
Calculating tips and selecting solvents for cleaning
--------------------
Living on a no-Flash diet is way easier than you think. Give it a shot.
|
DieCommie

Registered: 12/11/03
Posts: 29,258
|
Re: College in your 30's [Re: Bacchus] 1
#22963569 - 03/01/16 08:42 PM (7 years, 10 months ago) |
|
|
Shit, I have trouble finding use for either in my professional life. And its certainly not for lack of trying.
|
Northerner
splelling chceker


Registered: 07/29/12
Posts: 14,137
Loc: FNQ
Last seen: 6 hours, 17 minutes
|
Re: College in your 30's [Re: DieCommie]
#23000271 - 03/12/16 05:27 PM (7 years, 10 months ago) |
|
|
I decided to change careers at 30, for a 2nd time. Settled in my new vocation now (almost 10 years later)... I feel good about this one, I don't think I'm going to change again.
You can do whatever you want as long as you know what you actually want. If you just want money you're unlikely to get it, everyone wants more money. Choose with your heart and actually pursue something you have a genuine interest in, not with your wallet. But for crying out loud don't decide to become an artist... lol
--------------------
The nearest we ever come to knowing truth is when we are witness to paradox.
|
keyser_soze
Truth Bomber
Registered: 03/04/16
Posts: 1,417
Last seen: 6 years, 3 months
|
Re: College in your 30's [Re: SBT]
#23174416 - 04/30/16 10:46 PM (7 years, 8 months ago) |
|
|
you need to look up jobs in your area that are open for new hires and correlate that with the bureau of labor statistics. Look at the salary and the average/median salary. If you are brand fucking new be prepared to take the hit and learn the in the lowest 10%.
If you really want to get a job and not just sit back and get fucked up your whole life and coast through your career making a measly 40k a year (that is peanuts dude), you need to look into professional trade schools that you said "are a rip off".
Machinists make a shitload of money. If you can pass a pre-employment drug screen and not act dumb and get hurt on the job, you're golden.
There are apprenticeships also.
and for god's sake remember, you are not worth what you think you are, so dont pass up job opportunities that don't pay what you expect. Lot's of motherfuckers don't have jobs.
edit: and ITT tech is NOT a professional trade school.
-------------------- People in my Fan Club: Masked (President), Ballsalsa (VP), The Ecstatic*don't waste your time "debating" with him, he uses 3rd grader tactics (Director of Bullshit), Koods (Fake News Anchorman), Falcon - Devout Communist *Word your posts carefully if they contain right wing values. The moderators here like to keep it left leaning, they will use every excuse to ban you but not the others. You've been warned.
Edited by keyser_soze (04/30/16 10:59 PM)
|
micro
bunbun has a gungun



Registered: 05/09/03
Posts: 7,532
Loc: Brick City
|
Re: College in your 30's [Re: DieCommie]
#23199340 - 05/07/16 03:34 PM (7 years, 8 months ago) |
|
|
Quote:
DieCommie said: How do you use chemistry and math in real life?
You can do what I'm going to do, and make legal drugs...
That requires some real good chemistry though, which is hard to do out of your own home :V
RE: Thread title - My original plan was to volunteer at UW here in a lab and go to school for free ... >.>
-------------------- Any research paper or book for free (Avatar is Maxxy, a character by Mizzyam, RIP)
|
One Love
Surrealist



Registered: 07/02/12
Posts: 297
Loc: Gotham
Last seen: 9 days, 4 hours
|
Re: College in your 30's [Re: SBT]
#23206134 - 05/09/16 01:41 PM (7 years, 8 months ago) |
|
|
Have you been to college or your local community college before or are you starting fresh?
I'm back in college from dropping out and I'm turning 27.
Aside from feeling a little out of place with some of the younger students, I feel way more confident about college now. You have experienced life and know better of what you do and do not like and can proceed with your education with a sense of direction. Personally, I think bachelor's degree minimum is worth it. IF you're going for an AA, it's not much more so long as you don't need to repeat semesters and get your degree on time. Even if you go part time, which I think is about 11 or 12 credits, you could accumulate nearly half the credits for general degree program in three semesters. Of course it's different for everybody, but most schools are good about showing what you need. Also free academic counseling services also worth it. As you said, you can get your AA then decide if you want to keep going. While it's common people look to transfer to uni out of community college, I know some do offer 4 yr programs so look out for that.
I don't have any experience with trade schools, but from what I know if you know exactly what you want to do and it happens to be something they offer in tradeschool, that requires a lot of hands on skills, shouldn't it be good? To be able to work in a mentorship type situation.
School has been a refreshing blast since going older, and if I had known I was going to do this I Would have just ditched school entirely in my teens to avoid dropping out! (and wasting money)
another factor, since I had credits already from before, in choosing my degree program was seeing what credits I could already apply towards them. If you're not starting fresh, it may be worth considering comparing more than one degree program. I am sure accounting isn't as hard to find a job as say like philosophy or history degrees.
Also I read non traditional students (25+) have the spotlight these days, employers are taking into account they are more mature and may have a better sense of direction.
|
Northerner
splelling chceker


Registered: 07/29/12
Posts: 14,137
Loc: FNQ
Last seen: 6 hours, 17 minutes
|
Re: College in your 30's [Re: One Love]
#23207451 - 05/09/16 07:46 PM (7 years, 8 months ago) |
|
|
After finishing my last diploma at 33 I found work in my field within 6 weeks. Was never so easy in my life. Going back to college was the best move I made for many years.
--------------------
The nearest we ever come to knowing truth is when we are witness to paradox.
|
One Love
Surrealist



Registered: 07/02/12
Posts: 297
Loc: Gotham
Last seen: 9 days, 4 hours
|
Re: College in your 30's [Re: Northerner]
#23207619 - 05/09/16 08:22 PM (7 years, 8 months ago) |
|
|
Quote:
Northerner said: After finishing my last diploma at 33 I found work in my field within 6 weeks. Was never so easy in my life. Going back to college was the best move I made for many years.
Out of curiosity, may I ask what field?
I'm a bio major, so I'm not too worried, but feeling like I'll go for the lesser path because I'm already 27.
|
Northerner
splelling chceker


Registered: 07/29/12
Posts: 14,137
Loc: FNQ
Last seen: 6 hours, 17 minutes
|
Re: College in your 30's [Re: One Love]
#23207823 - 05/09/16 09:08 PM (7 years, 8 months ago) |
|
|
Quote:
One Love said:
Quote:
Northerner said: After finishing my last diploma at 33 I found work in my field within 6 weeks. Was never so easy in my life. Going back to college was the best move I made for many years.
Out of curiosity, may I ask what field?
I'm a bio major, so I'm not too worried, but feeling like I'll go for the lesser path because I'm already 27.
IT general, though I have diplomas in sound engineering and electronics also. If there's one thing we should all keep doing is studying. I've done 2 major related certificates in the last 3 years and I've just started a new one now also. We should never stop advancing our brains.
--------------------
The nearest we ever come to knowing truth is when we are witness to paradox.
|
DieCommie

Registered: 12/11/03
Posts: 29,258
|
Re: College in your 30's [Re: One Love]
#23229214 - 05/15/16 08:58 AM (7 years, 8 months ago) |
|
|
Quote:
One Love said:
Quote:
Northerner said: After finishing my last diploma at 33 I found work in my field within 6 weeks. Was never so easy in my life. Going back to college was the best move I made for many years.
Out of curiosity, may I ask what field?
I'm a bio major, so I'm not too worried, but feeling like I'll go for the lesser path because I'm already 27.
You are not worried because you are a bio major? Do you think there is a big demand for biology graduates? I don't think there is... In my experience most bio majors are pre-med. I hope you have some kind of graduate school aspirations.
|
millzy


Registered: 05/12/10
Posts: 12,404
|
Re: College in your 30's [Re: SBT]
#23410304 - 07/04/16 12:55 PM (7 years, 6 months ago) |
|
|
Quote:
SBT said: I'm tired of working low to mid paying warehouse jobs(except for one that paid $40k a year) and think that going back to school will benefit me. 
I have been self schooling myself on technology and have learned JAVA and Android development quite well. I just started reading and leaning about embedded programming and started reading 'AVR Microcontroller and Embedded Systems: Using Assembly and C' along with following some online tutorials that have me playing with a breadboard and Atmel microcontroller. 
I asked this question on another forum that shut down and the general answers were to actually go to community college and then transfer to a university. I think this might be a bit to much for myself, but not because I have kids(which I don't) or because of the time, but because of the finances and general time it'll take me to actually get a degree. 
I've looked into trade schools and it appears that they are basically a waste of money. I think an associates degree would probably be better for me but I'm not sure about how to go about it and what it'll get me as far as a job goes. 
Instead of technology education like I was originally planning, I think an associates degree in accounting might be better. Two years of community college shouldn't cost that much, and I can always further my education if I so desire. I did see some city jobs that required two years of office-type education and they paid quite well. 
But what type of job will an associates degree in accounting get me, how much would it likely pay, and how to I go about contacting the community college?
from my impression, if you're just wanting skills to get a better job, an associate's might work for you if you are near a school that offers two year programs in the field you're wanting to go into. community college isn't expensive at all. you can probably get most of it covered with pell grants.
university is expensive and extremely demanding. but for me, it's been a life changing experience. my studies (i'm a double major in english studies and philosophy with a history minor) have given me a broad (but marketable) set of skills that look great on paper with my former work experience. i worked a trade for 12 years before the downturn, lived overseas for a little bit and then became a supervisor in automotive sales and service (online CS) for a little over 4 through my undergraduate coursework.
i'm at the point where i'm deciding on which path i'll be taking. i'm set up for two BA's and professional school if i want to go - i've been offered one scholarship so far and i'm under the impression that i would have a lot of support from the philosophy department if i wanted to pursue a phd. it's been quite the journey; i've bled to get where i'm at now.
so for me, after years of work, it's just a matter of deciding on what i want to do. all i can say about that is that i'm working on it. part of me wants to be an academic; part of me wants to just go back to work after i bet my phil BA. at this point i just don't know.
hope that helps. best of luck in any case.
-------------------- I'm up to my ears in unwritten words. - J.D. Salinger
|
Shroomism
Space Travellin



Registered: 02/13/00
Posts: 66,015
Loc: 9th Dimension
|
Re: College in your 30's [Re: SBT]
#23415796 - 07/06/16 01:57 AM (7 years, 6 months ago) |
|
|
If you want to get in the tech / IT / programming industry... my (probably unpopular) advice is don't even waste your time and money with college at this point. Learn as much as you possibly can on your own, pay to get a few certifications under your belt and start getting into it. Unless you want to get into a specialized field of science or medicine or engineering.. I don't think college is really worth it. Go in huge amounts of debt for a piece of paper that may or may not help you find a job? Unless you are wanting to devote years and years to it. And then hopefully you have related job experience at the same time?
Plus a CS degree means mostly shit in the IT industry, all they really care about is what you know (experience) and if you have certs. I was in all the "gifted" and advanced classes in early school, but I ended up dropping out of high school and dicked around for 10 years. Never could afford college. But I was always super into computers so that's what I went into and I just started from the ground up from nothing and worked my way up the IT chain, got a couple certs under my belt and after shifting through a couple companies over the years I'm now working at a great company making a very respectable salary and I'm well respected by all my colleagues and just really happy with what I do, and there's still shit tons of room for growth or even lateral career shifts within my company if I desire. And I'm a high school dropout.. I make more than some of my friends that were in college for 6+ years. But I was working and gaining experience the whole time my friends were in college .. by the time most of them graduated I was making way more than them heh.... IF they could even find a job. At no point in my career have I felt like I was held back by a lack of college, or even HS diploma, LOL.
Anyway point being in this field it's all about what you know for the most part. So learn. You don't need to go to college to learn, I didn't. Want to become a master programmer? Do it. Learn like 5 programming languages and become a master C++ coder.. get a couple certifications.. they are expensive but they pay off later. Senior programmers around here makes upwards of 120K-150K a year. Learn SQL too.
And plus you have google. Basically all the world's knowledge is at your fingertips already.. if you have the patience and willpower. Who needs to pay 150k for college? Doctors and shit. Teach yourself. Read and fucking read and absorb and learn and apply. With google alone you can get at least like 79 PHDs, way cheaper than college. Shit even Harvard posts free courses online. You need a piece of paper?
Never ever stop learning. Always progress. Fuck college... unless it's handed to you I guess. My 2 cents.
--------------------
|
jasen
Nerd


Registered: 07/03/16
Posts: 42
Last seen: 3 years, 2 months
|
Re: College in your 30's [Re: Shroomism]
#23421130 - 07/07/16 06:52 PM (7 years, 6 months ago) |
|
|
I'll have to agree with Shroomism, speaking as an IT nerd/software developer myself. Been getting paid for fucking around on computers for 20 years now.  I personally went back to college and finished my degree in my 30s, however, my employer was helping pay or I probably wouldn't have. (but I was glad I did, because no matter how good you are, there's always more to learn)
In this field, some companies may require a degree, but most will accept commensurate experience. Keep learning and get some relevant certs. I've been in the position to interview and hire before, and I was always more impressed by people that taught themselves but knew their shit, than some kid with a title on paper.
If you have the aptitude to teach yourself Java and Android development, don't waste that. Keep going. Write your own apps. Keep teaching yourself and thinking of app ideas. Get a Google Dev account and publish some things, even if they're cheesy. Having even a little bit of passive income from some app you publish is still money coming in, and is a learning experience.
|
Shroomism
Space Travellin



Registered: 02/13/00
Posts: 66,015
Loc: 9th Dimension
|
Re: College in your 30's [Re: jasen]
#23421437 - 07/07/16 08:31 PM (7 years, 6 months ago) |
|
|
Yeah after re-reading my post, I can see it may come across kind of the wrong way to some people.
I'm not really trying to shit on college or anything. If I had the time and resources to pursue it (I don't have the time anymore), I'd definitely do it... just to expand on my knowledge and learn in a "structured" environment (even though I generally don't do well with that). And perhaps that degree would help a little bit more if I was looking elsewhere... I fully support learning - I just don't think you have to go to college to do it. I'm completely obsessed with learning... I self-taught myself practically everything and I'm just constantly devouring knowledge. I've been a computer nerd since like 4 years old starting with a Commodore 64, I've been PC gaming ever since and building custom computers since I was like 12, so it's only natural for me to go into that area.. it's my passion.
I'm sure it's a great experience and all that and many people benefit from it.. and to be sure certain fields REQUIRE it.. but I learn way better on my own.
College just wasn't in the cards for me... and everything worked out quite fine. I was just trying to illustrate that point to the OP. I'm actually really excited for my career. I started with more Tech Support and Service Desk type stuff.. moving to supervisory and lead roles.. worked some QA.. and did some Networking.. Active Directory and Account Management and SQL stuff.. now I'm in a position where I wear multiple hats at my company and do all kinds of different stuff and our team is basically one of the cornerstones of the IT dept, the glue that holds it together. Kind of want to branch out more into Information Security or App Support/Programming and I have the opportunity to if I want it, just need to decide what direction I want to head and I have backing for it. It's one of the only jobs I've ever had where I get along with pretty much everyone, I'm always satisfied at work and never come home stressed out or taking the day with me, I'm happy. And there's tons and tons of room for growth. If you can excel in any field without a college degree - IT is one of them.
Quote:
jasen said: In this field, some companies may require a degree, but most will accept commensurate experience. Keep learning and get some relevant certs. I've been in the position to interview and hire before, and I was always more impressed by people that taught themselves but knew their shit, than some kid with a title on paper.
This, so much this. SOME companies may "require" a degree but those are usually the same ones that drug test and not worth it usually. The vast majority of IT accept experience as a substitute for an education, but not education as a substitute for experience. I've also never been drug tested for any even serious IT position and I'm pretty sure like 80% of IT guys are potheads.
I also was in a supervisory position at my last job and did most of the hiring. I cared WAY more about someone's practical knowledge and how they could PERFORM, over any college degree. Oftentimes, I met people with super impressive college degrees but they didn't know jack shit and had hardly any work experience, so I would often choose the other guy over them. So having a degree doesn't mean much at all, if you can't back it up with something. You have to show them something tangible, real results. That's all we care about. Can you perform? From what I learned, all a college degree means is you had the money and showed up to class. It doesn't necessarily mean you know anything.. I've met people with CS and Networking degrees that don't even know the BASICS.. so it doesn't mean much if you can't execute.
Quote:
If you have the aptitude to teach yourself Java and Android development, don't waste that. Keep going. Write your own apps. Keep teaching yourself and thinking of app ideas. Get a Google Dev account and publish some things, even if they're cheesy. Having even a little bit of passive income from some app you publish is still money coming in, and is a learning experience.
Seconded. If you are going to do it, dive in head first. Put in 120% effort, learn as much as possible and create and produce. Nothing teaches better than hands on experience. Keep pushing and pushing IT and software development is one field that has extremely good job security as well. It's not going anywhere. The demand is just increasing and will continue to. Good people are hard to find, so become one.
--------------------
|
nooneman


Registered: 04/24/09
Posts: 14,555
Loc: Utah
|
Re: College in your 30's [Re: SBT]
#23421472 - 07/07/16 08:42 PM (7 years, 6 months ago) |
|
|
I went to college, got my dream job, and live an amazing life. College does work, but you have to know what you want. It's about more than money. What do you want to spend the rest of your life doing? If it paid next to nothing, what would you want to do?
Sure, you might make $15 an hour getting out, but you could end up making that money diving under the ocean as a marine biologist, or hiking through mountains with some kind of forestry job. College is more about opportunity than money.
If you do want money from college, there's engineering, both civil and mechanical. Not to even mention electronic engineering. Also you could get an MBA from an ivy league if you're really good.
You have to be smart though. Know what you want. Is it just about money, or is it about the job?
Also, always go to the best school you can, and take out the least amount of loans you can. And, I highly advise continuing on to grad school for even better job opportunities (especially in fields like chemistry where an MS is virtually required).
|
psi
TOAST N' JAM


Registered: 09/05/99
Posts: 31,456
Loc: 613
|
Re: College in your 30's [Re: Shroomism]
#23430609 - 07/10/16 09:41 PM (7 years, 6 months ago) |
|
|
I'm doing a computer science degree part-time and it's kinda taking forever, not sure if or when I'll actually finish. You definitely could learn all the material on your own without paying, but I think the offered/required courses lay out a pretty good roadmap for useful topics to learn.
|
Shroomism
Space Travellin



Registered: 02/13/00
Posts: 66,015
Loc: 9th Dimension
|
Re: College in your 30's [Re: psi]
#23432120 - 07/11/16 01:31 PM (7 years, 6 months ago) |
|
|
Yeah... I'm sure it gives a good broad foundation to grow off of. I'm just going from my experience with people with CS degrees that seem to know virtually nothing. Obviously, that will vary from person to person and how much they actually applied themselves or expanded beyond that. I think it's probably just some people go to just get that degree and don't actually LEARN anything.
--------------------
|
psi
TOAST N' JAM


Registered: 09/05/99
Posts: 31,456
Loc: 613
|
Re: College in your 30's [Re: Shroomism]
#23432255 - 07/11/16 02:27 PM (7 years, 6 months ago) |
|
|
Yeah there do seem to be some people who try to get by doing as little as possible, coasting on group projects and choosing the easiest upper year courses possible and so on.
A lot of the theory/proofs stuff I probably wouldn't have bothered with if I was just programming on my own, but it has definitely influenced the way I think.
|
Exceed19_2000
Stranger

Registered: 04/15/16
Posts: 265
Last seen: 3 years, 5 months
|
Re: College in your 30's [Re: psi]
#23438487 - 07/13/16 05:36 PM (7 years, 6 months ago) |
|
|
One thing to think about though, is why slave away for someone else.
Be smart, make your money on something where you don't depend on a boss eventually.
I think going to college in your 30's if thats what you want to do - is great, because you understand more how the real world works, how people function, and what life is really more about. When your trapped with people the same age bracket (say, all 20-24) it's hard to grow beyond that maturity age.
I would rather dip my toes in the work pool, check things out, then come back and destroy schooling and rip it up when I get out - then "expect" to get a job because your some rookie college kid. Trust me, we chewed up and spit out college rooks as junior trader associates. They were soft, naive, and green. Some of them are better as "life-time schoolies" than an actual employee.
After a while I decided I didn't want to work/share profits with idiots, and did my own thing.
If I could go back and do it all, I wish I could of gotten into high end car racing, like the LMP racing, or factory racing or something. Some things, your family has to have endless buckets of cash and connections.
I think one of the best things you can do, is find a hobby your passionate about - and be able to make money off of it. If someone could just pay me to sleep, I'd be golden.
Either path you end up on, I wish all of you guys the best of luck. Don't be afraid to get out of your comfort zone.
|
pinedownpioneer

Registered: 03/28/10
Posts: 2,536
Loc: TX
Last seen: 4 years, 8 months
|
|
Work at a chemical plant or nuclear plant if you don't do drugs(or ones that dont show up in tests). 2 yr degree in Nuc ops you'll be making $30 or so an hour starting out that includes FULL benifits. Chemical plant about $25 starting out plus full benifits. Lots of Chem plant hire without degrees for operations. Ops is shift work..It's a double edge sword. Equates to working 6 months of they year...not bad being off a week when everyone is going to work their 9-5 gig. Plus making good $ for 6 months of work. Overtime is readily available if you are hungry.
-------------------- Trade list Need kratom? Message me now.
|
|