Thought 2: A late start for school...
Thought 2: It seemed like a good idea at the time...
I had the acceptance, I had the time, I even had the moral support. There were just two things I lacked: money, and willpower. And the story of my college odyssey has continued ever since.
You see, my issue was that my family did not have enough money to pay for college, and I didn't have the "staying power" to succeed without it. Not an issue, you say? Get loans, you say? Normally, I would agree with you. There is nothing wrong with building up a bit of debt for the privilege of getting that degree. In fact, I think it helps the college student to learn a bit more about personal finance.
Unfortunately, it would NOT have helped me. I lacked the staying power in high school, dropping my GPA (in only 1 year!) from a not-too-shabby 3.5 something to a lackluster 2.8. And even then that scared me... my senior year was a disaster. I knew that I would drink and party and get thrown out of college, I knew that I had to grow up, I knew I needed more time and money... but I didn't know the how.
Enter: The US Air Force.
That's right... I signed up. It had the solutions I was looking for: money for school, it was guaranteed "get me in shape physically/emotionally", and it would give me time to plan out my future. And while I don't regret the decision at all - I grew up, I got that money, I got job experience, and I have friends for life - it took 4 years away from potential schooling and it got me directly in the work force.
And therein lies the crux... by the time I left, I was 22 and had a good civilian job. Which kind of makes it difficult to go to school. There is night school, but if you work full time (and overtime) night school can be difficult to hold down. So I waited, and waited, and waited...
Which leads me to when I was 26. I had a grand total of 25 college credits, after a couple of courses and some education in the AF. I was embarrassed... not that I wasn't a college grad (almost my entire family is in that boat!), but that I wanted it so bad and hadn't really done much to get it. So I did the leap - I signed up for courses, and I've been working towards that degree. I'm now sitting on 76 credits, and about 2 years away from finishing.
Which brings me back full circle. Was it a good decision to wait? I still don't know... I'll be done by my 30th, but most finish by their 22nd (for the bachelor's). By all accounts, I'm 8 years behind. Then again, I gained valuable work experience (4 years ahead of my peers), and I "grew up."
Only time will tell how successful the decision is/was.
Here are some upcoming posts, which are already in draft form...
Thought 3: Amateur Writing
Thought 4: Social Smoking
Thought 5: Computer Upgrades
Event 3: The Championship Game
Event 4: The Sudden Shopping Spree
Event 6: National Elections
Event 7: New Years Day, Cinco de Mayo, and the Fourth of July
List 7: Worst Traditions (both religious and secular)
List 8: Best Movie Soundtracks
List 9: Most Underrated Movies
List 10: Biggest Promise & Subsequent Letdown - Music
List 11: Beer!
I had the acceptance, I had the time, I even had the moral support. There were just two things I lacked: money, and willpower. And the story of my college odyssey has continued ever since.
You see, my issue was that my family did not have enough money to pay for college, and I didn't have the "staying power" to succeed without it. Not an issue, you say? Get loans, you say? Normally, I would agree with you. There is nothing wrong with building up a bit of debt for the privilege of getting that degree. In fact, I think it helps the college student to learn a bit more about personal finance.
Unfortunately, it would NOT have helped me. I lacked the staying power in high school, dropping my GPA (in only 1 year!) from a not-too-shabby 3.5 something to a lackluster 2.8. And even then that scared me... my senior year was a disaster. I knew that I would drink and party and get thrown out of college, I knew that I had to grow up, I knew I needed more time and money... but I didn't know the how.
Enter: The US Air Force.
That's right... I signed up. It had the solutions I was looking for: money for school, it was guaranteed "get me in shape physically/emotionally", and it would give me time to plan out my future. And while I don't regret the decision at all - I grew up, I got that money, I got job experience, and I have friends for life - it took 4 years away from potential schooling and it got me directly in the work force.
And therein lies the crux... by the time I left, I was 22 and had a good civilian job. Which kind of makes it difficult to go to school. There is night school, but if you work full time (and overtime) night school can be difficult to hold down. So I waited, and waited, and waited...
Which leads me to when I was 26. I had a grand total of 25 college credits, after a couple of courses and some education in the AF. I was embarrassed... not that I wasn't a college grad (almost my entire family is in that boat!), but that I wanted it so bad and hadn't really done much to get it. So I did the leap - I signed up for courses, and I've been working towards that degree. I'm now sitting on 76 credits, and about 2 years away from finishing.
Which brings me back full circle. Was it a good decision to wait? I still don't know... I'll be done by my 30th, but most finish by their 22nd (for the bachelor's). By all accounts, I'm 8 years behind. Then again, I gained valuable work experience (4 years ahead of my peers), and I "grew up."
Only time will tell how successful the decision is/was.
Here are some upcoming posts, which are already in draft form...
Thought 3: Amateur Writing
Thought 4: Social Smoking
Thought 5: Computer Upgrades
Event 3: The Championship Game
Event 4: The Sudden Shopping Spree
Event 6: National Elections
Event 7: New Years Day, Cinco de Mayo, and the Fourth of July
List 7: Worst Traditions (both religious and secular)
List 8: Best Movie Soundtracks
List 9: Most Underrated Movies
List 10: Biggest Promise & Subsequent Letdown - Music
List 11: Beer!
posted by NATEMARE at 8:26 AM
7 Comments:
YAY I AM FIRST
Well done for having the application to stick to night school....I couldnt do it....but then I embraced my inner laziness years ago.
It will all be worth it in the end.
Just think when its finished you will have even more time for blogging and could get your output up to one post per hour :-)
Yeah, once it's done I think I'll look back and consider it a job well done.
The only obstacle would be something that prevented me from finishing.
*Natemare wins most prolific poster of the year award*
Students by and large are a lazy bunch, whose main concerns are drinking/drinking & trying to get laid. Some of my happiest days was when I was a student. Subsidised Student Union bars meant I was out every night.
I know that I would have been :-)
It just took me some time to realize what I wanted... if I finish in 2 years, I think that everything will turn out fine. I just don't want to delay it any further...
Frobisher.....your main concerns are still drinking and getting laid....but then again I suppose you are a student of 'life'
University of Hard Knocks, Beast.
Hey, I heard about that school. I think it has a low morale quotient :-)
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