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Best plan for 45+ crowd? - Indieblue - 08-24-2021

Just completed homeschooling my last of 5.....and I've not been in the career field for 15 years. I did complete tech school years ago....in the late 90's but courses that were specific to my tech skill (Drafting). I doubt those would benefit a business degrees or much other in the terms of transfer credits. 

So, homemaker.....spent the last 15 years educating 5 kids, over 45 (but not quite 50 lol).....needing a welcoming career/degree path. Should I just pick a business management degree and start checking off the classes using the outline I found here in this forum?

Thanks!


RE: Best plan for 45+ crowd? - rachel83az - 08-24-2021

Was the tech school NA, RA, or unaccredited? I ask because you might at least be able to use those credits as electives. But that depends on the school you went to and where you plan to get your degree.

After homeschooling 5 kids, perhaps Project Management would be a good option? After all, you need to be quite organized to homeschool 5 kids at once! UMPI has a competency-based degree that can be had for $5k or less.

If competency-based isn't your cup of tea, TESU and COSC both have business degrees with other concentrations. TESU can cost as little as $6-8k while COSC is probably $5-6k.

You'll definitely need to pick a school and a degree first because there are different requirements for each one.


RE: Best plan for 45+ crowd? - Vle045 - 08-24-2021

What kind of work do you want to do? Do you want something that leads to a specific career path or just a degree that checks a box?


RE: Best plan for 45+ crowd? - Indieblue - 08-24-2021

(08-24-2021, 01:09 PM)Vle045 Wrote: What kind of work do you want to do?  Do you want something that leads to a specific career path or just a degree that checks a box?

Well, I'd love a degree but that isn't a huge necessity as I realize the importance of non-degreed positions as well and truthfully, many of those jobs making more than a degreed individual in my area of the country. 

At 46 years old, I found that after spending all of this time away from the workforce that no one was even willing to give me a chance, not even retail work. I get it.....on paper I must look like a risk to many employers, but schooling my kiddos (even sitting with them through their 30+ dual enrollment credits) kept my brain quite fresh and active. So, to answer that....I really don't know what I want to do, never found my 'calling' per se. Society says I need to be productive to be successful, right lol. I do really well when it comes to organizing, writing and creative things....figured there was something out there I could get into at my age.

(08-24-2021, 12:28 PM)rachel83az Wrote: Was the tech school NA, RA, or unaccredited? 

The school is accredited through the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges. I will look into Project Management, thank you.


RE: Best plan for 45+ crowd? - rachel83az - 08-24-2021

If it's SACS-accredited, that's good. That means your courses can possibly at least be used as electives. Did you take any gen ed classes (like English Composition) or was everything related to drafting?


RE: Best plan for 45+ crowd? - Indieblue - 08-24-2021

(08-24-2021, 02:53 PM)rachel83az Wrote: If it's SACS-accredited, that's good. That means your courses can possibly at least be used as electives. Did you take any gen ed classes (like English Composition) or was everything related to drafting?

I took the following core classes:
ENG111 Business English (tested out)
PSY100 Interpersonal Relations
ENG191 Composition and Rhetoric
MAT191 College Algebra
HIST2111 U.S. History I
MATH103 Algebraic Concepts


RE: Best plan for 45+ crowd? - sks972 - 08-24-2021

(08-24-2021, 12:20 PM)Indieblue Wrote: Just completed homeschooling my last of 5.....and I've not been in the career field for 15 years. I did complete tech school years ago....in the late 90's but courses that were specific to my tech skill (Drafting). I doubt those would benefit a business degrees or much other in the terms of transfer credits. 

So, homemaker.....spent the last 15 years educating 5 kids, over 45 (but not quite 50 lol).....needing a welcoming career/degree path. Should I just pick a business management degree and start checking off the classes using the outline I found here in this forum?

Thanks!

You mentioned "tech school."  Was this an associate degree?  If you have no degree as of yet, you might consider the Pierpont BOG associate of applied science degree.


RE: Best plan for 45+ crowd? - Indieblue - 08-24-2021

I have 43.64 credits and needed 46 for a diploma, 60 for an Associates. I bailed at the last minute....young and dumb lol. I have looked up Pierpont, didn't quite understand what that would gain me. I'll have another look. Thank you


RE: Best plan for 45+ crowd? - bjcheung77 - 08-24-2021

The Pierpont BOG associate of applied science degree is just a stepping stone for you, as a first step. Your best, cheap, easy, fast option is to get a BLS with a minor in something from UMPI. This is recommended if you have no commitments, I highly recommend going for the Bachelors and the BOG AAS will ladder all the credits into that degree. I recommend following through with doing the BOG AAS, the UMPI BAS or BLS with a minor, just mainly use Sophia.org, InstantCertCredit and Study.com for your credits to transfer into UMPI. On the off chance you're not into competency based degrees, then the Big 3 are options for you.


RE: Best plan for 45+ crowd? - rachel83az - 08-24-2021

Pierpont is a FREE AAS that you can get on your way to a Bachelor's degree. It'll be almost automatic since you'll need all (or at least most) of the required credits for a Bachelor's degree. https://degreeforum.miraheze.org/wiki/Pierpont_C%26TC It's super easy to get with Sophia.org credits, especially since you already have 43 credits to put toward it. If nothing else, it at least gives you a degree to look at while you work on completing your Bachelor's degree.

If something comes up and you need to apply for a job immediately, a Pierpont degree also allows you to check the box saying that you do have a degree. Since your only cost is the cost of the Sophia credits + the cost of sending your transcript to Pierpont, you don't really have anything to lose by getting it.