I've applied to go back to school

[Pall Wall]

NOTE: If you rather skip to the PROS & CONS list feel free, but if you want to know the extra details it's all in these paragraphs.

 

I've had to live with my mom helping her emotionally since my Dad left her years ago, and her and I have done well still living in this house. And I had been at my Community College the last several years, and finished it 2 years ago, and have felt lost since, and that's when my friend gave me the idea of the Art Institute of Dallas. To get help and education from the Best of the Best. I went to visit the Art Institute last week, and Advisor I talked with was very kind and a great encouraging influence. He could see what a frustrated nervous wreck I was, how unhappy I've been working the dismal video store job, still living at home, not making enough to be on my own. And he saw me as a guy who's standing at the edge and just needs to make the big jump. Him and the financial aids woman have been very supportive, helping me to see how I can make it work. They tell me there are many others who dismal little jobs like me who can still manage to pull it off. At my community college I had gotten an associates degree in Graphic Design, and so at the Institute I want to get a Bachelor's Degree in Video Production since those are my two greatest strengths. It's my dream to be a Trailer Editor and Movie editor.

 

I've felt great about it for days, but right now I'd feel better if I quit my stupid video store job and get a better paying job, like Costco, Lowes, etc. Cause I'm sick of my job cutting hours back and forth, they say we have summer hours, but that's a load of crap. Next week I only have one 6 hour shift. And just because I'm really low on money in my primary debit card. I'm down to $150 in it, I DO have $4,000 in savings, I just don't want to touch it unless it's an emergency.

 

EVERYONE around me is excited by my personal choice to go to the Institute, and to get a Bachelor's Degree, where the Institute would help me find my dream job and find internships. The more I've thought about it positively, the more I figured I'm doing the right thing. All of my friends cheer for me, telling me to go for the Gold, and it feels good. But there are some people I haven't told about it yet. And it's my mom and my brother. My brother and his wife are unemployed living in Austin, and I'm sure with his negative attitude he'd just say, "F*** the institute, just get a job, and write your damn Kid's storybook and make some money off it and maybe lend me some money, cause I'm out of the job." And my mom I'm sure she'd freak, what with her anxiety disorder, being on blood pressure medicine back and forth. She'll point out how financially it could be way out of my league when she doesn't know what the Financial Aid office told me, but she won't care about what they told me. All and all my negative family who looks at the glass half empty will pretty much throw in my face, "Your thirty, you DID school, your too old for it now, get yourself another job, and make some money and be the Bread Winner of the family."

 

I can just feel it that they will be like that, and they are the one feeling that draws me away from the big change I want to make in life with the Institute. That and the Future Plan of paying off $60,000 for the next 10 years after graduation. I don't want to believe my family if they are right that this whole big idea will put me a big financial hole.

 

I've narrowed this down Pro's in Cons:

 

PROS:

1. I WANT to go, because it IS the best of the best,

2. It's a real dream college I wanted to go to but never could cause I was told it was too big for me.

3. A Bachelor's Degree would be something powerfully, honorable, rewarding thing to have

4. It's working with people like me who speak my Film Geek Language

5. The thought of meeting a sweet geek girl like me

6. People there can help me find the dream job I'm looking for

7. It would only be for 2 years.

8. Being in school was time in my life when I felt happier, having a sense of purpose

9. Free Counseling from Therapist

10. I'm the only one of my household family that finished school (Community College, so I'd love to go further with that

11. It feels like a "2nd Chance" at life.

 

CONS:

1. Family will most likely break my spirits saying it's a terrible idea, and my family knows how to verbally poison me.

2. The money I will be paying off for years to come which is $60,000

3. The fact that I may not be able to get a co-signer right now, and might have to pay $300 a month out of pocket

4. The scary feeling of flunking classes that I might turnout to not be good at.

5. I'm now 30, am I too old to be doing this?

[YakasJourney]

Go for it! It sounds like you really want to do this.

[rosephase]

First I would say of course you should go to school it sounds like it is the right choice. And 2nd I wouldn't spend so much time telling yourself what your family is going to say about it. Tell them. Make up your mind to do it and then see what they say. You say they are glass half empty people, well you are being that way to when you decide before you even talk about it that they won't support you in any way.

 

Right now they are the only real reason why your thinking about not going. (yes it's a lot of money but all schools are) Go into it with a positive outlook. When you talk to them don't apologize for doing the right thing for yourself. Go in happy and upbeat and give them space to be happy for you as well. If it doesn't work screw them. But right now you aren't even giving them a chance.

[catfeeder]

First, don't quit the current job until you land a more suitable job. If they've cut your hours that much, it gives you plenty of time to apply elsewhere. In this recession, it would be foolish to assume you'll get any position you apply for. Get an offer first, then give notice.

 

As an adult, continuing to meet your financial agreements with your Mother limits her vote. If you wish to alter those agreements, then she gets a vote in THAT, but nothing else.

 

When dealing with criticism from family, my stock line is, "Thanks for your input, I'll consider that carefully." ...and that shuts them up while I go off and do whatever I want.

 

You don't owe your brother any notice of your intentions at all, and you only owe your Mom the notice of your change in schedule to explain where you'll be during times she expects you home. So, inform her of your schedule--no preamble, no requests for 'permission,' and let the chips fall. Thank her for her input, tell her you'll consider it, then do exactly as you wish.

 

Don't make the mistake of defending your decision, or you're sunk. That presumes a need to defend, and there is none. Welcome to adulthood, and best of luck with your studies.

[anu1560]

I think you should go for the school. It will get you better job. I am myself in school right now. And I know I will have a great future once I get out of here. So go for it. All the best. Don't worry about flunking exams right now. I have friends who started back school again at 30's and 40's and they are doing great. You will do great. Just have faith in yourself.

[Jetta]

I'm 36 and in my final year of a bachelor degree at a the University of Minnesota. I'll be 37 when I graduate. It's not easy to be one of the older students but it's well worth it IMO to complete a bachelor degree. You have a job that's great, you can use that job to work around you school schedule and finish up something that will lead you to your dream.

 

Also as far as failing an exam it's not the end of the world, you can still rectify yourself. I failed an exam in Biology and I still managed to pass with a C. I do think he was leniant because my son had died during finals week but if you attend class, and do your best you'll succeed.

 

Oh you have to fight the verbal poisoning, my family did do some of that at first, but they came around and I had to work through stuff in my head to. Really what got me to stick it out is the fact I have financial aid to repay and there's no way I can afford to repay it unless I finish my degree so I'm focused on the prize and that's my diploma. PM if you need someone to chat with, I totally think you should do this.

[Pall Wall]

I'm all registered, but the last piece of the puzzle with Financial Aid is to have a co-signer which I could not find the past few days. MY advisor told me over the phone to not dwell on it, cause there are other ways. Thoe I fear the only option might be to pay $300 a month each month out of pocket. And I'm so low on money in my own pocket. But I feel there is one other way that would suck, and that's my savings. I have $4000 in savings, but never wanted to touch it unless I was on trouble. It would be quite a gamble I've been dreading all weekend wondering "What if I can't because I can't afford it all? And that if I not pass a class and have to take over that is a lot more money. But that's also my mom talking. I told her about it, 3 days ago, and she was cool about it. Thoe today she talks about it giving me that subtle negative tone. It makes me sick the way she talks about some things about it and the Institute when she doesn't a know what all the people there told me. It's like she doesn't want to believe it. It also feels more like she doesn't believe I can achieve it. And more like she doesn't believe in me, and almost never has. I would love to throw that to her and my older brother, but I feel it could open a can of worms.

 

Well now I say who the hell are they to not be positive about it, because she flunked out of college, and my brother never got to go to college. I'm actually the only one of my household family to finish school, since I got my associates degree at Community College. Not only now do I feel the dream to want to get a Bachelor's Degree to help get me my dream job, but now I feel troubling anger to want to get the Degree...to SPITE my f***'in family.

 

Sorry, I will feel better if I get to let this out to a counselor at the school this week. You all ever see "Waiting" with the new employee guy Mitch letting out his rant at the end? I feel just like that guy, LOL

[IntotheWild]

I'm guessing you're in the U.S....

 

What kind of program are you enrolling in that your student loan needs a co-signer? Federal Stafford loans do not require co-signers. And if your program doesn't offer Federal loans, then you should probably double check the legitimacy of said program.

[Pall Wall]

Yes I'm in the U.S.

[Jetta]

Yeah federal financial aid doesn't need a cosigner. Fill out the FAFSA.gov and as long as it's an accredited college you'll be fine.

[catfeeder]

I'd look more carefully at your financing and your school's accreditation.

[tacotac]

In my opinion, a bachelors will get you a better job, but won't guarantee you a job. Maybe it's what you get a degree in. I have a bachelor's in graphic/digital arts, graduated in December, applied for jobs every week, and haven't even landed my first interview yet.