I Went Back to School: Picking the One for You **

I did the traditional university experience right out of high school. Wow! There are things that I know now that I didn’t know then.

I’m a fairly good self-learner when I am interested in something so I knew this time around that I didn’t need or want the in-class experience. In that case, I looked for universities with a good reputation for online degrees. If you prefer or need the in-class experience, look for a university that offers plenty of scheduling flexibility. If you’re the one paying, they should work around your schedule.

I also wanted a university that reflected my values so I browsed around for a university where I felt comfortable. I like being challenged to think about my views, but I didn’t want to pick a university that encouraged attacking other students if their views differed from your own as I find that methodology to be unhelpful, unproductive, and unloving. I wanted a place that encouraged healthy conversation.

I also chose a university that locked in the tuition rate for the year that I started so it won’t go up even if the rates rise for students who enrolled later. I’ll pay the same rate when I graduate that I paid when I started, assuming I continue as an enrolled student the entire time.

Some universities are built around supporting adult students who are either returning to college or attending for the first time. These universities will have a built-in plan for working with adult students specifically. If you are a working adult (and that includes stay-at-home parents and spouses) with various work and family obligations, seek out a university that specializes in working with people like you. I studied up on the university I chose, and I had a list of questions ready. Be certain to read up on the university and speak to an enrollment counselor who is forthcoming with answers to your questions. How helpful they are at the beginning hopefully reflects how helpful they will be down the line.

Will they give you credit for previous classes and/or work experience? I obtained my first bachelor’s degree twenty years ago so I was very happy to realize that my current university gave me credit for more than half of the classes required for my current degree. Basically, I needed to take some university specific classes and then the actual core of my new major. Woohoo! Some universities will let you substitute work experience or let you test out of a class so ask some questions when you enroll.

I’m taking intensive courses that cover material in five weeks. This works really well for me because I don’t have time to get bored, and I don’t forget material as quickly. Plus, I only have to focus on one class at a time. This is fantastic for me. A friend of mine enrolled in an online competency-based university for a business degree. I hope that competency based will become more popular because this allows the student to pay a flat fee for a semester and cover as much material and as many classes as they can as long as they pass all the exams to move from one class to another. This works so much better for some people, and breaks the ancient college mold.

Without going into too many personal details, I’m attending a Christian university out West through an online program. They were very active and supportive through the registration and enrollment process, and even with the stress of going back to college, it has been a worthwhile experience.

One attitude that I appreciate about the university is we are expected to respect the opinions of others whether we agree or disagree. (That’s called being an adult. Never in the history of ever do we succeed in changing someone’s mind by insulting them.) We are never to devolve into arguments or cruelty on the message boards. Instead, we are expected to make intelligent arguments when we disagree with someone.

Furthermore, when I began to feel overwhelmed with my class load, my advisor was very supportive when I decided to take this semester off, and I don’t have to re-enroll in the spring. I return to classes in January when I will take a smaller course load. This is the kind of support an adult student needs to look for in a university.

That was a lot of information, but I hope it can help someone getting ready to start this new adventure. I’m in my early forties working a full-time job so it was no small decision to go back to college to obtain a degree completely different from what I’m doing right now. Don’t let anyone rush you into it. Ask all the questions even – especially – the ones you think are silly. You know what info you are seeking so don’t let a school avoid an answer. If you would be that careful picking a school for your child, be that careful when choosing a school for yourself.