spinning my wheels

[aggiealum]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Darthtang AW http:///t/396967/spinning-my-wheels/40#post_3537889
I guess you missed the part he was originally ranting about. The teaching salary only came up after Beth asked. So the question seems to be is it worth another year and a half after he was told two years would be good enough.
Sounds to me he needs to look at applying to a different college altogether. Apparently the one he's attending won't accommodate his request to change his major to this General Studies without denying over half of his existing earned credits. Again, I'm not sure why someone would go through all the cost and effort of earning 130 college credits and not insure the classes being taken didn't apply to whatever degree they are trying to obtain. If he transferred to a different university, they'd probably accept the majority of his credits, but he'd have to take at least 20 - 30 hours to earn a degree at that university. They simply won't take all the earned credits he has for whatever degree he's wanting to attain and hand him a diploma. If there's not another local university, then there's a multitude of online colleges that offer virtually every degree you can earn at a local institution.

 

[snakeblitz33]

I'm here yah know...

You could talk to me instead of about me. Maybe you missed that the last time I said it?


In the last eight years that I have been in college off and on, I have changed my major three times. Life is never as simple as "get on a plan and stick to it." Especially when you are young.


I am at the point where my wife and I are tired of living on pennies, and if I quit college I can start making money - although I would be doing labor work and be traveling. But, if I can stick it out, I can graduate and get a teaching job - which I am not totally sure about either. A crossroads.

 

[phixer]

Quote:
Originally Posted by SnakeBlitz33 http:///t/396967/spinning-my-wheels/60#post_3537944
I'm here yah know...

You could talk to me instead of about me. Maybe you missed that the last time I said it?


In the last eight years that I have been in college off and on, I have changed my major three times. Life is never as simple as "get on a plan and stick to it." Especially when you are young.


I am at the point where my wife and I are tired of living on pennies, and if I quit college I can start making money - although I would be doing labor work and be traveling. But, if I can stick it out, I can graduate and get a teaching job - which I am not totally sure about either. A crossroads.
Got to say Snake I understand your dilema, college has become a money making scam with textbook costs and all of the other inflated fees and no guarantee of a job. Each institution touts themselves as the best while producing thier own studies. What you end up with is buried in debt and unemployed. A real conflict of interest.

Perhaps Im the rare case around here but I did far better without a degree than most with advanced degrees. Enough to retire early (Im under 50). It happened this way for me because I put value in learning a complex and needed skill ahead of a paradigm. I kept my finger on the pulse of society and provided a service.

Take it for what it's worth as I went back to school to get the degree for fun later on after establishing a sucessuful profession without it. I did the military thing and a business on the side. This is how I know that much of what is taught in school today is total bull crap and is designed to make tenured professors wealthier. I know this because I lived life first and then compared my experiences with what was being taught to me in the classroom.
In other words I did it backwards. The professors consistenlty failed to provide straight answers for important questions. Like how to find a decent job. What field to go into? How to make the best of your skills? Thats when I realized...most dont have a clue about the real world (they live in books) and not the real world, where people are poor. They have no fear of being desolate or without a job, or ever have been because many are from a different class, they are just writing textbooks, doing re-search and getting kickbacks from publishers.

They only want your money even if it means lying to you with false hopes while enslaving you with student debt for years. A degree means nothing, skill means everything.

If I were you, I would go to school very part time and pursue the taxidermy thing (or bone cleaning). This may open some doors by creating a good customer base. Life skill cannot be taught, it must be experienced. IMHO

 

[snakeblitz33]

Teaching classes are taken in blocks. In order to be in the program for teaching, I have to take all three classes at the same time. My last semester is a teaching internship that is 7:30am to 3pm. Unpaid of course. And it is recommended that you do not have a steady part time job during student teaching. It makes me really ask myself: is it really worth it?

 

[2quills]

Aggie, brings up a good point. Seth, have you looked into finishing out your degree online? You can try and break into a trade that is in demand in your area or the family business while you finish up your degree at your pace. At least by time you have your degree then you'll have more options open to you. Certifications, IME to get you in the ground floor for halfway decent paying jobs are easy to obtain. So in most cases you can earn while you learn in the trades or move on to teach. Maybe you can teach in the trades? So many options and the choices are all yours.

 

[aggiealum]

Quote:
Originally Posted by SnakeBlitz33 http:///t/396967/spinning-my-wheels/60#post_3537944
I'm here yah know...

You could talk to me instead of about me. Maybe you missed that the last time I said it?


In the last eight years that I have been in college off and on, I have changed my major three times. Life is never as simple as "get on a plan and stick to it." Especially when you are young.


I am at the point where my wife and I are tired of living on pennies, and if I quit college I can start making money - although I would be doing labor work and be traveling. But, if I can stick it out, I can graduate and get a teaching job - which I am not totally sure about either. A crossroads.
Sorry. It looked like you dropped off the conversation, and I was just responding to Darth's direct comments.

Ironically, you sound just like my nephew. Instead of three times, he probably changed his major around five. My sister finally told him to step back and evaluate exactly what he was passionate about in regards to a lifelong career. He ended getting hooked up with a buddy of his who worked at this high-end steak restaurant, and started waiting tables. After a little over a year, he was making close to $60K/year. Now he's doing the online degree program to finish his degree in Business Administration and thinking about finding partners to open his own restaurant.

As far as "getting on a plan and sticking to it", it depends on the individual. My oldest daughter is very structured. She knows exactly what she wants to do as far as a career, has stuck specifically to her degree plan, and will graduate next fall. My youngest is like you - changes here mind every other month. We've told her to concentrate on getting all her core classes completed, and when she's ready to seriously decide on a major, we plan to make her stick to her commitment. If she wants to follow your direction, she'll have to do it with her own money. I'm not into tossing money out the door on the excuse that she's "young and thinks life isn't that simple".

Personally, I think you need to just step back and figure out your priorities. You can't even convince yourself which direction is best for you, your family, and your future. Taking this flip-flop attitude about one of the most important decisions in your life isn't in the best interest for you or your family. It's sounds like you want to steer in the direction of getting this teaching degree simply because it's the shortest path to getting into a stable employment environment. However, it's apparent that you're not passionate about the aspects of actually teaching, but instead just generating some form of income because you feel you've let your family down by not being the main provider. Teachers are a special breed, especially those that teach the younger ones. They mold the minds of our future generations, and have a certain commitment and desire to excel in their work so that no child is left behind. They accept the meager pay simply because they love what they do, and get rewarded by the accomplishments of their students. If you can't accept those conditions, I'd find another direction.

 

[snakeblitz33]

I never said I didn't have a passion for teaching. You did.
My decision to go back to school two years ago was because I finally settled on a career path. Teaching. I love to teach and I know I would be an excellent, dedicated and passionate teacher. Everyone has their doubts about their futures and careers. The reason I was doubtful about being a teacher is working with the school administration and constantly being told that your not doing your job right by someone who has done some kind of research showin different results. I know that I love teaching and I like working with young people. That was never the issue about making up my mind to get into the teaching field two years ago.
Two years ago I had the choice to go to either tech school for two years and have a skilled trade or I could go to the university for two years and have a bachelors and teach. This May, I would have graduated with a tech school degree. Instead, I have an entire year left of university when I was told it was only going to take two years. I'm just sick of working so hard and not getting paid at all. If I was at least teaching I would be doing something I love and getting paid.

 

[flower]

Quote:
Originally Posted by SnakeBlitz33 http:///t/396967/spinning-my-wheels/60#post_3537990
I never said I didn't have a passion for teaching. You did.
My decision to go back to school two years ago was because I finally settled on a career path. Teaching. I love to teach and I know I would be an excellent, dedicated and passionate teacher. Everyone has their doubts about their futures and careers. The reason I was doubtful about being a teacher is working with the school administration and constantly being told that your not doing your job right by someone who has done some kind of research showin different results. I know that I love teaching and I like working with young people. That was never the issue about making up my mind to get into the teaching field two years ago.
Two years ago I had the choice to go to either tech school for two years and have a skilled trade or I could go to the university for two years and have a bachelors and teach. This May, I would have graduated with a tech school degree. Instead, I have an entire year left of university when I was told it was only going to take two years. I'm just sick of working so hard and not getting paid at all. If I was at least teaching I would be doing something I love and getting paid.


Hi,

There comes a time in all of our lives, when we look back and think...If only I had...

However, doing that will only depress you more. Take a deep breath, and put one foot in front of the other...or as the famous Dory fish says. "just keep swimming". Stay true to the path and it will pay off in the end. Keep your eye on the goal, you are not just spinning your wheels, those wheels are taking you someplace, just not as fast as you had hoped.

This concludes your pep talk for the day...LOL

{{{HUG}}} I know it's hard, but in life, things seldom go as planned. You have more going for you then a lot of new families have.

 

[aggiealum]

Quote:
Originally Posted by SnakeBlitz33 http:///t/396967/spinning-my-wheels/60#post_3537990
I never said I didn't have a passion for teaching. You did.
My decision to go back to school two years ago was because I finally settled on a career path. Teaching. I love to teach and I know I would be an excellent, dedicated and passionate teacher. Everyone has their doubts about their futures and careers. The reason I was doubtful about being a teacher is working with the school administration and constantly being told that your not doing your job right by someone who has done some kind of research showin different results. I know that I love teaching and I like working with young people. That was never the issue about making up my mind to get into the teaching field two years ago.
Two years ago I had the choice to go to either tech school for two years and have a skilled trade or I could go to the university for two years and have a bachelors and teach. This May, I would have graduated with a tech school degree. Instead, I have an entire year left of university when I was told it was only going to take two years. I'm just sick of working so hard and not getting paid at all. If I was at least teaching I would be doing something I love and getting paid.
I only said that because one minute you sound dedicated to following your aspiration to be a teacher, then it's sticking with working in your father's business, then it's "I really do want to teach", to "I just want any job where I can earn money". So yet again it appears I missed something. Two years ago when you had this "fork in the road" as to which direction you wanted to steer your career towards, how many college credit hours had you earned towards a BA in Education? Did you go to the university and sit down with an advisor at that time to map out specifically which classes you needed to take to complete your degree plan, and follow that plan accordingly? If you did, I don't understand where the disconnect is regarding your expectations on how long it would take to complete the requirements. Did you not take as many hours as you needed in a particular semester to meet this two year deadline of yours to complete your degree? I've seen where universities will change degree requirements for certain degrees based on new standards and mandates set by the State, specifically for teaching certifications. However, if you were already admitted to a specific degree plan that was approved by an advisor and the college administration, they can't change those requirements mid-stream.