Should I go back to school?

January 10, 2012 4:27 PM

I dropped out of college during my first semester over two years ago, but now I'm thinking about starting over.

(The reason I dropped out is in my previous question, if anyone is curious.)

I'm 22 and I have a job, but it pays very little and has no opportunities for career advancement. It also takes up a lot of time out of every day and leaves me drained and exhausted, so I don't think I could handle taking classes part time. Even if I wanted to consider that option, there isn't a community college nearby.

I would like to be a high school history teacher, and several of the teachers at my high school had degrees from the college I want to attend. I applied after high school and was accepted, but I ended up choosing a different school. The tuition is inexpensive for in-state students; even with absolutely no financial aid, I would accumulate about $2200 in debt per semester. It wouldn't be anywhere near the $50,000 debt I see people referencing in similar questions. I live with my family, so rather than paying for room and board I would be paying for gas for the commute. My sister also attends this school.

So, should I quit my job and go back to college this fall? I would be dependent on my parents for a few years, but it seems like it's the only way I can get the career I want. Any other ideas are appreciated, but I'm not kidding when I say I can't handle taking any classes while at my current job.

posted by lali to Education (14 answers total)

I am pretty much always in favor of going to school if that's where your heart is, but I'm also in favor of making sure you know what you're getting yourself into.

Just keep in mind that 2200 a semester is almost 18,000 over 4 years, and that's assuming the tuition stays constant (it won't, it will go up), so you're probably looking at about half of that $50,000 debt you see referenced in similar questions, plus depending on what state you want to teach in and what the particular school offers you may need a separate post-graduate credential program (if you want to teach in public schools), so that will be more money. Check what the requirements are for teaching credentials in your state.

Also, if this isn't a community college, and you didn't apply this year, how will you be able to attend this fall? Application deadlines for most schools are passed, though not necessarily for this one, just make sure in case deadlines are approaching.
posted by brainmouse at 4:45 PM on January 10, 2012

Going to college seems pretty much a no-brainer.

there isn't a community college nearby.

some four-year schools will allow you to take courses part-time as a "special student" or "nonmatriculated student" or something similarly named. But I understand that you don't want to do that.

But I urge you to consider whether you would actually like being a teacher. A lot of new teachers leave the profession pretty quickly; it's not for everybody. Is there a way for you to get in front of a bunch of kids now and see if you at least don't hate it?
posted by madcaptenor at 4:46 PM on January 10, 2012

$2200 per semester isn't much to earn when you're living with your parents and don't have to pay rent. Any way you could save up some money now while you're working, and then get something part-time while you're in school? Working 10-20 hours a week at a low-stress job (mall, grocery store, etc.) for 8 bucks an hour, you could earn enough to pay for school as long as you've got a cushion set aside for the first semester, which you save up now while you're only working.

FWIW, I lived with my parents during college and went to a public university with similar in-state tuition. I worked about 20-30 hours a week (more during breaks & summers) and never had to take out a loan. $2200/semester might not seem like much, but with fees and everything over 8 semesters it adds up. Plus, you're gonna want to get out of the house if you're living with your parents! A part-time job and going back to school would be my solution.
posted by jabes at 5:00 PM on January 10, 2012 [2 favorites]

Best answer: There's no simple one-answer-fits-all resolution to this question, but I will give you one unarguably useful piece of advice:

Give yourself options.

A lifetime of unskilled or low-skilled labor with little possibility of moving on to something better is not a situation you want to be stuck in. There are other choices than conventional school, and I would tell you to do what you really want, but it's always good to give yourself options.

One reason a college education is pushed so hard is because it's supposed to give you more options. High enrollment has made this less true than it used to be, but specialized education or experience at least gives you more options than competing in a general labor pool.
posted by Strudel at 5:00 PM on January 10, 2012 [2 favorites]

I think it makes sense to get a college degree.

I think it does not make sense to plan on becoming a high school history teacher. Certainly, do not major in history. I speak as a former history major here, who knows lots and lots of history majors, who has a close relative who taught high school history for twenty-something years (he just retired.) Fifteen years ago the teaching market was much better than it is now, and my mother spent three years looking for a full-time teaching gig (with ten years experience teaching at the high school and middle school level) before giving up and homeschooling us kids instead. When we all got old enough that going back to work was a serious option, she ignored her teaching experience and credentials and started law school. And got a job much, much sooner than three years after graduating.

The only exception to my "do not major in history" rule is if you have someone who is paying for every single thing (tuition, room, board, books, movies) AND you are absolutely certain you are going to get terrific grades AND you are committed to doing every single thing possible to get meaningful experience like (difficult to obtain) internships and study abroad (for a year in a country with a hard language.) I'd also strongly suggest, given those conditions, that you still double major with something technical/science-y/boring: physical anthropology maybe, chemistry yes, economics yes, accounting yes, theatre NO.

Do not major in anything in the education department, either. It gains you nothing except the absolute guarantee that every non-teaching job you go for will want to know why you aren't teaching. Forever.

Also, make sure you are fully prepared to actually start college at full speed. You've been out of the academic world for several years. Bone up on history, math, science, composition - join Toastmasters, use the Khan Academy learning modules, buy a couple of AP or Regents books and act like you're going to take those tests again. Make yourself live like a student - use your brain every day, study and read and do math problems even though you're tired. Have a strategy for taking advantage of all the opportunities college gives you - talking with faculty, going to lectures, participating in clubs. Find someone who will make sure you actually do those things.

The worst possible thing to do is randomly wander off to college because your life stinks right now and you think teaching would be OK.
posted by SMPA at 5:18 PM on January 10, 2012 [2 favorites]

Response by poster: After taxes, I'm making about six dollars an hour.

This college is too far away for me to take a few classes there while also going to this job.

I am sure that I want to be a teacher, and the job prospects are good in my area.
posted by lali at 6:13 PM on January 10, 2012

Good advice here, from someone who worked part-time while taking a fully loaded class schedule and doing a ton of other activities. University was (for me) a real first taste of the real world, one in which you have experienced something of already with your currently limited options. You can learn several extremely useful skills working your way through, not the least of which is how to manage your time and budget while working harder than you have ever before.

Also agree on going back to school not to limit yourself to history teaching, as things can and do change. I have an M.Ed. and have found that there are many other careers that involve teaching others outside the high school teaching route that I once thought was the 'it' thing for me.
posted by scooterdog at 6:40 PM on January 10, 2012

Yes, you should go to school (college or trade, but beware scammy trade schools). I agree with SMPA about avoiding the education departments like a plague (such a pity, but true), but disagree about your major. The best academic advice I ever received, way back when I thought I wanted to go to law school, was "major in what you love." This motivation translates to better grades, which translates to easier admission to graduate programs.

Liberal arts programs teach you how to learn. I majored in history, knowing that I never, ever wanted to teach it. It was great training for my eventual career (journalist). Good luck to you!
posted by cyndigo at 6:45 PM on January 10, 2012

Agreeing with everyone. You may qualify for scholarships for"non-traditional" students--I did when I returned to school at 22.
posted by sugarbomb at 8:22 PM on January 10, 2012

Response by poster: Also, if this isn't a community college, and you didn't apply this year, how will you be able to attend this fall?

The application deadline is in June.

Just keep in mind that 2200 a semester is almost 18,000 over 4 years, and that's assuming the tuition stays constant (it won't, it will go up), so you're probably looking at about half of that $50,000 debt you see referenced in similar questions, plus depending on what state you want to teach in and what the particular school offers you may need a separate post-graduate credential program (if you want to teach in public schools), so that will be more money. Check what the requirements are for teaching credentials in your state.

I know I will qualify for some financial assistance and scholarships, so I don't think I will end up in as much debt as you describe. The school offers a teaching certification in grades 7-12 that is optionally included as part of the undergraduate history major, although I would like to earn a graduate degree as well.

Is there really a good reason to avoid teaching entirely? I do think it's something I could be good at. If it's about the low pay, that doesn't matter to me. I don't want to work in an office, I don't want to be a doctor, a lawyer, or an accountant. I don't have sufficient academic strength in math and science to choose a career that requires extensive knowledge of those subjects. If anyone can suggest other career options I haven't considered yet, please do so.


worked part-time while taking a fully loaded class schedule and doing a ton of other activities

I am not capable of doing something like that, at least not right now. I have some issues with anxiety and depression stemming from the traumatic incident that caused me to drop out, and I know that for the first year at least, I am going to need to focus solely on classes. Later on I would like to get a part time job, but I don't have any work experience besides the job I have now, which isn't related to anything I could get a part time job in.
posted by lali at 10:53 PM on January 10, 2012

Are your parents up for supporting you while you do this? If so, it sounds like you know yourself, your potential and limitations. Go for the dream - it sounds completely do-able.
posted by metahawk at 11:05 PM on January 10, 2012

The debt is not as bad as it seems. I know it can be a lot of debt, but consider what it gets you.

You now earn 1000 a month assuming you work full time after taxes. If you were a teacher and earned just 30,000 a year you would make after taxes about 2000 a month. With your low school cost you might be paying 300 a month in loan repayment. So in the end you would have a 700 dollar increase in your monthly take home and once your debt is paid off you get the extra 300 dollars a month too. Depending on your district you may make more than this and your student loan amount might be slightly different once it is all said and done, but from a numbers standpoint you can't seem to lose. School will basically double your income. School can be hard, but if you try to take it easy and while I do not know the details of your previous drop out you could seek out counselling for your anxiety and your sister at the college could be a good support. I would suggest not working if you need to make sure you have free time to relax.

Going to college would also result in a job that you would enjoy. If you get a masters degree you would get paid more money. But I have heard that sometimes districts will not want to hire teachers with masters degrees because they cost more.
posted by Jaelma24 at 12:18 AM on January 11, 2012

Best answer: I was/am in a very similar situation as you are. Two years and a-half years ago, at age twenty-two, I started college over again. After high school I briefly attended a ridiculously expensive private college, where I attempted to pursue my dream of becoming a writer before getting a serious reality check. I dropped out and eventually figured out what kind of work I wanted to do and found an affordable college the offered the right education and training I needed. I moved back in with my parents who agreed to completely support me while I was a full-time student. They paid my first two years of tuition, and when I turned twenty-four I became eligible for all sorts of financial aid and grants because it was the first year FAFSA looked solely at my income ($0).

My advice? If in your heart of hearts you know you want to be a high school history teacher GO FOR IT. I understand what you’re saying about working and going to school. I tried it, even got a job working the in the field I’m studying to go into, and it was just too hard for me to do both. It’s tough for me (my ego) to rely so much on my parents, but we all see it as short term, and ultimately it will enable me to support myself. I have very little spending money and most of my peers have graduated from college and are in a completely different place than I am, but it’s SO WORTH IT. Plus being a student in your twenties is nothing like being a student in your teens. I have a much greater appreciation for the actual learning experience than I had at eighteen.

Good luck!
posted by OsoMeaty at 6:52 PM on January 11, 2012

Go meet with the Admissions and Financial Aid offices. Find out what kind of aid you might be able to get, and ask what support they can give you to make this effort more successful. They may have some options for degree programs. Ask them for some assistance in career choosing. The Education Dept. may be able to help you meet some history teachers, and maybe volunteer/observe some classes.
posted by theora55 at 6:57 PM on January 11, 2012