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Going back to college... finally.

#21
millertx said:
Just because they have a brick and mortor campus does not guarantee they are accredited, unless it is one of the state-supported public two-year or four-year schools which are generally the cheapest option. And if your finances are dodgy (or even if they are not), do not do the student loan thing, you don't want to graduate with a degree and have a bunch of loans hanging over your head, no matter what kind of stories the school tells you.
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These guys are an accredited college. I have visited their campus, and talked to my cousin who just graduated from there. She liked the school.

I am doing the FAFSA student loans, through the bank of ND which is where I have always gotten my student loans.
 
#22
Here am I; I hold a MBA and I’m passionate about bass playing. I once drop out of my country’s School of Pharmacy and then the faculty of science. Later on, I moved to Brussels (Belgium) to start over my undergraduate education. After my bachelor in Business, I came to the US, worked for a while and finally got my MBA.
What I can tell you is that:

- You can do pretty much whatever you set your mind on to do. It all depends on your motivation level.

- You have to realize that the way you do the least of what you have the opportunity to do right now, be it a crappy job, woodshedding, studying, etc., always determines how you end up in life. Character and passion in short!

- Focusing on your unique abilities is key. We all have a unique set of natural talents which can improve other people’s life. That’s also an important business principle; Companies which focus on their “core business” are always successful.
 
#23
I applaud the OP's decision and support it. The key is to prioritize. If you're earning a degree, that comes FIRST. Music can still be part of your life, but it has to take a back seat to finishing the degree.

Broadbent said:
Online colleges are a HUGE rip off.
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WRONG. Not only wrong, but uninformed.

There are plenty of respectable, well established colleges and universities that have online degree programs. Those programs are every bit as good as campus programs.

I know because I design them for a major land-grant university and manage the technology to run them.

millertx said:
Just because they have a brick and mortor campus does not guarantee they are accredited, unless it is one of the state-supported public two-year or four-year schools which are generally the cheapest option. And if your finances are dodgy (or even if they are not), do not do the student loan thing, you don't want to graduate with a degree and have a bunch of loans hanging over your head, no matter what kind of stories the school tells you.
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That post is much better informed. Yes, absolutely check the institution and make sure it's accredited by one of the major regional accrediting bodies such as the Higher Learning Commission: Link Removed.

I agree less with the second part of that post. It's not unreasonable to carry a moderate level of dept after earning a degree, especially one in an area (such as Business) which has a high probability of opening doors to a job which will pay well and allow you to pay the loan back. OTOH, this may be my own personal prejudice but I wouldn't go into debt to earn a degree in Art, as the market is much more difficult in that profession.

Do NOT go into one of those private colleges that charge $20,000 a year in tuition and rack up huge bills. Go to the online program at one of the major public institutions like Colorado State U., Washington State, Oklahoma State, Ohio State, Missouri, Texas A&M, etc. (Yes, I've been in the land-grant community for 30 years and I think they offer the best value for the money.) Most of these institutions will charge much less and yield a degree with a university name that is respected anywhere. I wouldn't want to carry more than $10,000 in tuition debt if I could avoid it.

Feel free to PM me if you wish - I know the distance ed market and institutions well....it's my business.
 
#24
Well here's a little more background info on me.

I'm 22, got about 50k in debt (20k for audio production school, 20k in a car, and about another 10k for school loans when I first went for business.).

This new school Rasmussen College, is accredited. They charge 375$ a credit, but that includes all books and software(if needed) for the class. 16 credits a semester gets you 500$ off. Any credits per semester over 16 are free. If I take 16 credits a semester for 2 semesters a year, that's about 11k a year. Which would put me another 40k+ in debt when I'm done.

On the other hand my car will be paid off before I graduate. So that money can be put into school loans.
This whole thing is confusing to me.
 
#26
dustklose said:
Well here's a little more background info on me.

I'm 22, got about 50k in debt (20k for audio production school, 20k in a car, and about another 10k for school loans when I first went for business.).

This new school Rasmussen College, is accredited. They charge 375$ a credit, but that includes all books and software(if needed) for the class. 16 credits a semester gets you 500$ off. Any credits per semester over 16 are free. If I take 16 credits a semester for 2 semesters a year, that's about 11k a year. Which would put me another 40k+ in debt when I'm done.

On the other hand my car will be paid off before I graduate. So that money can be put into school loans.
This whole thing is confusing to me.
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First, sell the car. You have no business carrying that much debt on a car. A $5,000 car with 100K miles on it will serve you for 3-4 years.

I don't see how you would come out another $40K in debt, nor how you can POSSIBLY pay off that much dept. Finish college with $90K in debt? That's ridiculous....and unsupportable.

You need to start looking for scholarships and Teaching Assistant positions at resident colleges so you can minimize your indebtedness. I support working on the degree, but you're in WAY too deep to increase your debt load significantly.

I also suggest that music needs to fall way, way back in your priorities. Finish the degree as fast as possible with minimum additional indebtedness.

Actually.....a better idea.....

It would make more sense to find a permanent job with your present degree and earn an MBA studying part-time online while paying for it with the salary from your job. If you can get a position with a company that provides tuition support for employee education (many do), all the better. It might take you 3-4 years, but at age 22 that's not a problem. BTDT.
 
#27
I bought the car band new a few years ago. Stupid I know. I wish I hadn't but I currently owe more on it than it blue books for.

I also don't have a degree currently. I went to a year of business, but left after that year when I found out about IPR in Minneapolis. I tried goin there but went broke in the process. So almost 3 years ago I moved back to ND, to the job where I am at now.

I do Material Handleing and Shipping/Recieving for about 25k a year. Heck, I'm living at home with my parents cus I'm to broke to get a place of my own. Which is why I want to go back to college, to get myself a degree and a job that pays better than what I am making now.

I've tried to find a second job at a gas station or someplace, but thats not going to well for me.
 
#28
dustklose said:
Hey y'all. So I've finally made the decision to go back to college. I am going online to recieve a Bachelors in Business Management, the college has a 'partner college' that offers a 1 year Bachelors to Masters program. My goals, are to get my MBA with emphasis on Entrepreneurship and Marketing Technologies.

I am 22, and have previously dropped out of college twice. Once when I was going for Sales/Entrepreneurship, and once when I was going to a private audio production school.

I am really hoping this time will be different. I really want to get out of my current dead end job, and make a decent living for myself. My only concerns are how much time it will take away from bass playing. I have never been a great bassist, but I'm alright.

How do some of y'all balance college with music? I want to do my best in all of my classes, while also dedicating myself to music. I can't read music, but I want to. I don't know much theory, but I want to. What should I do? Put music aside for a bit to go to college and get my degree. Or try to juggle both?

Any advice is welcome.

Thanks
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Congratulations. I originally went to college from 1985 - 1987 then dropped out even though I was a Dean's list student. I guess got bored with it. I went back last year at age 49 and have completed 14 courses and have an 4.0 GPA. It has been difficult to manage school, work, family and music. I usually focus on work and school during the week and music on Friday and Saturday night. I also make time each day to spend with my wife and son. My advice would be to concentrate on school first. Very few of us ever get the chance to play music for a living. By your own admission, you are not a great bass player. Focus on school so you can get a good job. Keep in mind that the better job you have, the better lifestyle you will have. You will also be able to afford better gear and in the long run have more free time to play music. The advantage you have is that you are still young.
 
#29
Thanks for the clarification. Earning $25K a year while carrying a $50K debt load is an intimidating situation.

It would probably be a good idea to check on all possible scholarships and grant programs, including any that are local to your city. I think continuing to hold down a job and studying part-time makes a lot of sense for you, but I think that increasing your debt load by any significant amount is not a good idea.

Have you checked with your employer to see if they have a tuition support program? I don't know whether you're working for a small company or a large one. Most large ones do have some kind of educational support.

I support your goal - I think that it's worth doing a lot of digging to find alternatives that would have someone else paying for your tuition, whether that's a scholarship, employee tuition program, or something else.

I'd keep a sharp eye on the resale value of the car and look for a way to get out from under it. You might be ahead to sell it and pay off the difference in value yourself to get out from under the payments.
 
#31
I've talked with my employer, and they don't do any tuition payment programs or anything. I have applied for quite a few scholorships through the school, and plan on applying for more as they become available. At the rate of payments I'm at now, the car would be low enough to trade off in about 2 years. So I could save up then.

I thank y'all for the help!
 

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