Today I applied to school. Now it is just a matter of waiting to hear back on my acceptance.
Originally I planned to start taking classes during the summer. It would be nice to turn some of those 16 or 18 credit hour semesters into 12 hour semesters, if possible.
Making this happen at all — going back to school– will be a challenge. I have some realistic doubts and concerns about the likelihood of this happening. Time and money were the reason I dropped the program a few weeks into it the last time I tried to go back to school. Distance was a factor then, too, which is not an obstacle I have this time around, at least. When I went back to college before, I worked full-time during the day and took night classes part-time. It was not a great arrangement for me. I want to take classes during the day this time, but I will still need an income for monthly bills. That won’t just fall from the sky because I want to go back to school full-time.
There is the option to go for a certificate only. This would cut down the number of classes required, which means less time to divide between class and work. I would not have to take non-essentials (like English Composition, or Intro to Psych, for example). It would cut my course-load in half, and I could always go back and take some of the other classes I was interested in that aren’t part of the certification requirement. The problem is, I don’t know if I would be eligible for financial aid if I go that route.
I am getting ahead of myself, I suppose. I still have to hear back to know whether or not I am even accepted, and if I am, I plan on discussing all these options and concerns with an adviser. I am not the first thirty year old woman who has gone back to school. Those of you who have or are going through this, or know someone who has, please share any and all tips.
(Unrelated, but please don’t mind the clashing colors. I’m playing with a color theme so things don’t match right now.)
jamieisawriter.com 
Have you given any thought to mixing in online courses as opposed to a full traditional class setting? I’m sure you have, but didn’t mention it, so I thought I’d ask.
The online courses I’ve taken had pluses and minuses (of course), and I know we all learn differently, but a huge plus (for me) was time management. I could do the work when time allowed, and I wasn’t hampered by having to be a seat 3 days a week.
The biggest minus for me was falling behind in discussion threads. Not so much the ones I was required to participate in (those always came first), but the other ones, where a lot of good dialogue happened.
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I don’t know if some classes could be attended online or not, but my area of study would be Graphic Design. It’s required to be in the classroom, and even if I could do that online, I would rather be in a physical class anyway.
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