I'd like to go back to school

[pseydtonne]

Everybody's doing it these days: you sign up for classes, you hand over cash, you camp out at office hours and beat up random TAs because they show neither T nor A. "Look, I've got coffee and you're getting a B- at best, you freak!" I can hear a man yell to me. Ah, sure sounds like fun with puns...

A few years ago I did some research on local schools and their programs for part-time computer science certificates and sundry. MIT had nothing: full time or fuck off. Northeastern seemed logical because it had a satellite campus a couple blocks from my old apartment in Woburn. However, they didn't have any interesting schemes. The only place that caught my eye was Tufts: they have a post-bac minor in computer science where you take five or six courses. Upon completion, you have a minor you can add to your existing bachelor of arts. You can then tell future employers "I have a thingy that's shiny and proves I can suck dick about geek things" instead of hoping your tales of years doing this or that will be enough.

I had wanted to do this back in 2003 but I got screwed by AT&T Broadband. They would pay $1500 per year but they refused to let me shuffle a couple hours from one day a week just to accommodate me. I got bitter. I felt dejected and started to understand they did not have my interests at heart. Over time, I saw they had run out of use for a geek like me.

Now I'm in a much better situation. It's look like I may date plenty but I'll be single for a while. Why not use my spare time to focus on advancing myself academically? Okay.

I'm pulling some ideas together about doing this. Anyone have stories to share?

-it's all about discrete math for indiscreet people, Dante

Comments

[hakamadare.livejournal.com]

Anyone have stories to share?

i’ve been finding Bunker Hill Community College quite pleasant for taking night classes. their schedules have lots of room to accommodate folks who work during the day, and they’re hella cheap (if you’re in-state, $100/credit/semester, and a typical class is 3 or 4 credits - and that includes miscellaneous “fees”) the quality of the instruction so far has been just adequate, and i’ve figured out that if i really want to learn the material i’ll have to teach it to myself (but hey, if i’d known that when i enrolled in $PrestigiousInstitution i would have saved myself a lot of pain, as it was true there too). in addition, they have open enrollment; if you’ve got the cash and you enroll before the classes fill up, you’re in the degree program.

they offer several associate’s degrees; perusing their catalog the only one that seems at all worthwhile is the Computer Science one. i bet you could satisfy most of the requirements with transfer credit, and i bet you could handle the classwork without undue exertion.

-steve

[dimers.livejournal.com]

School + work + sleep = school + work + sleep + social life; that is to say, social life = 0.

[metahacker.livejournal.com]

You might be surprised to know that there's rather less dick sucking in post-Bach schooling than you might...I guess...like.

[fuzzplugjones.livejournal.com]

I can safely report that in some places, the indoctrination is so bad you actually may come out a Republican (because, I mean, you resist bullshit, and you will encounter no right-wing bullshit). Consider carefully if that's a side effect you can live with, and if so, go for it!

[graciana.livejournal.com]

Paralegal Cert. With Honors. It gave me confidence that I CAN do school again. :)