Looking for Suggestions on Returning to College

Hi J.,

I think it's great you found your goal & are taking steps to get there. Here's what I'd suggest.

First, take it slow. I was in the same boat only my kids were 7 & 16. My first semester back I took a full load because when I was young I'd take 20 plus hours and work three jobs no problemo. WRONG! Jobs & other stuff can wait for you, your kids can't. My kids really felt neglected that semester and dh and they begged me not to take so many classes the next semester! Really, they're only young once.

That said, see a counselor at the school you hope to ultimately attend and get a list of classes that transfer. They have them. Get their advice, they might have aid for you that would allow you to afford parttime education on their campus. A lot of colleges do online classes, too. And don't forget to CLEP classes, ask about it, that's a great way to save time & money.

After all that, when you start to have a plan, really consider taking only 1 class to start, then see if 2 is an option. Don't stress out, it has been your goal for this long, taking your time won't hurt the dream. Your kids will only be little once and you might miss out!

Good luck!
D.

Most every college/university I know of has a daycare program on premise and at a discounted price. Discounted to what you would pay for a nanny or other daycare center anyway. Also, because you're looking to better yourself and return to work, the gov may have benefits avaialble for you. Call your local unemployment center (now called the IDES) and find out when their next orientation meeting is. Register for that class. You will be given a packet of paperwork and directions on how to fill it out. Hand it back in ASAP and that will get you assigned a caseworker. This person will send you a letter with a scheduled meeting time. At this meeting, you can explain your exact situation. They will tell you what's available to you, how to go about getting it, etc. And because you need childcare, they can also help with that possibly. Basically, the gov just wants people going back to work so they will help you. However, the process is very backed up right now so don't expect a timely response. I would just go register at your com college because an AS can never hurt and will at least get you headed in the right direction. Plus that will show you're serious about your intentions and that will only help the process with IDES. Good luck!

I would definitely go for the elementary degree.I have taught preschool for 14 years and have enjoyed it but we are so darn underpaid its ridiculous.

You can get the associate in education.. can't remember the name.... associate in applied science for general ed..? so you could have that option to go on to a 4 year school...

with just the two year ed degree you can teach at the preschool level with that.. you don't have to have an associate in early childhood to teach preschool. I don't have that. I was a secondary ed major and had enough child development and other ed classes to have the required amount of ed hours to teach preschool.

maybe when your kids get into grade school you could finish up the 4 year degree. I would find out what 4 year colleges will accept your associate from Oakton.. probably most but definitely check..

I have a general liberal arts degree and have taught preschool for years as I had enough education hours..(I originally started out in secondary ed.. SHOULD HAVE FINISHED IN THAT or elementary ed. but could not get down to NIU when my kids were young that was before I knew about Roosevelt U in schaumburg, I don't even know how long that school has been around ) TRUST ME.. you will be glad you have the income from a elementary ed teaching position when you need income when your kids start college. Preschool teachers are so underpaid its ridiculous. Unless ofcourse you want to get your 4 year degree in early childhood and then you can teach in a private school.. most public schools do not offer preschool programs so your employment options are going to be much more limited. If you are going to take the time to invest in your education, pick something that you will enjoy AND earn a decent living at. Don't get me wrong.. I love my work with little ones. I just regret that I'm not paid better. Good luck!! go for it!!

I would say DEFINITELY go with the 4-year/bachelors plan and here's how you ought to do it:

If NIU is your choice then perhaps set up an appointment with them first. Find out some information about how credits/courses transfer to their institution. Ask things like "If I was planning on taking some courses at a community college and then enrolling at your school as an elem ed major, what would you suggest? How many years are transfer credits good (in other words, if you take a class now at the community college and then want to transfer it over, they might only accept credit taken with the last 5 years).

Then, spend a few years taking the necessary and pre-requisite courses at a community college. Get a catalog from NIU and read through what classes are needed for a bachelors degree. Take the 'general education' requirements like psychology, math, bio/chem, English/writing, phys. ed. - all the stuff that you 'have' to take but are not major requirements. Why do it this way? Well, at a community college the classes are a HECK of a lot cheaper and might possibly be easier. Get the 'required' stuff out of the way so that when you get to NIU you can concentrate on your elem ed major courses. You should also set up an appointment with someone at the community college where you are planning on attending so they can help you negotiate the process as well.

Keep in mind that several community colleges cater to non-traditional students. This means that they often have flexible learning options, such as evening/weekend class choices, online or distance learning, or other options which could decrease your need for childcare.

Personally, I think you may wish to consider skipping getting an AA in ECE. Why? People with degrees in ECE typically can ONLY get certified by the state to teach in a daycare, preschool, or kindergarten. If you're not wanting to go that route, why waste your money and your time on that when you can be knocking out classes you *have* to take (eventually) for a 4-year/bachelors in elementary education? And yes, you are 100% correct in thinking that you have much better options with a BS in Elem Ed.

To sum it up:
-Take your general education requirements at the community college.
-Transfer those to NIU so you don't waste 2 years and a lot of money on stuff you can take 'on the cheap' at the CC.
-Focus on your elem ed stuff (and anything else you might need) at NIU.
-Make appointments with both the CC and NIU to make sure this would work.
-Also check the Illinois State Board of Education website to see what is needed for certification (www.isbe.state.il.us) ALTHOUGH understand their website is not terribly user-friendly.

Good luck to you and feel free to e-mail me with any questions you might have. I'm currently teaching high school, but in my former professional life I was an admissions counselor at a university.

Have you thought about going to school online? I am starting a masters program through wgu.edu and I can take my classes online, that way I don't have to put my kids in childcare to be able to go back to school.

Talking from experience. I have wasted too many years wanting another career, and time just slipped by while I debated and and over thought it. If this is your passion, and you can swing it, do it.

Shoot for the transfer, and once you've accumulated some credits at the CC, you can get the same job an AA would get you while you work towards your 4 year. If you take your time doing it, the cost shouldn't be too much of a bother.