i dropped out of college to have children several years ago. now that i'm going through a divorce and am trying to start my life over, i'm really wanting to complete my BFA. i'm really nervous, because after having my son, i tried to return to my community college, and had to drop out the photography course because it was too difficult with my son to continue. but for some reason, the withdrawl didn't get processed, and now i have an F on my record (my GPA was juuuuust short of good enough for the honors society.) i wanted to finish my associates in fine arts, but things got screwed up, and i can't do it this semester. i can't do it next semester because if all goes well i'll be moving out of my ex's before then. so i've decided to take my liberal arts degree, which i do have enough credits for, and scram. who here has returned to school, after years of doing other things? i know where i want to go, and i think my GPA is good enough, even with the damage from the failed photography class. i'm worried about my portfolio though. i'll almost certainly be going part-time, although not right away - i want to get settled in my new town & get used to being divorced first. but these are things i definately want to think about now. any advice?
I went back to college last year after being out for 7 yrs. I had two kids. The hardest part I found about going back, is actually getting the nerve to DO it. Once I started, I've had no problem. You just have to do it. If you keep waiting for the right time, it'll never come. You have to make it the right time.
I took one year off after high school, went to one college for one year, then took 3 years off before coming to the school I'm at now. I have no kids and did not have any steady income for the time I took off (which has been an issue for some people I've known who went from having plenty of disposable income to living the poor student lifestyle). I basically hitchhiked around & partied a LOT. The best advice I can offer comes from things I've been told by professors & from knowing a lot of grad students who have teaching assistant positions. First, in the admissions process, don't be afraid to address the issue with the photography class in the personal essay section. That is your time to discuss why they should admit you, including why they should overlook the damage that one class did to your gpa. Also, play up the fact that you know what you want to do & have the motivation to do it. A professor actually told me once that he found that returning students often did better (more experiences to relate new info to, better understanding of the real world) & were more motivated than "traditional" students. When you start classes, make time to visit your professor or the TA's office hours. They want you to do well (well, most of them do). Discuss your situation with them & ask for suggestions on how to get back into the swing of things & do well in their class. First, you may get an edge on how to study for their tests or what to focus on in papers. Second, if you start to have any problem with the class, you already know them & they already know your situation, so it will be easier to go to them for help.
I started college again this July after being 'out' for 6 years. My educational life was almost perfect up until high school then everything changed. We moved countries, parents went bankrupt and there wasn't much options. I took an Associate's Degree course for 2 years but that turned out to not be acknowlegded by the government so its a useless piece of paper. In the meantime, I had to try and find work, then I went off to India for a year. When I finally returned and cleared my head alittle, the first thing I had to do was to pay back the debts that I had created. Found a job. Also found a uni with distance learning options. But new job, debts and new town didn't help studying so I stopped. Now, 2 years later, I've made the decision to go back again. This time with a totally different major. Its distant learning, because I don't have any other options and I still have to support myself. So far so good. Everyone's amazed at my persistence. Even me myself. Ya, I went back to school too after many years of other things. This was a really black hole in my life because I've always did well in school so I stopped because of many other factors that I couldn't control. I know that I can never experience the 'traditional' college life but now, I will be contend to just finish my degree, no matter how. Good luck!
