DH has encouraged me to go to college p/t after he graduates nursing school.
Honestly I have no clue what I would go for. I have a certificate for a childcare worker. It's not a degree but its supposedly equivalent from a votech program in HS. Everyone has this cert. it seems and all jobs unless you become director are min wage with no benefits. I worked in childcare for a 1 1/2 years.
I also (currently: it will expire next year) have my CNA but to be frank, I dislike the elderly. Its horrible I know but ever since I was little nursing homes made me freak out. The only place around here that uses CNAs are nursing homes.
To be honest I have no clue what I would go for. I'm good with kids and that's about it.
We have no intentions of me going back to work, at least until our kids graduate(I will be 39 when the belly baby is 18).
We go over the conversation of if it would even be worth it for me to get a real degree about twice a week.
Re: S/O Jobs and College: WWYD?
I loved my job at the daycare but quit after I got my 2nd paycheck with DD's cost taken out. I made $22 for two weeks after they took out the money for taking care of her. I drove over 10 miles both ways. After deducting gas I was about even.
BFP #2 11/30/09 EDD 08/12/10- Sophia Grace born 8/1/10
BFP #3 11/16/10 EDD 08/04/11- Samuel Richard born 7/28/11
BFP #4 01/04/12 EDD 09/19/12- Simon Nathaniel born 9/6/12
BFP #5 03/27/13 EDD 11/25/13- Savannah Lee born 11/18/13
I guess the question I would ask myself is are the jobs I would want when I go back to work (after kids graduate) jobs that would require a degree? If the answer is yes, I would then ask myself if I would rather go to school now with the kids at home or wait until they're gone and then also have to wait to find a job until school is finished? Not sure your financial situation is an issue, but personally I would also take student loans into consideration, i.e. do you want to have to be repaying loans while you're not planning on working?
JMTC.
Always Sunny's back b-tches!
Well, I'll tell you that my college education and 12 years experiment can't see to find a job that pays more than $12/hr, but I do realize this is a sh?t economy and that doesn't look likely to change for a while
Sadly, even though a college education doesn't guarantee anything at all, many places won't even look at you unless you have a degree. You could start now, get your pre requisites out of the way and that would give you time to decide what you want to focus your degree in.
With three kids, I think it would be great just to get out of the house on your own for a few hours a week. What about taking something at a community college just for personal interest, and see where it goes? Political science? Art history? Music theory? A foreign language?
This is the only thing that's pushing me to do the college thing.
BFP #2 11/30/09 EDD 08/12/10- Sophia Grace born 8/1/10
BFP #3 11/16/10 EDD 08/04/11- Samuel Richard born 7/28/11
BFP #4 01/04/12 EDD 09/19/12- Simon Nathaniel born 9/6/12
BFP #5 03/27/13 EDD 11/25/13- Savannah Lee born 11/18/13
This.
I didn't even think of that. But it makes more sense.
Perhaps I'll do this and keep my CNA and my childcare training up.
BFP #2 11/30/09 EDD 08/12/10- Sophia Grace born 8/1/10
BFP #3 11/16/10 EDD 08/04/11- Samuel Richard born 7/28/11
BFP #4 01/04/12 EDD 09/19/12- Simon Nathaniel born 9/6/12
BFP #5 03/27/13 EDD 11/25/13- Savannah Lee born 11/18/13
It couldn't hurt to take some classes now to see what you like.
But, I wouldn't recommend seriously pursuing your degree until closer to the time you expect to enter the work force so you are current and employable.
I'm now five years into being a SAHM and I'm wishing I had just waited to get my degree until after getting married and raising a family.
At most you have about 5-7 years until your kids are in school all day. I am sure at that point you will want to work part time or something. The healthcare and funeral industries are two things you can always count on.
home schooling.
BFP #2 11/30/09 EDD 08/12/10- Sophia Grace born 8/1/10
BFP #3 11/16/10 EDD 08/04/11- Samuel Richard born 7/28/11
BFP #4 01/04/12 EDD 09/19/12- Simon Nathaniel born 9/6/12
BFP #5 03/27/13 EDD 11/25/13- Savannah Lee born 11/18/13
Well that is a huge commitment so I don't see why it would benefit you going back to school. If you want extra cash you could always get a part time serving job or something.
Can I ask why?
Why we're discussing college or why home school.
I don't want to assume and launch into an explanation.
ETA never mind I see your quote below.
BFP #2 11/30/09 EDD 08/12/10- Sophia Grace born 8/1/10
BFP #3 11/16/10 EDD 08/04/11- Samuel Richard born 7/28/11
BFP #4 01/04/12 EDD 09/19/12- Simon Nathaniel born 9/6/12
BFP #5 03/27/13 EDD 11/25/13- Savannah Lee born 11/18/13
DH and I decided this was what we felt was best.
We have no desire to move out of this area (though we're moving back to our old town about 10miles away). Our families are here, its a low cost of living area, there are great "city" jobs for DH about an hour away, and its a lovely rural area.
There are 2 school districts we will live in once we buy a house. One is the school DH and I went to, the second is a little district.
The first district isn't top in the state but people move into so their kids go there. DH and I went there. Its not all its cracked up to be. Despite living in a rich school district we were using books that had our parents names in it. My mother graduated in 1982, I graduated in 2009. We also shared books. They recently cut the kindy program and closed down their arts. All of this and they still buy brand new uniforms, equipment, pay for coach buses for the football players. Since our parents were in HS they've only come close to championships once, rest of the time we're lucky they win one game a season.
The second district is small. Doesn't receive lots of funding. Kids switch from school 1 to this school because its easier to graduate from, they don't challenge kids, there is almost no SNs class and there is no gifted programs. Because those kids go to school1.
The other option is private school. Very costly. There are only 2 private school in the area and they're Catholic. DH and I are atheist and don't want to shell out all that money for someone to teach our kids things we don't believe in.
Then we have home schooling. I home schooled a few years when I was in school. I loved it. In math I could work at a snails pace but in English and reading I was grades ahead. I like that we and the children can decide how fast to go. I also like that we can tailor the learning (hands on vs book work) to how the child learns best.
Sorry didn't mean for that to turn into word vomit
BFP #2 11/30/09 EDD 08/12/10- Sophia Grace born 8/1/10
BFP #3 11/16/10 EDD 08/04/11- Samuel Richard born 7/28/11
BFP #4 01/04/12 EDD 09/19/12- Simon Nathaniel born 9/6/12
BFP #5 03/27/13 EDD 11/25/13- Savannah Lee born 11/18/13
As sofa put it "life happens"
its like a planning for the worst thought.
BFP #2 11/30/09 EDD 08/12/10- Sophia Grace born 8/1/10
BFP #3 11/16/10 EDD 08/04/11- Samuel Richard born 7/28/11
BFP #4 01/04/12 EDD 09/19/12- Simon Nathaniel born 9/6/12
BFP #5 03/27/13 EDD 11/25/13- Savannah Lee born 11/18/13
Well I can only speak from my own personal biggest regret. Which is knowing I wanted to teach but having wrong priorities at the time (I assumed as a 20 year old that I was going to make tons of money compared to my teaching friends, idiot me) and I have a giant wad of loans for a degree I may not end up using. So just be careful and take your time. I am asking people stuff and going slow, and have started the application process but am still trying to make sure I am making the best decision, because I have NO idea how those student loans are going to get paid.
I hope you find something you enjoy! Also, I am jealous you will be 39 when baby is 18, lol. After all this crapola, I wish I had started earlier. I'll be 49.
I vote for something like a Liberal Arts Associates Degree. It is basically a two year general studies degree, and most transfer if you later decide on a bachelor's program.
If nothing else, it would broaden your knowledge and help with homeschooling your children.
Plus, general studies rarely date themselves so if you don't need to work for many years it won't be outdated technology or anything!
Being in recruiting I can honestly say I wouldn't look at someone's resume if they had no job history for 20 years and their degree was say 15 years old. I would hold off on starting your degree until your kids are in junior high (that gives you time to do your degree part time and still start work as soon as they graduate hs). Plus student loans are a burden you probably dont need in a single income family.
I would also make sure you keep your CNA current. As much as you may hate the jobs it would provide you, as someone else said life happens and not having to wait to get relicensed if your DH were to loose his job/get seriously hurt would probably be helpful to finding some income quickly if you needed it. Plus once your kids are in grade school you may want to just do something PT during the day and this would allow you to do that.
As for a college degree if you do like the the idea of nursing but not the elderly how about going into something like pediatric nursing (uses the kid stuff you like as well) or labor and delivery nursing? It means you wouldnt be working with the elderly but might expand your skills into something you would enjoy.