Finishing college at ??? MY age?

Congratulations on your return to school and subsequent degree. I would like to drop an un-asked-for suggestion. Please re-think taking the year off before starting your Masters work. I got my BA in 1969, started on an MA that summer then "took a year off". Well...after marriage, 2 kids, several moves & job changes, and a divorce, I finally went back & got my MM in one fell swoop at age 45! That was 15 years ago. I never got the tenure track college teaching job that was my goal but I got the Masters! I know of many people who "took a year off" and never went back. Don't be one of them.

Wayne

I'm not. I start in January. I've been accepted at Xavier University, I have to meet with my advisor and with Financial aid to get my loans set up, and I still have to take the GRE or MAT even though they accepted me based on my undergrad GPA.

I'm waffling about which I'm going to do though, hard decision as there are 2 I'd like to have. I guess that is what advisors are for?

In Ohio, State Law requires that you obtain your Graduate degree within 10 years of the undergrad or you lose liscensure.

You go, Girl !

Yay for you on going back for your masters. I will be in your cheering section cheering you on.

Hugs,
Lani

Wow, Melissa they've changed things a lot since I got my BASE in 1978. We were not required to have a master's then. We had to take 2 classes every year unless we were actively teaching and if we were teaching, no further education was required to maintain certification.

Just one thing I do know about teaching: you have to wait for an opening. With so many schools actually closing and levies not passing, it is rare to instantly be hired nowadays right out of school. There is a climate of "pay your dues" and I bet THAT has not changed.

Hang in there and sub for a while. I loved subbing. Got to know a lot about discipline and a lot about kids and different school districts. When I was done, I knew where it was great to work and where it was not so great and the climate and culture of each school. Helps to have that informed stance when going for interviews.

Are you using the placement office from your college? They might be able to help you, too.

Hang in there! It's worth it. Those bright shining faces are so precious and you will be making a difference in this world.

Hi Melissa. I am SO VERY proud of you. Here's why:

I earned my Associates Degree in 1969. All these years I've taken a class here and a class there... And one year ago this semester I set my hat for a degree. After this semester (6 hours) I have nine hours to go and I'll have my BS in Business and Professional Studies. I think about all this time I've wasted and I just wanna kick myself in the B_ _ _ !!!

You go, girl! And do something with that knowledge you've accumulated. What you've done is SO wonderful.

Pat

Janie, yes, NCLB changed a lot of things for many states...and unfortunately for Ohio our current governor has not been as pro education as past governors have been so the combination of the two have really made a big difference in Ohio's educational system. While the secondary liscensure has remained 7-12, the number of classes needed to obtain the lisensure in a particular field has increased a lot, plus, now before lisensure can be granted Praxis I &II have to be passed (which I'm in favor of) and before a 5 year liscense is granted you have to pass Praxis III which is an assessment of your teaching skills hands on, someone comes and watches you with your classes and says yes you're a good teacher or no you're not. Again, something I'm in favor of. The problem is, if you don't get a job, or you get a job out of field, Praxis III can't be done, so you're stuck with a provisional lisense until you get into your field, or get a masters in the field you're in. There is no K-8 Liscense anymore, it's PK-3, 3-6, and a middle school liscensure that covers 5-9.

Thank you Lani and Lois. :0)

Pat, thanks... and congrats to you too!