Help 47 yr old man decide on degree?

[me]

Last year I went back to local community college for
1st time ever at age 47

I took 3 hrs per semester. Just stuck my "toe" in it to
see how it felt.

It felt "good".

I took Accounting 101... and then Econ 101. Got "A" in
both.

This semester I hope to take 6-9 hrs per semester. But
its getting down to the wire and I must make a decision
as to where I'm going with this. So I need some
opinions and advice on what to take class wise.

My "ultimate" goal in life would be to work for myself.
To have assets that make me an income. But until then
I need to add "value" to myself so that when I sell my
"time" to someone else I can make a
decent wage.

I view a college degree as just another "tool" in the
"toolbox" that I can use if needed. And not something
that guarantees me big wages. Heck I know people who
mow grass for a living making big money and have no
degree at all. Still going back to school is something
I "want" to do in case this "working for myself" fails
and I must return to the "work for someone else world".

Altho I currently work in the engineering dept as a
"CAD tech"..... sometimes I wonder if engineering is
all its cracked up to be. I see my bosses who are
engineers working long hours with very little "respect"
for their expertise.

I also have a STRONG interest in computers and
networking.

My original thoughts abt going back to school was to
get a combo business and IT degree. Something I could
"sell" to the "man".... but also something that would
benefit me and my ultimate goal of owning my
own business.

But lately I've been "waffling". It was a remark made
to me by an older retired man who got an accounting
degree in his younger days. He told me that he
originally was going for a business degree but the
counselor said he should get an accounting degree
instead. When he asked why he was told" cause an
accountant can be a business man..... but a business
man cant necessarily be an accountant".

Well..... I'm wondering if that's true of engineering
as well. Can an engineer just as easily be a
production manager but a production manager cant be an
engineer?

Bottom line..... I'm leaning towards taking all the
math and accounting classes I can. To cover BOTH
fields for the next two years until I make up my mind.

I would forget the english and humanities and social
studies until last. Altho I like these subject I have
to put myself on a fast track since I'm 47 yrs old. And
I feel I could easily take those classes when things
"firm up" in my mind where I'm going with this "life
adventure".

I'm going back to school one way or another. I've made
up my mind I'm doing this if I have to take one class
per semester forever! <G> But I cant afford any dead
end turns on this path.

So what say all? Is my logic flawed or does it make
any sense? That is to study accounting and engineering
rather than business and IT?

 

[Harry]

Last year I went back to local community college for
1st time ever at age 47
So what say all? Is my logic flawed or does it make
any sense? That is to study accounting and engineering
rather than business and IT?

If you do you'll find yourself with a lot of credits and no degree. While
some degrees have a lot of "elective" courses you can use as filler, a good
accounting degree will leave you little room for study outside of core
business classes that build a foundation and upper level accounting courses.
As you mentioned a sprinkling of liberal arts classes will also be required,
so you really won't be able to take classes that are outside the
business/accounting curriculum.

I started school at 39 and went full time until I got my degree. Like you I
was very unsure at first but really enjoyed it once I started. It does take
an enormous amount of time though, so you need to pick a degree and focus
all your energy on it. I agree with your earlier advisor.. accounting is the
way to go.

A

 

[Duane Bozarth]

Last year I went back to local community college for
1st time ever at age 47
....
Well..... I'm wondering if that's true of engineering
as well. Can an engineer just as easily be a
production manager but a production manager cant be an
engineer?

Depends on what the production manager's background is...but you'll not
get very far on your own as engineer w/o an engineering degree and a PE
license as most (all?) states will not let you even call yourself an
engineer for independent hire w/o the license. At 47, just starting
part-time, you've got a long way to go to get there--not that it <can't>
be done, but it would be a minimum of four years full-time to get a BS
and take the EIT, then a varying amount of experience before qualifying
to sit for the PE exam---something like 6 years is a fairly common
minimum. Unless you can get some time credited for you drafting
experience, but that is probably not likely. As an engineer, I'd
suggest if that's your goal you get your electives in at the community
college as it will be far more likely that what you take other than the
basics will not transfer 100% to a four-year engineering curriculum.
I'd expect you might have similar issues w/ the more advanced accounting
courses, as well.

Bottom line..... I'm leaning towards taking all the
math and accounting classes I can. To cover BOTH
fields for the next two years until I make up my mind.

I would forget the english and humanities and social
studies until last. Altho I like these subject I have
to put myself on a fast track since I'm 47 yrs old. And
I feel I could easily take those classes when things
"firm up" in my mind where I'm going with this "life
adventure".

I think you have to make a decision on your own as to what you want to
do...suggestions on the basis of a usenet group or some one individual
are pretty flimsy bases for such choices. I do believe that your only
hope of getting an actual degree and getting through will be to take a
particular degree track and start knocking out the lower-level electives
asap so you can then concentrate on the core curriculum as that's where
the hard work will really be...

 

[me]

I agree with your earlier advisor.. accounting is the

way to go.

Is accounting the way to go over say engineering?

And again I'm just focusing on the first two years of
classes..... the Associate degree

Hopefully by end of 2nd year Ill know what I'm doing
here

 

[me]

I started school at 39 and went full time until I got my degree

So you didn't have ANY degree before age 39? Not even
a two year degree?

If yes.... what prompted you to go back to school?

 

[me]

I do believe that your only

hope of getting an actual degree and getting through will be to take a
particular degree track and start knocking out the lower-level electives
asap so you can then concentrate on the core curriculum as that's where
the hard work will really be...

Agree

So that's why I'm taking college algebra and accounting
101 and econ 102 this fall

None of these classes really lock me into anything at
the moment, right?

 

[David Jensen]

On Mon, 11 Jul 2005 20:08:06 -0500, in alt.accounting

Is accounting the way to go over say engineering?

And again I'm just focusing on the first two years of
classes..... the Associate degree

Hopefully by end of 2nd year Ill know what I'm doing
here

Engineering in the first two years would be primarily prerequisites,
calculus and things like that. Because states now require 150 credits to
sit for a CPA, there have been some interesting programs that people
have done with the extra credits, though a double major in accounting
and any discipline of engineering would not be one of them. That would
take 160 credits, if you're lucky.

 

[Duane Bozarth]

Agree

So that's why I'm taking college algebra and accounting
101 and econ 102 this fall

None of these classes really lock me into anything at
the moment, right?

Well, college <algebra> won't even count as an elective in any
engineering degree program I'm aware of...whether you could count it as
an elective somewhere else is another question...

If you're really serious about this, you should get w/ advisors who know
the four-year school you plan to finish through and check very carefully
that courses you're taking at the CC will transfer--it's not at all
uncommon to find that many courses you may expect to be able to use will
not...the courses don't "lock you in" to anything, but depending on the
school(s) and the degree, they may or may not do you any good...

 

[Harry]

So you didn't have ANY degree before age 39? Not even
a two year degree?

If yes.... what prompted you to go back to school?

Nope, I worked in a family business for 15 years that hit hard times... and
I knew even with 15 years experience in accounting, marketing, finance,
etc.(you wear all these hats in a privately held company) it meant nothing
because it was in a family business with no "formal" education. So I started
school and maintained a 4.0 GPA for 4 years. I too was not sure what degree
to pursue because I had a heavy background in electronics, but decided first
on business and then on accounting.

A

 

[Duane Bozarth]

Duane Bozarth wrote:
....

...the courses don't "lock you in" to anything, but depending on the
school(s) and the degree, they may or may not do you any good...

"Good" in this case being defined as being directly useful in counting
credits towards a degree--of course, as in the case of the algebra
class, it's quite likely it was/is necessary prerequisite to get
prepared for the calculus, etc.

 

[me]

Nope, I worked in a family business for 15 years that hit hard times... and

I knew even with 15 years experience in accounting, marketing, finance,
etc.(you wear all these hats in a privately held company) it meant nothing
because it was in a family business with no "formal" education. So I started
school and maintained a 4.0 GPA for 4 years. I too was not sure what degree
to pursue because I had a heavy background in electronics, but decided first
on business and then on accounting.

I see

Kind of same situation here

Lost of real work experience but no degree

Was it scary going back at such late age?

Did you work any at all while going back school full
time?

 

[me]

"Good" in this case being defined as being directly useful in counting

credits towards a degree--of course, as in the case of the algebra
class, it's quite likely it was/is necessary prerequisite to get
prepared for the calculus, etc.

yep algebra is a requisite for higher engineering math

 

[Duane Bozarth]

yep algebra is a requisite for higher engineering math

That goes w/o saying...the point I am trying to make is that your
"straight ahead, no wasted effort" concept is only as good as your
planning and course selection to try ensure no unpleasant surprises down
the road when you expect to transfer courses to a four-year institution,
particularly in a department other than a general "non-professional"
degree.

 

[Harry]

Was it scary going back at such late age?

Did you work any at all while going back school full
time?

It was scary at first but it didn't take long to see 1) I was not the only
person my age and older attending college 2) my experience and knowledge put
me way ahead of the younger students, most of who didn't have a clue!

I continued working in the family business which gave me plenty of time to
study "on the job", without that it would have been much more difficult.

A

 

[me]

I continued working in the family business which gave me plenty of time to

study "on the job", without that it would have been much more difficult.

Oh yes

That would be an advantage

Did you go to school at day and work during second
shift?

Or vise versa?

Bottom line.... what "logistics" did you have to do to
make this happen?

 

[Ron Todd]

Last year I went back to local community college for
1st time ever at age 47
....

My "ultimate" goal in life would be to work for myself.
To have assets that make me an income. But until then
I need to add "value" to myself so that when I sell my
"time" to someone else I can make a
decent wage.

For anyone over twenty-five that seems to be the best option these
days.

I view a college degree as just another "tool" in the

....

Well....... One of the most important facets of college is that it
instills in one the base for continued learning and advancing through
life. Once it also "finished" people so they could fit into polite
society, but those days are long gone.

....

So what say all? Is my logic flawed or does it make
any sense? That is to study accounting and engineering
rather than business and IT?

IMHO, that is a decision that every man has to make for himself.

1. You have to know your market.

2. You have to know your limitations.

3. You have to know what you can put up with.

4. You have to realize there hasn't been a labor shortage for over
three decades. There is a quality shortage and it gets worse every
year. The income is from trading on the existing shortage.

Good luck.

 

[Harry]

Oh yes

That would be an advantage

Did you go to school at day and work during second
shift?

Or vise versa?

Bottom line.... what "logistics" did you have to do to
make this happen?

95% of my classes were at night, I did take a few classes during the day
because it was the only time they were offered. But classroom time is only a
small part... most of the work is done out of class!

A

 

[me]

My "ultimate" goal in life would be to work for myself.

For anyone over twenty-five that seems to be the best option these
days.

I find the above remark interesting

Can you expand on it a bit? Why you feel that way as
well?

 

[Ron Todd]

I find the above remark interesting

Can you expand on it a bit? Why you feel that way as
well?

It is not "feel," it is observation.

 

[me]

It is not "feel," it is observation.

No examples?