s/o Going back to college question

[Night Elf]

What it would be like to take a step backwards? I have enough credits to graduate with a bachelors, although not the right classes in the right major. I changed my major too many times to have an organized transcript. So if I was interested in stepping down and going to a community college, do I just attempt to have all of my credits transferred? I don't know how that works.

[Starr]

Every college has a different acceptance of other college's credits. You need to contact the degree giving institution and see what courses they will accept and what courses you need to take.  Good for you for getting started!

[DawnM]

Have you already done everything for your General Education requirements?  How will the CC help you towards a BA?   Those are the questions I would want answered before stepping in to the CC.  They may advise you to go straight to the 4 year school and finish there.

 

It isn't always the case that credits "expire" like it used to be.  Many, many 4 year schools have programs to help you finish your BA based on your previous college credits and life experience.    You may be much further along than you think.

 

Dawn

[Barbara H]

Three suggestions....

 

1. If it is in the area check with the college where you went before - see if they have a degree completion program. Some do have programs specifically designed to help people who attended their college but didn't graduate. It helps colleges boost their graduation numbers.

 

2. Look at degree completion programs at other schools. There are local schools that offer them in many areas. Also, Thomas Edison State is an online option that for many will be the least expensive way to transition from a pile of credits to a degree. I helped a homeschool mom with this recently. She had quite a lot of undergrad credits from back before she had kids but never settled on a major and didn't earn a degree. The college was able to incorporate many of those credits into a degree program. She had to take three or four online classes (which she said were pretty good quality) and a couple of CLEP tests and to pay fees. She had her degree within six months of starting the process.

 

3. Go meet in person with the community college. Bring your records if you have them.

 

The first two options I mentioned are the road to getting your BA or BS more quickly using what you've already earned. It may be a "general studies" kind of degree but it will be a four year degree which is what it takes to be considered for a lot of jobs. Of course most jobs also require some up to date job skills or training so it isn't the full solution. But, in some situations you really just need the four year degree to get considered for the job or to get the better pay grade. That can always be combined with some additional training elsewhere.

 

Best of luck!

[Liz CA]

This is exactly how it works in CA. Any credits you have taken will switch back and forth as long as they satisfy proper criteria...BUT if you have credits for a Bachelor, why don't you apply for graduation, get the piece of paper and then enroll in a Masters program of your choice?  :)   :hurray:

[Jane Elliot]

See if the college you went to has an online option available now. If so, you may be able to finish with them.

[Tap]

If you are seriously considering going back, talk to the school sooner rather than later, even if you aren't ready to go back just yet.

 

College credits can 'expire' depending on the school and program and if they are more than 5-10 years old, you may have to take the classes again.  :0(   They will usually grant elective credit for any classes taken in the past, but if they are important for the major (like a math class if you are science major) they will likely require relatively current credits.  

 

Sometimes, they will stay valid longer if you are actively working on a degree, even if it is just a class or two at a time.

[LucyStoner]

You might check out something like UMass' online University Without Walls. If you want to finish a BA or BS, you probably need to go to a 4 year.

 

I would only go to a community college if it serves a goal- like if you were enrolling in a technical or allied healthcare professions program. Your old credits would probably fulfill most of your general ed requirements.

 

Generally the prereqs that expire are in math, sometimes certain science for science or healthcare majors. My husband has gone to school in fits and starts for various degrees he never used and is finishing a degree in his actual field now and his only class that expired was pharmacology because there was a 5.5 year gap.

 

I am going back to school for accounting with an eye on becoming a CPA and nothing expired except that I had to take a math test which was fine. I didn't have to for my accounting which seemed odd so I enrolled in a MOOC and pulled out my accounting text books to dust those topics off because I don't want to be struggling in the upper division accounting classes, KWIM? I'm studying that now and it's actually all fine. I remember a lot more than I figured I did.

[Mrs Mungo]

Definitely talk to your original school and have them do a degree audit before you do anything else.