I'm just thinking.

[PeacefulChaos]

Feel free to give me advice, help me think of things I may not have thought of yet, etc.

 

 

So I've mentioned in a couple threads that, if I (as well as DH) could change anything, we would make more money.

DH has been looking into ways to go back to school, possibly to be a PTA, in order to do so.  The downside is, we live in the middle of nowhere.  There are two colleges in our town but neither has a PTA program.  There is a community college 30 minutes or so away, but they don't have one either; I believe there is a community college an hour away that has one, but it would be a few years of trying to piece together classes to get through the program, if they would even allow it (that school tends to want people to come during the day and get the program done in 2 years, at least with other things, which is out of the question).  

There is a school about an hour/hour and a half away that he could do night classes at, but it would be every single night, M-F, for two years.  It's not that we're not willing to do this; we just want to go in prepared for it being difficult.  Right now, DH works two blocks from home, comes home for lunch, gets off at 4 or so unless something comes up.  I go to work at 4 maybe 1-2 evenings a week until 8.  I work some weekends, either 8-2:30 or 2:30-8 Saturday and/or Sunday.  

For him to do this would mean I'd probably have to quit my job.  I could possibly still do it on the weekends.  Then again, I guess I could try to work something out during the week if I only worked one night a week or so - Idk that I'd get a babysitter (paying someone wouldn't be worth it), but I could try to see if I could make something work.  Link will be 12 in February.  I'm not sure he'd be ready for the responsibility yet of staying home alone, but at 13 that could be a different story, so I could just be looking at half of the time needing to find something else for them (especially with me literally working 2 blocks away from my house), until we felt he could handle the responsibility.

 

The biggest difficulty of him doing this is that we only have one vehicle.  We're about to buy one to replace what we currently have, because what we currently have is dying.  Like, any day now it could give up and fixing it would be $2000 dying.  So we're going to get something different, and get rid of this.

It has crossed my mind to not get rid of the car we have now but have it as a back up - however, it wouldn't be reliable transportation for DH to take to class every single night and if it were to die on him we'd be stuck then because he would have already made the commitment to schooling but with no way to get there.

I'm not cool with the idea of him taking the car that we are just now buying and putting tons of miles on it by commuting that much every day immediately.  Not to mention that I'm not cool with the idea of being left completely transportation-less every night of the week for two years.  I'd like to keep our lives as normal as possible; I think that to create for ourselves a life where we can't leave the house will only make the time much, much worse for everyone involved.  So I'd still like to have transportation to go to soccer, activities, etc.  

 

So I've been thinking that maybe if we could find something REEEALLLY cheap we could just get a second car.  Like, I'm talking super-duper cheap, a little beater car that is just a few hundred dollars, IF you can find those anymore!!  Many years ago DH bought a car from his brother's boss (his brother is a mechanic) that had been left there with him, looked terrible, but was in okay shape to drive back and forth to work (before we lived/worked here - now we walk) for like $300.  It worked fine for him for a few years, until it died, and he ended up using his Dad's truck at that point anyway.  

What we'd need to happen is just have a car fall into our laps, basically.  The thing is, that's usually how things come to us.  This house just fell into our lap (which we don't own, but it's much better than the other rentals out there that cost more) in a random conversation DH had with someone.  The opportunity to buy land fell into our lap one time, though we didn't follow through on it.  So I'm basically just saying, 'Okay, God, if it's going to work for him to go back to school, we need a car to just fall into our laps.'  And I do want it to work; so does he, we just can't figure out how.

 

 

There is nowhere we can move to be closer for him to go to school.  If we were move back out to the midwest, there are tons of colleges within range of the city where my family lives and they have PTA programs, but it would be so much more hassle than it's worth just to go to school.  They live 17 hours away.  DH would have to find another job; I would have to potentially find another job; we'd have to find a place to live; etc, etc.  So that's not really feasible, we have just jokingly brought it up in the past.

 

 

I know that DH isn't happy where he is.  He wants to move on to something else, job wise.  He's willing to put in the work and we're willing to support him through it.  

Last year he was looking for jobs but nothing ever came available that he had the qualifications for.  We live in a place where very few jobs are available.  He would try to inquire about different positions but always got passed over for some reason; he would ask me what I thought he should do and I never really had an answer.  At first I think he thought I didn't care but I finally got him to understand that to me, it doesn't matter what he does, but that he's okay with it.  He's very fed up with his job and the politics involved and the fact that there is no room for any more advancement for him - he's pretty much reached the highest he can.  To me, I don't care whether he goes to school or goes and works somewhere else or what, I just want him to not come home stressed and hating his job, kwim?  

 

Anyway.  Any ideas or opinions?  I'm just trying to think everything through and hope that something will fall into place this spring, maybe, so that he can get started on this when he wants to.  

[Rosie_0801]

He can't study online?

[PeacefulChaos]

Not to be a PTA, no.

[Liz CA]

Are you attending a church? Have you made your need for a second car known? If his brother is a mechanic, he could possibly help fix a car up? I have practically given cars away for less than $500 because the repairs were piling up or I needed something more fuel efficient. And I am probably not the only one who had to do that.

 

Also check this out: http://physical-therapy-assistant.org/physical-therapy-assistant-schools-online/

 

Sometimes a student can do the academic work online and finds a place to do the practicum.

Edited December 24, 2015 by Liz CA

[bettyandbob]

You mention " a hassle" to do something. If you focus on hassles, you may put off and never do something.

 

So, ask yourself is not going to school right for dh?

 

Also, you talk about commuting distance and you talk about your work hours, gave you also considered dh will need hours out of class to study?

[Faithr]

Two years in the grand scheme of things is not that long.  And maybe at some point in those 2 years you will get a car.  You will still have the new car on the weekends, right?  So you'll be able to get out then.  And maybe once a week or something you can drive with dh and find something to do while he's in classes?  You can drop him off and do the grocery shopping or something or whatever you might find to do.

 

Maybe you could work a deal with someone to drive you to soccer in return for something else.  A trade of some sort.

 

I think two years of sacrifice (and if you are flexible, you might even find blessings!  You never know!) might be worth it.  

 

Edited December 24, 2015 by Faithr

[Pink and Green Mom]

I don't know exactly how a PTA degree works but I would assume there are general course requirements - like English 101, Biology 101, etc.  Is there any way he could start taking those classes at a community college closer to home and have those transfer to the degree program?  Or take those online and have them transfer?  That would give you a little more time to get the car issue straightened out, your oldest will be older, etc. 

Edited December 24, 2015 by Pink and Green Mom

[DawnM]

the reality is that often times, opportunities are greater in cities.  It may actually take a move to get what you need.  

 

If you moved to a city, would it be possible to have public transportation for your DH to get to school, allowing you to have the car at home for your needs?

Yes, it is a MAJOR pain to move.  Yes, it may require a smaller house.  Yes, it may not be what everyone really wants to do.......but it may be necessary.

 

It just sounds like where you live is not the ideal place for your current needs.

[DawnM]

Is PTA a Physical Therapist Assistant?   What more would it take to be a Physical Therapist?  They make about double and may very well be worth the extra amount of time.

[TammyS]

Not to be a PTA, no.

 

Maybe not for the whole program, but have you checked to see if even *some* of the classes could be taken online.  If that could give 2-3 nights per week that he didn't have to travel, that would make a big difference.  If the college that he's interested in doesn't have that, see if there are online schools (legit ones) where he could knock out some of his basic requirements before enrolling in a program (you'll want to check about transfer credit, etc).  I'd call the admissions office of any school he's potentially interested in and ask them for advice.  The admissions people at good community colleges really want things to work out for working adults, so they may be a good source of help for you.

[Starr]

If he were to do this would there be work in your area? I think I would go with the hassle of moving. You would have more family around while he works and studies day and night. And there are more programs to choose from. He might do well to get more education after his PTA. 

[lmrich]

What does he do now? 

[plansrme]

Just want to say that going back to school and training for a new field just to make more money gets a thumbs up from me. Making more money is an often under-utilized method of balancing the ol' budget. So good for you and your husband! I don't have any suggestions but hope all works out for you.

[lllll]

nm

Edited December 25, 2015 by w11

[katilac]

Honestly, I would probably go ahead and move if at all possible. 

 

If you live in an area with limited jobs, you might as well move now to make schooling easier. It will also make finding a job easier - if qualifications are roughly equal, employers will hire a local or somewhat local person over someone far away every time. And don't assume he will be able to find a job locally no matter what degree he gets; we know several people with skilled medical training who have trouble finding full-time work, because the hospitals and centers prefer to have more part-time people on call. So, they get paid very well by the hour, but don't get full hours or benefits. 

 

Your kids are also at an age to consider that not living in the middle of nowhere will give them more school and job opportunities as well. 

 

Another reason I would move if possible: I would be extremely reluctant to have a parent gone from morning through night, five days a week, with additional work to be done on weekends, for two years. Even with the same amount of schooling, moving would mean a much shorter commute to school, plus family support.

 

An adult can handle two sucky years of work and school and commuting, sure. However, I would not underestimate the possible negative effects on the kids, particularly as it sounds like he has a fairly easy schedule now that allows for lots of home time. 

 

It is not something I would choose to do, and I honestly don't see how moving to where schools, jobs, and family are more plentiful is more of a hassle than going to school locally.  It's one big hassle, but the slow grind of doing it locally is going to wear thin mighty fast.  

 

 

[Supertechmom]

When we were in the same situation, the reality was do nothing because of the grind or suck it up and grind away.  It's two years.   In two years, he could be making more money and you would all be in a better position.  You are not going to get in a better place by waiting for the tides to carry you which ever  way they flow and how ever long they take.  Sometimes you have to understand that life is going to suck big time and not be your ideal at all before you can make it your ideal.   I've spent the last 5 years grinding away and now we are reaping the rewards.   It sucked while I was in school, and it sucked less in the not so ideal job to get the experience and knowledge to get to the current job which is SWEET!   So my advice is make the sacrifice, suck it up and do whatever needs to be done to get the better position.

[PeacefulChaos]

Thanks for the input.

 

We have looked at online, however, the online courses are usually only available through the community colleges, which would include transferring the credits elsewhere since our closest community college doesn't have the PTA degree.  The difference in schooling between a PT and PTA is 2 years vs. 4 or more, I think?  He works with a lot of PTs/PTAs and the difference in their job and pay is minimal.  Ah, and with the community colleges in mind, it would take longer than 2 years - less hours per week, but more time overall, just because of the way their schedules are set up.

 

We have family here, too.  DH's entire family lives here.  He could get a job at the same place he works now as a PTA, or he could go somewhere else - we wouldn't mind moving, but both of us would really like to avoid the midwest again, if possible.  We both hated it - I lived there for 9 years, he lived there for 1.5.  I know I brought up where my gp live in the OP, but really, we have no interest whatsoever in moving there.  We hated that place, and to move back there... it would be horrible.  I wouldn't know anyone, the kids wouldn't have any friends, and we'd be horribly isolated.  Even though I know I said it occurs to me sometimes, when I think about the reality of it...*shudder*.  I'm an extrovert so not knowing anyone and having no friends would be a huge strain - the best part of staying here is that here there is a support system.  There, we'd have nothing.  A couple family members, but nothing even close to comparing to the friends we have here.

I'm still not saying I wouldn't consider it if absolutely necessary, but it's not like there is anything there for us that we don't have better here, except for the drive time.  That's really the only difference.  

Also, I know that paragraph makes it sound like I'm super stuck in my ways and won't go anywhere, but I really am just trying to get across the horribly negative reaction that I have to the idea of moving back there.  While we would happily move somewhere if there was a job involved, etc, I can't say that that city would ever be on our list, or the state of Missouri at all, for that matter.  

 

We do have a church but meh.  I don't like it much, tbh.  The people aren't very friendly, and no one really knows us there at this point.  I doubt they'd be of any help; this church is about 40 minutes away from us.

 

The van needs a new transmission.  It's a Chevy with 140,000 miles and one thing after another has been going wrong on it since we hit 130.  We have no interest in fixing it because there are other things that are on the verge of needing fixed, etc, so it would just be a downward spiral of fixing costs from here out.  It's not a safe vehicle to drive 17 hours to visit family; we could potentially drive it till it dies, but as I said in the OP, that would leave us with nothing, and it's never better to wait till the last minute.  We're not being stupid about a new car, though, either - we're looking around for a great deal and taking our time.  It's driving my grandma nuts because she thinks we should have bought a new car by now (new being relative - we will never buy an actual new car).

 

 

[PeacefulChaos]

I have never said that I'm not okay with the hard work that goes into it.

 

I'm just trying to figure out the best way to make it work.  

[DawnM]

Are you sure the difference is minimal?  I find that really hard to believe.  I am not saying you aren't telling the truth, just curious if he has the whole picture.  Here in NC and in CA where we moved from, the difference in "median income" between the two is literally double.  It also included more benefits and retirement overall.  Here it is around $45K vs. $80K for median income differences.  

 

I understand not wanting to move.  I do.  But you may have to do it to achieve your goals.  It doesn't have to be the midwest.  I am not sure why it is A or B, there is a large country out there to explore.  And what if you just moved an hour away to the city closer to you.  Again, I understand you don't like the city, but if that is where the schooling is, then you may need to go there.

 

Unfortunately, there are no options that include just staying where you are, and having him go to school down the street.  So you have to decide how important it is to get what you want and make some sacrifices.

 

I am not trying to be heavy handed, I am really not, it is your life and you can do whatever you want, just saying that making it happen without some changes isn't going to make it happen.

 

[Carol in Cal.]

If I were you I would encourage your DH to look into fulfilling some of his Gen Ed requirements the same way that homeschoolers do--through online coursework or CLEP tests.  Those can pivot into any major, and don't require a move.  That's where I would start.

 

That way if you have to bite the bullet and do a nasty commute, or a 'living together in two places', or even a temporary move, at least it won't be for as long. 

 

If you approach this with the same sense of planning that you do with your kids, you will be able to figure it out, I am sure!

 

 

[DawnM]

I am looking at our local CC and their requirements for this program and a full year of CLEP or online wouldn't work.  You have to start some of the classes for the actual program your first year or it will take you an extra full year to graduate.  The classes you take your freshman year for the program are pre-req. for the 2nd year classes.

I don't know if it is like this for the OP's local school, but here, staying home for a full year would just mean an additional full year at the end, just maybe a lighter load.  

 

Our program is also a full 5 semesters in classes and clinicals, so Summers would need to be used to continue classes if one wanted to finish in 2 years.  75 credit hours to complete.

 

And just a thought too, find out if your local CC even accepts CLEP.  Our homeschool kids have had a hard time getting credit for CLEPs.  In fact, some APs are not accepted.

 

Several local schools have gotten rid of APs altogether and are now hiring CC professors to come teach classes for dual enrollment AT the high schools.

Edited December 24, 2015 by DawnM

[bettyandbob]

My dd is hoping to become a PT. A PT now requires a three year doctorate program after 4 years of college. The required undergrad program is very similar to premed with a few other requirements. There are a few programs that are 6 year BS/DPT programs. 

 

PTA is a 2 year, maybe a little more program. No undergrad degree. 

 

The salaries may start similar or a PTA salary may approach the starting salary of  a PT, but over time PTs make more. 

 

That said PTA certifications do have a good longterm career outlook. 

[PeacefulChaos]

Are you sure the difference is minimal?  I find that really hard to believe.  I am not saying you aren't telling the truth, just curious if he has the whole picture.  Here in NC and in CA where we moved from, the difference in "median income" between the two is literally double.  It also included more benefits and retirement overall.  Here it is around $45K vs. $80K for median income differences.  

 

I understand not wanting to move.  I do.  But you may have to do it to achieve your goals.  It doesn't have to be the midwest.  I am not sure why it is A or B, there is a large country out there to explore.  And what if you just moved an hour away to the city closer to you.  Again, I understand you don't like the city, but if that is where the schooling is, then you may need to go there.

 

 

 

I'm sure that over time the earning potential for a regular PT would be higher.  The posters above me have it right on the CC stuff as well as all that he'd need to do to be a PT, and we can't make a six-seven year commitment along with him working full time, which would probably be much more than 6-7 years because he's working full time.  So a PTA is a good in-between.  

Right now, the PTAs back here make about twice - maybe a little less - what DH makes.  It's at least 20K more, minimum.  If they were making 45K, it wouldn't be worth the difference lol.  

I don't know about insurance and retirement and stuff - he doesn't have that now, so it's not something that we really look at or worry about, especially considering the huge difference in schooling.  We know our limits - a few years is doable; getting towards 10 (a reasonable guess with working full time) is just not something we could do.  It wouldn't be worth it; he would effectively miss most of the kids growing up.  Not a worthy trade off for him.

 

As far as moving, I assumed people were suggesting we move back to the midwest because that's what I mentioned in the OP.  

The most difficult thing about moving anywhere would be finding a job.  Considering that he's already been looking for jobs in both cities 1 hour from us for the past year, I find it highly unlikely that he'll suddenly find one that will cover the cost of us having to move there; rents are much higher (we've looked), things are more expensive, etc.  Plus we'd definitely lose my income if that were the case, which isn't a lot, but it's just more that he'd have to make up in the pay for a new job.  Chances of finding something that we can get by on are slim, especially with going to school at the same time.

[Kim in Appalachia]

I thought I would throw this out there, but there are OT bridge programs.  Meaning, your dh could take the CC classes to become a PTA, then he could work towards bridging it to a OT (I don't know of any that do that for a PT, since a PT requires a PHD).

 

The salary difference is significant. Just an option to think about.  

 

 

[Twigs]

1^st, let me tell you a little about my experiences. (Sorry about the length!)

I went thru the MLT (Medical Lab Technician – think blood testing) program at the local community college about 35 years ago. My CC has many allied health programs; some were certificate programs (just a few months) while others were AA programs (2 full years).

In all of these programs, students apply for admission to a specific program. If selected, the student must complete the program with their class. Most students had some of the prereqs finished before starting the program. That was the only way to go to school part-time. In my class of 20 students, only 1 student came straight out of high school with no pre-reqs.

The general ed classes (English, math, A&P, etc.) could be taken in the evening, but the program specific classes were only offered during the day. All of the clinical rotations were during the day (Monday through Friday, 7am – 3pm). We spent a total of 6 months in full-time clinical rotations (note: without pay plus we had to pay CC tuition), spread out during the 2^nd year.

After the 2 year training program, I took a national certifying MLT exam (no licence in my state). I worked several years and saved money to get my BS (in physics). After I completed my BS, I took the MT (Medical Technologist) exam, which is the same job as MLT, but more money and more opportunities.

I’ve worked in hospital labs, reference labs, and manufacturing labs. I am currently tutoring at the CC I attended. My tutoring center specifically works with students taking their pre health science courses (A&P, microbiology, chemistry) – this keeps me up-to-date with most of the current requirements for the different programs.

Feel free to give me advice, help me think of things I may not have thought of yet, etc.
… There are two colleges in our town but neither has a PTA program. … I believe there is a community college an hour away that has one, but it would be a few years of trying to piece together classes to get through the program, if they would even allow it … There is a school about an hour/hour and a half away that he could do night classes at, but it would be every single night, M-F, for two years. …

Your DH should go in and talk to the head of the PTA program to clarify all the details. I’ve never heard of a health science program not being held during the day. Be sure to ask how much time is spent in clinical rotations and if they are compmleted during the day or evening. He should not talk to anyone outside the PTA program (like a general counselor, etc.) to get program specific info.

… DH would have to find another job; …

If DH has to find another job, think about getting a job with tuition reimbursement and a job with flexible hours. For example, he could get training as an EMT, nurse assistant, phlebotomist, pharmacy tech – the training is only a few months. He then could apply for a job at a hospital where he could have flexible hours (I earned about 20% shift diff for working 2^nd shift and weekends) and tuition reimbursement.

… He's very fed up with his job and the politics involved and the fact that there is no room for any more advancement for him …

Don’t expect for the politics to get any better anyplace else. Also, with only a 2 year degree, there is probably (eta: NOT) going to be much opportunity for advancement (YMMV, though)

Anyway. Any ideas or opinions? I'm just trying to think everything through and hope that something will fall into place this spring, maybe, so that he can get started on this when he wants to.

Please don’t wait for something to fall into place. I’ve been blessed for that to happen a couple of times, but not all the time. If your DH is serious about going the PTA route, here a few thought to consider.
• 1^st, get the non-science prereqs out of the way – I needed English, math, government, etc. to get my AA.
• Then work on the science prereqs, such as Anatomy and Physiology. At my CC, the science prereqs expire after 5 years.
• Before taking A&P, work through a medical terminology workbook, such as The Language of Medicine, by Davi-Ellen Chabner. This is a workbook, so be sure to buy new. When a new edition comes out, the old editions usually drop in price. Any edition is fine, but I would get the full book (about 1000 pages) and not the short course (less than 500 pages). There are other workbooks available, I am familiar with this one. A&P is a a tough course and knowing the vocabulary beforehand would benefit him tremendously.

Best wishes in whatever you decide to do.

Edited December 24, 2015 by Twigs

[PeacefulChaos]

The school is a specific school catered to people who have to go while working full time.  All the CCs in the area, if they even offer the PTA program, are what usually are day-only (for at least portions of it).  

 

 

As far as things falling into place, that's what we have to do.  Without a second car, it's not going to happen, but there is no possible way to go out and find a car for a few hundred dollars.  There just isn't.  We can put out feelers, yes, but we're not going to lock ourselves into something with no way to follow through.

 

 

Oh, and he is an EMT.  That's not his job - nowhere here actually hires them, it's all volunteer - but he's certified.

Edited December 25, 2015 by PeacefulChaos

[poppy]

I believe PTA programs are very popular  and quite competitive. If you're going to do it, go full hog.

 

My opinion (which is worth nothin') is that your family schedule sounds like a dream right now, so make sure it's reaaaaally all about the job before you give that up.  If he feels unfulfilled, perhaps he can find something else in life to give him that satisfaction besides a career. Church, yoga, art, fixing up old beater cars, whatever. What you have is sweet. 

 

But what you aim for may well be sweeter, of course!

[PeacefulChaos]

I agree, the schedule we have right now is awesome!!!  :)

 

If only we could talk DH's employer into paying him more, we'd be set.  ;)

 

 

On that note, Merry Christmas everyone!!!  

[katilac]

Have y'all considered the possibility of dh just getting a 2nd, part-time job? He has a schedule that would work well for that, it could be less time than it would be if he were in school, and you could start stacking up money right away for another car, etc. 

 

He could still switch at any point and go to school, but another job gets money flowing now, gives everyone a feel for what those added hours might be like, builds savings for car, tuition, and so on. It's something that can be done while researching all the school options, and it sounds like it could quickly remove one big obstacle (needing another car). 

 

 

[homeschoolin'mygirls]

A PTA is a great job to look at. Because of the required doctorate now for entry-level PTs ( existing PTs are being grandfathered in), the growth potential in this field is huge. Average salary in texas is listed around 55k but I know many that make quite a bit more. And many universities have specialized programs for PTAs to continue for their PT degree

 

i think this could be a great career shift if this is an area your husband is interested in

 

A word of caution if you don't mind-- be Oh-so-careful!! Of for profit schools. I don't know if that's the direction you're looking but if so i'd advance with all due caution. I've seen many nursing and other health care workers get totally burned by these types of schools

[Shellydon]

If he wants to go to PTA school, I would have him apply, then move to where the school is located.