Is it possible to go to school and work at the same time?!?!?

Question

I live in the New York area and want take a class at night because I work during the day. THIS IS IMPOSSIBLE!!!! The community colleges don't offer the classes I need and all the major universities in the area don't offer night classes. I need to take Fluid Mechanics and Thermodynamics towards a graduate degree in Engineering, but it is like looking for a needle in a haystack to find them. Does anyone know where these classes are offered this semester in the afternoon, like 6-ish? Do online courses metriculate, or are they pretty much a rip off? Please help. About to prop my head under the wheel of a Mack truck!!!

Answer 1

You might need to look for online courses at other colleges/universities that would be acceptable for transfer credit. I got my masters degree in computer science from my 2nd choice university because my first choice had the same issue, no evening or online options... and I couldn't be leaving my full time job at 3PM twice a week for a whole semester! I ended up taking a pair of online courses from another university that counted towards my degree, along with a few meetings with the right dean and advisor to make sure it was acceptable. Hopefully you'll find the same possibility for your Engineering degree. Good luck. Worst case, go straight to the dean, explain the issue, you're a working professional going for an advanced degree, you have limited options and flexibility, etc, etc... they should do SOMETHING to accommodate you for all the tuition money you're spending, and that SOMETHING should be accepting transfer credit from another university's equivalent online course.

Answer 2

Have you checked the web to see if the courses you need are offered? Some of the major colleges and universities do have online classes that are not rip-offs and are sponsored by said institutions of higher learning. Where I live, the community colleges do have night classes, and I don't live in a large city, so I'm surprised that the New York area doesn't cater to working people. You might consider working nights and attending classes during the day, as an alternative. Would quitting your present day job be an option? Is your present job as important to you as your education? I know you need money, but any job can help support you while you're getting your degree. That may be your only alternative. But please forget the Mack truck thing. The world needs more engineers. Good luck, my friend.

Answer 3

It is not impossible, the trick is finding a balance a that works for you. Perhaps it maybe applicable to switch? Meaning work evenings and go to school in the day, that way you can get the required courses. You will need to evaluate just how long the courses will take you, maybe one semester, possibly two. Make a plan and then put it into action.

Once you established where you can take your classes, how long it would take. You can then seeing if your boss would switch you to evenings if that is applicable in your job. If not then you will have to start job hunting but do it discretly until you nail something down. Only then you make your move. I won't recommend you reveal anything to your current boss as yet at least not until you are firm about what you are doing, when, how, etc.

Answer 4

Online courses are definitely a ripoff. I tried to teach in an online university once, and resigned as soon as I saw how they distributed grades -- they really and truly are just selling diplomas with no academic standards at all. Employers don't consider them credible at all, and I can attest that it is for good reason.

I worked through both of my BA and MBA, even though it took me extra time to get through the degree programs because I had to just take one or two classes at a time sometimes. Don't give up. You may need to open up to classes later at night, though... most of mine were more like 8:00 - 10:00 p.m. Or... try getting to know a couple of the profs in a graduate program at a reputable university in your area, and then see if you can talk them into supervising independent study for you if they don't teach evening classes. Or... try to cut a deal with your employer to let you take long lunch periods to go to classes, and make up the time in the evenings?

It is not impossible, but it is very difficult, and you will definitely have to make some short term sacrifices for long term gain. You're going to have to give up your home life a couple of nights a week for night classes, and spend every spare minute you have studying. I remember doing my reading on the Harbor Freeway at rush hour while driving to work... I mean, traffic was only moving 5 miles an hour anyway...

Answer 5

Yes, its possible. I work as a part time manager and go to school full time. I go to class in the morning, study, then go to work then study some more....It requires alot of planning and less of a social life but you can always party later. On-line courses are worth it but it takes alot of discipline. Do your research and something might just pop out at you...maybe thinking about switching to a job that will allow you to work evening and night so you can take morning classes.

Answer 6

G'day ssshadii,

Thanks for your question.

College and university students have often had to work to pay the costs of studying and living. It requires careful planning so that you do yourself justice.

You might want to study by correspondence if there are reputable courses available.

Regards

Regards