Really need help(please) with my education/college?

Question

ok so we moved in today and i'm having my doubts. it's not about being far away from home, etc. sure i don't like it, but i'm 25 and i can handle it. my problem is that i want to become a certified insructor for theraputic horseback riding. right now i'm at a 4 year university getting a bs in equestrian science. they offer a theraputic riding *class* but it's a pilot class and doesn't give certification. after 4 years, i'd have to spend another year and a half getting certified. or i could skip the BS, get a full refund from the school, and just get certified through the national assocation. i'm already looking at 33k in debt if i complete this first year alone. the certification by itself would only be about 6k. what should i do? i dont want to make the wrong decision. a degree is nice but the certification would allow me to start helping people sooner.

sorry if that's confusing, i can add details to clarify if necessary.

Answer 1

You already know. Your intuition is saying something is wrong. You could probably get an degree on line. Frankly college seems more like programming then education. Something is wrong with the whole school system. If your an minor expert in a field you can teach without a degree. With experience become a computer programmer with less than two years. They take young people on the bases of just being in college and so on. I see the whole system as more destructive almost. Those who can't teach and pass on foolish traditions that don't work in the real world, aren't relevant and drive you crazy even. Look at doctors and psychiatrists. 8 years,hundreds of thousands of dollars, 32 hour days. Is that sane even? Is that living? They also have the highest suicide rates, last I checked and the rich highest percentages of alcoholism. We're ending up with educated idiot experts holding back progress and without professional integrity for the money and power. Do wrong, sell out and feel degraded or be right and resentful? Hm. You could probably get an MS online with less stress and more pride. They hardly ever even want to see your degree so you have to look at is yourself anyway. You mainly get arrogance and I can tell you how to get that for free and in short order.

Answer 2

if you are absolutely, absolutely sure that the career for you can be best done as a certified instructor for therapeutic horseback riding, don't bother getting 4 year BS degree, go for the year and half certification. However, if there is any chance that one day you will wish you had the BS in Equest. Science, finish out the degree now while you are young.

Answer 3

I'm certified up the Wazoo in my field. In my experience, certifications do not mean anything without a degree (I'm in the process). I say finish your BS as a fall back, borrow another 6K for your certificate later. Your state of mind knowing you have both will benefit your patients in a different way. Good luck!

Answer 4

College can be invaluable, but debt can be insurmountable.

Ask around! Call or email local establishments who have therapeutic horseback riding available, and ask them what degrees, schooling, certification they insist upon for their instructors.

Don't overdo it. It's nice to be over-qualified, but over-qualification can be very expensive, as well as time-consuming. Sometimes, it even keeps you out of a job, because potential employers don't want to have to pay you as much as you're worth.

Maybe you could also ask your family and friends what they think (if you value their opinions.) Try to relax. Do some yoga, pray, chant, go swimming, or better yet, RIDING--whatever you do to calm yourself and get centered, and the answer will come to you.

By the way, I think your career goal sounds like a very admirable endeavor!

Best of luck!

Answer 5

Is it possible to get the certification and get a BA/BS at someplace cheaper? If you have the certification, you won't need to take your 4-year degree in equestrian science (which is very specialized) -- you can take it in physical therapy or psychology or kineseology or something that is more commonly offered at a school where you have in-state standing and can therefore get cheaper tuition.

Answer 6

I think you should go straight for the certification and lose all that debt. At 25, you already know a lot about life--you don't need college to teach you. That is just too much debt to take on for a career that doesn't pay all that much. I'm very pro college, but in your case, since you know what you want to do, I say focus on it.

Answer 7

I think that I would go for the certification. It seems that you have already decided on working as a therapeutic riding instructor. Become a certified instructor and if that is not what you want then you can re-evaluate once working in your chosen field.

Answer 8

Get your certification, then go back to school. If possible get your certification and your BS at the same time. Or get your BS in something else you have an interest in, so you can fall back on it if need be.