Going to School at 44
 

I have been promoted as far as I can in my current job without having a degree. My employer will reimburse me 100% of my tuition. It's going to be a pain to try to get a degree, work full time, take care of 12 rental properties, etc but I guess I really have no choice unless I just want to settle where I am in my career.

I see I can get a degree online through MO Western. It appears I can CLEP out of many of the classes.

My question: Has anyone here ever done this and specifically how difficult is it to CLEP out of courses?

Thanks for the help

It just depends on how well you know the subject. Things may have changed a lot since I took CLEP tests in the 80s, but I don't remember them being difficult. They were just another standardized test, IIRC.

See if you can find sample questions on the Internet.

Thanks. I wish I had done this in the 80's. Life if funny sometimes

Congratulations on getting to the point where you need a degree to advance further, btw. It's too bad it works that way, but good for you for being motivated enough to not just settle.

Thanks. I figure nothing lasts forever. I've been lucky to advance where I am without a degree. If anything happens to my current position I would be in trouble trying to find a comparable job. I really should have done this long ago but I can't get one if I never start.

Went back to school at 43. Got a degree in meteorology. Mostly online at Mississippi St. If this dentistry thing doesn't work out....................

Good for you. It's not easy, but it can be done.

I went back to school in my late 30's and graduated at 41 while working full time. My classes were all at the campus - no online offered at that time. I'm not sure if online makes it any easier or harder.

I liked the interaction with the prof and give and take with classmates. One thing my school emphasized was public speaking. Almost every class required a presentation over a relevant subject. That made me a much better public speaker.

I've had some students that have earned engineering degrees while working full time (although they weren't doing rental properties). It all depends on how many courses you think you can handle per semester. If it's only 1 or 2, you are in for a ten year slog. You might be able to handle more than that, depending on how flexible your employer is, how rigorous the curriculum is, and how strong you are academically.

I can't speak for all things, but I'm taking online certification classes right now. I've found that a great way to make it work is to multi-task -- when I have boring errands to run and now even when I get ready in the morning, I always have an online class going on in the background (I bookmark any video where I have to sit down and really concentrate).

I think my employer will be somewhat flexible. I live in the middle of nowhere so going to classes will be difficult. I'm not sure how strong I am academically... its been a long time.

Best of luck!

Not to worry, like riding a bike. It will all come back to you. :thumb:

I am 42 been in classes full-time for 1.5 years. I will have my Associates of Science in Business a year from now. Then on to my bachelors. I do some online classes but you would really be better off taking seated classes you will learn more.
Cleping testing out can be good and bad. If you can clep all the way through one entire subject. Math, Science, History, English so on then it would probably be ok. But if you can't clep all the way then you may set yourself up for struggles.
Non traditional students are better students because they have a distinct advantage, life experience.

ExtremeChief is going to be boinking 20 year olds here in a couple months! Congrats! lmao

I've had several non-traditional students over the last few years. They are usually the best ones to have because they are there for a specific purpose, not because it is expected of them.

One caveat: to get the most out of your experience, realize that, although a degree will most likely get you a better job, that's not the sole purpose of an education, nor was it ever intended to be. To make it past the trudgery, enjoy the act of learning and experiencing new methods and modes of inquiry.

If you do that, I think you'll find your experience rewarding far beyond the financial and professional gains.

Congratulations.