You wake up every day to return to the same job you have been dragging yourself to for the past 10 years. However, you don’t see a way out. More sitting at a computer crunching numbers you don’t care about; or performing mind-numbing data entry; or completing work that, let’s face it, was fine a decade or so ago, but is starting to wear on you physically now.
You’ve always been interested in helping people, or technology, or nursing, or design but you’re not sure if you can handle going to college at this point. You don’t have time. You’re afraid of math. Your cat wants you home at night. The excuses are endless.
Don’t let myths and negative thoughts keep you from returning to school and achieving your dreams. Here’s what you need to know to get going…
Giving Yourself Some Credit
In order to expedite your path toward a college degree, Suffolk provides non-traditional options to access and award college credit for prior learning, like the College Level Examination Program (CLEP), Challenge Exams and Portfolio Preparation.
CLEP is a nationally standardized computer-based testing program designed to help adults earn credit for college-level learning that has been accomplished outside of the college classroom. CLEP exams are offered in 33 academic subjects. Suffolk offers regularly scheduled CLEP testing dates throughout the year. In academic subjects for which no CLEP exams exist, Suffolk even offers its own challenge exams.
Portfolio Preparation is designed to award college credit for college-level knowledge or skills obtained through life or work experience. Students are taught how to put a portfolio together displaying college-level skills and knowledge. Upon completion of the course, the portfolio will be submitted to an evaluator who will assess your portfolio and grant college credits where they see fit.
“Adult learners are extraordinary,” says Professor Joan Dorr, Adult Learning Specialist at Suffolk. “They are serious and motivated students who truly deserve the academic credit they earn from the skills and knowledge they’ve acquired through their life experiences outside the traditional classroom. Although adults may sometimes have anxiety about going to college at a non-traditional age, these concerns are readily addressed by Suffolk’s programs and resources. Ultimately, our students find that returning to school can be rewarding and enjoyable as they advance intellectually, professionally and financially.”
Making College Fit Your Schedule
We’re all doing a million things. But think of the time that is wasted in your life when you’re unhappy with your career path. We often tend to compensate for our unhappiness with other huge time and money-wasters.
In order to accommodate students who are managing the many responsibilities of work and family, Suffolk provides flexible scheduling, distance learning courses, child care services, and more. For instance, online learning can allow you to take your classes after your children go to bed, on your lunch break, or whenever it’s most convenient for you. Plus, learning is an invigorating process. You may be surprised to find that you have a lot more energy and time to get the work done than you thought.
“After retiring from the FDNY, I returned to Suffolk to pursue a second career in the field of psychology and counseling,” says George Valente, an adult student. “The professors at Suffolk really go above and beyond to help you succeed and the flexible class schedules and distance learning opportunities make it easy to go back to college while you continue to live your life.”
Making College Fit Your Budget
You may think that college is out of your reach because of cost. However, college may be more affordable than you think. Financial aid and scholarships are available to those who qualify for both full-time and part-time students. Most Suffolk students receive some sort of financial aid. In particular, scholarships provide great opportunities. Each year the Suffolk Community College Foundation awards upwards of $550,000 in scholarships. Searching scholarships is easy – simply visit www.sunysuffolk.edu/scholarships.
Finding and Pursuing Your Passion
You know that you want to earn a degree in “something” but you just aren’t sure what that “something” is yet! Do you keep putting off college until the bolt of inspiration comes? The answer is quite simple: Start by taking a class or two and explore your interests.
“I work full-time and take a few classes each semester with the goal of earning an associate degree in liberal arts,” says Joan Tiernan, a returning adult student. “At Suffolk, everyone is rooting for your success. There are many adult students in my classes and the younger students have all been very welcoming. I never feel as though I don’t belong here. I even took a class with my son!”
For more details about Adult Learning at Suffolk, simply call
631-451-4111 or visit
www.sunysuffolk.edu/CareerFocus
Drew Fawcett