I'm frivolously taking various entry level classes two at a time at my local community college. I'm really enjoying studying various things but I know it would be wiser to focus on choosing a degree.
I'm really scared to do that though. It feels awful to need to go back to the drawing board after immersing myself in a subject and finding out that it wasn't for me. I also don't have much of a social group and I'm easily turned off by people so it's hard to make myself stick with any particular students or faculty.
well what degrees does your college offer?
specifically what AAS degrees do they offer? if you can find one that has a decent tie to your local industry you wouldn't need to worry too much and can take one or two classes while finishing that.
As for taking classes haphazardly, be very wary because after certain number of hours your financial aid will be cut off or if you do poorly it's that much harder to bounce back.
>>16957824
link the college website if you're too lazy, i'll search through it. this sort of thing interests me.
>>16957824
It offers some good health care associates degrees that I've looked at but ultimately decided I'd rather not go for. I'm pretty ignorant of local industry and don't like the idea of getting tied down to this town. I've had discussions with multiple teachers and guidance counselors. One counselor said I should be a med tech, one teacher said that an AS in Bio could get me work at a close by University, another said she could get me in contact people offering Psych internships. I just feel overwhelmed and a bit paranoid when I need to make big decisions.
I don't have to worry about financial aid going away because I'm paying out of my pocket.
>>16957877
>I don't have to worry about financial aid going away because I'm paying out of my pocket.
Ok, cc is pretty cheap anyway so it's not so bad price wise. Well, what really matters is what your end game is. Of course, hindsight is 20/20 but for now you have to tie your education to what you want to do IRL.
If you would like a job and keep taking random courses to see what sticks get an AAS and try for something that's actually skilled(none of the bullshit service jobs). Medicine is the in thing right now but look at your local industry, what do you drive by all the time or what is your area known for?
If you think you'll end up in university(and you know you have the money), find the bachelors you want and decide on an AS or AA(although it doesn't really matter, most classes are general education reqs with like 12-15 hrs worth of specific courses depending on your major).
Personally, I don't like the idea of taking so many classes like a buffet such as you're doing. If that's the case just go online to opencourseware, edx, and khanacademy, and learn from there.
I fucked up back the first time in cc and everytime I look through my transcripts all the time I wasted fucking stings.
>>16957912
I like the idea of looking for work right out of community college but I also like the idea of pursuing higher education. With my lack of knowledge and experience it would probably be wiser to aim a little lower and reassess my priorities later.
>>16957770
I was in the same position and it stung me in two ways that I did not anticipate.
One >>16957912 sometimes, it sharply feels like time or money wasted, when I struggle to find employment now (after graduate school). It was a lot of mind-opening fun but that doesn't help me pay crushing bills from undergrad...
Two, but especially >>16957877 NO. (Sorry). Some transfer schools will count those hours against you regardless of who paid for them. I transferred from a CC to UIC in 2007 and this happened to me. I spent 6 months fighting to get a second year of financial aid out of UIC. So I paid for 4 years of CC out of pocket; UIC only reluctantly gave me financial aid for 2. Be careful. Each financial aid office interprets the law differently...
As a transfer student, you're going to need a job at the next place. If I did it again, then i should have taken CC electives in vocational classes so I could take care of basic things in life like plumbing, accounting, and auto repair...
What I resented, as a transfer student who liked electives, is that every advisor or counselor treated me like an idiot who didn't want to grow up because I had many courses. To avoid that, I insist that you take a few vocational courses to get some job skill that you don't mind to have as a back-up career if the Bachelors degree disappoints (because it often does).
Good luck.
>>16957770
Check out the Bureau of Labor Statistics to read about jobs and to get a sense of salaries.
http://www.bls.gov/ooh/installation-maintenance-and-repair/automotive-service-technicians-and-mechanics.htm
In Google or whatever, just type "BLS" and whatever the job title is. The above link is "bls mechanic".
Get a trade job.take classes as a hobby.youre just spinning your wheels.
>>16957770
Professor writing here:
Assuming that time and money aren't major factors, you are doing exactly what CCs (and the first couple of years of 4-year college) are for - shopping around and learning just for the sake of learning.
Good for you.
If - and only if - you really want to settle into focused study of one subject, pick a class you particularly enjoy and take another in the same subject. If that's just as interesting and enjoyable, take a third. And you're on your way to a major.
