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Thinking about going back to college

Texashiker

Texashiker

Lifer
Not happy with my current job, thinking about leaving, cashing in my 401k, using that money to go back to college.

My wife has health insurance through her job and will be able to add me.

House is paid for
No car or truck note
Child support will be over in May
I am 46 years old
Been out of welding field for 9+ years.
Have 60 something hours at community college in computer degree plan
Some courses might switch over to welding degree - literature, public speaking,,, stuff like that.

I have 15 years experience in the welding field, no formal education, all experience been on the job training.

Thinking about going to college for an associates degree in welding, then getting inspector certification.



In before "lol asking ATOT for career advice."
 
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I don't see the question, reads more like a blog or a statement. Is your question - is it worth it? I guess it is if you can get some contracts or job that need the inspector certification... i believe you have contacts in govt places, that can come in handy, go for it!
 
cyclohexane said:
What's wrong with your current job that makes you want to go back to welding?
Click to expand...

Want to make more money.

Never going to get a raise here, no room for advancement, tired of looking out of a window, tired of sitting behind a desk.

I miss the days when I would go home tired and with a sense of accomplishment.
 
Don't cash in your 401K! Go to your CC and find out exactly what classes you need to get the AAS you want to get an idea of the cost. In NC, where I got my AAS, it was pretty inexpensive and I was able to pay as I went. When I finished by BS, that was another story (I had to beg borrow & steal to fund that degree).
 
1. Community College is worthless. Unless you want a standard "associates" degree to put you slightly above all non-grads. I tell people with Psychology degree's to just use their bachelors as an associate's - because that is all it's worth.

2. You're old. You have to look at college as an investment strategy. I have a roommate that is 40 and wants to go back to college and I just keep shaking my head. She's dumb as a box of rocks and isn't going to get anywhere with the stupid classes she is taking and the debt pile she is racking up again. There are plenty of people these days with masters and PHD's that can't get anywhere because they are too stupid and don't have any real life experience.

3. If you want investment. If you want progress - if you want something meaningful with your experience background... i would honestly go for certifications and specialty schooling. A certification in welding and computers would get you way further than a late degree from a shit school ever would - without anywhere near the boatload of debt.

4. You're a dumbass that still needs to learn some things in life. Do NOT fucking cash in your 401k under any circumstances unless it is life or death. This is NOT one of those cases.

5. I know plenty of people that make it just fine on experience alone. It is STILL that way. You don't need schooling if you already have the experience.


All of this has been a PSA. I hope you honestly take it to heart and realize the mistakes you are thinking of making.
 
How are with math? Have you ever operated a lathe?

Having the ability to program and operate a CNC would be better than going back into the welding field. Unless you have a company footing the bills for the welding certs.

Shaking my heads at those that crap on a serious thread.
 
Texashiker said:
Local government IT job.




Unless I move 200 miles I have no other option, which I am not going to do.
Click to expand...

Sometimes you have to make sacrifices in life to move ahead. This is one of those times. You have to go to the opportunity; The opportunity will not come to you.

Think about it and head my warnings.
 
s0me0nesmind1 said:
1. Community College is worthless. Unless you want a standard "associates" degree to put you slightly above all non-grads. I tell people with Psychology degree's to just use their bachelors as an associate's - because that is all it's worth.

2. You're old. You have to look at college as an investment strategy. I have a roommate that is 40 and wants to go back to college and I just keep shaking my head. She's dumb as a box of rocks and isn't going to get anywhere with the stupid classes she is taking and the debt pile she is racking up again. There are plenty of people these days with masters and PHD's that can't get anywhere because they are too stupid and don't have any real life experience.

3. If you want investment. If you want progress - if you want something meaningful with your experience background... i would honestly go for certifications and specialty schooling. A certification in welding and computers would get you way further than a late degree from a shit school ever would - without anywhere near the boatload of debt.

4. You're a dumbass that still needs to learn some things in life. Do NOT fucking cash in your 401k under any circumstances unless it is life or death. This is NOT one of those cases.

5. I know plenty of people that make it just fine on experience alone. It is STILL that way. You don't need schooling if you already have the experience.


All of this has been a PSA. I hope you honestly take it to heart and realize the mistakes you are thinking of making.
Click to expand...

Op should really listen to this guy. Unfortunately, his mind is probably made up.
 
How expensive is community college in Texas that you need to cash in your 401k to get an AA?

You should be able to leave your 401(k) as is, and go to school on your wife's salary. And if you can't, get some grants/scholarships/loans.
 
Londo_Jowo said:
How are with math? Have you ever operated a lathe?
Click to expand...

Math with practical applications I can do. If you have a 92 inch OD vessel and want a nozzle on 30 degrees, no problem.

Never ran a lathe.


Londo_Jowo said:
Having the ability to program and operate a CNC would be better than going back into the welding field. Unless you have a company footing the bills for the welding certs.
Click to expand...

The local college offers a basic welding class. Its 16 hours, so 2 semesters and I would get a WELDING TECHNOLOGY LEVEL 1 CERTIFICATE - BASIC

These are the classes and degree plan.

http://www.angelina.edu/technology/welding.html


s0me0nesmind1 said:
Sometimes you have to make sacrifices in life to move ahead. This is one of those times. You have to go to the opportunity; The opportunity will not come to you.

Think about it and head my warnings.
Click to expand...

In this part of Texas all we have are community colleges, that is unless you move to Houston or Huntsville. Neither of which I am going to do.

I am not going to ask my wife to leave her stable job, uproot our home, look for another job while I go to college. Neither am I going to leave my wife, go to another city hundreds of mile away to go to college.
 
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Texashiker said:
Math with practical applications I can do. If you have a 92 inch OD vessel and want a nozzle on 30 degrees, no problem.

Never ran a lathe.




The local college offers a basic welding class. Its 16 hours, so 2 semesters and I would get a WELDING TECHNOLOGY LEVEL 1 CERTIFICATE - BASIC

These are the classes and degree plan.

http://www.angelina.edu/technology/welding.html
Click to expand...

Do you need the AA to get the inspection certificate? I would imagine with 15 years of experience, you could teach the course.
 
jaedaliu said:
Do you need the AA to get the inspection certificate?
Click to expand...

No.

The certs require either a formal education and/or X number of years of on the job experience.

The less formal education you have the more hands on experience the certs require.

Going from memory, and this might be wrong:

Associates degree requires a couple of years hands on.

Certificate of completion requires a few more years.

No formal education something like 8 or 10 years hands on.
 
For the sake of the other students, I urge you not to follow through with this idea.

What community college will you be attending that would require you to cash in your 401K for funds 😵?
 
JM Aggie08 said:
What community college will you be attending that would require you to cash in your 401K for funds 😵?
Click to expand...

To pay for college and living expenses.

I need to find out if the college offers these classes at night. If they do I could continue working and go at night.
 
s0me0nesmind1 said:
1. Community College is worthless. Unless you want a standard "associates" degree to put you slightly above all non-grads. I tell people with Psychology degree's to just use their bachelors as an associate's - because that is all it's worth.

2. You're old. You have to look at college as an investment strategy. I have a roommate that is 40 and wants to go back to college and I just keep shaking my head. She's dumb as a box of rocks and isn't going to get anywhere with the stupid classes she is taking and the debt pile she is racking up again. There are plenty of people these days with masters and PHD's that can't get anywhere because they are too stupid and don't have any real life experience.

3. If you want investment. If you want progress - if you want something meaningful with your experience background... i would honestly go for certifications and specialty schooling. A certification in welding and computers would get you way further than a late degree from a shit school ever would - without anywhere near the boatload of debt.

4. You're a dumbass that still needs to learn some things in life. Do NOT fucking cash in your 401k under any circumstances unless it is life or death. This is NOT one of those cases.

5. I know plenty of people that make it just fine on experience alone. It is STILL that way. You don't need schooling if you already have the experience.


All of this has been a PSA. I hope you honestly take it to heart and realize the mistakes you are thinking of making.
Click to expand...

I would consider this guy's advice. I say take a whole bunch of IT certification, and move to a different area of IT to learn/gain new/additional skills/experience. You have to make yourself marketable and that's having actual experiences.

My previous CISCO instructor graduated with only Computer Science degree, he kept taking load of certification (on linkedin he has more than 20 certification listed). Finally he passed his CCIE in router/switching and now working as VP in cloud computing in Verizon (hong kong). This guy would only stay maximum of 2-3 yrs with his previous jobs before moving to a new job, cuz its the only way to move up and shoot for a more senior position.

I plan to do the same thing so I don't get bored and plateaued in my IT career. But if you really LOVE welding then go for it, choose whichever way is more practical in achieving it since we are not getting any younger.

What my parents always say...... "Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life."
 
Do NOT cash out your 401K. Instead, start banking the money you would've paid in child support, do that for a few months, and they pay for school with those savings and keep saving the child support money for additional semesters.
 
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