Three years ago, Carolyn Harvey enrolled in Chicago’s International Academy of Merchandise and Design at the age of 35, intent on becoming an interior designer. It didn’t take her long to learn one important lesson.
“The first thing I learned was that I didn’t want to be an interior designer. But I didn’t quit. I knew I was in the right place,” recalled the Chicago resident, who had owned a salon and day spa before going back to school.
She soon found her niche on an academy-sponsored trip to Portugal, where she took a class in the history of ceramic tile. “I was fascinated. I knew this was right for me,” she said.
Harvey earned her degree from IAMD last June.
Today, she is a busy mosaic tile artist who also teaches the craft to children through organizations like the Chicago Youth Center.
As Harvey’s experience illustrates, going back to school as an adult can yield many rewards, including the monetary kind.
According to the Chicago-based Council for Adult and Experiential Learning, people with a bachelor’s degree earned approximately 88 percent more than those with only a high school education. If you have a master’s degree, expect to tack on nearly 30 percent more.
Whether your goal is to start a new career, give your current career a boost, earn a long-postponed degree or simply explore a special interest, chances are the curriculum you’re looking for is offered somewhere in the Chicago area.Interested in ornamental horticulture? Check out the programs at Triton College in River Grove and College of Du Page in Glen Ellyn.
How about sports management? Columbia 2, the adult learning program at Columbia College in Chicago, offers a certificate program.
Today, one of the most common reasons for going back to school in midcareer is to keep up with technology. Even something as seemingly simple as selling greeting cards via a Web site can be a challenge.
“Just because someone is a technological marvel or creative enough to put up a wonderful Web site, that doesn’t mean they can make a dot-com company work. Just like other companies, they need to be run well and with financial acumen,” said Tim Ricordati, dean of Keller Graduate School of Management, which has nine campuses in the Chicago area.
Angelo Castanza of Bartlett, an operations manager at Coca-Cola in Chicago, earned his master’s in business administration from Keller two years ago at age 48.
“The main reason I decided to get an MBA is that I noticed that in business people who are a little older seem to lose a step because their education is no longer relevant,” he said.
Castanza completed his degree in just under three years, working around his business travel schedule and family responsibilities.
“I encourage people in their 40s and up to go back to school. The information technology classes gave me an opportunity to understand that side of the business. I also learned to write in a more current style. My writing skills were developed in the 1960s,” he said.
He also attributes his 35 percent pay increase in part to his degree, and feels more secure about his future: “If they did away with my job at Coke, I feel more confident now that I could go out and get another job.”
When considering colleges, look for schools with campuses that are close to your workplace or home. Remember that if you enroll in a certificate or degree program, you could be going to the campus two or three nights a week.
Consider schools that have programs for adult learners.
According to Susanne Dumbleton, dean of DePaul University’s School of New Learning, which is geared toward adults (campuses are located in Chicago, Naperville, DesPlaines and Lake Forest): “We value what adults have learned from work or life. We know that they won’t sit in class and listen to something they already know. Our faculty uses multiple methods of instruction — problem-based and theory. We don’t think lectures work for adults. Adults learn better if they work on projects.”
Choose a school that understands the unique demands on working adults. Do they have plenty of courses in the evenings? Do the professors have office hours in the evenings or on weekends?
Ask how long it will take to earn the degree or certificate you’re seeking. Get a thorough estimate of the costs, from tuition to books and parking fees. Discuss options for financial aid or loans.
If you’re trying to decide on a new career, or wondering if continuing education is for you, most colleges offer counseling.
For example, at Columbia 2, returning students can visit the Center for Career Transition for counseling and seminars on switching careers as well as courses on entrepreneurship.
When evaluating your continuing education options, factor in how your new status as a student might affect your family. You’ll be less available to them, and it’s not just classes that will take up your time.
“The biggest adjustment for me in going back to school was finding that I had to study longer than I did when I was an undergraduate,” said Castanza. “It was a lot more difficult than I thought it would be, but it got easier after a while. I became more efficient about digesting information.”
While you can’t clone yourself, you can help your kids and your spouse adjust to your new schedule by talking to them about your plans and including them in academic endeavors.
“It helps to keep everyone involved with what you’re doing,” said Harvey, a single mother of two. “I used to take my daughters to the library with me and occasionally to my classes. It sets a good example. I want them to know you’re never too old to learn.”
Her school-aged daughters also understood early on that with their mom working only part-time while attending school, budgeting was a priority.
“We cut back on out-of-town vacations. Instead, we discovered new things to do in the city. We looked for coupons or other discounts for what we wanted to do,” said Harvey, who took out a student loan to pay the IAMD tuition.
Online classes–often called distance learning or e-learning–are one way to ease some of the rigors of juggling school and other responsibilities.
Although these programs are often as costly as land-based programs, you don’t have to leave home to take classes because they’re in session on your computer.
Distance learning isn’t for everyone. According to Jeff Creighton, founder and chairman of EduPoint (www.edupoint.com), a San Diego-based Web site where you can search for, and compare, academic programs,
“You have to be very self-motivated. Dropout rates are higher in distance learning,” he said.
Going to school online also has its limits for hands-on subjects such as nursing courses.
Before enrolling in a long-term certificate or degree program through an online college, do as much research as you would before committing to a land-based college.
“There are several things you should ask,” advised Creighton. “How available is the faculty? Are the courses instructor-led or self-paced? Are all the services you need, such as academic counseling and a library, available online? Also, a lot of people forget to ask if you have to come to campus for certain things, such as tests.”
Regardless of where you attend school, as Harvey learned, the experience itself can lead to unexpected insights.
“The school opened so many doors for me. The mosaic opportunity presented itself to me and I allowed myself to go with it,” she said. “It has made me adjust my way of thinking. I’ve learned to allow things to work for me.”
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TUESDAY: Going back to school without going broke.
