Now, before anyone starts discussing college, I’m NOT going back to school full-time. I plan on taking a few classes (two, I’m thinking) every semester to try to beef myself up on journalism and a few other things, and rack up some credits. Our local community college has a very good associates program for journalism, and if I decide, after a few years, that I want to go farther, I can take the bachelors program at the university up in Reno.
For those of you who don’t know, I already work in the journalism field - I write news briefs, community briefs, business briefs, education briefs, and obituaries for my local newspaper, and I’m a staff writer for an online gaming and technology media network. However, I feel that having the credentials to back that up might get me taken more seriously, and I feel that it’s something to work towards. However, because I work two jobs, I can’t be a full-time, or really even a part-time student. One or two classes per semester, at max, is all I can afford with my time constraints. Luckily, the newspaper I work for is 100 percent behind me and is willing to be flexible with my schedule.
This is where you guys come in.
I haven’t been in school for over three years, almost four, since I graduated high school. I have no idea how a college works, and I have no idea how to procure fundage for such an education. I’ve signed up for FastWeb and submitted a few applications for scholarships, but I know for a fact that I can’t qualify for financial aid because of my parents (I went through this about six months ago when pondering school) and that stupid “dependant until 25” or whatever rule. Despite working in my chosen field, because I have no degree, I make very, very little money - going to college without some sort of outside funding is neigh impossible for me, even at community college rates.
So.
I’d like advice. Flat-out advice. Tips you’ve learned from college, any places you’ve heard of that might fund my education in part, ANYTHING you think might help. Or the occasional “Good luck!” which would cheer me up immensely - everyone is in favor of this, but it’s very daunting at times and good words help, even if you don’t mean them.
I have until the second week of January to sign up for the spring semester - I plan on taking one or two classes at the college and I think I have the funding sorted out for this semester, but I have no clue as to what to do after that. So…any help would be very gratefully accepted and appreciated.
~Tasha