My husband and I both went to college but for reasons beyond our control, we both quit. Gosh, I hate saying that word because I’m definitely not a quitter but like I mentioned, it was beyond our control.
My husband wants to move up within the company that he works for and wants to go back to school. Having a family and also working full time is going to make that pretty much impossible, unless of course he can take online learning classes.
I think by taking online classes that he will be able to still work his day job and help with some of the responsibilities around the house as well as take his online classes. I’m just a little worried that it will be too much for him and he’ll get stressed out and well, you know what that means.
I’ve been doing a little bit of research on elearning tools hoping to find something that would make it easier on him. There are so many resources online as well as elearning software for individuals who like learning online.
Have you taken online classes? If so, did you have a positive learning experience?
Anna says
Hey Crystal,
I know lots and lots of people who have went to online school. Some are good and some are okay. Depends on what you want. The go to degree, no offense to anyone, is business management. It’s getting to the point, in my honest opinion, that so many people have it that it is a useless degree. Unless he plans to stay where he works now and it will just help him advance in that company and in his job.
My husband went back to school, and continued working and I did not work that whole time. We were able to do it, but it is a huge sacrifice. Financially, and with time constraints. Dustin went to college in person, though, not sure how else to word it. There were times it was just normal, then other times during finals and such that I had to make bigger sacrifices. Many times I did bath times alone, ate alone, and even slept alone. (Many times he worked over night doing projects for school)Again, it is a huge sacrifice. Sometimes you have to make a little sacrifice now to pay the price for future security. That is what we chose. We knew in our hearts that it would improve our lives and it has, one hundred percent. I can say it has definitely been the best investment we have made together. 🙂
Good luck!
Crystal says
Thanks for sharing Anna.
He does plan to stay with his current employer and just move up within the company.
Janessa says
I haven’t taken any online classes so I’m no help but good for him for having the ambition to do it! Hubs and I are in the “quitters” category too and I’d love it if we could both go back or if at least he would.
Tammy says
I have never done it – but our daughter does take some online classes for homeschool – these are high school/college level classes so it is a decent comparison.
She finds it easy to go at her own pace (which I think would be essential for your husband) and can get help when she needs it from a teacher/professor.
Good luck in the decision!
blueviolet @ A Nut in a Nutshell says
I think that would be a great alternative and would be easy to fit into a busy schedule.
Gina says
I’ve done some online classes and loved it, hubby is thinking of going back to school and doing the same, it’s just being put off and put off… I’m trying to encourage him more just to do it!
Nolie says
I want to do college courses through online. Just the time is not right yet.
PinchingAbe says
We did this years ago. My hubby went to school part-time at first until we found a way to swing it as a full-time thing. That mean doing several things… 1) refinancing our mortgage to a lower rate (we used an ARM to get a super low rate, knowing we would be moving after he graduated) so he could work less and school more; 2) I found a better paying job with health benefits for myself (he kept our daughter on his policy since it was cheaper); 3) It is a lot to ask someone to go to college AND work full-time AND give the kids attention AND work on the honey-do list. We sacrificed a lot of together time, with me feeling it was more important that he spend most of his free time with our young daughter instead of mooning over me 😉 Don’t get me wrong, we still found time to make baby #2 (who delivered 10 days after he graduated). But take an honest look at what you’ll be willing to take on. Start off slow and let him find the sweet spot that doesn’t stress him or you out.
Crystal says
Thanks so much for sharing your experience. I know it will take sacrifices, but I think it will be worth it.
Kalani says
My husband went to school full time/ worked full time & we had a new born at the time. It was HARD! He attended a brick & mortar university that did offer some online clasess as well- That really helped w/ a new baby but sacrifices to be made nonetheless. Now that we’re through it & he has his teaching credential & masters, it doesn’t seem soo bad. Many people work full time and then make a commute that takes them out of the home just about all of the day anyhow.
Going back to school is absolutely worth it in the immediate future! Next he wants to go to law school can you hear me groaning?! I’d like to go back to school myself- Like you I left w/o finishing up!
Things to think about- will he be going to work on what he already started or in a whole new field? If he’s going to continue w/ what he already did- He’ll have less to do than starting new.
Crystal says
Thanks for sharing Kalani! He wants to stay with his current employer, just move up within the company.
Kelly says
I took online classes for half of my associate’s degree and all of my bachelor’s degree. I loved them! I could work at my own pace and when my schedule permitted. You really do need to have motivation and discipline to make it work. How exciting for your husband to go back to school!
Louise says
Oh there was a time that Andrew went back to school and it was HARD!! Once we had Zoe he quit, it was just too much with work, a baby and school. But you guys might be in a good place for him to actually consider doing it. Good Luck!
Crystal says
Thanks Louise! I know it won’t be easy and I think that is what scares me the most.
Mari says
My dh was in a similar situation. He excelled at work but was told that if he wanted to advance he needed to get a degree. Since we had no children at home at the time, we researched and found the least expensive option, a school that offered online and in class learning. He took about half of the classes on campus, and half online.
We found online learning to be a positive experience.
Crystal says
Thanks for sharing Mari!
Katie says
I haven’t done it for actual full courses, but I have done it for continuing ed courses for my professional license. Sometimes it’s easy to concentrate, sometimes I feel like I’d get much more out of sitting in a class.
Shana D says
I don’t know about online classes but my husband went back to school last year. Luckily he works a 3 day on 4 day off shift so he has Monday-Thursday for school. It’s hard because he works full time and goes to school full time and while it was a big adjustment at first it has become a normal routine for our family now.
monique says
Oh he should! I wish I could!
lisa says
My husband is a SAHD and started taking online classes just this year. I think it may be the death of us. He is consumed with it. So he gets nothing done all day to help around the house and wants quiet time in the evenings and weekends too. I’m soooo over it already!!
Penelope says
My husband has taken classes online…he did very well.
1stopmom says
I have a cousin that did online classes and he liked them a lot. It worked great with his family’s schedule. It was easier for him to do things for the kids, while his wife worked.
Cathy says
I’ve never taken an online class. My brother-in-law is currently working on his bachelor’s degree that way though. It seems to be working great for him!
Lora says
Crystal,
Distance learning classes a.k.a. e-learning looks harder than it really is. I have been a mature college student off and on for 14 years (32 years old) and when I saw that my college courses were changing their structural format I balked…HARD!
I am a creature of habit and absolutely despise change, after all if it is not broke then why fix it, but I eventually I had no say in the matter. Slowly one by one most of my courses were going from in-class lecture halls to out-of-class computer screens. So I took a year off to digest the new teaching method and seriously questioned if my degree what really worth the stress of “upgrading” my college experience.
To my delight the change was not stressful in the slightest. Matter of fact, it relieved stress, but understand that change is different for everyone. Everyone may not be able to switch gears as quickly and smoothly as everyone else. It took me a full year to get comfortable with the idea of distance learning and even then I only enrolled in one or two e-classes at a time. I knew my limits, my stress levels, and understood that there was absolutely no reason whatsoever to enroll and pay for a class only to achieve a C or below, because I rushed myself.
When I participated in-class I had to get up, get dress, use gasoline, fight in traffic, fighting for a parking space, spend an hour and half listening to some boring professor talk, only to be assigned homework. What is the point in going to class if there is “homework?” So I got to thinking, if there is going to be “homework” regardless if I am in class or not, then I should have stayed at home in the first place.
And so my adventure with distance learning began. Now I will NEVER go back. I cannot express to you how MUCH time and money it saves! No rushing around to get dressed, fix breakfast, get the kid(s) dressed, dropping the kid(s) off at the babysitter/child daycare center/kindergarten, then driving in congested traffic, fighting for campus parking, only to pick the kid(s) up after class and juggle homework with child rearing and household management.
Now I can attend class electronically and keep my eyes on my child all within the same room. No more unnecessary money being spent on gasoline, babysitter, child daycare center, and even kindergarten, because I am seriously thinking about homeschooling my child through christian distance learning education programs.
No more snow-days and canceling in-class lecture halls. No more testing anxiety for all tests are taken via Internet in the privacy of your own home. No more waiting for an available computer in the computer lab and/or library. No more paying for computer print-outs and Xerox copies. No more hour-long mob lines at the bookstore each semester, because now you can purchase your college books on-line and they are shipped directly to your front door. Whatever you pay in postage is what you would have spent in gasoline driving to and from your in-class lecture halls.
If you run into a problem and have a question or concern regarding an assignment, the professor posts his/her office hours on the course syllabus and is available for IM chats and/or email correspondence within those office hours. Plus, your class meets by Internet according to your scheduled dates/times as an online “group chat room” for feedback. All assignments are emailed as attachments and submitted online.
The amount of time that I can incorporate my college education and home-life is incredible. I can stop and start a class assignments at any time I need to as often as I need to. I am not chained to a chair for an hour and a half. Distance learning seriously frees-up my time and is more conducive to my child’s schedule and needs.
Not only all this, but all credits are completely transferable and I can attend another university in another state via e-learning. Distance learning brings the classroom to you instead of having you go to the classroom. It is the best thing ever!
Crystal says
Thanks so much Lora! I feel more confident that this will be a good experience for our family.
Jena Hartman says
So Crystal – how did everything turn out. It’s been a few months now – did your husband make his decision?
My fiance and I are currently back in school. Him for his undergrad (totally proud of him – long time coming) and me for my MBA in Business Administration. I take on-line classes since we do have a three-year-old and he takes his courses M-F in the mornings from 9AM-1PM then works in the evening. With both of our crazy schedules I can only hope to see the light at the end of the tunnel.
We some how manage – but again, for the time being we’re sacrificing time together to make our future a brighter place.
I look forward to hearing from you.
-JENA