I'm Going Back to "School" by GagHalfrunt


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GagHalfrunt
On Thurs I start my "Foundation Degree in Computer Management" at Stratford-upon-Avon college. It's a 2 year part-time course which includes Hewlett Packard accreditation, I will not only achieve an FdSc (upgradable to a BSc on a 1 year course) but also a whole bunch of HP certifications.

The weirdest thing was going for my college interview parking my ZT next to all the Saxos and the like. :geek: It was weird enough walking into an educational institution after 15 years in the IT industry with all the "kids" running around. I've suddenly felt old.

And why am I doing this? I got where I am by experience only and have just spent the last 2.5years achieving all my Microsoft & Citrix certifications only to find they aren't worth that much because a lot of the jobs I'm going for which are higher up want a Degree and I have nothing academic. It seems my technical experience is worth nothing these days because the IT market is so dry they can ask for a low salary and still get someone :( . I've been "at risk" from Redundancy every 2 years it feels like.

So I now have another 2 years of balancing work/family/study which although I've got good at it can be stressful. And the financial side of things means there's no trading my old ZT in for that Celestial Blue ZT-T I saw for sale :roll: Although perversely I think when you're older you actually "enjoy" learning. :?

Posted 29 Sep 2010, 09:00 #1 

User avatar
Bernard
GagHalfrunt wrote:On Thurs I start my "Foundation Degree in Computer Management" at Stratford-upon-Avon college. It's a 2 year part-time course which includes Hewlett Packard accreditation, I will not only achieve an FdSc (upgradable to a BSc on a 1 year course) but also a whole bunch of HP certifications.

The weirdest thing was going for my college interview parking my ZT next to all the Saxos and the like. :geek: It was weird enough walking into an educational institution after 15 years in the IT industry with all the "kids" running around. I've suddenly felt old.

And why am I doing this? I got where I am by experience only and have just spent the last 2.5years achieving all my Microsoft & Citrix certifications only to find they aren't worth that much because a lot of the jobs I'm going for which are higher up want a Degree and I have nothing academic. It seems my technical experience is worth nothing these days because the IT market is so dry they can ask for a low salary and still get someone :( . I've been "at risk" from Redundancy every 2 years it feels like.

So I now have another 2 years of balancing work/family/study which although I've got good at it can be stressful. And the financial side of things means there's no trading my old ZT in for that Celestial Blue ZT-T I saw for sale :roll: Although perversely I think when you're older you actually "enjoy" learning. :?


Best of luck. :thumbsup:

Who was it said that education is wasted on the young?
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Posted 29 Sep 2010, 09:09 #2 

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MrB
Best of Luck

Finished my degree in '94 and then went back to UNi for teacher training in '01, so I had a similar gap to yourself.

Am sure you'll enjoy the course and hope it opens a few doors for you.
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Posted 29 Sep 2010, 10:51 #3 

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SpongeBob
The very best of luck with your course. As you say, I think as adults we somehow enjoy learning a lot more than as kids. For some reason I have this strange yearning to learn more about mathematics, probably because at school I sucked at it and it it was the single most uninspiring subject ever... :( However nowadays there are things I come across and I think "darn, I remember something about that in maths, shame I can't remember what though!"

Posted 29 Sep 2010, 18:52 #4 

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GagHalfrunt
Thank you for your words of encouragement.

I would blame my lack of decent education on my working class upbringing, terrible schools (and so on, all true) but the reality is I had no interest whatsoever and "messed about". It wasn't until we moved away 4 years ago and got out of that environment I realised I had more options.

Not that I've got an axe to grind; I believe I've done "OK". I've always felt my lack of a Degree to be a downer on everything I've achieved so hopefully I'll be "righting a wrong" and as MrB said "open some doors".

Posted 30 Sep 2010, 07:53 #5 


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