SNHU: Update 2
You might remember that I started a master’s degree at SNHU a few years back. I never actually finished that. For all intents and purposes, I am a college dropout right now.
I didn’t really mean to stop taking classes, at least not for an extended period of time. I was taking advantage of tuition reimbursement from QS/1 to cover half the cost of classes. Things started looking a little rocky for the company, and I was afraid I would get caught mid-class and the company suddenly stop the tuition reimbursement policy. After taking 5 classes, I stopped until the future of the policy was a little more certain.
Unfortunately, that future never came. I was terminated from QS/1 before I started classes again. I planned on starting again during my time at System Logistics, but the HR department never actually gave me any information about the tuition reimbursement program despite multiple requests. I left System Logistics and started at Michelin, but only as a contract employee. The contract agency has some ambiguous policy about reimbursing for applicable certifications, but I wasn’t able to get any information on that, and they definitively do not cover individual classes toward a degree. Supposedly, Michelin proper does have some sort of tuition reimbursement for degrees, but that only applies for full-time employees and there is no way of knowing when I could be offered a full-time position.
Suffice it to say, tuition reimbursement of any kind is looking like it won’t happen. However, I’m already 1 class shy of halfway finished with the degree. To stop at this point and let those credits expire would be an enormous waste of time, effort, and money. If memory serves, I was told when I registered for the degree that i would have 7 years to finish. I started in fall of 2017, so that means I need to finish before fall of 2024. I have 1 year and 1 class left, so that means I need to start back by spring or summer of 2023, or earlier.
Now, 2023 still feels like forever away, but 2017 doesn’t feel that long ago. I know that time can slip away much quicker than you expect, and I really don’t want to get put into a position where I’m on a time crunch to finish the degree. Sure, I could technically start back in Summer 2023 and PROBABLY still finish in time. But if any life events crop up in the process, I’m on the hook to still keep taking classes back to back. Taking any kind of break would be impossible. I don’t trust the stability of my life enough to chance that. Rather, I trust that something almost definitely will come up, and I want to be able to afford the luxury of a break from classes if I truly need it.
My wife finished her degree in May, so everything should start to settle down at least a little. My plan now is to start back somewhere between now and the end of 2021, or at least get the ball rolling with advisor so I know that I have a workable timeline. I’ll be paying out of pocket, but I think that will be worth the cost to be finished and finally have a master’s degree on my resume.
The end goal is to find an employer that has a good tuition reimbursement policy and keep getting degrees for the rest of my life. Whether that’s Michelin or somewhere else, I want a policy that pays 100% of tuition up to a certain dollar value, instead of the QS/1 policy that paid 50% unlimited. I can take fewer classes per year, to keep costs under that reimbursement threshold. I just want to get an education on someone else’s dime.
Even beyond proper degrees, I want to get certifications and other marks of ability. I like improving myself, and I like learning things. Degrees and certifications satisfy both of those criteria. Whether it’s something in the computer science field, or something off-the-wall like underwater basket weaving, I want to show that I’m capable of things.
After I finish my master’s of science in Information Technology at SNHU, I think I’ll go back for a master’s in Computer Science. Clemson offers that program, and I personally know someone who works in the admissions department at Clemson. I’m not sure if the degree is online, but the school is close enough that I could probably work with it either way. Plus, Clemson offers a PhD in Computer Science, so it probably wouldn’t be very hard to continue right on into that.
The possibilities are endless. I just have to go out and get them. If you’re looking into certifications and want an accountability partner, hit me up. We’ll do the material together, and make sure we both reach the finish line. I’m all for giving people a hand up, and we could all do a little better in life.
I didn’t really mean to stop taking classes, at least not for an extended period of time. I was taking advantage of tuition reimbursement from QS/1 to cover half the cost of classes. Things started looking a little rocky for the company, and I was afraid I would get caught mid-class and the company suddenly stop the tuition reimbursement policy. After taking 5 classes, I stopped until the future of the policy was a little more certain.
Unfortunately, that future never came. I was terminated from QS/1 before I started classes again. I planned on starting again during my time at System Logistics, but the HR department never actually gave me any information about the tuition reimbursement program despite multiple requests. I left System Logistics and started at Michelin, but only as a contract employee. The contract agency has some ambiguous policy about reimbursing for applicable certifications, but I wasn’t able to get any information on that, and they definitively do not cover individual classes toward a degree. Supposedly, Michelin proper does have some sort of tuition reimbursement for degrees, but that only applies for full-time employees and there is no way of knowing when I could be offered a full-time position.
Suffice it to say, tuition reimbursement of any kind is looking like it won’t happen. However, I’m already 1 class shy of halfway finished with the degree. To stop at this point and let those credits expire would be an enormous waste of time, effort, and money. If memory serves, I was told when I registered for the degree that i would have 7 years to finish. I started in fall of 2017, so that means I need to finish before fall of 2024. I have 1 year and 1 class left, so that means I need to start back by spring or summer of 2023, or earlier.
Now, 2023 still feels like forever away, but 2017 doesn’t feel that long ago. I know that time can slip away much quicker than you expect, and I really don’t want to get put into a position where I’m on a time crunch to finish the degree. Sure, I could technically start back in Summer 2023 and PROBABLY still finish in time. But if any life events crop up in the process, I’m on the hook to still keep taking classes back to back. Taking any kind of break would be impossible. I don’t trust the stability of my life enough to chance that. Rather, I trust that something almost definitely will come up, and I want to be able to afford the luxury of a break from classes if I truly need it.
My wife finished her degree in May, so everything should start to settle down at least a little. My plan now is to start back somewhere between now and the end of 2021, or at least get the ball rolling with advisor so I know that I have a workable timeline. I’ll be paying out of pocket, but I think that will be worth the cost to be finished and finally have a master’s degree on my resume.
The end goal is to find an employer that has a good tuition reimbursement policy and keep getting degrees for the rest of my life. Whether that’s Michelin or somewhere else, I want a policy that pays 100% of tuition up to a certain dollar value, instead of the QS/1 policy that paid 50% unlimited. I can take fewer classes per year, to keep costs under that reimbursement threshold. I just want to get an education on someone else’s dime.
Even beyond proper degrees, I want to get certifications and other marks of ability. I like improving myself, and I like learning things. Degrees and certifications satisfy both of those criteria. Whether it’s something in the computer science field, or something off-the-wall like underwater basket weaving, I want to show that I’m capable of things.
After I finish my master’s of science in Information Technology at SNHU, I think I’ll go back for a master’s in Computer Science. Clemson offers that program, and I personally know someone who works in the admissions department at Clemson. I’m not sure if the degree is online, but the school is close enough that I could probably work with it either way. Plus, Clemson offers a PhD in Computer Science, so it probably wouldn’t be very hard to continue right on into that.
The possibilities are endless. I just have to go out and get them. If you’re looking into certifications and want an accountability partner, hit me up. We’ll do the material together, and make sure we both reach the finish line. I’m all for giving people a hand up, and we could all do a little better in life.
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